Leesburg Church Groundbreaking Follows Years-Long Court Battle

Cornerstone Chapel, one of Northern Virginias largest churches, took a major step Sunday to accommodate its growing congregation.

The church held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of a 100,000-square-foot building on the corner of Sycolin Road and Battlefield Parkway in Leesburg.

When its completed, the building will be the largest church building in Loudoun County, Pastor Gary Hamrick noted before a group of a few hundred people gathered on the property Sunday to mark the occasion.

God is doing a good work here, and it is humbling, he said.

The groundbreaking comes after a years-long battle in court for the rights to construct a church building on the property. After the Leesburg Town Council unanimously approved a rezoning of the property in May 2010, a neighboring landowner, Long Lane Associates, took the Town of Leesburg to court objecting to the rezoning; Cornerstone Chapel also was named in the lawsuit. Long Lane Associates argued that a proffer made with the previous owner of Cornerstones property in 1988 entitled it to a road that would bisect the property, and would prevent the church building project.

The Loudoun County Circuit Court sided with Long Lane Associates, which put the church construction project on hold. The case was appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court which, in June 2012, overturned the circuit courts decision. The Supreme Courts precedent-setting decision prohibits one property owner from dictating to another the use of [the latter owners] property, Leesburg Town Attorney Jeanette Irby said after the ruling.

At Sundays ceremony, Hamrick thanked several who had partnered with the church through the process, including Leesburg Mayor Kristen Umstadd, Supervisor Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin), Del. Dave LaRock (R-33), state Sen. Dick Black (R-13) and Del. Randy Minchew (R-10)who sponsored legislation that essentially provides for the same property rights if the Supreme Court hadnt ruled in favor of the town and church. A representative for Supervisor Ken Reid (R-Leesburg), who sat on the Town Council when the rezoning was approved, also was present.

The planned building will include a sanctuary with space to seat 2,000, as well as childrens classrooms and auditoriums for middle and high school students.

Cornerstone Chapel has occupied a 30,000-square-foot building just off Sycolin Road south of Leesburg since 1997, but its gotten logistically tricky to serve the growing congregation. The church holds four services each weekend to accommodate the 3,500-person congregation.

Some Sundays, more than 250 people watch the service via live stream in overflow rooms because not everyone can fit in the sanctuary, Executive Pastor Andy Wagner said.

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Leesburg Church Groundbreaking Follows Years-Long Court Battle