A 45-year-old man has been charged with drunk driving following a fatal crash that took place in Reston on Sunday.

Fairfax Police issued a statement indicating the department is still investigating the crash, which took place at the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue and Lake Fairfax Drive around 2:30 p.m.

“A preliminary investigation revealed a 1987 Toyota MR2 was traveling south on Baron Cameron Avenue, approaching Lake Fairfax Drive, when it crossed the center median and struck a 2008 Porsche traveling northbound,” police said in the statement.

The driver, 45-year-old Jose Jimenez-Yapura, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was arrested, as police said alcohol appears to have been a factor in the crash. He has been charged with driving while intoxicated. His passenger, however, later identified as 42-year-old Miguel Jiminez of Falls Church, was taken to the hospital, but later died of his injuries.

The driver of the Porsche, a 16-year-old, was not injured in the crash.

Police are still investigating, and said they are unsure if speed may have also been a factor in the crash.

Edits made Oct. 31: A list of problem areas that was previously included in this article were addressed in the 2001 Master Plan Revision. Officials are currently looking to identify new potential issues and areas for improvement for another revision.

As the popularity of Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park grows, the county’s Park Authority invites citizens to a meeting this Wednesday, Nov. 1 to discuss planned changes and improvements to the park as part of its Master Plan Revision.

Lake Fairfax Park is home to a large number of recreational opportunities that attract visitors from not only within Reston and greater Fairfax County, but also throughout Northern Virginia. Some of those features include the 20-acre lake with fishing and boating rentals, the popular Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole water park, picnic areas, athletic fields, a skate park, a carousel, tent and RV camping grounds, walking trails and a playground.

In total, the park is currently around 479 acres, but only about one-third of that acreage is currently developed, according to the Master Plan Revision documents. However, much of that acreage is largely restricted from being developed due to environmental obstacles like “unsuitable soils, excessive slope and vegetative cover.” The report indicates some of that vegetative cover could include Virginia pines, Chestnut and White Oak trees that could be as much as a hundred years old, not to mention the animals and insects that call the wooded areas home.

“All of these cover types provide housing, food and other resources needed by animals and insects. Some of the plants contributing to the habitat are unusual in their own right,” they said.

Not to mention, proximity to all of that green space spells out increased home values in the surrounding neighborhoods as well–as long as it is kept in check, that is.

“The majority of this section of forest remains contiguous, and therefore very valuable as habitat,” they said. “However, even a forest this large will suffer from entropy and will need energy input in the form of active human management. This management is necessary to prevent the incursion of invasive exotic plants or damage from insects like Gypsy moth.” Read More

Metro’s general manager and CEO, Paul Wiedefeld released a proposed budget for fiscal year 2019–which would take effect July 1, 2018–that includes no new fare hikes for riders along with no service cuts, but asks local jurisdictions for an additional $165 million in funding over and above what they already contribute to the rail system.

The budget includes a combined operating and capital budget of $3.1 billion. In a press release, Wiedefeld said his proposed budget avoids service cuts and fare hikes by requiring “continued strict management cost controls” while also demanding increased funding for “safety and reliability capital improvements.”

Wiedefeld said that by showing an obvious commitment to safety and reliability, he believes the struggling rail system can win back riders, which would increase revenue through paid fares.

“This proposal builds on our success in investing capital to deliver projects that improve safety and reliability, which is critical to winning back riders,” Wiedefeld said in the press release. “This budget also doubles down on management cost controls to ensure we have squeezed the value out of every dollar that we spend delivering service to the region.”

Of the $3.1 billion budget, $1.279 billion is for capital improvements, which Wiedefeld explained would ensure full delivery of the remaining new 7000-series rail cars to replace older trains, along with new buses and paratransit vehicles, and repair and replacement of infrastructure such as rail power, radios, wireless systems and tracks.

Wiedefeld said the increase in jurisdictional funding–which is more than the previously promised 3-percent maximum–is the only way to avoid fare hikes and service cuts, which would negatively impact riders.

Furthermore, he said without that additional funding, planned service increases such as the extension of all Red Line routes to Shady Grove in Maryland, the planned Silver Line Phase 2 service–which begins in Reston and would extend through Dulles International Airport and into Ashburn in Loudoun County–as well as new Metrobuses, would not be funded.

“There is virtually nothing more we can do of significance to further trim costs without impacting service, which we don’t want to do,” said Wiedefeld. “So as a region we must act now on initiatives like those outlined in our funding plan, to control future operating cost growth.”

If you’ve traveled down Sunset Hills Road or the Dulles Toll Road recently, you may have noticed the north-side pedestrian bridge for the future Reston Town Center Metro station has been installed.

Once construction is complete, the hulking structure will allow pedestrians to access the Silver Line station from the north side of the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Airport Access Highway, according to information provided by the Dulles Metrorail Corridor Project.

The installation took place in the late-night hours of Oct. 13-14.

Construction work on Phase 2 of the Silver Line, which will extend the Metrorail from Reston to Ashburn, was reported earlier this month to be about two-thirds done. The line is expected to be opened to the public in 2020.

Photos courtesy Dusty Smith/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

At a panel event last week, developers said that filling the thousands of new rental units coming to Reston’s Metro corridor is proving to be a “bumpy road.”

Commercial real-estate news source Bisnow hosted a “Fairfax County State of the Market” event last week, at which representatives of several top area developers spoke about the boom in development in Reston and Tysons. According to Bisnow’s report, the areas are currently in a state where supply is outpacing demand.

“In Reston we’re a little sick, but Tysons is in hospice in terms of the glut of apartments,” said Greg Trimmer, JBG Smith executive vice president of development, according to the Bisnow report. Trimmer is reported to have said that apartment rents in Reston are flat — and in some cases slightly negative — due to the amount of new multifamily construction.

JBG Smith is involved in numerous residential projects around Reston, including the next phase of the RTC West project, which would include 700 dwelling units in two towers. It also has a stake in the 1831 Wiehle project, which would bring in about 1,500 new residents. In addition, Fairfax County has approved JBG Smith’s plans for about 500 more residential units and more at the Commerce Executive Park; however, the developer may be looking to unload that property.

Trimmer is reported to have said that Reston is positioned well to be a residential success, but that it is currently experiencing a “blip.”

“In the long term we’re set up well, but right now we do have a bit of a problem,” Trimmer is reported to have said.

Comstock CEO Chris Clemente is reported to have agreed, saying that the 450-apartment BLVD has not leased as quickly as expected. He says the hope is that will change once the full Reston Station development begins to take shape.

“I think a lot of that has to do with the lack of understanding of what this neighborhood here is going to be,” Clemente is reported to have said. “The new residential buildings will benefit from that lifestyle that only comes when you have a more complete environment.”

Comstock’s additional plans include 460 more residential units where the Sunset Hills Professional Center currently stands.

Mike Henehan, Bozzuto’s senior vice president, also spoke on the issue during the forum. He is reported to have given similar comments about the glut of new apartments and the supply surge in Reston.

Bozzuto is currently leasing apartments at its new 421-unit Aperture building.

“There is still some rent growth in this market,” Henehan is reported to have said. “It certainly doesn’t keep up with construction costs and some of the other costs, so I think there will be a little resistance there over time.”

File photo of Bozzuto’s Aperture apartments under construction, August 2016

Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

The following articles were the five most-clicked links on Reston Now this past week.

1. Shouts, Shoe Hurled at Suspect in Killing of Nabra Hasssanen During Preliminary Hearing
2. Dulles Toll Road Fee Projected to Increase to $4.75 in 2019, $6 in 2023
3. Herndon Man Indicted on Charge of Using Twitter to Threaten Murder of Government Officials
4. Police Say Job-Seeking Woman Was Sexually Assaulted in Reston, There May Be More Victims
5. Letter: Decision to Cut Lake House Afterschool Program Unfair to Affected Families

In case you missed the update to our top story, the man accused of killing Hassanen — 22-year-old Darwin Martinez-Torres — was indicted on a capital murder charge and may face the death penalty if found guilty.

Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally. Have a great weekend!

This is an op/ed submitted by Terry Maynard, co-chair of the Reston 20/20 committee. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now.

The County, via its proposed zoning density increases, and developers are already planning for Reston’s Village Centers to become nearly two to three times as densely populated as Arlington County’s major Ballston Transit Station Area (TSA).

The result is astounding given that Ballston is rightly a high-density mixed-use transit-oriented development area served by two Metro lines while Reston’s Village Centers are nowhere near Metro.  Moreover, the recent year-long Reston transportation development effort (RNAG) revealed that Fairfax County explicitly doesn’t plan to enhance local bus transit to serve the Village Centers or our TSAs.

Fairfax County data and US Census 2010 data for Ballston show that, with the exception of Lake Anne Village Center, where a redevelopment plan is already in place, the number of dwelling units (homes) per acre will potentially be at least twice as dense as in Ballston. Moreover, because Fairfax County anticipates a fraction more people in each household, the potential number of residents per acre runs better than two and one-half times that experienced in Ballston.   

At the risk of repeating ourselves, Reston’s Village Centers are intended to be neighborhood-serving gathering places. They are not meant to be transit station areas without the “transit.” According to US Census data, Ballston is the most populous area in Arlington County and the fourth most densely populated (people per acre). The notion that TSA residential densities should be applied in Reston’s Village Centers is preposterous and contradicts everything that the Reston Master Plan says about their development.

The current Reston Master Plan calls for the following in any Village Center redevelopment: “Enhance Village Centers as vibrant neighborhood gathering places; advance excellence in site design and architecture; strengthen connectivity and mobility; [and] protect and respect the surrounding residential neighborhoods.”

Any notion that residential density in excess of 100 people per acre is consistent with these objectives is ludicrous.  

If you don’t want your neighborhood Village Center to be blown up and replaced with one or more 12- to 14-story high-rise apartments or condos, please come to the community meeting on the Reston PRC zoning ordinance on Monday at South Lakes High School. Bring your friends and your children for a major civics lesson on local government. Learn, question, and challenge what you hear. It is our Reston and we must act to protect it by showing our revulsion with this absurd zoning ordinance proposal.  

Terry Maynard, Co-Chair

Reston 20/20 Committee

Experts from George Mason University’s School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution will be in Reston next week to help interested citizens learn how to better navigate the muddied waters of the 24-hour news cycle.

Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will host “Hot Topics: News Blues and How to Defuse” from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday. During the program, representatives of the GMU S-CAR, along with Fairfax County Public Library employees, will provide an interactive workshop about media literacy and dialogue skills. They will aim to help attendees “learn tips for navigating through the overwhelming array of news sources” and “practice using respectful and positive communication techniques when discussing hot button issues.”

The free event is geared toward adults.

For more information, contact Reston Regional Library staff at 703-689-2700.

The Reston Community Players’ 2017-18 season opens tonight as the curtain rises on their presentation of Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical “Aida.” The show, winner of four Tony Awards, will be performed through Nov. 11 at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road).

This weekend, the show is being performed at 8 p.m. both tonight and Saturday night. Tickets are $27, with student/senior tickets available for $23.

For more information about the show or about other upcoming events from the Reston Community Players, call 703-476-4500, ext. 3.

There is plenty else scheduled to take place this weekend in the area as well. Take a look at our list below.

(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.)

• A trail of illuminated hand-carved pumpkins is welcoming visitors to “THE GLOW: A Jack O’Lantern Experience,” now through Oct. 29 at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive). Presented by Townsquare Live Events, the “enchanting Halloween wonderland” features a third-of-a-mile trail decorated with more than 5,000 pumpkins. Tickets, which are $16 for kids ages 3-12 and $22 for adults, are available online and must be purchased in advance.
• The South Lakes High School football team, 6-1 on the season and ranked No. 13 in the region by the Washington Post, return home tonight for a 7 p.m. game against McLean.
• “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
• The Woodland Park Crossing HarvestFest will take place from 1-4 p.m. Saturday in the plaza, located at 12960 Highland Crossing Drive in Herndon. The event will feature strolling performers, tenant giveaways, face painting and entertainment, and participating restaurants will offer specials and samples.
• A digital scavenger hunt is planned in downtown Herndon from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Participants will explore various businesses and areas in downtown Herndon to find what they seek. Prizes will be given to winners who discover all the hidden treasures. The event is open to all ages, but parents must accompany any children who play.
• The bluegrass series at Holy Cross Lutheran Church (1090 Sterling Road, Herndon) will present a performance by The Blue Moon Cowgirls at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $15, with children 12 and under admitted free.
• At 11 a.m. Saturday, kids ages 6-12 are invited to take part in the “Halloween Science Spectacular” at the Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive). Kids will explore fun Halloween science experiments that are “gooey and foggy.”
• During “Giraffe-toberfest,” celebrate fall with animals at Roer’s Zoofari (1228 Hunter Mill Road) on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can meet the zoo’s giraffe, “Waffles.” Tickets are $20 and all proceeds will support giraffe conservation.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Fashion illustrator Joanna Baker will be at Scout & Molly’s (11944 Market St.) from 2-6 p.m. Saturday. Her prints will be available for purchase and she will be on hand to answer questions.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m; and Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) every Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

In conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative, Fairfax County is promoting “Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout.”

On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents are encouraged to drop off unused or expired medications at any Fairfax County Police district station. Medicine must be pills or liquids only, as no pressurized canisters or needles will be accepted.

The disposal is free, confidential and safe, organizers say. Promotional materials for the event say safe handling of unused or expired medications prevents accidental poisoning, protects the environment and prevents drug abuse.

Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout is sponsored by the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County in partnership with local businesses and in collaboration with these Fairfax County government departments: Police, Health, Public and Private Partnerships, Neighborhood and Community Services, Public Works and Environmental Services, and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.

The Reston District Station of the Fairfax County Police Department is located at 1801 Cameron Glen Drive.

A kickoff celebration for the 2018 NoVa Maker Faire will take place next week in Reston, but the event itself has found a new home.

Those interested in the Maker Faire are invited to the kickoff event from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the NoVa Labs maker space (1916 Isaac Newton Square). The event will include the opportunity to experience the maker space, meet the Maker Faire team, meet fellow makers and hear about projects that are in the works. Anyone wishing to attend is invited to RSVP online.

The event itself, which has been held in previous years at South Lakes High School and Langston Hughes Middle School, will take place Sunday, March 18 at George Mason University in Fairfax. Tickets will soon go on sale.

According to a press release, the change was made “to provide more space to promote creativity and innovation in the region.”

The call for makers for the event is now open. Early-bird submissions are due Nov. 26, while regular submissions are due by Jan. 14.

For more information about the kickoff or the Maker Faire itself, email [email protected].

Fairfax County police say a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted in Reston when answering a Craigslist job listing may not be the only victim.

Imtiaz Rauf, a 44-year-old from Gainesville who is a registered sex offender, has been charged by the Fairfax County Police Department with sexual battery. Police say Rauf placed an ad saying he was looking for an administrative assistant. The victim met Rauf for a job interview at 12005 Sunrise Valley Drive, and police say she was sexually assaulted upon arriving.

Rauf was arrested and taken to the Adult Detention Center, where he is being held without bond. FCPD says detectives are looking into other ads they believe were placed by Rauf and are “investigating other similar reports” of assault. Additional charges against Rauf may be forthcoming, police say.

According to Rauf’s entry in the state’s Sex Offender Registry, he was added to the list after being convicted of sexually soliciting a minor in Montgomery County, Maryland in 2011.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim of Rauf, or who has further information about the case, is encouraged to contact FCPD Det. T. Horton at 703-246-7800. Information can also be reported by calling 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), by visiting Crime Solvers online, or by texting “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637). Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards up to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest.

Mugshot of Imtiaz Rauf/FCPD

Americana music and more will come to Café Montmarte (1625 Washington Plaza N.) next week as the Harried Americans Roadshow takes the stage.

According to the group’s website, Harried Americans roadshows are “smarty-pants, loosey-goosey, Americana FUN – with a D.C. twist.” The group boasts that it offers “topical original songs about politicians and social issues, 1960s sing-alongs, and new takes on old standards from the Great American Songbook.”

The show is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. In addition to the Harried Americans Band, the show is slated to feature Brazilian touring artist Rick Udler, comedian/actress Angela Moore, poetry by the Intellectual Bully and more.

Tickets for the show are $10 and are available online. For more information, call 888-268-8637.

Image via HarriedAmericans.com