LFCC clears hurdle in bid to get sewer, water for center

WINCHESTER — A request by Lord Fairfax Community College to include part of its land — the site of a proposed student center — in a Sewer and Water Service Area (SWSA) was approved by the Frederick County Comprehensive Plans and Programs Committee Monday night.

The request, which was framed as an amendment to the county’s Comprehensive Plan, is to include about 20 acres owned by the LFCC Foundation in a SWSA. Michael Ruddy, the county’s deputy planning director, said after the meeting that the designation would enable public water and sewer service for the planned student center.

Water to the SWSA would be provided by Winchester and sewer services would come from Middletown, which is how those services are currently being provided to the school’s campus in the town.

“The county has to authorize sewer and water service for this property because it’s private, and how we can do so in a manner that is thorough, thoughtful, endorses everything there and creates a model for institutional land uses,” he said.

Chris Boies, vice president of Financial and Administrative Services for LFCC, said the designation is critical to the student center being built.

“We’re just following the guidance of the county planning staff,” Boies said, adding that constructing and operating a new student center without public water and sewer would be “very difficult.”

Neither Ruddy or Boies are aware of any concerns regarding the increased amount of water that Winchester would have to ship to the new student center once it’s constructed.

“The folks at Frederick County have always been big supporters of the college and I think most of the citizens in the community are supporters of the college,” Boies said. “I don’t think we’re doing anything controversial that folks are going to be upset about.

“We’ve had conversations with both the city of Winchester and the town of Middletown about the water and sewer [issues]. I think they both have enough capacity to serve this new building.”

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.

“The need for the building is driven by student surveys that we’ve done and they’ve said ‘We want a better student lounge, a better bookstore, better food services,’ so this building will provide all of those things,” Boies said. “It will also add needed classrooms and a fitness center.”

The proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Plan will go before the Frederick County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors in the near future, Ruddy said.

Attending the meeting in the Frederick County Administration Building were Chairman Christopher Mohn and members Gary Oates, June Wilmot and James Golladay Jr. Members Philip Lemieux, Paige Manuel, Roger Thomas and Marjorie Copenhaver were absent.

— Contact Matt Armstrong atmarmstrong@winchesterstar.com