Stop Newport Academy on Gleedsville Road

This page is dedicated to raising legal funds to oppose a private equity group, Onex Partners, repurposing a row of adjacent homes on Gleedsville Road in Leesburg, VA, to use as a 25-acre commercial, rehab treatment campus by Newport Academy. Thank you for enabling an objection to corporate misuse of neighborhood homes. PLEASE ATTEND the public hearing on Thursday, January 26 at 6pm (1 Harrison Street, Board Room) when the Board of Zoning Appeals will make their determination on this matter.

Loudoun County's position has consistently been that the community doesn't have standing to oppose the zoning misuse; however, a September 26, 2022 Circuit Court hearing established that residents HAVE STANDING. Learn more about it and read the transcripts at ProtectLoudoun.com. 

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Overview: Backed by $1.3 Billion in Onex Partners' private equity money, a troubled teen industry (TTI) company, known as Newport Academy, has purchased a family subdivision, plus 10 acres, in Leesburg, VA. Newport will have a 25-acre campus for adult rehab treatment facilities.

In 2019, Newport Academy attempted to operate out of a row of three homes on Davidson Road in McLean, claiming to operate them separately, but was NOT permitted due to Fairfax County zoning parameters requiring unified/congregate facilities in residential zones to secure a special permit. Newport did not pursue that permit. Instead, they sold the $9M of real estate and shifted focus to Loudoun County, where congregate facilities are completely prohibited in residential zones.

Again, their statement to Zoning is that each home will operate as a separate entity, that they won't share resources. In a November 2021 Determination Letter from Loudoun Zoning, their proposed use of three adjacent residential homes was declared "congregate and NOT permitted." Still, Loudoun Zoning confirmed the option to file as separate homes despite discussing a unified family compound. That's when the community took action.

If actualized, this misuse would be precedent-setting across the county and open all residential zones to its use without limitation. We are bringing awareness to this pivotal issue, raising funds to help cover the $90k and climbing legal fees to see that zoning laws are upheld.

Objecting to corporate misuse of residential zones is NOT objecting to mental and behavioral health services. Several in this community have worked extensively in the mental healthcare field; others continue to work and volunteer with local organizations dedicated to providing care and support for mental health and developmental needs. That insight and experience allow us to understand the gravity of this situation. If Loudoun doesn't uphold residential zoning parameters, corporations across the TTI and rehab industry would have a green light to operate commercial, congregate facilities out of unlimited adjacent homes across Loudoun.

In addition to the primary issue of zoning, we are concerned that this company's widely reported record of problems operating single facilities out of residential areas. We view this company's for-profit intention to yet again target multiple residential zoned homes to operate their commercial facilities as intentional and potentially negligent to their clients and the community.

Two communities in McLean, VA had to band together to stop this same company from operating treatment facilities in their residential zones. One group (objecting to a three adjacent home campus) was successful in 2019, and the other recently won a finding from the Virginia State Supreme Court that they do have standing to oppose a single facility operating out of a neighborhood home. In addition, the company currently has two residential facilities in Great Falls, VA where residents who spent years opposing it are moving from the area as a result. We hope that if our fair and just zoning laws are enforced now, it will keep other Loudoun neighborhoods from dealing with an even worse issue in the future. 

 

"Rehab Company Faces Widespread Community Backlash Over Planned McLean Facility " - Published April 25, 2019 by the Tysons Reporter 

"Newport Academy does not act like a good neighbor " - Published May 17, 2019 by Fairfax County Times

Newspaper articles about a California neighborhood dealing with this issue can be read on protectloudoun.com

Loudoun residents are uniting, adding more neighbors each day as awareness spreads. We ask that you join us, contribute, and spread the word. Immediate steps are DONATE, SIGN, AND ATTEND. DONATE to the legal fund here, SIGN our online petition and share it with others, and ATTEND the public BZA hearing on January 26, 2023 at 1 Harrison Street's Boardroom.

 

Please get involved, sign the petition, make your neighbors aware, donate what you can, and help keep a for-profit company from establishing this precedent to operate a 25-acre commercial rehab campus in the middle of a Loudoun residential area!

**If you would prefer to write a check, use the Contact Us area at the bottom of protectloudoun .com**