Site Plans

  • Loudoun County requires site plans for property development to insure that development occurs in an orderly manner and that standards are followed for the protection and promotion of the general health, safety, and welfare of the county's residents.
  • The site plan process encourages attractive and harmonious development for the ultimate site users and for the county as a whole. 
  • The approved site plan will be used by the contractor responsible for construction of the site improvements.
  • A site plan is a detailed engineering drawing of proposed improvements to a given lot. 
  • It usually shows a building footprint, travel ways, parking, drainage facilities, sanitary sewer lines, water lines, trails, lighting, and landscaping. 
  • The specific requirements are outlined in Chapter 8 of the Loudoun County Facilities Standards Manual (FSM).

When is a Site Plan Required?

A site plan is required by Section 6-701 of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance for development of any land which falls into the following categories:

  • All uses on a commercial or industrial zoned property;
  • All permitted uses in the residential districts, except for agricultural structures and single-family detached dwellings, duplex dwellings, townhouses and accessory uses and structures allowed by the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance;
  • Those special exception uses and structures which require a site plan;
  • Any development in which any required off-street parking space is to be used by more than one establishment;
  • When an alteration or amendment is proposed to the site improvements or design of a previously approved site plan, unless site plan amendment criteria can be met; in that case, a site plan amendment application may be filed;
  • When an existing residential use is proposed for a change to a commercial, industrial, or multi-family residential use;
  • All public buildings and institutions;
  • All other uses involving a building required to be reviewed by the Planning Commission under Section 15 to 1.456 of the Code of Virginia as amended.

Applying for a Site Plan

If you have never submitted a site plan application in Loudoun County, you should arrange a pre-application meeting through the county's Chief Engineer in the Department of Building and Development.

A completed Land Development Application form is available from the Department of Building and Development. This includes:

  • A minimum submission checklist of required items to be submitted
  • A site plan prepared by a professional engineer in accordance with the Administrative Procedures chapter of the Facilities Standards Manual (FSM)
  • A filing fee based on the current fee schedule with the check made out to Loudoun County

Submit a completed Land Development Application, ten copies of the site plan, and the fee check to the Department of Building and Development.

Site Plan Review

  • Chapter 1244 of the LSDO (Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance) establishes a time frame of 60 days for review and approval of a site plan. 
  • The 60-day review timeline is based on the time the application is actually in the county for review but does not include the time the applicant's engineer is making revisions to the site plan.
  • After checklist review and acceptance of the site plan by the Department of Building and Development for processing, it is sent out on referral to appropriate outside agencies such as: the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management, Loudoun Water, the Health Department, the Department of Planning, and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
  • These agencies will review the plan for specific conformance to engineering principles and planning requirements outlined in the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, the LSDO, and the Facilities Standards Manual (FSM). This review will encompass transportation, storm drainage, sanitary and water service, landscaping, and public safety.

Site Plan Revision

  • All review comments will be sent to the applicant. 
  • The applicant will revise the plan as necessary to meet all applicable ordinance requirements.
  • Pursuant to Virginia State Code, an approved site plan is valid for five years. 
  • If diligent construction has not occurred within the five-year period, the site plan becomes invalid.

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