In August 2022 Loudoun County acquired 134 acres of what was previously the Westpark Golf Course in Leesburg. The land was placed under conservation easement for the purpose of preserving the natural landscape. The property is now slated to be a park for passive recreation uses, the design of which is currently being decided upon.
Westpark property.
The first informational meeting on the project was held April 26th, 2023 to go over the project’s tentative timeline and interim maintenance. The first design meeting was held on June 27, 2023. Loudoun Wildlife attended both meetings to voice concerns regarding the preliminary project design and voice our support for the implementation of wildlife-friendly design elements. View comments submitted by Loudoun Wildlife. See also the map outlining our concerns about the initial 2023 Concept Plan.
In June of 2025, the project progressed to the 50 percent design phase, and the county elicited public input on the updated concept plan. The site plan for the project was presented to the Town of Leesburg in September 2025 and was presented to the Board of Supervisor’s Finance Committee in March 2026. The new version of the concept plan is an improvement, with several of our concerns having been addressed. The dog park was removed from the plan and the square footage of impervious surface trails was greatly decreased, mitigating some of the biggest concerns we had about water quality impacts.
You can read our updated comments to the Loudoun County Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure. We’re asking the county to consider these top priorities moving forward:
- The adverse impacts of a lengthy and wide natural surface trail alongside the creek (which would increase dislodging sediment into the stream, encourage human and pet access into the stream, and have higher potential for litter)
- The need for larger, taller trees in riparian areas (to provide shade to regulate water temperature, provide an adequate food source for benthic macroinvertebrates, and minimize erosion)
The design for the project will be before the Board of Supervisors for endorsement at the April 21st business meeting. Of note to us at Loudoun Wildlife at this stage is the stream restoration project, intended to help to revive Tuscarora Creek. Despite the notable improvements outlined above, there are still some outstanding concerns for how the changes will impact stream health—especially considering a major ongoing zoning violation immediately upstream.
Westpark Updates
The timeline and additional project information is available on the County Website.
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will be involved throughout the process to ensure that this new park stays conservation-focused and implements wildlife-friendly practices that restore nature as it is cultivated for recreational use. You can stay involved by emailing the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure at dtci@loudoun.gov with any concerns you have about the project.
You can also sign up to speak at the April 21st business meeting (by calling 703-777-0200 before noon on 4.21), or contact the Board of Supervisors in writing ahead of the expected endorsement.
Contact tmills@loudounwildlife.org with questions and for more information.