Reston Soccer: Let’s Postpone DRB Session on Lake Newport Proposal

by Dave Emke — February 9, 2017 at 1:30 pm 11 Comments

After a community input meeting Wednesday night on improvements to Lake Newport soccer fields, the Reston Soccer Association has requested the postponement of a Design Review Board session slated for later this month.

The proposal from Reston Soccer would include the installation of artificial turf fields, LED lighting and a clubhouse building at the fields. All would be paid for by Reston Soccer, but the project would need to be approved by member referendum.

Robert Anguizola, Reston Soccer president, said in an email to Reston Association CEO Cate Fulkerson that concerns of residents in the area deserve more time for consideration:

“During the community input meeting [Wednesday] night, we heard that many residents in the clusters surrounding the fields felt that they did not have adequate notice of the community meeting and the upcoming DRB Information Session. We also heard pleas from many for more time to absorb our proposal and to further engage with their neighbors, RA and Reston Soccer. That seems like a reasonable request and for that reason we respectfully request postponement of the February 21 DRB Information Session on the Lake Newport Soccer proposal.”

Residents of adjacent clusters — Bayfield Station, Arbor Glen and Concord Green — have voiced concerns including disruption of the community due to increased use of the field at later hours.

Video of the meeting is available on the Reston Association YouTube channel.

According to Mike Leone, RA’s communications director, Reston Association will inform residents of the communities that the presentation has been postponed.

Anguizola said Reston Soccer “looks forward to further engagement with the community on this important project” and would renew its request for a DRB information session later this year.

Reston on your Laurels?

Wouldn’t it be great if Boston Properties caved as easily as Reston Soccer??
- tattler
  
  ‘Caved’? You’re ignorant. Seems to me that Reston Soccer is going about this the way an organization/business seeking community input/approval for a project should, by listening to, and working with, the community. They aren’t caving; they’re being respectful. You, on the other hand….
  - The Constitutionalist
    
    Your jimmies are easily rustled, I see.
- Jeannie
  
  Reston Soccer has not caved. They are attempting to look like the good guy. That may last for a bit.
Richard

Kudos to Reston Soccer for being so respectful of the local community. As the demands on Reston’s sporting fields continue to grow, more projects like this one will be necessary to support the increased use. But neighbors should be fully-involved so their concerns are addressed. Reston Soccer’s doing a great job with that, as well as bringing significant funding to the table.
- Rational Reston
  
  I was going to reply very similarly. Credit to Reston Soccer for being a good member of the community and not trying to force their ideas at breakneck speed. A fine example that other groups, including RA can learn from.
  - Eric McErlain
    
    Reston Soccer might have avoided some strife if they had come to the neighborhoods adjacent to the field and gone door to door about the project ahead of time. Finding out about this on a Saturday morning less than a week before the meeting was disconcerting to say the least. A lot of my neighbors are very angry right now and afraid that the fix is in. I’m ready to reserve judgment, but many of my neighbors aren’t.
    - Rational Reston
      
      Going by RA’s recent history, if “the fix is in”, the various bits of equipment would already be on the field. You’re right, Reston Soccer could and should have gone directly to the clusters, but one would also think that it would be common sense for RA to also go directly to the clusters. It should be part of RA’s processes and procedures.
Eric McErlain

Earlier this week I asked the RA Board to delay Wednesday night’s meeting. My request was denied. Now that Northpoint residents have shown up in force to express their concerns about the soccer stadium project, here’s hoping the RA does the right thing.
- Rational Reston
  
  Remind the residents of this when their RA ballots come on how their process tried to shut you out of events in your own back yard. RA continues to run amok.
  
  I hope that Reston Soccer’s plans can be modified to accommodate issues of the neighbors, and hopefully a good open dialogue between Reston Soccer and the clusters can work to that goal.
Jeannie

A neighbor of mine requested the postponement on 2/7 and was denied. Another neighbor of mine requested the postponement during the meeting 2/8 with RA and did not receive a response at that time.
Then, I saw this headline…I’m not sure why it took Reston Soccer’s request for this to occur, nor why the neighbors’ requests are not cited.

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