Reston Association is seeking member opinion on the implementation of a special service tax district to help pay for transportation improvements.

Fairfax County is currently in the process of examining what the Reston area needs as it moves forward as a transit-oriented community. At a meeting in February, county officials said Reston is going to need more than $2.6 billion in transportation improvements to keep up with development and population growth in the next 40 years.

High on the priority list are an urban-style street grid around transit stations and additional spots to cross the Dulles Toll Road, according to the advisory group.

At that meeting, the possibility of a special tax district was first discussed. Tysons has a special tax district in place since 2013. Businesses and residents of Tysons are taxed in order to help raise about $810 million of the estimated $3.1 billion necessary for longterm changes.

The Tysons Special Tax  for FY2016 is $0.05 per $100 of assessed real estate value.

A special tax district can be put in place by the Board of Supervisors and does not require landowner approval. Reston Association is polling members purely for feedback; it does not have authority to institute a tax or special assessment for transportation.

In Reston, homeowners already are members of the county’s Small Tax District 5, which funds the Reston Community Center. That’s in addition to Reston Association assessments, Fairfax County and Virginia taxes for all RA members, as well as cluster dues or condo fees for many.

Fairfax County’s Reston Network Analysis & Funding Plan Advisory Group asked RA CEO Cate Fulkerson what she thought of a special tax district. She told RA members at Tuesday’s annual meeting she wanted to get community opinion before she answered the question.

RA is hoping to get member thoughts so Fulkerson can report back to the advisory group in late April.

“I would like to go back and give them a sense of reaction,” said Fulkerson.

At Tuesday’s RA annual meeting, informal paper queries were distributed asking these questions:

Would you be willing to pay an additional tax based on the value of your property that would only be used to fund transportation improvements in Reston? (Yes; No)

If yes, what rate would be acceptable to you? (Rates below are per $100 of appraised property value) ($0.020; 0.025; 0.030; 0.035)

As an example, an owner with a value of $600,000 paying $0.020 per $100 of the home value would pay $120 annually for transportation improvements.

Fulkerson said the question will also be sent electronically to RA members.

See the advisory group’s breakdown of what Reston needs in the December 2015 presentation attached to this previous Reston Now article.

Photo: Informal questionnaire at RA annual meeting. 

Newcomer Sherri Hebert will join experienced Reston Association Directors Eve Thompson and Dannielle LaRosa on the RA Board.

Results from the 2016 RA Board of Directors elections were released last night. Overall voter turnout was about 15 percent, which is typical for a board election.

Hebert, who has been active in Bentana Cluster and the citizen concern over the redevelopment of Tall Oaks Village Center, will represent Lake Anne Tall Oaks. She ran unopposed for the three-year seat previously held by Thompson.

Thompson, a Realtor, ran against two opponents for the At-Large seat, defeating John Bowman and April Tan.

LaRosa, a finance professional, has represented North Point on the board since 2014. She was first appointed to replace Tim Cohn, who resigned for personal reasons. She then ran and was elected last year to fill out the one year remaining on Cohn’s term. The 2016 vote fills a three-year term.

Here are the official voting stats:

At-Large 

• Eve Thompson – 2,659
• John Bowman – 2,218
• April Tan – 1,136

Lake Anne/Tall Oaks

Sherri Hebert – 1,395 votes

North Point 

Dannielle LaRosa – 1,427 votes

The new board, which also includes sitting directors Ray Waddell (At-Large), Ellen Graves (Apartment Owners), Julie Bitzer (South Lakes), Lucinda Shannon (Hunters Woods/Dogwood), Jeff Thomas (At-Large), Michael Sanio (At-Large), will meet Wednesday, where it will elect new officers.

Photos: Sherri Hebert (left), Eve Thompson, Danniella LaRosa/Credit: Reston Association

Expert Says Fairfax Police Shooting Justified — Former Fairfax County Police Officer Adam D. Torres goes on trial next week in the 2013 fatal shooting of John B. Geer, who was unarmed. A witness for the defense will say the shooting “objectively reasonable” and that “Geer’s own behavior…played a major role in Officer Torres’ use of force against him.” [Washington Post]

Fairfax Economic Indicators — Housing sales are up, but so is unemployment according to latest Fairfax County data. [Fairfax County]

Young At Art — There is still time to check out this Reston Community Center exhibit by some of Reston’s 55-and-older artists. [RCC]

Jefferson Apartment Group’s (JAG) public hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission will not happen until sometime this summer at the earliest.

The developer, which purchased the ailing shopping center in December of 2014, has had two spots on the planning commission docket this spring, both of which have been delayed. JAG is now slated for a hearing on June 23.

JAG representatives said in February they needed additional time to conduct a market study examining the area’s retail viability.

JAG’s current plan is for 150 homes and about 7,000 square feet of retail space on the parcel at Wiehle Avenue and North Shore Drive. That plan has not been well-received by community members or Reston Association, which said in a letter to county officials last summer that the plan fell “woefully short” on retail and community space.

JAG’s plan features a variety of townhomes, 2-over-2 townhouses and condos. The retail space has been expanded from the original plan for 3,000 square feet of retail. Read More

Here on Reston Now, we often report about local businesses opening or closing.

What you hear of less often are the transactions in between — like when a business is sold to a new owner — even though business sales are quite common.

We took a look through the Reston listings of a business broker marketplace to see what a consumer looking to run a small business could pick up here in Reston.

Often the business is not named, but there are details that provide clues as to which business it may be. (Also, because of the nature of an online platform like this, we can’t be 100 percent sure that all listings are up to date.)

Here are just some of the businesses that are currently listed on the site. We are only naming the business if a name or website is provided in the listing.

Subs and pizza franchise in a “well-established shopping center.” Asking price: $55,000 and a $116,000 franchise fee.

A “cozy salon” at Lake Anne Plaza can be had for just $25,000. Includes four styling stations in the 650-square-foot space.

A speciality paving contractor operation is on the market for $999,999. The listing says “This opportunity is a well-oiled machine for the right buyer to take to the next level. The business has three revenue streams Commercial / Government, Residential, and franchise development.”

A “well established deli” in a Reston office building is on the market for $99,000. The current owner says it is “very easy to run and cook.”

Photo: Bizbuysell.com

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (Metro) has hired a new chief of safety.

Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Wiedefeld announced Tuesday that Patrick Lavin has been hired as Metro’s new Chief Safety Officer.

Lavin comes to Metro from New York City Transit (NYCT), where he is second in command of the agency’s Office of System Safety.  His first day at Metro will be Monday, May 9. Read More

Update: The Park Authority says the event has been cancelled.

Fairfax County needs your help to hunt and document snakes.

The county is conducting a survey of the “aggressive but misunderstood” water snakes that inhabit Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park.

From the Fairfax County Park Authority:

Water snakes get their name because they enjoy the water, but these non-venous reptiles have a bad rap because they are often confused with the dangerous water moccasin that has a similar look. Search with a naturalist for non-venomous water snakes and help to document their size, gender and location.

Here is what you need to know:

The count is Thursday, April 14 from 7 to 8 p.m.

Ages 8 through adults are invited to participate.

The cost is $6. Sign up online or call 703-471-5414.

Photo of North American water snake courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority.

Tickets are going fast for Saturday’s Pirate Fest at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston.

The annual festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., celebrates Virginia’s seafaring and port trading past.

Activities include:

• Sea chantey sing alongs, tavern tunes and pirate ditties.
• Learn nautical skills and experience the life of a sailor as you make your way around the port town.
• Wear your most dashing pirate clothes and enter our costume contest.
• Pirate-themed treasures to purchase.

Author Robert Prather will discuss his book The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver. Prather says recent discoveries indicate that Treasure Island’s notorious Long John Silver may have been based on the real-world exploits of legendary pirate and silver miner Jonathan Swift, who once lived in Alexandria, VA and who may have owned the land that Lake Fairfax Park now occupies.

Tickets are $10 available online.

There are a couple of add-ons to the main event for 2016, says the Fairfax County Park Authority.

A pirate boat ride on Lake Fairfax. Boat rides are $4 with festival admission. These tickets sell fast, so purchase in advance if you are considering the boat ride. Boat rides run every 20 minutes.

New this year: a Pirate Fest Feast at 5 p.m. $10

O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub of Herndon will provide a hearty pirate meal at the lakeside pavilion. Tickets cost $10 per person. Make reservations and pay in advance online.

Pirate Fest at Lake Fairfax/file photo

The Pennsylvania company planning a large senior citizens housing development for the Hunters Woods area has asked to postpone the public hearing before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors until April 26.

The plans for IntegraCare’s 230,000-square-foot facility were slated to go before the supervisors for final approval last Tuesday.

In February, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended for approval plan amendments that move along the application.

The 4.3-acre lot at 2222 Colts Neck Rd. — the former site of United Christian Parish Church — was first approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for 210 senior housing units in 2007.

IntegraCare, which has facilities in Pennsylvania and Maryland,  plans to retain 91 of the 210 previously approved independent living units and to add 79 assisted living, 24 memory care, and 16 high-acuity assisted living/memory care rooms.

The building will be 230,000 square feet in two wings, one along Colts Neck and one along Reston Parkway. The estimated completion date is 2020.

The assisted living facility will feature multiple dining venues, a theater, salon, barber shop, physical therapy unit, fitness center, library and computer center, Club room, sun room, outdoor fitness stations, raised gardening area, and an arts and crafts center, and a Memory Care garden, according to a county planning department staff report. Read More

Party for Nonprofit — The Kendra Scott store at Reston Town Center will show off its summer collection at a preview party Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. A portion of sales will benefit the Smashing Walnuts Foundation, which advocates for finding a cure for children’s brain cancer.

Alternative Transportation — Area bicycling advocate Finn Quinn gives an overview of Reston’s biking and walking history and evolution. [Livemore.us]

Park Perks Under Scrutiny — Fairfax County Supervisors say they are no longer using free Fairfax County Park Authority passes to avoid an ethics conflict, but that doesn’t mean some 100 other VIPS don’t have them. [Washington Post]

No-Hitter for Herndon Pitcher — Herndon High Pitcher Antonio Menendez threw a no-hitter against South Lakes High School. [Connection]

A teenage girl was walking home from school Friday when she was grabbed by a stranger in a red car, Fairfax County Police said.

Officers from the Reston District Station said the girl, 13, was walking home from school about 3 p.m. She was at Parcher Avenue and Springer Drive when she was approached by a man

She reported the man approached her in a red vehicle and tried engaging her in conversation. At one point, he exited the vehicle and grabbed a hold of her arm, but she broke free and fled. The victim did not require medical attention.

The suspect was described as Hispanic, in his 30s, with dark-colored hair and was wearing a dark-colored shirt. Detectives are not excluding the possibilities of a prior contact between the victim and suspect.

In other weekend crime news:

BURGLARY: 1500 block of Regatta Lane, Reston, between 8:30 p.m. on April 7 and 9:15 a.m. April 8. A woman reported someone entered her open garage and stole a purse from her vehicle.

LARCENIES:

• 11000 block of Granby Court, property stolen from vehicles
• 2000 block of Beacon Heights Drive, purse stolen from vehicle
• 2000 block of Approach Lane, bag stolen from vehicle
• 1800 block of Presidents Street, backpack stolen from business

Now that Comtsock’s BLVD apartments are fully built and welcoming residents, the developer is now marketing retail space for lease.

Comstock has four retail spaces on the ground floors of BLVD that it is marketing for new tenants. Spaces available include a 1,981-square-foot space on Reston Station Boulevard, and spaces of 2,011, 2,559 and 1,890 along the plaza (though Comstock says a national retailer is close to inking a deal for one of those locations).

Across the plaza a 16-story office building is under construction. That building at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza was designed by world-renowned architect Helmut Jahn and will feature 365,000 square feet of office space adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.

Comstock is marketing an 8,479-square-foot ground floor space as an ideal place for a large restaurant.

As previously reported, Founding Farmers will be an anchor tenant in the 10,000-square-foot retail space that will eventually be the ground floor of a hotel.

See this prospectus on Comstock’s website for more leasing information.

Meanwhile, small vendors will continue selling at Urban Pop’s pop-up stores on the plaza. The Smartmarket Farmers Market also returns April 20 for the season. It will be open Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. through November.

What would you like to see in the Reston Station retail spaces?

Reston Association will hold its annual Members Meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at RA Headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr.

The annual meeting will feature remarks from Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins; Fairfax County Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova; Del, Ken Plum (D-Reston); and State Den. Janet Howell (D-Reston).

RA CEO Cate Fulkerson and Board President Ellen Graves will give reports on the state of the association, and RA staffers and volunteers will be honored for their work.

Results of the 2016 RA Board election will also be announced.

 See the full meeting agenda on RA’s website.

Photo courtesy RA