The Town of Leesburg has experienced rapid job growth due to an influx of tech startups, but a mixed-use development aimed at accommodating this job growth was blocked by the town council last night.

The Crescent Parke project, proposed by developer Hobie Mitchel—who built the massive Landsdowne right outside of town—was rejected by the Leesburg Town Council in a 4-3 vote Tuesday, the Loudon Times-Mirror reports.

The project would been on a 53-acre parcel adjacent to Olde Izaak Walton Park, above. It was planned to include 96 multifamily units, 196 townhomes, 88 two-unit townhomes, 88k SF of office or hotel space, and 27k SF of retail.

Leesburg Mayor David Butler favored the development because it would help accommodate the town's rapid growth.

“With new jobs come new people," he said at last night's meeting, the LTM reports. "Those houses will be built. Maybe not on this property but they will be built. Thousands and thousands of homes will be built in this area one way or the other. The best way we can develop is urban infill. That is by far the best financially, the best economically and it has the least environmental impacts.” [LTM]