The search for savings by Reston Association staff has resulted in a $678 proposed assessment rate for 2018.

The figure was discussed during a budget workshop session with the RA Board of Directors on Monday (video/PowerPoint presentation). That number would be a decrease of $42 (5.83 percent) from the 2017 assessment level of $720, which was reduced to $692 using surplus cash.

One of the major factors that influenced the budget development, allowing for the decrease in the proposed rate, is the additional assessment revenue that will be provided by 429 new units at the Sunrise Square and VY developments.

That assessment rate will likely change, though, before the Board finalizes the 2018 operations budget, projected at $14.3 million. The Board has been asked to consider numerous staff and member suggestions which could affect the budget.

One big way it could change depends upon whether the Board decides to pay off the loan on the Lake House. If it does so — at a cost of $182,797 — there will be a reduction of $8.66 in the 2018 assessment rate as a result of no longer making payments.

“Essentially, we’ll be using up our cash to pay off the loan,” Sridhar. “In the corporate world, you give it back to the shareholders, which in this case is the members.”

The 2018 budget currently on the table has the Lake House being maintained on the status quo, through programming and rentals while making payments on the loan. That would result in a net loss of more than $190,000, according to the projection. Other options on the table include continuing status quo for six months and then moving to only rentals, or to use the facility for rentals only. With those latter options, along with paying off the loan, the Lake House is projected to represent a net profit in the 2018 budget.

CEO Cate Fulkerson said staff “highly recommends” the Board pay off the loan at the end of this year.

“I am looking forward to that conversation, because I think that there is a lot of area where the Board can make a positive impact on the community, both financially and through programming,” said Sherri Hebert, Board president.

In addition to bringing in in-house legal support, the cost of which Fulkerson said would be canceled out by the savings from reducing outside legal services, the Board is also being asked to consider other staffing additions.

Anna Varone, director of covenants administration, asked the Board to consider adding a post-DRB project approval inspector. This position is estimated to add $55,885 (salary and benefits) to the budget, with a $2.65 impact on the assessment.

“We’ve been challenged by having projects that have been approved by the DRB and not having someone that’s been able to go and inspect after the member has installed the project,” Varone said. “We’ve not had the resources to go out and ensure that the member has installed the project correctly.”

Mike McNamara, deputy director of maintenance, said the Board should consider adding two seasonal workers to address litter control. This would cost about $40,000 (salary and supplies), with an impact of $1.93 on the assessment.

At a meeting last week, the Board was presented a potential $2.82 million Capital Projects budget.

A community meeting on the budget development process is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14. The Board will then hold further budget work sessions, along with a joint meeting with Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, on Monday, Sept. 18.

The final drafts of the capital projects and operations budgets are to be presented Sept. 28, with public hearings in October and the approval in November.

As Capital Bikeshare looks toward increasing its presence in Reston, a new app for iPhone and Android is allowing its users to better manage their rides.

The free app, which launched last week, allows users to find a bike, purchase a pass, time their rides to avoid late charges and much more. In a press release, Capital Bikeshare General Manager Eric Gilliland extolled the virtues of the app.

“The new Capital Bikeshare mobile app will open up new possibilities for CaBi riders — providing a convenient and quick way to find a bike or a dock, keep track of exercise, and make it easier to know that you’ve properly docked your bike,” he said. “It’s never been easier to give Capital Bikeshare a try, and we look forward to providing our riders a more seamless experience than ever before.”

The app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. It can be used for rides from all stations throughout the DC Metro area.

Capital Bikeshare launched in Reston last fall, and there are currently 15 stations here. Public outreach sessions are being held throughout August to discuss the addition of 10 new stations south of the Dulles Toll Road. The next is Thursday from 1-5 p.m. at Glade Pool (11550 Glade Drive); another is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Reston Farmers Market in Lake Anne Plaza.

The redevelopment of Tall Oaks Village Center will once again go before Reston’s Design Review Board during its meeting tonight.

In July, the DRB deferred voting on approval of the site plan for the project that will see Tall Oaks transformed into a mostly residential neighborhood. Plans call for 156 homes (a mix of townhomes, 2-over-2 townhomes and multifamily buildings), community space, 8,500 square foot of retail and about 6,000 square feet of office space.

In the presentation developers Jefferson Apartment Group and architects KTGY will present to the DRB (download), additional elevation maps are provided for the Board to consider. In addition, more detailed information about the common areas, tree buffer along North Shore Drive and more will be provided as requested by the DRB in July.

Among other topics on the agenda:

• Plans for a new building for Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church (11400 North Shore Drive) will go before the DRB.
• The Board will consider a request for extension of the Colvin Run Stream Restoration project.

The DRB meeting will begin at 7 p.m. tonight at Reston Association headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).

Images via KTGY

Reston Residents Among Injured in Charlottesville Attack — Two Reston women were struck by the vehicle that crashed into a crowd of protesters during the weekend’s violent clashes in Charlottesville, a friend of theirs told a DC news crew. [NBC Washington]

No More Eclipse Glasses at Library — “Due to extraordinary demand,” Fairfax County libraries are no longer able to provide glasses for next week’s solar eclipse. [Fairfax County]

Special Eclipse Event at Herndon High — There will be an “eclipse party” Monday at Herndon High School, though, where up to 1,000 pairs of the eclipse glasses will be available. Meals will also be provided at a cost of $2 for adults, free for students. [Herndon High School]

Popular Local Blog Celebrates 10 Years — Restonian has been satirically covering the comings and goings of the community since August 2007. This week, it provides a retrospective on all that’s happened in the past decade. [Restonian]

Last Day To Vote for Business Awards — The ballot for the 2017 Best Reston Business Awards went out to our email subscribers for the final time Monday afternoon, and they have until midnight tonight to fill it out. Winners will be announced Wednesday. [Reston Now]

Police are investigating an apparent attempted sexual assault near Tall Oaks Village Center.

Police say that at about 2:30 p.m., a man came out of the wooded area, approached a 22-year-old woman from behind and pulled her off the sidewalk into the woods before attempting to remove her clothes. He apparently fled before any sexual assault took place.

A wooded area off the south side of North Shore Drive, adjacent to the Tall Oaks pool and across from the entrance to the village center, has been cordoned off for the investigation.

According to Pfc. Michael Crutchman of FCPD’s Media Relations Bureau, the suspect is a Hispanic male in his late 20s or early 30s, with brown hair and a full beard. He was wearing a gray shirt with red lettering, a red ball cap and shorts.

The suspect fled the scene in a gray or silver Hyundai with a license plate that is believed to begin with a V, police say.

Anyone with information about this crime should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

Here’s a sure sign we’re all getting old: Rock festival Lollapalooza played Reston for the second and final time 25 years ago today.

Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Ice Cube, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Lush, Cypress Hill, House of Pain, Ice-T, Porno for Pyros, Luscious Jackson, and Stone Temple Pilots were among the bands who rocked Lake Fairfax Park that day. Tickets for the all-day show were $32.50, and an estimated 25,000 fans showed up.

The performance of Pearl Jam, who was early on a path toward becoming the arena- and stadium-filling Hall of Fame act it is today, was particularly memorable for fans. But lead singer Eddie Vedder almost missed it as he was stuck in traffic jams that plagued the area on the day. According to a fan account:

I headed to the show with several friends and we sat in the congested traffic for about an hour. Once we parked and made our way in Pearl Jam took the stage. Chris Cornell had come out to fill in for Eddie as he was en route and most likely did not have a cell phone! Cornell was just about to fill in when Eddie was spotted making his way towards the stage. The crowd parted and let him through as he got up on stage and told everyone, “thanks for waiting!”

Full video of the band’s 45-minute main-stage set, which included another appearance by Soundgarden frontman Cornell for a rare performance of their supergroup Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike,” is available here.

A Washington Post account of the festival compared the muddy, rowdy event — in a way familiar to all of us who just lived through 2016 — to the 1992 Presidential campaign.

By night’s end, there was only muddy ground and aftereffects of the most fervent mudslinging we’ll be seeing until the election campaigns get into full gear. Lollapalooza is the Ross Perot of rock tours, in some ways: cluttered with alternative bands who have nonetheless managed to get deals from major labels (four of seven are in the Time-Warner family) and several of which have managed lengthy stints in the platinum reaches of the pop charts. Still, with a midway mixing freak show with political and social-consciousness raising, this convention of the unconventional gathered a third party unto itself at Lake Fairfax Park, at least for one day.

The Lollapalooza festival, founded in 1991, played Lake Fairfax Park its first two years. But in 1993, it did not return. Complaints about noise and traffic on surrounding roads — not to mention accounts of alcohol and drug use — were too much, former county Park Authority board member Hal Strickland told Reston Now in 2014.

“We used some poor judgment,” he said. “We did not do our due diligence. The park authority is always looking for new revenue, but we have pretty much steered clear of this kind of thing ever since.”

https://twitter.com/msfmary/status/896524658467524609

A Herndon-area resident is organizing a “vigil for peace” to be held tonight after the weekend’s violent protests in Charlottesville.

According to a post on The Action Network website, Suzanne Nordfelt says interested individuals can meet at her home on Treadwell Lane at 7 p.m. for the event.

We are standing in solidarity with Charlottesville. Join us. Come put some positive energy in the universe and hold each other up. Please bring a candle (if you have one) and your walking shoes in the event we decide to parade down Reston Parkway. Wearing white is a plus but completely optional. Please share far and wide. We will meet in my cul-de-sac so there is lots of parking.

Over the weekend in Reston, a small “Stand With Charlottesville” gathering (pictured at top) took place Saturday night. A protest in DC on Sunday drew thousands.

Clashes between far-right “Unite The Right” protesters and counterprotesters in Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon resulted in a number of violent altercations. The showdown turned tragic when an alleged white supremacist plowed a car into a crowd, killing one and injuring nearly 20 more. Additionally, a Virginia State Police helicopter responding to the scene crashed, resulting in the deaths of two troopers.

Local, state and national leaders have urged a stop to the hate in the aftermath of the events.

We must remember this truth: No matter our color, creed, religion or political party, we are ALL AMERICANS FIRST. pic.twitter.com/FesMiQSKKn

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2017

Statement on the violence in #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/Z36aaDFTsP

— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) August 12, 2017

At every level, elected officials in America must denounce white supremacy, Nazism & any rhetoric that empowers those who seek to divide us.

— Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) August 13, 2017

Today's terrorist attack demands @GOPoversight attention. Must investigate troubling rise of white nationalist, KKK & neo-Nazi acts of hate.

— Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) August 12, 2017

Yesterday was a very troubling day for our Commonwealth. Let us come together to mourn the victims, while we reject hate and discrimination.

— Jeff McKay (@JeffreyCMcKay) August 13, 2017

Twenty makeshift crafts took to the waters Saturday for the first Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta.

Awards were given in three categories: Cadet Class (all-student teams), Navigator Class (teams with a mix of students and adults) and Skipper Class (all-adult teams). Winners were:

• Cadet: “Cereal Killerz”
• Navigator: Nova Labs
• Skipper: “What the Duct” from Norman Creek Marina

Budget Work Session Tonight — The Reston Association Board of Directors will have its second budget work session tonight, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). The topic of tonight’s session will be the 2018 and 2019 operating budgets. The meeting will be broadcast live on RA’s YouTube channel. [Reston Association]

Herndon High School Parking Update — Construction at Herndon High School will severely limit the number of available parking spaces this school year. A parking pass “lottery” is currently underway. [Herndon High School]

FCPD Offers Condolences After Chopper Crash — The Fairfax County Police Department helicopter had just brought Gov. Terry McAuliffe to Charlottesville on Saturday when a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed nearby, killing two officers. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Center for Innovative Technology Up for Sale — The 26-acre campus adjacent to the Dulles Toll Road and the Silver Line’s future Innovation Center station is on the market as of today. It is currently home to nearly 20 companies, many of whom have leases set to expire in 2019. [Washington Business Journal]

Free Disaster-Response Training Available — The next available Community Emergency Response Team class is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Aug. 30 at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy. There are two sessions each week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, that run until Sept. 27. The class is 28 hours in length, plus the final practical exercise. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Following paving on North Shore Drive, the appearance of stop lines at the intersection with Temporary Road had residents believing a three-way stop was coming soon.

It turns out, however, that is not the case.

Jennifer McCord, media relations specialist for the Virginia Department of Transportation, tells Reston Now the lines were painted on the road “erroneously” and will soon be removed.

“There is no stop sign going in with the repaving,” McCord said. “[The lines] are scheduled to be removed next week.”

More than once this year on Reston Now, readers have commented about their desire to see something done about what they feel is a dangerous intersection.

Reston residents are concerned they may have been the victim of credit card-skimming devices and are sharing information about the threat via the NextDoor community.

Last month, a Reston resident contacted Reston Now about the conversation that was taking place regarding the threat.

“My issue followed our credit cards being shut down once again from our bank,” Rick Robinson said. “They said we were a victim of ‘skimming,’ so I thought I might able to crowdsource the locations responsible or at least get feedback from the community.”

The thread Robinson started on NextDoor, a private neighborhood networking site, had numerous responses from other Restonians. Among the places they claimed they had been “skimmed” were local grocery stores, gas stations, ATMs and restaurants. Some claimed they were defrauded of thousands of dollars.

A credit-card skimmer is a small device installed over an existing terminal. The device captures and stores all details from the card’s magnetic strip as it is swiped for an otherwise legitimate transaction. The information can then be used to create a cloned card, or to make online purchases.

Robinson said his bank could not tell him where his card was “skimmed” — something he said has happened three times. Pfc. Michael Crutchman of the Fairfax County Police Department told Reston Now there have been “multiple reports” of alleged skimming activity on area residents’ cards. However, he could not provide any verified locations of the activity in Reston.

The officer provided the following safety tips to help avoid card-skimming devices when using a credit card at a terminal:

• Pull on the place where you insert the card, ensure that it properly affixed to the terminal. If it is loose, or comes off, notify staff of the place where the card is being used, or call for police assistance.
• Check the key/PIN pad area and look for small/pinhole cameras
• Try to use credit cards instead of debit cards, because they are protected and insured

In June, FCPD said they had found 21 card-skimming devices in 15 locations around the county. At that time, they also said there are Bluetooth-enabled skimmers, which have no external warning signs. Police say for this reason, older gas station pumps should be avoided, as they are easier for scammers to infiltrate.

Image of Bluetooth credit card skimmer via Fairfax County Police Department

Key Information for SLHS Students — Over 2,470 students will be attending South Lakes High School this fall. The school recently provided information about class schedules, counselor assignments and much more in preparation for the new year. [South Lakes High School]

Report: Metro Safety Documents Falsified — Track reports were copied and pasted month after month, raising questions about the competency of inspectors and a lack of supervision. [WAMU]

Deon King Standing Out for Browns — In an interview with Fox Sports Ohio, SLHS alum Deon King talks about the experience he has had thus far in training camp with the Cleveland Browns. King had three tackles and a fumble recovery in the Browns’ first preseason game Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints. [Fox Sports Ohio/YouTube]

Work This Weekend to Install Pedestrian Bridge — Starting at about 10 p.m. tonight, there will be detours on Sunrise Valley Drive in Herndon as the bridge for the Innovation Center Metro station is set over the road. In addition, there will be lane modifications on the eastbound Dulles Toll Road all day Saturday for striping. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]

The track work will continue into Sept. We also have other construction going on in the stadium. New pavement and fencing around the track pic.twitter.com/BTAWFbuvi4

— South Lakes Athletics & Activities (@SeahawkSports) August 10, 2017

Construction work to improve the track and other features around the stadium at South Lakes High School is now expected to continue into September, meaning some sports activity will be affected.

“We are moving scrimmages for football,” said Andrew Duggan, the school’s assistant director of student activities. “There may be an impact for a couple of field hockey games and lower-level football.”

The SLHS field hockey teams have home games scheduled for Aug. 30. The varsity football team has a home scrimmage slated for Aug. 18, while the JV and freshman teams have two scrimmages in late August, as well as home games on Sept. 7.

The South Lakes High School varsity football team starts its season with three consecutive road games. It won’t play at home until Friday, Sept. 15, when it hosts Dominion.

Duggan said additional information about the progress of the project will be provided on the South Lakes Athletics website, as well as on its Twitter account.

The work was originally scheduled to be completed before the start of the coming school year. However, Duggan said, the wait will be worth it.

“While the project is behind schedule, we are looking forward to the upgrade our facility is getting,” Duggan said.

Residents are being asked to steer clear of Terraset Elementary School on Friday, and they should not be alarmed if they see a large number of emergency responders there.

The fire and police departments will be at the school making sure they are prepared in the event of a nightmarish scenario.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue will be conducting an active-shooter training exercise at the school (11411 Ridge Heights Road). According to a press release, this is “primarily a fire and rescue training exercise, and they will be supported by the Fairfax County Police Department, the Town of Vienna Police Department and CIA officers.”

More than 30 fire and police vehicles are expected to be around the school and at nearby Langston Hughes Middle School for the exercise. Mannequins will be used for fire and rescue personnel to evacuate to local hospitals.

The activity at the school is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. While the school will remain open for those who need to conduct business there, residents are asked to stay away because of the many moving vehicles that will be in the area of the campus.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management offers information about what to do in an active-shooter scenario, as does Fairfax County.

Free Concert Tonight at Lake Anne — The “Take A Break” concert series at Lake Anne Plaza will continue tonight with a performance by Latin group Mambo Combo. A dance demonstration and instruction will also be provided. [Lake Anne Plaza]

Home Prices Continue Trending Upward — The average sales price of the nearly 2,000 Fairfax County homes that sold in June was $583,620. That’s up 7.2 percent from the annual 2016 average. [Fairfax County]

County’s ‘Diversion First’ Program Chosen for National Institute — Nine leaders from Fairfax County will attend the Data Driven Justice and Behavioral Health Design Institute in Maryland next month to address issues and complexities surrounding the program, which seeks alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and co-occurring substance use disorders. [Fairfax County]

Metro Sued After Rejecting Ads — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against WMATA on Wednesday, alleging that the transit agency’s advertising guidelines violate free speech. WMATA recently rejected an ACLU ad displaying the First Amendment, as well as an ad for a “10-week-after” abortion pill, a PETA ad suggesting people go vegan, and an ad for Milo Yiannopoulous’ new book. [WTOP]