Sunset Crest Manor is a recently approved special event and hospitality venue located in southern Loudoun County. The applicant knew the existing manor house, party barn, and other accessory structures located on 94 acres adjacent to Bull Run with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains was a special location perfect for hosting special events, weddings, and off-site corporate meetings. When Loudoun County adopted new zoning ordinance regulations expanding opportunities for hospitality businesses and uses in rural settings in 2014, the Sunset Crest Manor zoning applications were underway and ready to make use of the new regulations. Land Use Planner Christine Gleckner assisted Sunset Crest Manor with an array of land use applications enabling the facility to start small as a Bed and Breakfast Inn and expand to a Country Inn with Restaurant and eventually to a Rural Retreat without the need for additional legislative zoning approvals, while also receiving approvals for concurrent use as a Banquet/Event Facility and Conference and Training Center. Each of these is a separate use category in the zoning ordinance with separate performance standards governing each use. The Sunset Crest Manor proposal successfully wove together an unprecedented number of land-use applications—11 in total—and achieved unanimous approval from the Board of Supervisors in July 2015 due to its embodiment of Loudoun County’s vision for its rural areas.
