Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Businesses Continue to Leave Reston Town Center
- South Lakes HS Student Struck, Killed in Hit and Run
- Vigil Sunday Night Honors South Lakes HS Teen Killed in Hit-and-Run
- Ice House Cafe to Host New Year’s Eve Celebration Before Closing
- Seven Restaurants Slated to Open in Reston, Herndon in 2019
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Ice House Cafe/Facebook
The partial federal government shutdown is nearing the two-week mark with no immediate end in sight.
Parts of the federal government shut down on Saturday, Dec. 22, after Congress and the White House failed to reach a spending deal. It remains unclear if or when the White House and congressional Democrats could negotiate a deal as President Donald Trump keeps a firm stand for $5 billion to pay for a border wall.
Yesterday (Jan. 2), Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed, joining National Parks around the country, according to news reports. Even though people got very concerned very quickly after the zoo’s beloved live “panda cam” went dark, the pandas and other animals will continue to get fed.
One place not affected by the shutdown — the Newseum — is offering federal workers who show their badge free admission.
Trump’s third government shutdown is impacting locals and visitors in the Washington, D.C.-area from furloughed federal workers to surprised tourists. (The longest government shutdown was 21 days during Bill Clinton’s presidency, in case you were curious.)
Now, on day 13, let us know if your work or D.C. plans have been affected by the shutdown.
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This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Four hundred years ago colonists representing each of the 20 or so plantations in Virginia met together in the church at Jamestown Island to take care of the business of the new colony. The upcoming meeting of the General Assembly which will convene in the Jefferson-designed Capitol in Richmond at noon on Jan. 9 is likely to be historic as well with the enormity of the issues before it. These issues will be taken up in view of the election in November of this year when all members of the House of Delegates and State Senate will be on the ballot.
Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment illustrates what I mean. For 40 years, the Virginia General Assembly has refused to pass a resolution supporting the ERA. This year is different in that Virginia would be the 38th state to ratify the amendment and barring court challenges would be the final state needed for making the ERA a part of the Constitution. Some public opinion polls show popular support of the amendment as high as 80 percent, and supporters of the amendment have never been better organized. A large demonstration of supporters has been planned for the opening day of the session.
A recent story posted on www.fauquier.com about three delegates who spoke before the Fauquier Chamber of Commerce about the issues in the upcoming session illustrates the challenges facing the legislature. The story reported the ERA score as “one for, one against, and one undecided.” The one against is Del. Mark Cole who chairs the Privileges and Elections Committee to which the bill has been assigned and which has defeated or refused to hear the resolution in past legislative sessions. There is little surprise that Cole, who is one of the most conservative members of the House, would continue his opposition. Whether he can refuse to have the resolution taken up to keep vulnerable delegates from having to vote on it will be part of the drama of the session.
Supporting passage of the ERA is Del. Elizabeth Guzman who is in her first term and who was part of the defeat of 15 Republicans in the last election. She has shown herself to be a progressive and effective leader who will not allow opponents a way to duck the issue.
Attempting to stand in the middle as undecided is Del. Michael Webert who in the past would have been counted as an opponent. The report says, “he needs to study the proposed ratifying legislation.” More likely is that he needs to study the changing demographics of his district to see if he could be re-elected after voting against the ERA. Webert also has a record of helping defeat commonsense bills to prevent gun violence as part of a subcommittee that defeats all such bills. He will need to explain his votes to the new constituents in his changing district.
All 140 members of the legislature will be measuring their re-election prospects after voting on the ERA. Constituents need to continue to let legislators know their support of the ERA. As for me, I will be supporting the ERA as I always have in the past.
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This letter was submitted by Dennis K. Hays, the president of the Reston Citizens Association. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now. We publish article and opinion contributions of specific interest to the Reston community. Contributions may be edited for length or content.
Fairfax County has proposed to increase the population cap of the Reston Planned Residential Community district (PRC) from the long-standing 13 persons per acre (ppa) to as many as 15 persons per acre — which when combined with already approved projects would add an additional 30,000 people above our current population for the established, primarily residential areas of Reston. Please keep in mind this doesn’t include the areas around the Metro, where the county is on track to authorize building enough high rises to add an additional 80,000 residents.
Here are 10 reasons why the cap should be left alone. There undoubtedly are more.
1. If the ceiling (13) is shattered, there is no new ceiling: Fourteen or 15 today will be 16 tomorrow, 17 the day after and 20 down the road. The current 13 ppa has been in effect since Robert Simon created Reston. Does anyone believe the county will stop at 15?
2. The county bases its proposal on numbers that are rough estimates at best, gross misrepresentations at worst. The county has provided no established methodology that can be used to arrive at accurate numbers. The county promised to meet with the Coalition for a Planned Reston (CPR) and the Reston Association to agree on a methodology before any action would be taken. We’re still waiting.
3. There are thousands of dwelling units (what the county calls where we live) that have been approved but not yet built (1,400 at Spectrum alone). How will all these already authorized residences affect roads, schools, first responder services, and parks? The county counts them for cap purposes, but not for the provision of services.
4. The county doesn’t count people who live in affordable or workforce housing as part of the cap, despite CPR’s frequent complaints. These neighbors of ours have kids in school, drive to work, go to the library and play ball in the parks just like everyone else. So why are they second-class citizens in the county’s eyes?
5. Although the county is in a frenzied hurry to authorize new high-density construction, they are in no hurry to provide the needed infrastructure that should go along with it. Reston has received no funding from the county in its current transportation budget. There is no land for additional athletic fields or open space confirmed. The Master Plan calls for infrastructure to be phased in with development. County officials talk for hours about their “plans” for roads, schools, parks, etc. but when pressed they are forced to admit they have no funds, no identified land and no timetable for the required infrastructure.
6. Why the push to raise the cap now? Even using the county’s questionable numbers there aren’t any development proposals that take us over the 13 ppa limit. So what is the rush? Why not use this time to assess how we grow in phase with the services needed to support our neighborhoods?
7. Until five years ago the county had an official on the Planning staff dedicated to working on Reston proposals. This provided some coordination. They haven’t replaced that official. Now the county can’t say specifically where the development allowed by their increased cap will go, although it doesn’t take much to figure this out — initially it will go to build high rises in the Village Centers, take parking spaces away from the library and push again on St. Johns Wood and the other “hot spots” the county believes should be more urban. And by urban they mean you will only walk, bike or Metro to work, the grocery store, the movies, to see family and friends and everywhere else. And then they will come for the golf courses.
8. The Reston Master Plan was changed in significant ways after community representatives had signed off on what they believed to be the final version. Leaving that aside for the moment, the Virginia Code calls for Master Plans to be reviewed and updated at least every five years. The Master Plan for the Metro areas is up for review next month. The PRC portion must be updated no later than next year. Yet the county has taken no steps to begin the review process. Given all that has happened, isn’t it time to pause and take stock?
9. The more you dig into the county’s assertions, the shakier they become. The CPR and the Reston Association met with county officials in four sub-groups last summer. It became immediately apparent that a lot more information and data was needed to properly review and assess the issues surrounding the cap. We had agreement coming out of all four meetings that the additional information would be developed before any action on the cap was taken. CPR and RA asked over 30 specific questions. On Dec. 11 the county responded by sending a blizzard of paperwork — that restated what we had already been told but provided no new information. Why hasn’t the county met its commitment to answer these questions? Could it be that the answers would be more damning than not answering?
10. The county speaks often of the need for “community involvement” and the Master Plan lists community participation as the foundation stone on which all else rests. So why has the county refused to meaningfully engage with its citizens? We remain ready to work with the county to further the unique vision of Reston as a balanced, welcoming community that takes to heart our motto of “live, work, play.” Is that too much to ask?
If you agree that raising the cap is unneeded and counterproductive, please let our Fairfax County Supervisor ([email protected]), the other supervisors ([email protected]), the Planning Commission ([email protected]) and the Department of Planning and Zoning ([email protected]) know. We can make this a Happy New Year if we act together.
— Dennis K. Hays
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Businesses Continue to Leave Reston Town Center
- Paid Parking Pushes Obi Sushi Out of Reston Town Center
- Seven Restaurants Slated to Open in Reston, Herndon in 2019
- Hen Penny Restaurant Set to Close in Reston Town Center on Sunday
- Jinya Ramen Bar “Coming Soon” to Reston Town Center
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Google Maps
We’re counting down the top 15 most-read articles of 2018 this week. Here’s the final list of our top five stories.
5. Back in March, a lockdown at several schools following a report of a student with a gun gained 10,386 pageviews. Police said the report of a student with a gun at South Lakes High School turned out to be false.
4. Another school-related story was popular with 12,198 pageviews. In February South Lakes High School students staged a walkout in the aftermath of the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people.
3. A story about a car that crashed into the Trader Joe’s on Killingsworth Avenue in January garnered 13,760 pageviews. The building’s bricks sustained some damage. No injuries were reported.
2. A roundup of the businesses that left Reston Town Center this year brought in 13,942 pageviews. While a handful of places opened in RTC in 2018, nearly twice as many closed, with several small shops pointing to paid parking as a reason driving the closures.
1. The top story of the year — at 16,511 pageviews — was about a 71-year-old woman who died after getting hit by a car at the intersection of Reston Parkway and Bluemont Way. According to passersby, a mangled baby stroller was visible at the location of the incident.
It’s been quite a year, and we look forward to bringing you more stories in 2019.
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(Updated at 1:47 p.m.) We continue to count down the top 15 most-read articles of 2018 this week. Here’s the breakdown for list #6-10.
10. The news that paid parking pushed Obi Sushi Japanese Bistro out of Reston Town Center gained 7,839 pageviews. The restaurant, which had been open in RTC for 14 years, closed on Saturday (Dec. 22). This story jumped from the #15 spot to #10.
9. Plans for the Reston Crescent development — now known as Halley Rise — brought in 8,275 pageviews. The major mixed-use project at the northwestern corner of the intersection of Reston Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive includes a Wegmans.
8. The Dulles Toll Road’s increased rates starting in January was a popular post with 8,574 pageviews. The hike will raise the toll from $2.50 to $3.25 at the main toll plaza and from $1 to $1.50 on the ramps to fund the Silver Line extension project and improvements on the Dulles Toll Road.
7. An article about M & S Grill shutting down in Reston Town Center on New Year’s Day garnered 8,933 pageviews.
6. The deaths of a mother and her two children in Herndon a few months ago brought in 9,490 pageviews. The Fairfax County Police Department said the deaths are being investigated as a double murder and suicide.
Look out for the final #1-5 list on the countdown tomorrow.
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This story has been updated
(Updated at 2:31 p.m.) We’re counting down the top 15 most-read articles of 2018 this week. Kicking off the list today is #11-15.
15. The closure of Obi Sushi in Reston Town Center over the weekend brought in 7,081 pageviews. An employee said that ever since Boston Properties, RTC’s owner, implemented paid parking, the restaurant has seen its number of customers dwindle.
14. Speaking of another business shuttering its doors in RTC, the upcoming closure of Williams-Sonoma in January was a popular post with 7,232 pageviews. A specific date for the closure has not been announced yet.
13. Residents’ concerns that upgrades to the plaza in the South Lakes Village Center will attract teens and noise collected 7,281 pageviews. Residents near the center and merchants said they worry that the new space will become a magnet for youth from Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School and also increase noise.
12. A 37-second video of a former Reston Association employee yelling “Why are you such a b**** Afghanistan?” and other profanities at a driver garnered attention with 7,288 pageviews. The man, who was described as a seasonal RA employee, posted the video on Facebook.
11. The arrest of an assistant principal at Hunters Woods Elementary School for shoplifting at the Target in Reston brought in 7,332 pageviews. Melissa Tochterman, 47, of Herndon, was arrested and charged with grand larceny in January and was then placed on leave from the school.
Look out for the #6-10 on the countdown tomorrow.
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This story has been updated
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- H Mart to Open on Saturday in Herndon’s Elden Street Marketplace
- Reston Then and Now: Reston Town Center
- Police Searching for Man Who Robbed Sunoco in Herndon Last Night
- Poll: What do You Think About Wegmans Coming to Town?
- Democrat Launches Campaign for Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s Seat
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Google Maps
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
By the time you’re reading this Gov. Ralph Northam will have made his annual speech to the House Appropriations and the Senate Finance Committees to advise them of any changes he proposes to the biennial budget of the Commonwealth.
While the complete list of adjustments that he will propose to a budget that was passed nearly a year ago had not been made public when this column was written, we do know from public announcements some of the proposed changes that he is going to make, specifically in funding education. That is why I think he deserves a hearty holiday “Thank You!”
The Governor has proposed an additional $39 million in new money for investments “to ensure safe learning environments for Virginia’s K-12 students.” Of that amount, $36 million will be used as the first installment of a three-year, phased plan to reduce school counselor caseloads to 1:250 from its current 1:425. The additional $3.3 million will go to the Virginia Center for School Campus Safety to train school staff in maintaining safety in schools.
As the Governor explained, “Taking steps to provide additional support to students, raise awareness about suicide, and ensure students, school professionals, public safety personnel and community members are equipped with appropriate training and intervention skills are critical to a holistic school safety strategy.”
To recruit and retain the best teaching talent to the Commonwealth, Governor Northam has announced that he will seek an additional $268.7 million in new money for K-12 education that will among other improvements fund the state share of a 5 percent raise for teachers effective July 1, 2019. That is an increase over the current budget that would have funded a 2 percent raise.
The additional money for public schools includes $70 million for programs for at-risk students targeted to schools with the highest concentration of students eligible for free lunch to provide dropout prevention, after-school programs, and specialized instruction. An additional $80 million will be a one-time deposit to the Literary Fund which is a method by which the state helps poorer school divisions fund school construction.
As explained in a press release from the Governor’s Office, “Altogether, the budget proposals reflect the Governor’s commitment to ensuring that every Virginia student, no matter who they are or where they live, has the same access to a quality education.”
Even with these needed additional funds, the state share of education will continue to trail its pre-2008 economic recession level. With the slow recovery over many years that kept state revenues low, local governments have had to increase their funding to schools at the expense of other local needs. The proposals that the governor is making will help move the state back to a more equal partnership with localities in funding schools and hopefully to a 60 to 40 sharing of costs of state and local funding that had been envisioned for schools.
Gov. Northam deserves a big thank you for giving priority to funding programs for our children and their education. That is about investing in our future!
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You have probably heard the news by now: Reston is getting its first Wegmans.
The 80,000-square-foot Wegmans will be a part of Brookfield Properties’ $1.4 billion development by the Silver Line’s planned Reston Town Center Metro station.
The nearly 4 million-square-foot mixed-use development dubbed Halley Rise, formerly known as Reston Crescent, will be located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Reston Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive.
The project includes new housing, offices and public green space.
The developers are now eyeing neighbors for Wegmans in the 250,000 square feet of planned retail space, which could support between 20 to 30 tenants. A bowling alley concept, movie theater, fitness center and restaurants are all under consideration, the Washington Business Journal reported.
The Wegmans could open as soon as 2022, which is when the first phase of the project is slated to be done. The second phase is aiming for completion in 2026.
With the new development beginning construction in 2019, let us know your thoughts about Halley Rise and the new grocery option.
Photos via Halley Rise and Fairfax County and handout via Brookfield Properties
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Pottery Barn Set to Close in Reston Town Center in January
- Paid Parking Under Consideration for Reston, Tysons
- Reston Then and Now: Lake Anne
- Lotte Plaza Market Opened in Herndon Centre Last Friday
- ‘Elden Street Tea Shop’ Set for Grand Opening This Week in Herndon
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
The opening of the 2019 session of the General Assembly is rapidly approaching! Just a little over a month away!
This session, held during the 400th anniversary of the founding of a representative legislative body in Jamestown in 1619, is shaping up to be a transitional — if not a transformative — one. The heightened awareness of the public on issues and the widened interest in public participation in civic matters add to the importance and significance of the General Assembly meeting this coming year beginning on January 9.
While I gather information on issues of public concern throughout the year from talking with individuals and groups, I have found that leading up to the legislative session is a time when others want to step up and make their opinions known.
That’s why Senator Janet Howell and I sponsor a community meeting twice each year and encourage public testimony. As has been announced in my newsletter and on social media, we will be meeting with constituents Wednesday evening, December 12 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. All are welcome. No advanced registration is required.
Likewise, you can make your views known to the entire Northern Virginia delegation on January 5. Pre-registration is recommended as there are many people who offer testimony at that event.
Another option of sharing your views with me is through my online Legislative Survey. Access the survey through my website, www.kenplum.com and click on Legislative Session Survey (top right). The information gathered through the survey is helpful to me not as a poll, but as an opportunity for anyone to express an opinion.
Polling information is valuable to get the overall pulse of the community. The most recent poll of Virginia voters on issues that primarily affect the Commonwealth was conducted by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. The poll found that 81 percent of Virginians sampled support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
There is a strong advocacy effort underway throughout the state to make Virginia the 38th and final state needed to ratify the amendment. As a supporter of the ERA throughout my legislative career, I look forward to the amendment getting out of committee and being voted on by the entire legislature.
My effort going back to the beginning of my legislative career to establish a nonpartisan redistricting process to draw legislative boundaries has the best chance of approval ever. Nonpartisan redistricting has the approval of 78 percent of voters. Amending the constitution requires legislative approval of two sessions of the General Assembly and a referendum of the voters in order to pass. Passage of an amendment this year is critical to having a process in place for redrawing district lines based on the 2020 census.
The poll found that 49 percent of Virginians sampled support an across-the-board tax cut. At the same time, there is support for increasing funding for education programs at all levels.
Please let me know your opinion on issues of importance to you.
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Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- County Approves $4 Million Grant for Appian’s Move to Tysons
- Reston Companies Top Northern Virginia Technology Council’s ‘Tech 100’
- County Board of Supervisors Approves Several Developments
- South Lake Village Center’s Construction Plan Set for Spring Arrival
- Lane and Ramp Closures Near Reston and Herndon This Week
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Appian/Facebook
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Former Vice President Al Gore entitled his book on climate change “An Inconvenient Truth.” Many years have passed, but the truth he put forth that the climate is changing and that human behavior is causing it may continue to be inconvenient for a few to acknowledge because of personal biases, ignorance or financial interests.
But climate change is even truer today than when Gore first focused public attention on it and its causes.
Over the last several weeks I have written three columns in this space on the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change brought together by the United Nations. It issued a report last month, written and edited by 91 scientists from 40 countries and based on a review of more than 6,000 scientific reports, predicting much more dire consequences of climate change much earlier than previously had been expected.
Some may see such predictions as inconvenient, but I and most of the world see them as “a warning too dire to ignore.”
Last week the federal government came forth with its National Climate Assessment publication of over 1,000 pages produced by 13 federal departments and agencies overseen by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The researchers found that climate change “is transforming where and how we live and presents growing challenges to human health and quality of life, the economy, and the natural systems that support us.”
Most significant to this report that has been produced annually over the last four years is the conclusion that “humans must act aggressively to adapt to current impacts and mitigate future catastrophes to avoid substantial damages to the U.S. economy, environment, and human health and well-being over the coming decades.”
As clear as the evidence is about climate change and the near unanimous endorsement of it by climate scientists, the current federal executive branch continues to ignore this truth. Ideally, a national response to climate change could ensure the effectiveness of mitigation and other responses to our country and the globe. Since that seems unlikely in the next few years, state governments must step up. I share the concern that the pace of state action seems too slow, but progress is being made.
Last year in Virginia we moved forward with grid transformation that will allow consumers and utilities to have the information needed to make informed decisions on their electricity usage. The best way to eliminate the need for more electricity is to reduce demand even as the population grows and the economy expands. Since 2015 the solar capacity in Virginia has increased by more than 700 times to 825 megawatts — still a small number, but we are clearly on our way.
What was once described as an inconvenient truth is well documented for all but a few skeptics and is recognized as an emergency by most. I plan to maintain my 100 percent voting record with the League of Conservation Voters and my commitment to making Virginia a leader in ending the behaviors of people and companies that lead to climate change.
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