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Permalink Reply by Anne Denzin on March 9, 2011 at 9:19am

One of the alternate properties that the BOS is looking at for HS8 is where the Belmont CC concerts were held on Russell Branch Pkwy. This would be a great location - flat and open, and without the traffic issues that we would have on Upper Belmont. If you agree, e-mail the Board of Supervisors.

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Permalink Reply by jas on March 9, 2011 at 10:12am

I LOVE this idea!  I can't be in full support of HS-8 at the NCC site because of the traffic/safety impacts it would have on my family (as we live on a very busy section of Riverpoint Dr. between Upper Belmont and Kipheart)  Our street is already CRAZY without a large high school thrown into the mix.  Absolutely will email the BOS! 

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Permalink Reply by acbzw3 on March 9, 2011 at 11:09am

There is no specific information about the land purchase yet.   If any other parcels of land are being considered, it is in closed session.   At this point, the NCC site is our most viable option to keep HS-8 in the FY-12 CIP, and ensure it is built before HS-6.   We must be very careful that we do not interfere with the negotiation process, and delay a land purchase, which could move HS-6 ahead in the FY-12 CIP.

 

The NCC site is favorable because it offers significant transportation and logistical cost savings, with up to 40% of the student body being within walking distance instead of 100% of students bused to another site.

 

Yes, traffic issues will need to be addressed, but HS-8 at the NCC site gives Lansdowne the best chance possible of keeping the community together and avoiding future boundary disputes.

 

If you are going to write to the board of Supervisors, please urge them to close on the land deal ASAP,  so that we have a high school for our kids.

 

Here's what is likely to happen if they do not build a high school on the NCC site:

 

The NCC site is currently zoned to allow for a 700,000 sq ft office campus.  This kind of campus can hold up to 2800 people. The parking can hold up to 3500 cars (or more).  The site is a "by-right use" -- which means that the developer/owner has NO OBLIGATION to solve any transportation issues that arise from the increased volume.  The taxpayers would then have to pay to fix the issues, while gaining nothing for our community.  Moreover, it's unlikely that this property is going to remain vacant. The NCC owners do intend to sell it, and it's very appealing as an office park because it's located in a built-out area, with many nearby amenities.

 

On the other hand, if a high school is built on the NCC site, the county WILL BE obligated to address traffic issues. Not to mention that we'd have a community-based high school that offers priceless benefits for our children -- unlike an office park.  In fact, the county staff's initial plan already includes traffic flow solutions for the Riverpoint/Upper Belmont and Kipheart/Riverside intersections.  Plus, there will be plenty of time for community input on parking restrictions and traffic calming measures.  

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Permalink Reply by Vicki on March 9, 2011 at 11:52am

I LOVE this idea as well! Cannot fully support a high school crammed into the NCC space. I've learned through the years that a decision made through pressure and tight deadlines is usually a poor decision soaked in regret. Our children HAVE a high school...there is no need for panic. Myself, I am more concerned about the increased traffic on the streets of our quiet residential neighborhood. More specifically the cars being driven by high school seniors and the late night foot traffic after sporting events which will inevitably lead to increased vandalism and property damage. Thank you for your post---I am going to email the BOD immediately!

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Permalink Reply by Alison Johnson on March 9, 2011 at 12:21pm

I am very much in favor of a high school at the NCC site, not only because of the benefits it brings the neighborhood community but also because I fear of what this site will become if it is not a high school.  By right, the developers can just start building this large office complex with no traffic mitigation at all.  With the economy beginning to recover, I feel that this land will be developed sooner rather than later.  I'd rather have the high school and the necessary traffic adjustments made than the offices with increased traffic on the ill equipped roads.  Also, what is the chance that the owner could pursue another housing application for this site???  That is the last thing we need there!

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie on March 9, 2011 at 2:03pm

Anne thank you for informing the alternative locations the BOS is considering! I too do not fully support the NCC location for HS-8 mainly due to traffic considerations.  It is already a mess with the middle school adding the additional traffic only doubles the current problem. 

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Permalink Reply by jas on March 9, 2011 at 2:50pm

true that 40% will be within walking distance, but I think we are kidding ourselves if we think everyone is going to walk to school.  As soon as the weather turns less than desirable, a large majority of those students will be driving past my house to get to school and to get to sporting events off of Kipheart. My neighbors and I have been trying for years to get some sort of traffic calming for our street.  I'm sure everyone remembers the horrible drag racing accident that occured here two years ago.  

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Permalink Reply by acbzw3 on March 9, 2011 at 3:33pm

Please be assured this is not a spontaneous decision driven by panic and a tight deadline.  Many properties have been investigated, debated, and vetted for YEARS.  Our leaders have been working so hard for so long to come up with viable solutions.  The NCC site has been studied for at least a year. 

If northern Ashburn and Lansdowne already had a high school for the long term, then the school adminstration, Board of Supervisors, and School Board would not be prioritizing HS-8.  Tuscarora is going to be overcrowded very soon.  

If HS-8 is built first, then it will likely open in 2015.   If HS-6 is built first, HS-8 could be delayed to 2018 or beyond.  We need HS-8 first and the School Board agreed last night.

4 years might seem like a long time from now, but it takes a long time to rezone, plan and build. Plus, the sooner the decision is made, the more time we have to give our input on traffic control and school boundaries. 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by BRV on March 9, 2011 at 3:53pm

The traffic impact must be addressed, and we will certainly need to handle the changes that come with a community-based school.  During the planning process, it's important that we anticipate issues, that our concerns are heard, and that we come up with solutions.  By having a high school in our community, we have a better chance of getting the traffic calming measures that we've been requesting for years.  It might be really helpful to meet with communities around Stone Bridge and Dominion, and see how they've adapted to high schools in their neighborhoods. 

 

We are such a close-knit community, and we can all help each other and work together to relieve possible side effects that might come along with the immeasurable benefits.  Please consider the following points, which might help ease concerns:

 

No one can predict for sure, but traffic volume might not increase overall as much as you think.  Even if there is no school at the NCC, ALL teenage drivers in Lansdowne will still be coming and going to high school, exiting and entering via Riverpoint, Kipheart, Upper Belmont, and Lansdowne Blvd.  Right now, they're also crossing Route 7 or going up River Creek Parkway and Route 15.  The NCC's central location will mitigate the number of Lansdowne students entering and exiting the neighborhood, which will offset incoming traffic from surrounding communities.  Moreover, the NCC property will be sold some day, and is zoned for an office park that would significantly add traffic volume to Upper Belmont, but with NO benefit for our kids.

 

Again, all traffic concerns must be given serious consideration.  But please consider how a close, stable school will keep our kids safe and help us ensure their well-being:  it reduces their driving time on congested roads, allows more time at home, heightens our awareness of social activities, and increases our busy families' ability to get involved with our kids' education and support their extracurricular endeavors. 

 

If you write a letter to the Board of Supervisors, please consider asking them to finalize the purchase of a viable property for HS-8.  Thanks for listening!

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Permalink Reply by JLL on March 9, 2011 at 4:08pm

During the December 2010 meeting that was held at Belmont Ridge Middle School, many individuals spoke in favor of a high school at the NCC site and almost universally stated "Of course, traffic issues will need to be addressed". I noted, with some amusement, that several of these people had also spoken at a meeting held in the Lansdowne Potomac Club ballroom in October 2009. At that time they protested a proposal to build 212 homes on the NCC site, in part, because of traffic concerns. There was no way, they asserted, that the traffic congestion caused by 212 additional residences could be mitigated. The rezoning application had to be denied.

In all seriousness, how can any one think that a 2000+ student high school, with associated teaching and support staff, will generate less traffic than a small residential development? If the traffic studies indicated that the existing intersections of Belmont Ridge/Riverside and Upper Belmont/Riverpoint, as well as most of Oxford's proposed solutions, failed to support the traffic volume that would have been generated by 200+ additional homes, what can possibly be done to handle an even higher volume from a high school?

I also had the opportunity to sit in meetings and listen to Oxford's representatives repeatedly threaten to exercise the by-right option and construct a 700,000 square foot office complex. To which I replied, if that were truly an option for you, you wouldn't be sitting in meetings and spending close to $1 million to get your rezoning application approved. Let's think about this. Who would build an office complex for several thousand people with the current road infrastructure? No one with any sense. It would require major road changes and the associated hearings and approvals. The cost of road improvements would be borne by the developer. (If a school is built, Loudoun County taxpayers get to foot the bill.) It's too bad that a small commercial development isn't feasible. The restaurants at the Town Center could use the lunch business from office workers.

My personal preference for the site was a limited residential development, something like large homes on one to three acre lots. This would keep density to a reasonable level and fit in with the character of the neighborhood. But that's not on the table so it really doesn't matter.

As a homeowner who would be impacted by the proposed high school's playing fields and who would suffer the loss of the only tot lot in the River Oaks section, I am happy to hear that the two boards are considering other sites. I agree with others who doubt that 40% of students within walking distance will translate to 40% of students actually walking. It seems that every high schooler I know needs to drive because of jobs, off site after school activities, medical appointments, athletic practices, etc. Parents support the concept of a walkable school in theory, but expect their children to be allowed to drive.

One other small contradiction I noticed. When the middle school walking zone was established, many parents cited safety concerns about vehicle speeds and volume. But it doesn't bother these same parents that their children will have to dodge construction vehicles on both Upper Belmont and Kipheart for many months and then have to deal with vehicles traveling to and from the high school? If the County proceeds with the plan to construct a high school, will the County suspend the middle school walking zone, either temporarily or permanently (which means money needed for buses)?

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Permalink Reply by BRV on March 9, 2011 at 4:42pm

I responded earlier, but I'd like to emphasize this again...

Please consider how our kids simply don't have a high school in the foreseeable future.  If it turns out to be located at the NCC site, please consider how a close, stable school will keep our kids safe and help us ensure their well-being:  it reduces their driving time on congested roads, allows more time at home, heightens our awareness of social activities, and increases our busy families' ability to get involved with our kids' education and support their extracurricular endeavors.   

Certainly -- many students will not walk.  But, ALL Lansdowne highschoolers are entering and exiting this neighborhood right now on Riverpoint, Kipheart, Lansdowne Blvd, and Upper Belmont.  A school at the NCC site will virtually eliminate this entering and exiting, which will offset incoming traffic from school staff and surrounding communities.  It's not going to be adding more volume on top of existing volume.  It's mostly a matter of changing traffic patterns.  Anything else on the NCC parcel would indeed add volume to existing volume.

Thankfully, the county has already asked for community input, and transportation experts are completing transportation studies to evaluate these traffic patterns and the impact a high school would have on Lansdowne.  So, hopefully we'll have some answers soon, and our concerns will be addressed once the studies are concluded and traffic calming measures are proposed.  

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Permalink Reply by Anne Denzin on March 9, 2011 at 5:10pm

Well, it looks like we have a discussion here! I completely agree with the major point that we need land to be purchased NOW for HS-8. Without land we will not get our high school before HS-6 at Loudoun Valley Estates.

When our family moved to Lansdowne in 2004, we had two teenagers - one who drove - at Stone Bridge, and a child at Seldens. No one complained about driving all of that long distance to SBHS down Claiborne Pkwy. Belmont CC is not as far as Ashburn Farm and Claiborne would still be the route. I find this alternative to NCC, Tuscarora or fighting over Stone Bridge again perfectly acceptable.

But please e-mail the BOS and put the pressure on them to purchase land for HS-8 NOW.

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