In response to a surge in residential development activity and growing concerns about maintaining a balanced and sustainable city, the Leesburg City Commission will consider a resolution at an upcoming meeting that would place a temporary pause on new residential annexations and rezonings from non-residential to residential uses.

The proposed resolution by Commissioner Jay Connell expresses the intent to pause new residential growth requests through December 31, 2026, allowing time for the city to focus on managing the more than 30,000 undeveloped, approved single-family lots already within its city limits.

According to the proposed resolution, the City’s planning department has been inundated with new applications for development, while simultaneously fielding inquiries about annexing additional land and converting non-residential land to residential uses. City leaders have expressed concern that residential growth is outpacing infrastructure capacityand is beginning to overshadow opportunities for commercial and employment-based development.

“A vibrant and sustainable community should maintain a mix of uses,” the resolution states. “The City wishes to cultivate a community that does not rely solely on residential growth but instead is sustainable through a balanced mix of uses.”

The resolution emphasizes that growth should enhance residents’ quality of life and allow for adequate infrastructure—such as schools, roads, and utilities—to be developed concurrently. The temporary pause would allow staff to prioritize existing projects, encourage commercial investment, and better manage long-term planning goals.

The proposal makes clear that while the pause would apply to applications submitted on or after April 1, 2025, any applications received prior to that date will not be affected. Additionally, applications submitted during the pause will still be reviewed, though only under extremely compelling circumstances will they be considered for approval.

Once presented, commissioners will give their input as well as the public before the vote will take place. If adopted, the resolution would go into effect immediately upon passage and remain active until January 1, 2027.

The location for this upcoming meeting on April 14 has been changed to the Venetian Center to accommodate a potentially larger crowd. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm.