RA Board Likely to Make Formal Opposition to St. Johns Wood Plan

Land use, zoning and future Reston redevelopment projects — including Bozzuto’s proposal to double the size of St. Johns Wood Apartments — are all on the agenda for a special meeting of the Reston Association Board of Directors on Wednesday, Sept. 14.

This is an important time for RA as many redevelopment proposals are before the Fairfax County Planning Commission and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. While RA’s Board has no final say in the plans, the board can wield influence as new residents will, in most cases, be RA members.

Says the Sept. 14 special meeting agenda:

The purposes of this Special Meeting are to provide the RA Board and members with an update and status regarding various Land Use/zoning matters affecting the Reston community and an opportunity for the Board to discuss those matters, including but not limited to:

The County’s and Reston Association’s Land Use/zoning application Review and community input processes;

Current and anticipated Land Use/zoning applications in Reston and, – A draft RA DRB policy related to member notification when the RA Design Review Board receives requests for courtesy review and/or DRB covenant required review of applications related to Fairfax County land use/zoning application projects.

The agenda includes:

Discussion of current & anticipated Land Use/Zoning Applications in Reston (John McBride, Esq., Odin Feldman Pittleman, RA’s land use attorney)

Discussion of Fairfax County’ and Reston Association’s Land Use/Zoning Application Review & Community Input Processes (John McBride, Esq., Odin Feldman Pittleman – RA Land Use Counsel Ken Chadwick, Esq. Chadwick Washington Moriarty & Bunn PC – RA Legal Counsel)

Action on the current St. Johns Wood redevelopment application (Mike Sanio, RA Vice President)

The RA Board will likely make a formal motion to oppose Bozzuto’s current St Johns Wood Redevelopment Application, which has received community pushback for being too large (more than 500 units) and incompatible with its surroundings near North Point Village Center.

RA will likely send a letter outlining its position to the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee, the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s Hunter Mill rep and to Cathy Hudgins, Hunter Mill District Supervisor. St. Johns Wood, which has been redrafted several times, is scheduled for a Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing in late October.

The board will also take action on a new resolution calling for more notice given to neighbors and to RA during the redevelopment process. This resolution comes in response to the St. Johns Wood proposal as many neighbors say they were not adequately notified of the plans.

The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at Reston Association, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. There will be a member comment period about 8:15 p.m.