RA Board Directors Will Give Thoughts on PRC Zoning Ordinance Amendment at Thursday Meeting

At their monthly meeting, the Reston Association Board of Directors will share their opinions on Fairfax County’s proposed zoning ordinance amendment on Reston’s Planned Residential Community density.

According to Mike Leone, RA’s communications director, it is expected that each member of the Board will share his/her thoughts during the meeting, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).

Upward of 400 Restonians showed up at Lake Anne Elementary School’s cafeteria Monday night for a county-hosted public meeting on the subject, which was postponed because of concerns about the fire code.

In a statement to Reston Now, Board President Sherri Hebert said the following:

I want to thank the community for showing such a strong commitment to protecting Reston. We will stand with the community to protect Reston’s interest. RA requested the fourth meeting with the County and we will follow up with the Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s office to ensure that meeting is rescheduled. At Thursday’s RA Board meeting, Board members will share their individual opinions on the topic but the Board will not be ready to take action until after the fourth meeting takes place.

As referenced by Hebert in her statement, Monday’s meeting was scheduled after the RA Board adopted a resolution at its May meeting calling for it, following three county forums on the topic earlier that month. Restonians who attended the May meetings on the subject expressed their concern that the county was trying to rush the amendment through the approval process. They were especially upset when the third meeting was held in an open-house format rather than as a question-and-answer session.

The proposal from the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning would bump the overall limit on people per acre in Reston’s Planned Residential Community (PRC) District from 13 to 16. (The density is currently about 11.9 people per acre.) The PRC District does not include any of the Transit Station Area property surrounding the Wiehle-Reston East and Herndon Metro stations, nor does it include most of the property in the Reston Town Center Metro station TSA south of the Dulles Toll Road.

The ordinance amendment would also allow for the Board of Supervisors to be able to approve individual developments in excess of 50 dwelling units per acre in TSAs within the PRC and when in accordance with Comprehensive Plan recommendations. Those areas that would be marked for major residential development include all of Reston’s village centers.

Citizen activists warn that the combined effect of these changes could see the population of Reston tripled by 2050.

The agenda for Thursday night’s meeting of the RA Board of Directors also includes:

For those unable to attend, the meeting will be livestreamed on Reston Association’s YouTube channel.

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