Rural Business Uses in Loudoun County

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Loudoun County, Virginia, is home to more than 1,200 farms and hundreds of thriving rural businesses, and Loudoun County Government released a series of new guides to starting a rural business. There are 18 separate rural business types defined in the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, covering uses from equestrian facilities to overnight lodging, craft beverage production to farm markets. Through a collaborative, cross-departmental process, Loudoun County Government has created easy-to-understand documents, translating the zoning code language into layman’s terms. Guides for each approved rural use are also available on LoudounRuralBiz.org.These guides have created a more consistent understanding cross-departments as well as with the constituents. The website has seen nearly 1,400 visitors since launching in 2019. In the months following the rollout, Loudoun has seen fewer issues in the processing of new rural businesses’ application. This is directly attributed to overall awareness of the community as well as departments having access to the complete step-by-step process.