In an effort to encourage transparency and accountability, Reston Association’s board of directors is inching closer to adopting a new conflict of interest policy.

The board will consider a draft proposal at a special meeting tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in RA headquarters. A tentative public hearing is set for Feb. 22.

Two independent reviews have called for a refined code of ethics over the last two years, including StoneTurn Group’s 2017 assessment of the controversial Lake House purchase. Since then, an ethics subcommittee began drafting an updated code of ethics to manage personal interests of RA officials that may conflict with RA interests.

The policy requires individuals to explicitly delineate economic interests and personal interests, a requirement that is currently “unclear” in the current policy, according to RA documents.

Updates also require individuals to disclose indirect interests related to family members, immediate relatives and close economic associates. Currently, a $500 threshold is set to trigger disclosure of material and immaterial requests.

The policy also lays out how they will handle conflict of interest disclosures at meetings. It also includes rules for handling failures to disclose a conflict of interest prior to a board vote. Directors must also disclose economic and affiliation interests annually.

RA’s policy was thrust into the spotlight in February last year. RA member Ed Abbott filed a complaint against former At-Large Director Eve Thompson, alleging Thompson did not disclose her ownership of Lake Anne Coffee House  and her husband’s presidency of the Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association. Thompson resigned in June.

Feedback by Abbott and others characterized the policy as pedantic, unnecessarily long and complicated, according to meeting materials. The board will review the policy at its Friday meeting and discuss changes.

The timeline for a public hearing and board adoption are not final, but the board could adopt the revised policies in March after a Feb. 22 public hearing.

Tomorrow’s meeting will not be streamed live, but a YouTube recording will be available on Monday at 5 p.m.

The draft policy is below:

RA Board Draft Conflict of Interest Policy by Fatimah Waseem on Scribd

The Signature, a new 508-unit apartment building in the heart of Reston Town Center, will welcome a new retail tenant this year.

Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market, a gourmet market that says it offers restaurant-quality foods, imported cheeses and meats roasted in the Old Tradition, is set to open in the spring.

For Balducci’s, the new location at 11850 Freedom Drive is a homecoming. The store’s previous site in The Spectrum, just down the street from the current location, closed in 2005.

Construction crews are currently working on the site. An exact date on the store’s opening hasn’t been set yet, according to a company representative. Balducci’s has six other stores in Maryland, Virginia, New York and Connecticut.

The store is hiring for all positions. To apply, email [email protected]. 

Photo by Fatimah Waseem

The Ball is Out of Reston’s Court – The United States Tennis Association is moving its headquarters from Reston to Prince William County. Plan to build a new 2023 complex are on the drawing board.  [Washington Business Journal]

Inspection Reports on Metro Flag Concerns – Are you a Metro rider? The Federal Transit Administration recently found several “radio dead zones” along the Blue and Silver lines. Some structural support pieces for gates are also showing signs of failure, the reports found. [WTOP]

Shout out to Susan Ungerer — The Herndon Rotary Club selected Ungerer as the citizen of the year. She founded Kids R First, a local nonprofit that helps get school supplies to low-income students. [The Connection]

It’s official: Appalachian Spring, one of the first tenants in Reston Town Center, has shuttered its doors.

The handcrafted gifts and handmade jewelry store opened its Reston location in 1990.

The company is shifting its focus to its Rockville location after the store on 11877 Market Street officially closed on Jan. 24, a company representative told Reston Now.

When the closure was first made public, the store’s president told Reston Now that customer traffic dipped considerably over the last few months.

Paid parking, which was instituted last year, was a common complaint by customers, he said.

Photo by Fatimah Waseem

County officials have not reached a decision on a controversial plan to bring an assisted living facility to 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive.

For the second time this year, the county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously deferred a decision to Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m.

At a Tuesday board meeting, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins did not explain why the decision was delayed. In January, Hudgins said she wanted to work with residents and the developer of Kensington Senior Development to tackle concerns raised by residents over several months.

Neighboring residents have expressed staunch opposition to the plan, which they said shoehorns a large, incompatible facility in an established, residential area.

The building, which would include up to 125 beds and 91 rooms, is more than eight times larger than the current child care facility on the site.

Rendering via handout

This story may be updated. 

Local artists will showcase their pieces at a ground floor gallery of the Signature, Reston Town Center’s newest “luxury” apartment building.

Through a partnership with the Greater Reston Arts Center, Signature (11850 Freedom Drive) will feature a year-round schedule of exhibitions. This month’s gallery showcases the work of Craig Moran, a D.C.-based painter known for boldly patterned canvases.

Moran uses collages and computer manipulations to create his work, which combines elements of the natural world and portraits in a flattened space.

His artistic process begins by cutting and arranging shapes from street art, photographs, old paintings and books. He then rearranges the pieces using image editing software and transfers the final work to a painting. An opening reception is set for March 1 from 6-8 p.m.

Exhibits will remain open to the public every Tuesday through Saturday at Signature. The gallery is the product of a partnership between Boston Properties, Bozzuto and GRACE. It is sponsored by Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market.

Organizers said the gallery merges the vision of the Signature, which aims to creating communal spaces for residents.

“This partnership provides a perfect opportunity for GRACE to regularly celebrate and support local artists through exhibitions of their work as the programming in our current Town Center space becomes more dedicated to introducing national and international artists to Reston and the DMV,” said GRACE’s Executive Director and Curator Lily Siegel.

A grand opening for Signature is set for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Artwork by Craig Moran

Herndon-based NextStop Theatre Company Hires New Managing Director – Abigail Fine will lead the award-winning playhouse. She most recently worked as the director of development for the Fairfax Library Foundation, which supports the county’s library system. [Broadway World]

Become a Volunteer Advocate for Residents in Local Nursing Homes and Assisted-living Facilities – Volunteer advocates push for the rights of residents after completing a three-day training through the county’s “Northern Virginia Long-term Care Volunteer Ombudsman Program.” The next training is set for March 19. [Fairfax County Government]

Free Brain Health Workshop Tomorrow – Baycrest Hospital is hosting the free workshop at Southgate Community Center (12125 Pinecrest Drive) from 1-2 p.m. and from 2-3 p.m. for people between 40 and 79 years of age. Attendees will receive a brain health score, a personalized score report and tips to remain healthy.

Fairfax County police are searching for an armed man who robbed the CVS Pharmacy in Reston Town Center Sunday afternoon.

Police said the man showed a gun and took cash and property from the store at around 1:40 p.m. He was described as a white man wearing a green jacket and tan pants, police said.

In a separate incident in the Herndon area, two suspects stole cash from victims who were trying to buy a phone on Sunday around 1 p.m.

The suspects, who were dressed in dark clothing, displayed a weapon and demanded money as the victims negotiated a price for the phone. They were described as black men between the ages of 19 and 25.

The incident comes as local police warn of 20 home break-ins between September and January. The break-ins in Reston and Herndon follow a similar pattern. Homes, town homes and apartments near a walking path or woods were robbed, but local police declined to disclose how the reports may be connected.

FCPD also reported the following incidents in the past week:

LARCENIES:

1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, cell phone from residence

1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, property from residence

11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business

2600 block of William Short Circle, license plates from vehicle

2300 block of Colts Neck Road, cash from business

2100 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business

12900 block of Centre Park Circle, jewelry from residence

12900 block of Centre Park Circle, packages from residence

11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business

11600 block of Plaza America Drive, purse from business

11700 block of Plaza America Drive, wallet from business

11900 block of Saint Johnsbury Court, wallet from vehicle

STOLEN VEHICLES:

None reported

Anyone with information about any of the crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

Reston Community Center’s Board of Governors wants to hear from its constituents at a meeting on Feb. 12 at its Hunters Woods location (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 6:30 p.m.

The meeting is intended to gauge the community’s priorities by seeking feedback from partners, patrons and constituents.

During the meeting, the board will provide an update on goals outlined in the center’s strategic plan from last year through 2021. Board members will also present information about renovations to the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center.

“This is our opportunity to hear from our community to affirm that we are pursuing their goals for RCC programs and services. We are looking forward to a productive conversation,” wrote Leila Gordon, RCC’s executive director.

To RSVP, email [email protected] by Friday at 4 p.m.

What would you like to see RCC do differently this year? What are the center’s strengths? Comment below. 

Rahim Barak, a 58-year-old father of five, was killed by Taliban insurgents during a chaotic siege at Kabul’s largest hotel last month. It was the first time the U.S. citizen, who lived in Herndon for the last 17 years, visited his home country in 30 years.

Three other U.S. citizens were killed in the Jan. 20 attack. Insurgents stormed the Intercontinental Hotel, a prominent hilltop hotel often visited by foreign guests and envoys. Barak was found with a single gunshot to the head. Others were found with burnt bodies and missing body parts. Hundreds of other guests spend the night hiding in rooms, unsure if they would survive the night.

Minutes before the incident, Barak had taken a photo with two friends as they dined at the hotel. The picture is the last possession his family has of him when he was alive.

Political turmoil and conflict caused by the Soviet Union’s invasion of the Afghanistan pushed Barak to flee from his home. He sought refuge in Peshawar, Pakistan and came to the United States in the late 1980s to build a new life for himself and his family.

Leaving behind his studies in law, Barak took up a motley of jobs at a pizza restaurant, Dulles International Airport, Marriott and a movie theater, working long hours and six days a week at one point. Family members and friends remember him for his loving personality and generous nature.

Barak later married his wife of 22 years and had five children. The youngest is six. Most recently, he worked as a cab driver and a travel agent.

His eldest son, Fawad Barak, 21, describes his father as a “people’s champ” who was always ready to offer a helping hand and sacrificed his life “for the betterment of his family, children, and loved ones.”

“There were very few moments where he was able to enjoy the fruits of his labor but most of his life, especially since the war in Afghanistan, he aimed to seek a better life for his family and children,” his son said. “I remember my father would always tell me that the sweat, toil and tears that he put in for his family will soon be relieved when his eldest child graduated from college and so forth with his other children following his footsteps.”

His father’s dream is now coming close to reality. His eldest son is wrapping up his junior year at George Mason University. In meantime, his son hopes to pass down the dreams and passions that drove his father’s hard work to his siblings.

“I am blessed and grateful to have been in a presence of such a beautiful human being, and most of all for him to be my father will be the greatest honor bestowed upon me while I’m on this earth,” he said.

Barak is survived by five children and his wife. Hundreds attended funeral services at All Dulles Area Muslim Society center in Herndon several weeks ago. He was known for regularly attending pre-dawn prayers at the mosque.

“The amount of love and support from the community we have received and the attendance at his funeral services displays a true testament of his character and who he truly was,” his son said.

A LaunchGood campaign for the family has raised $11,343 since it was launched on Feb. 1.

Photos via Fawad Barak

Registration for Greater Reston Art Center’s summer camp is now open. The camp, which is organized in partnership with Reston Association, runs on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake House.

Before and after care is available through RA.

The camp includes a variety of sessions:

• My Mom Would Never Let Me Do That: Using mixed media, this session combines scientific exploration and the creative process to create “the messiest and silliest” art projects.
• Fibers & Friends: Kids can become “wonder-weavers” by exploring all things related to fiber like tie dying, friendship bracelets and basketry.
• Art and Movement: This new session focuses on ways art can encourage movement. Beloved Yoga, a local yoga studio, will help campers “enhance their action art” with daily yoga sessions.
• Full STEAM Ahead: Campers will solve problems involving kinetic artwork, technology art and more.

Registration is open online. 

Photo via GRACE

Reston Hospital Center has become a construction site as its $72 million expansion kicks into full swing.

The phased project, which would add more than 63,000 square feet of new space, is set to complete in 2019. The expansion adds a new patient tower, intensive care unit and more services for inpatient rehabilitation, women and children.

Construction on a new 403-space parking garage, has begun, along with the expansion of two patient care floors above the emergency room and the women and children’s services unit, according to Erin Echelmeyer, a hospital spokeswoman.

Patients seeking to enter the emergency room must enter through the hospital’s main hospital as construction continues. The previous entrance will likely reopen this summer. A temporary protective tunnel is being built for EMS staff to transport patients, Echelmeyer said

Construction cranes are not new to the 187-bed hospital, which is part of Tennessee-based health giant HCA Holdings, Inc. Between 2012 and 2015, the hospital embarked on a $40 million expansion, which included a 180,00-square-foot medical office and the addition of four operating rooms and 19 surgical recovery rooms in the surgical department.

A breakdown of the project is below:

• Parking garage on the West Wing entrance.
• Two patient care floors above the emergency room, including a new 24-bed Intensive Care Unit and an 18-bed Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit.
• Expansion of the Women and Children’s Services unit, including 14 obstetric beds for high-risk patients.
• Addition of a second lab to the cardiac services unit, expected to be complete by the summer.
• Renovations to the main lobby and entrance, including a glass concourse.

Renderings by Gresham Smith and Partners

The Virginia General Assembly defeated a bill by Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston) that would have expanded hate crime protections to individuals based on gender, sexual orientation and disability.

A House of Delegates subcommittee voted down the proposal by a 4-3 party line vote late last month. Republicans on the committee and some legal professionals said adding more protected categories complicates the law, which already punishes violence. The state statute currently applies to race, religion or national origin.

Plum said he plans to reintroduce the bill next year, given the addition of 15 new members who tend to have “more progressive” thinking.

“It’s my desire that we make a clear statement in the law that we do not as a society or as a community support or encourage in any way people committing crimes against other people because of these factors,” he said.

Plum said expanding protections was especially vital given the likelihood of “anti-immigration sentiment in the Trump administration” percolating down to local communities.

“I’m concerned about that the current climate more so in the country and certainly less so in Reston,” he said.  “The underlying thing that concerns me that is not spoken but is always in the background is this: some people may want to enact special protections. That’s unspoken… and there’s no way for me to quantify it.” he said.

File photo.

After Sunday’s wet weather, some Restonians are running into another challenge as they begin the week.

Several residents have complained of sheets of black ice on roads on side and neighborhood roads, prompting calls for a delayed school opening earlier this morning.

Here’s what some Twitter users had to say:

https://twitter.com/MrErrett/status/960475083985780736

https://twitter.com/MrErrett/status/960523001753108480

Based on conditions in your neighborhood, do you think Fairfax County Public Schools should have delayed school this morning? Respond in the poll below.