Reston Association will host an open house on Dec. 3 at The Lake House on 11450 Baron Cameron Avenue.

Through a referendum two years ago, RA members voted to allow the association to purchase the property. Renovations have been completed. The board’s goal was to increase and enhance green space on the site and increase more opportunities for community and recreational events.

The Lake House is also available for rentals, which began in the summer of 2016.

File photo.

The Reston Planning and Zoning Committee is set to vote on a plan to bring a 20-story high rise with up to 150 residential units on 1801 Old Reston Ave. tonight.

Renaissance Centro 1801 LLC has proposed to rezone roughy 1.5 acres of space home to a three-story office to allow for residential use. Of the units, 126 would be market rate and 24 would be workforce units.

A hearing is also set before the Fairfax County Planning Commission for Dec. 6.

The committee is also scheduled to hear informational presentations on the following projects:

• Reston Town Center North: Inova Health Care Services and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have filed amendments and a rezoning application to create a grid of streets, a central green and other infrastructure linked to the the proposed redevelopment of Reston Town Center North. The property is on the south side of Baron Cameron Avenue, east and west of Town Center Parkway, west of Fountain Drive and south of Bowman Towne Drive.
• Langston Hughes Middle School: The local school board is seeking approval to renovate the building on 11401 Ridge Heights Road. Voters approved additional funding in the 2015 school bond referendum to renovate the school, which currently manages crowded conditions with eight temporary classrooms. The board is seeking to add three additional buildings to expand the one-story building, which is roughly 132,000 square feet, to 200,000 square feet.
• Roland Clarke Place: The developer, Woodfield Acquisitions LLC, is seeking to redevelop 6.5 acres of land at 1941 and 1950 Roland Clarke Place along Wiehle Station’s transit-oriented development district. The property, which is less than a mile from Wiehle-Reston East and Reston Town Center Metro Stations, would be redeveloped into 699 residential units. The developer is proposing to also include public and private open space such as a dog park and a trail that loops around the property.

The meeting will began at 7:30 p.m. in the North County Government Center. An agenda is available online. The body’s next meeting will be held on Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

File image of 1801 Old Reston Ave.

The search for a new executive director at the Reston Historic Trust & Museum is on. 

Elizabeth Didiano is leaving her position, as she relocating. Didiano, who began her position in January, said is especially proud that she and the organization’s board of trustees were able to set RHT’s foundation to continue to grow as an organization and reach new audiences through programs and events.

“In 2017, we launched our inaugural Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta, and I feel fortunate to have been a part of such a fun event. I am sure the new Executive Director with the help of the RHT’s Board of Directors and volunteers, will explore many wonderful opportunities to share Reston’s history with our community and beyond,” she said.

RHT is a non profit organization that was founded in 1997 to preserve the past, inform the present and influence the future of Reston. The executive director is responsible for managing daily operations of the museum, including donations to museum archives, oversight of the bookkeeper, fundraising, and recruitment and training of volunteers. The head also participates in community events, including the annual home tour in October. 

Ideal candidates will have a Master’s degree or equivalent experience in urban planning, museum studies, history, architecture or another related field. Strong organizational skills are required and fluency in the use of social media and other emerging technologies is preferred. The complete job description is on RHT’s website.

To apply, candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Shelley Mastran. The salary is negotiable.

Reston Association’s board of directors passed its $18 million budget Thursday evening. The board set an annual assessment rate of $682, a $10 decrease from last year’s fee.

According to a press release, this year is the first time the assessment has been reduced from the previous year. The assessment rate is calculated based on the bottom line of the capital and operating budget.

The board reinstated most pool hours to 2016 levels, according to the release. The body also directed TA staff to increase non-assessment revenue, which includes proffer and easement income, by 10 percent while cutting operating costs by 5 percent.

The release also noted several “cost-cutting” measures allowed the board to decrease the fee including:

• Increasing health insurance co-payments for all employees
• Approving in-house counsel in order to reduce reliance on outside legal services
• Pay off the loan for The Lake House, which RA purchased two years ago
• The addition of 429 new residential units that will be a source of additional revenue

The approved capital budget, which allocates $3.5 million for this year and $2.2 million for next year, includes roughly $399,000 for tennis court improvements and $465,000 for boat dock improvements, especially for replacing a dock at lake Anne.

The annual assessment is due by Jan 1. For more information on the budget, visit RA’s website.

All garage parking will be free in Reston Town Center from Saturday through Nov. 26 due to the holiday season.

Garage parking is free on weekends, federal holidays and after 5 p.m. Parking activation is not required.  Street parking is free on Sundays only for up to 2 hours. On weekdays, only the first hour of garage parking is free.

On typical days, garage parking is free on Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. The first hour is free during the rest of the day, with parking activation required from 3:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is free on weekends.

Paid parking went into effect Jan. 3 at RTC, requiring $2-per-hour payment in garages all day Monday through Friday, and $3-per-hour payment for street parking Monday through Saturday.

On June 5, parking became free in garages between 5 p.m. and 3:30 a.m., and one hour of free parking is also offered during the day.

For more information on parking, visit RTC’s website.

Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar. Know of other events in the area? Comment below.

• The newly opened Nando’s PERi PERi at 12120 Sunset Hills Road is hosting a grand opening on Saturday. All sales will be donated to the bands of South Lakes High School and Herndon High School. The store is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Remove English ivy at South Shore Road on Saturday from 10 a.m. through noon. Volunteers will dig roots with small tools and pulls vines until the area is cleared from a section of the woods. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Follow the Habitat Heroes signs for directions. For details on how to register as a volunteer, visit RA’s website.
• Create Thanksgiving centerpieces at the Walker Nature Center (11540 Glade Drive) from 10:30 a.m. through noon on Saturday. All materials are provided. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.
• Herndon High School Theatre presents “Twelfth Night” today from 7:30 – 10 p.m. and on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the school’s auditorium. Tickets are $6 for students and $12 for adults.
• Learn techniques in metalworking, material manipulation and beading at the Greater Reston Arts Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. The event is for attendees ages 18 and up. The fee is $45 for residents and $55 for all others.
• Enjoy a ride on Engine $62 of the Resources Railroad at Lake Fairfax Park on Saturday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Create your own Thanksgiving-themed craft to take home. The cost if $5 and the Fairfax County Park Authority will be collecting non-perishable food items for a local food bank.
• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Church will have a one-day Christmas Bazaar on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 11140 North Shore Drive.
• Meanwhile, the 8th annual tree lighting festival kicks off this Saturday from 3 –  4 p.m. at the Village at Leesburg Shopping Center. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations for the Toys for Tots program.
• Harry Butwosky will present a six-part lecture series on the years between World War I and World World II from 2 to 4 p.m. at Reston Library on Sunday.
• On Sunday, Ingrid King discusses her books and a hodgepodge of topics ranging from lessons learned from pets and cat health. The event will take place at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.) from 4 – 6 p.m.

Touching Heart Hosts Movie Watch Party Tonight — The group will host a movie watch party for the release of the movie, “Wonder,” today at 7 p.m. at Bowie Tie Theater. Funds will help fund initiatives to create secure housing facilities for albino children in Tanzania. The movie is based on the New York Times bestseller. [Touching Heart]

Reston-based Company Opens Offices in Mumbai, India — Graphus, Inc., cloud applications cybersecurity company opened a new office in India which will focus on research, development, sales, marketing and expanding the company’s customer base in India. [Graphus, Inc.]

Fairfax Board Offers Same-Day Screening for Mental Health and Substance-Use Concerns — The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board is providing same-day, in-person screening for all ages. Individuals seeking assistance can walk-in without any appointment to the Merrifield Center to address any concerns. [Fairfax County Government]

Mark Your Calendars: Cookies with Santa at The Lake House — Reston Association recently posted a video detailing an event in early December that features cookies with Santa. [Reston Association via YouTube]

As holiday festivities begin, the 27th annual Reston Holiday Parade is set for Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. The half-mile parade will include Macy’s-style balloons, music, dance, community groups, antique cars and more.

The parade, which takes place along 11900 Market St. will also welcome the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus in a horse-drawn garage. Jingle bells will be distributed to people along the route of the one-hour parade.

Between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for photos. Mini-train rides will also run during this time.

The Clauses will then participate in a tree lighting and sing along between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Horse drawn carriage rides will also be offered to the community following the lighting until 10 p.m. Proceeds from photos and rides will benefit local charities, according to Reston Town Center.

USA Today readers ranked the parade the fourth best holiday parade in the country last year. The parade has taken place since 1991, rain or shine.

To register as a volunteer, visit RTC’s website.

File photo.

In a draft letter to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Catherine Hudgins, Reston Association President Sherri Hebert has proposed a series of amendments to Reston’s Master Plan, a document that lays out a vision for the planned community.

The suggestions broadly push for more mechanisms to ensure public infrastructure matches the pace of development.

“Some have estimated that the Reston Plan will result in more than doubling the current number of residents, not counting increases in employment population and visitor/pass through populations. If commensurate planned infrastructure can no longer be provided, then the level of residential development must be reduced to maintain the balance between land use and infrastructure,” she wrote.

A summary of each recommendation is below:

1. Add an overall residential population cap that includes affordable housing units and work-force housing.
2. Clearly state Reston’s village centers, except Lake Anne and Tall Oaks, will have the same land uses as they have today.
3. Add periodic plan updates that tie specific development milestones with infrastructure improvements. A similar method to condition development on the availability of public infrastructure was included in the Tysons Master Plan.
4. Request the Reston Network Analysis Advisory Group to review its transportation network analysis assumptions and methodology.
5. Establish a realistic plan to increase the scope of recreational activities in Reston. The plan should account for space and funding.
6. Add clearer statements that assertively state infrastructure capacity must increase as new development rather than “lag decades behind.”
7. Establish a realistic plan for increased school capacity in Reston.
8. Remove a “grid of streets” road connection between American Dream Way and Isaac Newton Square because it hurts environmentally sensitive areas and the Hidden Creek Golf Course.
9. Change the dwelling unit density of lands with the high-density multi-family zoning from an unlimited amount to the maximum number of units per acre necessary to accommodate the two parcels that designation covers.

Two Reston-based software companies are one of the 500 fast-growing technology companies in United States, according to Deloitte’s annual ranking of the country’s fastest growing companies.

The ranking, Technology Fast 500, places LookGlass Cyber Solutions, Inc. at 105th place. The company is involved in the cyber intelligence industry.

A zoning change to allow for more development and accommodate population growth was discussed during The Kojo Nnamdi show Wednesday — a conversation that painted the ongoing issue as a microcosm of a perennial debate on how to manage development, growth and public infrastructure.

Leslie Johnson, zoning administrator for Fairfax County, said the zoning change, which would increase the population density per acre from 13 to 16, along with a host of other changes that implement the Reston Master Plan, a planning document that lays out the vision for the area, said Fairfax County officials are working hard to ensure development matches the pace of public infrastructure.

She also noted the county is aware of the need to preserve already stable residential neighborhoods that surround areas along the Metro that are targeted for growth.

“We can’t stop development waiting for the roads to be built,” Johnson said, adding that the county recently developed a funding plan for road infrastructure and developers are helping in tandem.

Johnson noted that the zoning change was consistent with master plans adopted in 2014 and 2015. She also said she was encouraged by vehement opposition that surfaced in two community meetings earlier this year.

“It’s a good sign that people are engaged because we get criticized for not engaging enough. I think peoples’ voices need to be heard,” she said.

Nimbyism is not the rallying point for people opposed to the zoning change, according to some residents.

Terry Maynard, co-chair of Reston 20/20, a citizen activist group that is against the proposal, said many people are opposed to the scope of development, not development itself.

Absent adequate public infrastructure for current residents, allowing more population density in pockets in Reston damages residents’ quality of life. He also noted projections about population increases as a result of the zoning change do not account for growth from affordable housing units and bonus density allowed for some developments.

“The Reston Master plan is very weak in defining infrastructure needs for the community in sharp contrast for a similarly-prepared plan for the Tysons area,” he said.

The cart-before-the-house argument has been echoed in community meetings.

But, to some extent, the zoning change is an exercise in how open communities are to change, especially as the county is in “a state of transition” in anticipation of Metro, which the county has been preparing for for the last 20 years, Johnson said.

Amendments to the zoning change are expected. The county is leaving the board with the flexibility to determine what population density between 13 and 16 per acre is most feasible, she said. Johnson also said the county was open to changing the maximum number of residential units allowed per acre.

A round of public hearings are expected to begin early next year.

Virginia, unlike Maryland, is a conditional zoning state, which means it lacks the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, a mechanism that attempts to manage growth by ensuring adequate roads, schools and public facilities are in place as development occurs. APFO laws vary by state and county.

A complete recording of the show is available online. 

RA Board of Directors To Set Next Year’s Budget Tonight — Reston Association’s board of directors will meet at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters to discuss a broad swath of motions, including capital and operating budgets for next year. The meeting can be viewed live here. [Reston Assocation]

Purchase Poinsettias for South Lakes High School Seniors Graduation Party — Decorate your home and office this holiday season with poinsettias. SLHS is raising money to finance an all-night seniors graduation party. Orders must be received by Nov. 21 and will be ready for pick-up from SLHS on Dec. 1. Medium bundles are $15, large bundles are $25 and a hanging basket is $30. [SLHS]

Cleveland Browns Sign Reston Native Deon King to Active Roster — The 6-0, 220 pound second-year player out of Norfolk State was originally signed by Dallas as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in four games for the browns this season while spending five weeks in the practice squad. [247 Sports]