Development projects in Reston are in a bit of a lull right now as both the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County Planning Commission are off until September.

However, many of them have upcoming hearings and other important dates coming soon.

Here is a rundown of what to expect.

Lake Anne/Crescent Apartments

The revitalization plan for Crescent Apartments and the surrounding area near Lake Anne Plaza has been in the works for nearly a year. Lake Anne Development Partners were chosen by the county in summer 2013 to transform the county-owned affordable housing development.

LADP plans include replacing the aging 181-unit Crescent Apartments with slightly more affordable housing, as well as mix of townhomes and multifamily dwellings. In all, about 1,000 new residential units are planned, as well as a new retail plaza, new access points to historic Lake Anne Plaza and more than 130,000 square feet of new retail and office space.

Plans also call for housing for seniors and a boutique grocery store.

LADP’s plans will go before the Planning Commission in a public hearing Nov. 5. If the planning commission recommends approval, the plan will go to the Board of Supervisors Nov. 18. Both of those dates are subject to change.

LADP CEO David Peter says he hopes to begin construction in 2015. The revitalization is expected to be a multiyear process.

Meanwhile, LADP has reached an agreement on a land swap with Reston Association. By obtaining a one-acre plot near Lake Anne Village Center, LADP can now proceed with plans to build a 120-space parking garage.

Lake Anne Fellowship House

Novus Residences has filed with Fairfax County Proffered Condition Amendment, Development Plan Amendment and a Planned Residential Community application in order to build on the site of  Lake Anne Fellowship House at 11448 and 11450 North Shore Dr.

Plans for the six-acre site include building up to 425 dwelling units that will include a building with 140 independent living affordable units and a second building with 285 market rate multi-family dwelling units.

Current residents of Fellowship House, a residence for low-income seniors that is badly in need of renovation, will be moved to the new building.

A Planning Commission date is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2014 at 8:15 p.m., with a Board of Supervisors public hearing  scheduled for Oct. 7. Those dates are also subject to change.

Art Studio on Concord Point

The planning commission will hear a special exemption request from Mary Beth Swicord, owner of First Marks Art Studio.

Swicord has been operating the art studio from her home at 1398 Concord Point Lane for many years. Previously, the enrollment was eight students at a time. Swicord wants to increase enrollment to 18 students on Mondays and 12 from Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., and the county requires a special exemption to do that.

She is also proposing a Summer Camp, Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily, with an enrollment of 12 students.The Planning Commission public hearing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9.

JBG/Reston Executive Center

Developer JBG previously filed a special exception to allow for the building 65,000 square feet of development to include retail sales, eating establishment, fast food restaurant and quick service food stores in the 12000 block of Sunset Hills Road

The plan calls for converting 27,850 square feet of existing office use and constructing 37,150 square feet of building additions to the existing office buildings.

The planning commission public hearing has been indefinitely deferred.

Graphic: Artist’s rendering of improved Lake Anne Plaza/file photo

Reston Association’s pools turn to the late-summer schedule beginning Monday.

These pools are now closed for the season: Autumnwood, Golf Course Island, Hunters Woods, Newbridge, Shadowood, Tall Oaks and Uplands.

Still open: Dogwood, Glade, Lake Audubon (weekends only), Lake Newport, Lake Thoreau, Ridge Heights, North Shore and North Hills. For exact hours, visit RA’s website.

After Labor, Day only heated pools at Ridge Heights and North Shore will be open. The two will remain on a shortened schedule (3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends) through Sept. 28.

Photo: Hunters Woods Pool/File photo

Reston Now asked readers last week how Metro’s Silver Line is working for them.

As of Sunday evening 345 people answered our poll. Here is what they had to say:

• 161 voters (48 percent) said it has improved their life
• 94 voters (27 percent) said it has had no impact
• 64 voters (18.5 percent) said it made their commute more complicated
• 21 voters (6 percent) said none of the above

Plenty of readers chimed in with their thoughts on the new Metro line, the first line addition since 1991.

Here is what some of them had to say:

Lightcommuter: I commute just 15 minutes to Tysons but still thought leaving the car at home would be nice. That short trip by metro took 1 hr (with bus) and cost $8, compared to my free parking at the office. I haven’t used the silver line since. But it does seem to be lightening traffic – will see if that continues after school starts back up.

Jon: I ride with Daily commuters and we have nicknamed this line “The Silver Long”. It’s awful for commuters. Thankfully they still run the Crystal City/Pentagon Express bus. It only takes 25 minutes.

Restoncommuter: For me, it has added time and money to my commute to downtown. I used to take the bus to West Falls Church then Metro to Foggy Bottom. Now I pay the same bus fare to take me further west to get onto the Reston station which extends the metro trip which adds time and money. Bummer, it probably helps people west of Reston, but not for the residents who were already taking public transit.

JJSKI: Pros — Previously drove to Vienna station from South Lakes, so I’ve shaved about 10 minutes off each way. Cons — Paying more to commute by bus/rail. 551 and RIBS2 are never on schedule in the afternoon.

Steve: The only complaint I have is with the Metro and Fairfax Connector employees who are parking their official vehicles in the Kiss&Ride lot instead of the main garage. By taking five or more spaces a day away from people dropping off and picking up commuters, these employees are creating needless traffic congestion in the Kiss & Ride lot.

Freeway1: Who rides FROM the Silver Line? Meaning who lives close enough to walk there? Not many really and not for years yet. What a waste of tax payer money. Also, why is it above ground? Its the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen and has made Rt. 7 as wide a I-495 defeating the purpose of making Tyson’s “walkable.” No logic went into this project at all.

To see more comments or take the poll, read the original story on Reston Now.

Photo: Jennifer Heffner, Vita Images

Help Wanted For RA Parks And Rec Committee — Reston Association is seeking members who are interested in serving on the newly formed Parks and Recreation committee. The committee will, among other things, advise the Board of Directors on the management and development of RA facilities and amenities. [Reston Association]

Meet The Newest Face at Fire Rescue — Ivan, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, recently began work as Fairfax County Fire Rescue’s newest rescue dog. [Fairfax Times]

Lower VA Test Scores — The Virginia Department of Education says nearly one-third of schools in the commonwealth will not earn full accreditation this fall after reading and science scores dropped on state standardized tests. Officials estimate that 600 or more of the state’s approximately 1,800 schools could be “accredited with warning” next month. The standards were recently tightened, which led to the lower test pass percentage. [Washington Post]

Tonight: Pony Barn Meeting — The first meeting of RA’s Pony Barn Working Group will meet Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Reston Association headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. RA is kicking off the community engagement process for the future of the Pony Barn Area, which may be turned into a memorial garden or another community amenity.

Photo: Members of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Reston make lunches for clients at Embry Rucker Community Shelter as part of the annual Works Sunday day of service. The church worked on the project with Herndon Friends and members of St. Thomas a Becket Catholic Church.

The dog days of summer have everyone, including pets, looking to cool off.

That’s why Unleashed by Petco is trucking in snow to Reston Town Center on Saturday, Aug. 23. Pets can frolic like it is February at an enclosed off-leash area.

Unleashed’s Reston store held  smaller version of the snow day in the parking lot at Hunters Woods in 2013. Moving to RTC will better accommodate more dogs.

There will be areas for big dogs and small dogs, as well as family friendly events and animals for adoption.

The snow day will run from 9 a.m. until the snow melts. Admission is free. Limited numbers of dogs can enter the pen at one time.

Photo: Unleashsed Summer Snow Day/Credit: Unleashed

Fairfax Connector says a few changes will go into effect beginning Monday in order to better serve bus passengers heading to the Weihle-Reston East Silver Line station.

From Fairfax Connector:

Routes 553 and 557

• Morning northbound buses will drop-off passengers on the NORTH side of Wiehle-Reston East Station. Afternoon southbound buses will continue to board passengers at Bus Bay Q on the SOUTH side of the station (no change to the afternoon boarding location).

Routes 951

• Buses will serve U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) campus via Sunrise Valley Drive both eastbound and westbound due to the conclusion of construction on the USGS entrance road.
• Buses will serve stops along Sunrise Valley Drive between Reston Parkway and USGS on all trips.

Route 980

• Morning eastbound buses will drop-off passengers on the SOUTH side of Wiehle-Reston East Station.
• Afternoon westbound buses will continue to board passengers at Bus Bay G on the NORTH side of the station (no change to the afternoon boarding location).
• The 5 a.m. departure from Herndon-Monroe will drop passengers at Wiehle north side due to a connection with Route 952 service. This bus continues westbound as Route 952 after arriving at Wiehle.

Reston Association has decided to continue with its proposal to construct a bocce ball court at a pocket park off of South Lakes Drive. But Several Cabots Point-area residents are still unhappy with that decision and have pasted signs on benches at the tot lot near where the court will eventually be located.

The bocce court was first approved by the board last December, with the projected $2,500 cost to be paid for by Friends of Reston.

The signs at the park call out RA’s process, as well as the loss of open park space.

Reads the sign: “Say NO to Proposed Reston Association Bocce Ball Courts! Richard Chew, a board member of the Reston Association, has proposed taking up a large portion of this Cabots Point Park where our children have played for many years with two adult bocce ball courts. This is one of the smallest children’s parks owned by RA. If you don’t believe this is an appropriate use of this park’s space, let RA know.”

The sign encourages residents to contact RA CEO Cate Fulkerson with their concerns.

Several concerned residents previously contacted Fulkerson, mostly regarding what they say was a lack notice prior to voting for the amenity.

That lead Fulkerson to propose two weeks ago to take bocce off the table and start over. Fulkerson said at the time several RA members who live near Cabots Point contacted RA “concerned that proper notification and opportunity for public input or a hearing was not made regarding the proposed project and change in use of the recreation area.”

Fulkerson’s proposal was voted to be taken off the agenda prior to the meeting, after Chew pointed out that proper procedures were followed and he received positive feedback from neighbors.

“In general, the plan was met with great enthusiasm,” Chew said at the July 31 meeting. “The bocce court was explained and discussed. No one expressed any concern.”

South Bay resident Bill Parker says the first he heard about the plan was in June. He said a mailing by RA to residents of nearby clusters never got to homeowners.

“It’s really not about bocce,” says Parker. “It is about the process [RA] used to make this happen. There is no documentation of any discussions. [Chew] talked to people at the park, not people who live in South Bay cluster. I don’t care if it is a flea circus or a ferris wheel. The problem is they didn’t tell anyone this was going to happen.”

Parker does have some thoughts on bocce, too.

“This park is not very big,” he said. “The bocce court will be 13-by-60 feet, and that does not include benches and trash cans. There may be a second court eventually and then this is a bocce park.”

A woman playing with two young boys at the park on Thursday morning said building a bocce court does not matter to her.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” she said after reading the bench sign. “Kids will just run through the court [like they do through the field] when no one is playing ball.”

RA does vow to provide better notification in the future. Earlier this summer, the RA board established a new  development review process that formalizes community engagement procedures.

“As Reston continues to grow and develop, Reston Association believes it is imperative to involve the community in decisions which directly impact neighborhoods, clusters and Reston residents,” said RA spokeswomen Kirsten Carr.

“With the passing of Land Use Resolution 1; Procedures for Comment on Development/Redevelopment Projects in Reston (passed in June of this year) and the establishment of the Reston Development/Redevelopment Plan Review Process, a precedent and a process has been set to involve the affected community members early in the process. The recent meeting at the Pony Barn Recreation Area to discuss plans for its future is a prime example of that process in action.”

Cybersecurity Camp — Northern Virginia teens get a look at how to keep away from hackers at Fairfax County Cybersecurity Camp. [Fairfax Times]

Warm Weather Getaways From Dulles — Low-cost carriet Frontier Airlines has added non-stop flights from Dulles International Airport to West Palm Beach and Cancun. Keep this in mind when winter returns. [Washington Post]

Save The Date For Nutrition — Whole Foods Reston will host a free lecture on nutrition and diabetes with Dr. Neal Barnard, GWU adjunct professor, bestselling author, and president of the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Join the discussion on weight loss, controlling blood sugars naturally, and even improving energy levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

SLHS Football Gears Up With New Coach — Meet Trey Taylor, new coach of the Seahawks. The team went 5-6 last season, its third under Marvin Wooten, who resigned last spring. [Reston Connection]

Photo: Participants in the annual Tour de Lacs bike event greet Reston founder Robert Simon and Del. Ken Plum Wednesday/Credit: Tour de Lacs

Friday at 5 p.m. is the filing deadline for candidates interested in a seat on the Reston Community Center (RCC)’s Board of  Governors.

The Board of Governors is a nine-member group that is responsible for oversight and guidance of RCC, which serves the people of Small Tax District 5 (Reston).

Candidates must be residents of Small District 5, age 18 or older, and complete a candidacy statement in order to have their names placed on the Preference Poll ballot.

The RCC Preference Poll is a community event held annually to select members to serve on the board.  The Board of Governors establishes the overall policies for RCC priorities for its programs and budget.

There has been increased focus on RCC the last few years as it seeks to expand by building a new 50-meter indoor pool in Reston. That proposal been met with mixed reaction from the community.

This year’s Preference Poll will fill three positions for three-year terms. The terms of  board members Bill Penniman, Cathy Vivona and Vicky Wingert are expiring.

Online and mail-in balloting and walk-in voting will be available Sept. 12 to Oct. 3 until p.m. Mail-in ballots must be received by Oct. 2 at p.m. There will be a candidates forum on Sept. 8 at RCC Hunters Woods.

For more information on the 2014 RCC Preference Poll or Board of Governors, visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com  or call (703) 476-4500.

Now that the Silver Line is operational, Restonians are walking more than ever. That’s why it is a good time to tell Fairfax County how to improve pedestrian safety.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has introduced a new interactive online tool where you can show the county where you think pedestrian safety can be improved.

Says the county: “This tool is an extension of the existing process that allows residents to email the FCDOT and request sidewalk and trail connections, curb ramps, improved signage, and other strategies for improving pedestrian safety.”

County officials said the online tool “continues FCDOT’s initiative to be more open and interactive with the public.”

Recently, citizens have requested these improvements in Reston:

• A crosswalk at Upper Lake Drive and Sunrise Valley Drive.
• A sidewalk on Glade Drive at bus stop near Red Maple Lane.
• A crosswalk on Fox Mill Road at Stratton Woods Park.
• A “Yield to Pedestrians” sign on Steeplechase Lane near Lawyers Road.

To see other suggestions or to make your own, visit the FCDOT website.

Fairfax County has allocated more than $300 million for pedestrian improvements on routes near the Silver Line. But the Silver Line opened in late July without most improvements in place, says advocacy group Reston 2020. Also, the Board of Supervisors recently approved a $100 million bond referendum. If approved by voters, most of the changes will benefit walkers and bikers.

Reston 2020 pointed out in a recent blog post that only 500 feet of sidewalk near the station has been built.

Reston 2020 pointed out the lack of pedestrian upgrades in a recent post:

… There is absolutely no excuse for this pathetic county performance. In Reston, the RMAG (Reston Metro Access Group) gave sound recommendations for improving access infrastructure in Spring 2008 — six years ago. The Silver Line has been under construction since Spring 2009, and its design specifically locked down so the county knew what to expect.

Yet here we are, the Silver Line launched nine months late and work on improving access to the station not even half done. This is a pathetic and unconscionable performance by our Board of Supervisors on transportation planning and implementation.

Kids Tri Now On Video – Did your child run the recent Reston Kids Triathlon? There is now a highlight video capturing the day. [YouTube]

A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall — Were forecasters expecting that big a storm on Tuesday, when flash flooding occurred all over the region? Here is how that forecast came to be and just how much rain fell. [Washington Post]

List of  “Resties” — The Reston Community Players recently honored their own at “The Restie” awards. The superlatives were voted on by the audience members [Broadway World]

Monday Night Football Via Metro — Metro will stay open late on Monday to accommodate fans traveling from FedEx Field for the Washington vs. Cleveland preseason NFL game. Enter the Largo Station no later than 12:10 a.m. to catch the last Silver Line train to Wiehle-Reston East.

Meet this week’s Reston Pet of the Week, Cleo. She is a blue New Jersey Wooly rabbit who has political experience and is also a patron of the arts.

Here is what owner Tracie has to say about her:

Cleo has finely crimped angora fur, which can be used for spinning. She is a friendly, athletic, accomplished rabbit who enjoys her morning hop in the backyard and loves all fruits and vegetables except cantaloupe.

She represented her species on Capitol Hill supporting Rep. James Moran’s (D-Va.) “Humane Cosmetics” bill against animal testing and serves as a model and muse for her artist owner.

Cleo is often found with Tracie Griffith Tso in her Lake Anne workshop, where she makes and paints pottery, often with rabbits. Cleo travels to the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, where she meets and greets customers in-studio.

<Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet.

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.

Same-sex marriages could begin next week in Fairfax County and the rest of Virginia, after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a request to delay implementation of its ruling striking down Virginia laws denying marriage to same-sex couples.

The court’s action means that unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervene in the next few days, couples may begin marrying and having their out-of-state marriages recognized in Virginia beginning Aug. 20.

Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk Michèle McQuigg had asked the court to stay the ruling while she asks the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. McQuigg may still ask the Supreme Court to stay the Fourth Circuit ruling, according to the ACLU of Virginia.

“We hope that the Supreme Court will leave this ruling in place, so that same-sex couples may begin marrying right away,” Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, Executive Director of the ACLU of Virginia, said in a statement.  “Our clients have already waited far too long to exercise their constitutional right to marry, or to have their marriages from other states recognized.”

When the initial ruling was made in late July, John T. Frey, Clerk of Fairfax Circuit Court, said current marriage license practices would not change while the parties were still involved in the court case. A court spokesman said on Wednesday the process will not change until same-sex marriage in Virginia is a done deal.

“No mandate has issued from the U. S Court of Appeals for the 4^th Circuit,” Frey said . “Accordingly, our process for issuing marriage licenses remains the same. The Attorney General of Virginia has advised Clerks that unless and until a mandate issues, Virginia’s current practices are not altered. “

Metro’s Silver Line has been open for nearly three weeks now. Have you taken it for a ride?

Maybe you are a daily commuter with thoughts on how your day has changed, for better or worse. Perhaps you have taken a train ride downtown or to Tysons Corner to see how rail in Reston can change your life.

Maybe you are reading this right now at the light at Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills and lamenting for the “time before transit.”

Whatever the case, take our poll and add your thoughts in the comments.