Save Oak Hill State Park–Calls, emails needed TODAY

You may be aware that, after visiting Oak Hill, Governor Youngkin will ask for a budget amendment to designate Oak Hill a state park.  This is but a first step and requires approval by delegates of the General Assembly.  It is far from assured that delegates will vote in favor of Oak Hill when they meet to consider amendments on April 2nd.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED!!!

Please email and call Delegates and Senators in the Loudoun delegation (listed below). Urge them to KEEP OAK HILL IN THE BUDGET! We have enough votes in the Loudoun delegation alone to ensure this passes, but we need every one of those votes. Let them know how important this is to you!

To email:

Copy and paste the email addresses of the Loudoun Delegation:

DelDReid@house.virginia.gov

DelMMartinez@house.virginia.gov

DelAReaser@house.virginia.gov

DelJSingh@house.virginia.gov

 

SenRPerry@senate.virginia.gov

SenKSrinivasan@senate.virginia.gov

 

Here’s some “talking points” to help you craft your call/email… edit, cut & paste as needed:

 

SUBJECT: VOTE YES, Save Oak Hill!

Dear [Delegate/Senator __________________],

[As your constituent, if you are one] I write to you today to urge you to say “YES” to the creation of Oak Hill State Park in Loudoun County.

Please, keep Oak Hill in the budget!

Oak Hill is our 5th President, James Monroe’s, home. Keeping it in the budget will conserve important history and beautiful greenspace for Loudouners, Virginians, and beyond. What a mistake it would be to miss this opportunity. There are so many good reasons to make Oak Hill the latest jewel in Virginia’s parks system:

  • The park will have no financial burden on the Commonwealth.
  • After this one-time grant by the County, the park will be privately financed.
  • Maintenance and operational costs will be paid for privately by endowment and investment from the endowment.
  • This “newly re-discovered” park will generate new interest and revenue for all of Loudoun and the Commonwealth since historical tourism is a huge part of our local economy.
  • Oak Hill has been meticulously maintained and preserved to keep its authenticity — with private funds. We would be inheriting a bargain–the work has already been done. With its deep history going back to Colonial times, and even prehistoric times, once Oak Hill and its land is lost to development, it will be gone forever. We can’t let that happen.
  • The Oak Hill grounds will remain open to all for generations to come.
  • Its 1240 acres of forest, fields and wetlands, right on Rt.15 in Leesburg means easy access for tourism and recreation for millions of people.
  • For equestrians, it could include miles of public access trails.
  • For everyone, it means a Central Park-like, curated oasis for passive recreation, agriculture and history.

 

This is a great opportunity that we will lose forever without your support. Please vote YES on Oak Hill!

 

Sincerely,

 

[Your name]

 

Click the links below for phone numbers to call:

Delegate David Reid

Delegate Marty Martinez

Delegate Atoosa Reaser

Delegate JJ Singh

Senator Russet Perry (already came out publicly in support – express thanks)

Senator Kannan Srinivasan

 

Link to all other members of the House

Link to all other members of the Senate

 

Now that you have sent your emails and made your calls, please forward this to your friends and neighbors to do the same. Let’s preserve Oak Hill for us all to enjoy for generations to come!

 

Zoning Update – November 2024

Representing the equestrian community’s interests, Loudoun County Equine Alliance president Kelly Foltman, vice president Emily Houston, and other equine business stakeholders, participated in the county zoning ZOAM on November 21, 2024  to discuss the current and proposed zoning changes that affect nearly all equine businesses in Loudoun.  Armed with the anonymous responses many of you provided to our recent equestrian property use survey, the Alliance clearly described to County officials the negative impact of the 2023 zoning ordinances on horse boarding and equine event venues that lie at the heart of the $180 million a year horse-related business in Loudoun County.

Recent changes to zoning regulations reclassified equine boarding and training facilities and equine event facilities from  “agricultural” to “agricultural support”  uses. Many current equine properties cannot meet, or are unable to expand under, the more restrictive maximum structure square footage, property line set backs, and hours of operation imposed on “agriculture support” businesses.  To remedy this, LCEA believes most facilities on which horses are kept should be reclassified from “agricultural support” back to “agricultural” with common sense zoning guidelines that will allow the equine industry to remain viable and profitable.

Become a member of the Loudoun County Equine Alliance.  Individual membership is free.

If you would still like to take the zoning impact survey for data collection purposes, please click here.

Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance

 

Rural Loudoun, despite developmental pressure, has remained a haven for agriculture and agritourism, open spaces, environmental conservation, and historic preservation. Building transmission lines through Rural Loudoun would impact all of Loudoun’s residents (past, present, and future), our environment, and put our historical legacy at risk.

LCEA Position Paper on Transmission Lines HERE

Banshee Reeks

Loudoun County Candidate Forum

2022 Zoning Ordinance Rewrite – Resource Page

Read here to learn about how to participate in Zoning Ordinance rewrite. This ordinance will affect the future of Loudoun County for years to come. The 90-day comment period starts April 1.

Horse Trailer Safety Workshop

Workshop covering trailer safety, matching trailer to truck, weight limits, maintenance and many other useful items.

Founder and Grass Management in the Spring

What is grass founder – when to worry about it and how to combat it? Watch this video to find out!