On Tuesday, July 15, 2008, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors  approved a resolution of intent to amend the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to create a new Limestone Overlay District. The district would be designed to protect the environmentally sensitive areas of the county that rest on limestone.

Sinkholes have been on the rise in Loudoun County, prompting county officials to call for new regulations to protect residents who live in sinkhole-prone areas and to prevent the county’s water supply from becoming contaminated.

Since 2000, dozens of sinkholes have opened up in a 28.5-square-mile area stretching from Leesburg to Point of Rocks near the Maryland border. Although many of the sinkholes were less than a foot wide, at least two that formed in an area slated for a housing development were 30 feet wide and 30 feet deep, a county official said. Another in 2005 created a chasm in the middle of Route 15.

The problem, county officials said, is rapid development of land that rests on soft, porous limestone, often referred to as " karst". Another danger of building in such areas is groundwater pollution, which occurs when pesticides and other contaminants rush into the water supply.

A Limestone Overlay District would regulate land use and development in these areas. The regulations would be designed to reduce potential for property damage resulting from subsidence or other earth movement, and to protect groundwater and surface water resources from contamination. 

Source: Loudoun.gov and LoudounExtra.com

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