Hearing set for LFCC request

MIDDLETOWN — Frederick County officials will hold a public hearing next month to address a request from Lord Fairfax Community College for public sewer and water service for a proposed student center at its Middletown campus.

According to Deputy Planning Director Michael Ruddy, the request — which requires an amendment to the county’s Comprehensive Plan — would create a Sewer and Water Service Area (SWSA) of approximately 138 acres. The SWSA would cover the current LFCC campus, land owned by the LFCC Foundation where the student center is planned to go and Middletown Elementary School.

The request likely will go before both the Frederick County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors in November, Ruddy said in a phone interview Thursday.

“The way it works is the Planning Commission gets the first stab at it since it’s a Comp Plan amendment,” Ruddy said. “Everybody sees [the request] at a similar time because it’s relatively straightforward.”

If the land is included in an SWSA, any new buildings — such as the proposed student center — would receive water from Winchester and sewer service from Middletown, which is the current arrangement for the LFCC campus, elementary school and town itself.

Chris Boies, vice president of Financial and Administrative Services for LFCC, said earlier this week that the SWSA designation is critical to the student center being built and that the school has already had conversations with Winchester and Middletown to arrange for service if it is approved.

Plans call for a 32,500-square-foot building to accommodate the large increases to the student body during the past four years. LFCC’s enrollment for the current semester is approximately 7,300 students, including campuses in Fauquier and the Luray-Page County Center.

Separate from LFCC’s request, the county will consider including surrounding properties in the SWSA at a later time, Ruddy said.

The public hearing for LFCC’s request is scheduled for the Planning Commission’s Nov. 7 meeting, and request likely will go before the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 14, Ruddy added.

— Contact Matt Armstrong atmarmstrong@winchesterstar.com