The long and winding saga of the future of Reston National Golf Course has a date in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Friday.
When we last saw the main players — advocacy group Rescue Reston, golf course owners Reston National Golf Management (RN Golf), Reston Association, Fairfax County and others — they were in the same Fairfax County courthouse.
In early November, Judge Michael Devine granted the motion for summary judgment filed by lawyers for Rescue Reston, RA and other parties concerned about Reston’s open space. He also vacated the Board of Zoning Appeals‘ decision from earlier in 2015.
This means that golf course owners RN Golf Management would have to file a formal plan with Fairfax County in order to pursue redevelopment of the course. April’s ruling allowed RN Golf to circumvent rezoning in order to redevelop.
The issue dates back to 2012, when RN Golf asked Fairfax County if the 166-acre public course at Sunrise Valley and Colts Neck Road could be considered residential. Fairfax County Planning and Zoning said no, it’s open and recreational space. After several postponements, RN Golf filed an appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA). A BZA hearing took place in January of 2015, the final ruling in April 2015, and the newest decision on the April ruling in November.
At Friday’s hearing, the judge will enter the order (provided all parties agree on language) implementing November’s decision. It also starts the clock rolling on RN Golf’s timetable to appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court, should it choose to do so.
But even though there is a day in court, there is a chance nothing might happen at all. On Tuesday, RN Golf filed a motion asking Devine to defer issuing an order on the golf course case until “at least March 1, 2016,” reps for Rescue Reston said.
“This should not be surprising, given that RN Golf previously has pursued a strategy of delay, for example by appealing the County’s initial decision to the BZA and then postponing the BZA hearing for over a year,” said Rescue Reston president Connie Hartke. “The adjacent landowners who are opposing RN Golf will request that the court deny RN Golf’s motion for delay, and we anticipate that RA and the County will do the same.”
Fairfax County expects a budget shortfall of $85 million for Fiscal Year 2017. Fairfax County Public Schools now predict the school system’s deficit will be $60 million.
That’s a lot of gap to narrow, and that was the focus of a joint budget forecast by county executive Ed Long and FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza last week to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week.
More than half the county’s spending (more than $2 billion) goes to education. But with continually shrinking state contributions and rising school system costs, the gap continues to grow, the supervisors said.
“State K-12 funding in 2016 remains below FY 2009 level,” said Mason Supervisor Penny Gross. “Virginia localities have spent $3.55 billion more per year to match state K-12 funding. The state funding cuts have come at a time when localities are increasingly serving children with special needs, including special education, those learning English as a Second Language and those living in economically disadvantaged households.”
“A state that is in top 10 in income should not be in bottom 10 in state educational funding, but that is where Virginia finds itself.”
State contributions aside, the county says several factors are contributing to its shortfall. Among them:
- Slow local economic growth and net job losses in federal government and professional services
- Decreased federal spending in county
- Slight slowdown in housing market
- Disbursement growth that is scheduled to outpace revenue growth, including an assumed 3 percent transfer to FCPS. The county said it plans an increase of $80 million in its transfer to schools (including debt service and capital funding) for 2017.
- Increased county employee pay (an additional $39.66 million in 2017, plus an additional $7.58 million in benefits)
See a Power Point with more details on the county budget on the Fairfax County website.
Meanwhile, the school system, which has for months been engaging the community and a Budget Task Force in a conversation on how to narrow the deficit, told the county board of supervisors at last week’s joint work session that expenditures are expected to increase by more than $113 million in 2017.
The school system is now facing a projected $60.6 million budget shortfall. The number keeps changing (it was as high as $100 million last spring) because of uncertainties in enrollment and state contributions, says Garza.
Garza said FCPS is using a standard 3 percent transfer increase from the county in forecasting its FY 2017 budget.
According to the superintendent’s presentation, FCPS has made half a billion in cuts since 2008. During that same time frame, the increase in the county transfer totals $239.2 million. The increases in the county transfer have not historically covered the cost of four major budget drivers: enrollment, salary increases, retirement, and health, says Garza.
The Budget Task Force completed its report last month with suggestions for how to save the system money. Suggestions range from charging for athletic participation to eliminating language immersion programs to increasing class size.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe will release his proposed budget to the General Assembly on Dec. 17. Garza will release her proposed FCPS budget Jan. 8. The Fairfax County General Assembly delegation will hold a public hearing on Jan. 9. After many more discussions, public hearings and markup sessions, the school board will adopt its final FY 2017 budget in late May.
The supervisors also said last week that ensuring K-12 funding should be a top priority for local General Assembly members at the 2016 session. The board and the state reps will have a work session on Dec. 8.
North Reston voters may soon find themselves voting in a new precinct beginning with the March 1 “Super Tuesday” presidential primaries.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Dec. 8 to consider changes to the election precincts and polling places.
Fairfax County staff is making the recommendation that Aldrin and North Point precincts, which currently have a combined roster of nearly 9,000 registered voters, divide to create a new precinct to redistribute the voters in this area.
The proposal will create a new precinct from the southern portion of North Point to be named “Armstrong,” and its polling place will be established at Armstrong Elementary School (11900 Lake Newport Road, Reston).
The northern portion of North Point combined with the northern portion of Aldrin will retain the name “North Point” and its polling place will be St. Thomas à Becket Catholic Church (1421 Wiehle Avenue, Reston).
The southern portion of Aldrin will retain the name “Aldrin” and its polling place
will remain at the Aldrin Elementary School (11375 Center Harbor Road,
Reston).
The additional polling place would cut down on lines in busy election years. Aldrin would have 2,892 registered voters; Armstrong, 3,376; and Northpoint , 2,998, county officials said.
See attached map for suggested boundaries.
Thousands of miles away from the turmoil in Syria, Fairfax County is hoping to make a difference.
The county is participating in an effort coordinated by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission to collect clean, gently used blankets and coats for the refugee families of Syria and Iraq impacted by the violence of civil war and ISIL.
In 2014, nearly 18,000 blankets were collected by Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington and other area counties and municipalities and shipped to assist these families. This year’s regional collection, which began Saturday and will run until Dec. 5, has been expanded to include coats of all sizes (infants through adults).
“Last year’s collection drive was incredible with literally thousands of blankets being dropped off at Fairfax County locations,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova said in a statement. “We were honored to work with our community partners and local faith organizations to help those in need of warm blankets. I know our community will be there once again to join this great effort.”
See below for donation collection locations, dates and times, and help us make a difference for these families in need. For more information on the regional effort, go to www.helpsyrianrefugees.us. Monetary donations can also be made online.
There are drop-off locations at all county supervisors offices, including the North County Governmental Center at 1801 Cameron Glen Dr. in Reston, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Donations can also be delivered to the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 530, Fairfax.
Local houses of worship will also hold a one-day collection event on Dec. 5. To see a full list of participating centers, visit the Fairfax County website.
Photo: Fairfax County Supervisor Sharon Bulova (right) collects donations for refugees/Credit: HelpSyrianRefugees.us
Some details are starting to take shape of what Fairfax County officials and area citizens would like to see on the first two blocks of redevelopment at Reston Town Center North.
At a community meeting on Wednesday, Fairfax County officials presented rough standards for Blocks 7 and 8 — the area along Bowman Towne Drive where the Reston Regional Library and the Embry Rucker Community Shelter are located.
Those two facilities will be rebuilt in the same spot — only in a larger and more urban format with more services and amenities.
“We are not looking to copy the Reston Town Center space, but rather to complement it,” county project manager Andy Miller said about the plans for the overall 49-acre redevelopment that will stretch from Bowman Towne Drive to Baron Cameron Avenue.
No specific plans have been drawn, and the county must first go through a lengthy rezoning and planning process.
But in theory, an idea is emerging of what will be there in the future.
The current library is 30,000 square feet. The replacement library would be 39,000 square feet, which would make it the largest library in the Fairfax County system (not including Fairfax City, which houses the Virginia Room, a large facility for historic documents), said Miller.
The library will be built in “urban form,” meaning it will take up one or two floors in a larger structure. There will be parking beneath the building and no surface parking. There will also be an additional 4,000 square feet of space that will likely be used for senior services.
Embry Rucker Community Shelter, meanwhile, will be replaced with a facility nearly twice its size. The current shelter is 10,500 square feet with 70 beds. The proposed replacement shelter would be 21,300 square feet with 90 beds.
The 90 beds would include space for 11 families, 40 individuals, 6 medical spaces and expanded space during hypothermia season (November to March).
The shelter will in urban form as part of a larger building, with an additional 28,000 square feet being considered for use by non-profits.
Both the library and shelter will need to be temporarily housed elsewhere during construction.
Citizens, as they did at a previous meeting in September, gave feedback on what they would like to see at both facilities. Among the suggestions: tutoring rooms and more children’s areas at the library; and the temporary shelter being relocated to the empty Cameron Glen Care building nearby.
The county also showed tentative plans for other development on Blocks 7 and 8. There will likely be between 270,000 and 340,000 square feet of retail/commercial/office space, much of it in the same buildings as the library and shelter.
Tentative residential plans for Blocks 7 and 8 include 360-420 market-rate units; 12 percent affordable units (44-51 units); and 30 “supportive housing units” related to the shelter (mainly for people/families making less than 30 percent of the area median income).
An estimated timeline for redevelopment: Rezoning and and a Request for Proposals would take place in 2016, followed by individual rezoning of Blocks 7 and 8 in 2018. The design and permit process would take about 18-24 months in 2018-2020. Construction would take several years, with the final product being delivered in 2023.
Read about overall plans for Reston Town Center North in this previous Reston Now story.
Advocacy group Rescue Reston, Reston Association and other parties concerned about the future of Reston National Golf Course will head to Fairfax County Circuit Court for a hearing this Friday at 2 p.m.
It’s the next step in a years-long battle over whether the 166-acre public course is open and recreational space or can be developed as residential by owners RN Golf Management.
Here’s the backstory:
In 2012, the owners of Reston National Golf Course asked Fairfax County if the course at Sunrise Valley and Colts Neck Road could be considered residential. Fairfax County Planning and Zoning said no, it’s open and recreational space. After several postponements, RN Golf filed an appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).
In January, the Board of Zoning Appeals heard arguments from both sides. The BZA ruled in April that the owners could redevelop without getting a comprehensive amendment, which could ease the path to redevelopment of the land.
There have never been any specific plans filed for the golf course’s future — and just because they don’t have to get a comprehensive plan amendment does not mean that whatever is in store would get approval from the Fairfax County Planning Commission, the county board of supervisors or Reston Association.
The golf course site is also a wildlife habitat, as well as a serene backdrop for hundreds of homeowners whose properties overlook or back to the rolling greens and wooded trails.
But parts of the course are less than a half-mile from Metro’s Wiehle-Reston East station, which makes it a prime space for redevelopment in a rapidly changing Reston.
Says Rescue Reston: “The outcome of this hearing will affect all properties abutting or near the golf course. Home and business owners stand to lose scenic views, privacy and substantial value and will face years of construction trucks, dirt and noise in their backyards, and worsening congestion on local roads. Our community may lose 166 acres of wildlife habitat and scenic beauty. All of Reston faces the loss of control over its future.”
Rescue Reston says if the judge rules in their favor Friday, RN Golf, a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual Insurance, “will have a much harder time achieving its goal of transforming this treasured open space into anything other than recreational open space.”
Land use attorneys not affiliated with the case say this type of hearing is standard procedure on the way to scheduling more court dates and that this issue could go all the way to the Virginia Supreme Court eventually.
Read the most recent filings on the part of the petitioners on Rescue Reston’s website.
There were no surprises on Election Day as the Virginia State Senate and House members, and the Fairfax County Supervisor and School Board member representing Reston — all running unopposed — were re-elected.
Here are some tallies:
State Senate (32nd District)
Janet Howell (D) 28,872 votes (93.41 %)
Write ins 1,684 (6.59 %)
State Delegate (36th District)
Ken Plum (D) 10,339 (93.91%)
Write-ins 670 (6.09% )
Board of Supervisors, Hunter Mill District
Cathy Hudgins (D) 17,235 (94.33%)
Write-in 1,036 (5.67%)
In the only Reston-area contested race, Hunter Mill School Board member Pat Hynes was re-elected to a second term. Hynes (12,951 votes; 61.30%) defeated Mark Wilkinson (8,116, 38.41%).
Hynes, who also serves as the current school board chair, will serve another four-year term.
In the school board race for three At-Large seats, incumbents Ryan McElveen and Ilryong Moon were re-elected. However, newcomer Jeanette Hough was elected with the third-highest number of votes (80,006) in the nine-candidate field, moving ahead of incumbent Ted Velkoff for the third at-large seat.
Sharon Bulova (D) will also return for another term as Board of Supervisors Chair. She received 59 percent of the votes, easily defeating Republican opponent Arthur G. Purves and Independent Glenda Gail Parker.
In other races:
Raymond F. Morrogh, running unopposed, was re-elected to the county Commonwealth’s Attorney office.
Stacey Kincaid defeated challenger Bryan “B.A.” Wolfe to return as Fairfax Count y Sheriff.
Scott John Cameron, George W. Lamb IV and Gerald O. “Jerry” Peters earned spots for the Soil and Water Conservation Director Northern Virginia District.
John Frey narrowly defeated Bettina Lawson (48 percent to 46 percent) as for county clerk of courts.
Both the $315 million public schools bond and the $151 million facilities bond easily passed.
For more vote totals, breakdowns by precinct and nearby races, visit the Virginia Board of Elections’ website.
Photos: Top, Hunter Mill School Board rep Pat Hynes; Bottom, Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova/file photos
Fairfax County officials announced last week that Reston will be part of Capital Bikeshare by late 2016 or early 2017.
Planners envision 130 bikes and 13 stations, all north of the Dulles Toll Road, as an additional way of getting people from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station (and future Reston Parkway station) to Plaza America, Reston Hospital Center, the Reston Regional Library and other points.
Fairfax County’s first bikeshare system will begin here, with the goal of eventually expanding to Tysons Corner, Herndon and Merrifield, said Fairfax County Bicycle Coordinator Adam Lind.
Lind says there are already more than 1,000 residents of Fairfax County who have Capital Bikeshare memberships.
Will you use the bikes? Take our poll.
Tuesday, Nov. 3 is election day. Do you know where your precinct is located?
Here is a primer for all things Election Day 2015.
If you are unsure of you polling place, put your address in this polling locator tool from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
You need an acceptable form of ID to vote. See a list of ID types from Fairfax County.
Get up to speed with this sample Hunter Mill District Ballot.
In the Hunter Mill District:
Supervisor — Incumbent Cathy Hudgins (D) is running unopposed.
Virginia Senate — Incumbent Janet Howell (D) is running unopposed.
Virginia House of Representatives — Incumbent Ken Plum (D) is running unopposed.
Fairfax County School Board: Incumbent Pat Hynes is running for re-election against newcomer Mark Wilkinson.
There are also three At-Large School Board seats up for grabs. Here is who is on the ballot:
- Robert E. “Bob” Copeland
- Omar M. Fateh
- Jeanette M. Hough
- Manar A. Jean-Jacques
- Peter M. Marchetti
- Ryan L. McElveen *
- Ilryong Moon *
- Burnette G. Scarboro
- Theodore J. “Ted” Velkoff *
- – Incumbent
Additionally, Sheriff Stacey Kincaid is running for re-election against Bryan A. “B. A.” Wolfe; and Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon S. Bulova is being challenged by Arthur G. Purves and Glenda Gail Parker.
Voters will choose a new Soil and Water Conservation Director for the Northern Virginia District and a new Clerk of Courts.
Fairfax County voters will also be presented with bond issues — a $315 million school bond (which would aid in renovations for Herndon and South Lakes High Schools, as well and Langston Hughes Middle School), and a $151 facilities bond. Part of the facilities bond will go towards replacing the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Station at Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road, as well as a new animal shelter
Reston will be getting Fairfax County’s first bikeshare system, and Fairfax County officials expect it to be operational by late 2016 or early 2017.
The tentative plans for an extension of Capital Bikeshare have been in the works for more than a year, since the county completed a feasibility study in spring of 2014. Since then, bicycle program staff as been identifying potential vendors — the plan is to go with Capital Bikeshare, already in place in the District and Arlington — as well as station sites and additional money sources.
Last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors OKed the county’s application for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s FY 2017 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant Application. The grant will give the bike program $400,000 as seed money for bike share program. The money will go to pay for needed equipment such as 130 bicycles and 13 stations.
“We consider the TAP grant Fairfax County’s endorsement of the project,” said Fairfax County Bicycle Program Coordinator Adam Lind. “The project is ready to open into the design [process].”
Lind said the program will be seeking additional local funding, as well as sponsorship as the total estimated cost of system is close to $800,000. Federal funds can only be used for equipment and stations, not for operational costs, said Lind.
Lind was in Reston Thursday night to show bikeshare timelines, stations and take feedback from citizens.
Some of the highlights:
The system will start in Reston, with the goal of eventually expanding to Tysons Corner, Herndon and Merrifield.
The design will not have to go through Reston Association’s Design Review Board as no stations are on RA land.
The next steps will be land acquisition, completing the design plan, and finalizing funding. Different sites have different challenges, such as whether they are on private property (i.e., Reston Town Center, Reston Hospital) or public land, and whether there is already a hard surface in place or one needs to be constructed.
Bikeshare stations can be moved, said Lind. For example, if a station is built at Restion Regional Library, which may get a new facility in a slightly different location in the future, the station can be moved near the new building.
The tentative timeline calls for opening in late 2016 or early 2017. Lind stressed that that estimate is rough as federal funding requires additional steps that could slow the down the process. Also, the he prefers the system open “when people are active and outside,” so the system likely would not open in deep winter.
All Reston stations are located north of the Dulles Toll Road (see graphic). Lind says the county looked into stations at various office buildings in south Reston, but decided the locations would throw off the balance of bikes throughout the day.
“People would ride to work on the south side and there would not be any constant flow,” he said. “Bikes would just sit by the workplaces all day.”
While Reston has 55 miles of Reston Association trails, the W & OD Trail and many bike lanes, one citizen in attendance questioned whether the community is bike-friendly enough to be safe for bikeshare riders, He pointed out that bikeshare riders are often occasional cyclists rather than experienced riders.
“Are you going to throw a bunch of bikes into places where there are a lot of cars?” he asked. “All of those driveways are going to be key places where bikes and cars can meet.”
Lind pointed out that Fairfax County plans additional bike improvements (lanes, signage) countywide, as well as an awareness and safety campaign prior to the system opening.
“One of the benefits of bikeshare is it does get people used to using biking as a transportation alternative,” said Lind.
Graphic courtesy of Fairfax County
When Fairfax County voters go to the polls on Nov. 3, there will be two bond issues: a $310 million school bond and a $151 million public facilities bond.
If passed, both will have significant money put towards projects in Reston.
Both South Lakes and Herndon High Schools are among the schools slated for improvement with the 2015 bond.
South Lakes will get $13,359,385 towards construction of the 40,000-square-foot addition that will add classroom space to the building, which has reached capacity.
The addition will enable South Lakes to get rid of many of its temporary classrooms. The school, which underwent a major overhaul and expansion less than 10 years ago, is designed for 2,100 students. It’s current enrollment is 2,446. The addition will give the school a capacity of 2,500.
However, if enrollment trends hold, the school could be at 2,900 enrollment, FCPS officials said in the most recent Capital Improvement Plan.
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors last week approved the addition. The planning and other initial costs will be paid for with funds from a $225 million 2013 bond.
Herndon High would get $99 million from the bond for renovations.
Langston Hughes Middle School is set to get $3.7 million to initiate the planning stages for its renovation.
Nine elementary schools, none in the Reston area, would also benefit. See the full list on FCPS website.
Fairfax County’s Fire and Rescue Station 25, location on at Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road, is slated to be replaced if the public facilities bond passes.
If voters pass the bond, $51 million will be used to replace Station 25, as well as renovate or replace Merrifield, Penn Daw, Woodlawn, and Edsall stations.
Station 25 is one of the busiest stations in the county, Fairfax County says. It was built in 1972 and last renovated in 1986.
Fairfax County’s Capital Improvement Plan says $13,000,000 is needed for replacement as the building systems and infrastructure are well beyond the end of their life cycle. The replacement would include an expansion to a four-bay station.
The fire station lacks women’s accommodations to include bunk rooms, lockers and bathroom facilities to meet 50 percent of minimum shift staffing, Fairfax County officials said. It is also in need of a workout room, an expanded men’s locker room area and laundry facilities.
Other bond money will go to renovate the Franconia District Police station ($100 million); to build a new, joint animal shelter and police station in the South County area; for construction and renovation for the Police heliport, Operations Support Bureau facilities and Emergency Vehicle Operations and K9 Center.
Reston citizens will have another chance to weigh in on the future of Reston Town Center North at a community meeting Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. at South Lakes High School.
The meeting is a continuation of the conversation on Sept. 19, where county officials discussed the community’s needs regarding Embry Rucker Community Shelter, Reston Regional Library and the North County Human Services Building, which houses mental and social services.
In late September, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a land swap between the Fairfax County and Inova. The swap will help the county organize the 49-acre site better in order for it to be rezoned and redeveloped in parcels.
First up: Parcels 7 and 8 (see attached map), which houses Embry Rucker and the library. Both are aging and in need of expansion, officials said at previous meetings. A Request for Proposals for those facilities was put out to developers several months ago. The county has not yet released the results.
Fairfax County voters approved $10 million in funding for the new library as part of a 2012 bond issue.
Citizens attending the September meeting spoke up about adding a nursing home to replace Cameron Glen Care Center, which closed in 2014. Many also wanted to make sure the library got proper attention — and that citizens would not be shortchanged if the library was temporarily relocated during construction.
The redevelopment of all parcels will take up to 10 years, Andrew Miller, Project Coordinator of the Public-Private Partnerships Branch of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, said at a previous meeting.
The Town Center North project also includes the county’s acquisition of Reston Towne Green, a five-acre parcel from the Fairfax County Park Authority. In exchange, the park authority has rights to build a 90,000-square-foot recreation center in RTC North. It also ensures that Reston Town Center North will have a 2.6-acre public park in the center of the development.
Eventually, the proposed redevelopment, which runs from New Dominion Parkway to Bowman Town Drive and Town Center Parkway to Fountain Drive, may also include building residences, a performing arts center, offices, and retail, among other amenities.
Inova owns the parcels with Sunrise Assisted Living, the Emergency Care Center and the former Cameron Glen building. Inova has no immediate plans for redevelopment, a representative said.
Graphic of Reston Town Center North grid courtesy Fairfax County
Now that Metro has come to Reston, the biggest challenge is getting pedestrians, cyclists and drivers easily connected with public transportation.
That was the theme of a legislative forum sponsored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce at Reston Station on Wednesday.
Officials at the state, county and Reston level gave their thoughts on moving Reston forward as it becomes a transit-oriented community.
However, issues, even temporary ones such as a crash, affect the region overall, said Marty Nohe, chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.
“There is no such thing as a Reston or Fairfax transportation problem,” he said. “At 5:15 p.m., a small fender bender in Prince William County can cause delays in Arlington. … Congestion relief is a top priority.”
Nohe said the NVTA has gotten nearly a half-billion dollars in new projects approved for Northern Virginia in the last three years.
At the county level, some of the most critical future projects include new crossings for the Dulles Toll Road; widening the Fairfax County Parkway; and implementing bus service to link this part of the county with the Springfield area, said Tom Biesiadny, director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
Biesiadny also said the following are of high importance: bicycle and pedestrian improvements, walkways and sidewalks on such roads as Fox Mill, Glade, North Shore, Soapstone, Sunrise Valley and Sunset Hills; and a bike/pedestrian overpass at the W&OD Trail at Wiehle and Sunset Hills.
He said the latter is currently moving forward with a design plan. Meanwhile, there will be an update on the Soapstone crossing of the Dulles Toll Road at a community meeting Monday evening at South Lakes High School.
“The Reston Comprehensive Plan, approved in 2014, includes significant enhancements in transportation,” he said. “That includes four toll road crossing areas and mixed-use development [around the Metro stations] and a grid of streets around the stations.”
Reston Association CEO Cate Fulkerson says RA is placing a high priority on “what we need to do to address connectivity” for pedestrians and cyclists using RA paths and roads.
Comstock Partners spokeswoman Maggie Parker said developers need to work together with government and RA to reach those goals.
“We need to pay attention to development, enhance the urban grid and not put impediments into that process,” she said.
Fulkerson agrees teamwork is necessary as transportation develops.
“An impediment would be not having all the people at the table when talking elements that need to go in.”
Reston may be getting closer to a bikeshare system.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday endorsed the county’s applications for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s FY 2017 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant Application.
The county hopes to get $400,000 from the state as seed money for bike share program. Other projects seeking funding are Vienna Metrorail bicycle access improvements; a cinder bed bike path near the Franconia-Springfield Metro station; and improvements for bike access on Van Dorn Street in Alexandria.
Applications for the grant program are due Nov. 1.
County biking authorities conducted a feasibility study on a Reston bikeshare in 2014. They will give an update on the progress of the bikeshare plan Oct. 29 at Dogwood Elementary School at 7 p.m.
Capital Bikeshare, which has suburban programs in Alexandria, Arlington, and Rockville, Md., would offer those who live and work in Reston an additional way to access the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station, as well as the future Reston Town Center station, Reston Town Center and other location.
The capital equipment needed for a Reston bikeshare station includes docking stations, bicycles and kiosks. The current projection is for 13 stations and 130 bicycles, which will cost about $766,000
The county will request $400,000 from TAP and pay $100,000 in county funds for the program. That would leave an additional $266,000 in funding necessary to get the program started.
The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) guidelines state applicants are required to provide a 20 percent match, with grant awards covering the 80 percent remaining. Local jurisdictions are also required to pay for any cost overruns.
VDOT’s TAP regulations require the sponsoring jurisdiction to accept responsibility for future maintenance and operating costs of any projects that are funded.
Photo: Bikesharing in Arlington/ARLnow.com file photo
Reston Association is considering entering into a multi-year agreement with Fairfax County that will authorize RA to remove snow from county-owned trails in Reston.
Snow removal on the 1.5 miles of county trails will cost Reston Association $15,000 a year, RA CEO Cate Fulkerson says in a Board of Directors item that will be discussed at Thursday’s board meeting. RA would receive no money from the county for plowing the county’s trails.
RA is already responsible for plowing its own 55 miles of paths. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is responsible for snowplowing major roads, but does not shovel sidewalks on those roads.
RA’s 2015 budget allows for spending more than $800,000 on pathway maintenance and anticipates a 3 percent increase for 2016 and ’17.
RA and the county have been talking about teaming up on snow removal since early 2014. In February of 2014, the RA board authorized staff and legal counsel to move forward in their discussions with Fairfax County to develop and enter into an agreement for RA to plow certain portions of trails.
Without such an agreement, RA could not plow or shovel those trails without significant legal liability, RA’s legal counsel has previously said.
RA officials said at that time that plowing county-owned trails would help pedestrian connectivity in Reston, particularly near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. The proposal does not cover sidewalks.
Under the proposed agreement, RA would be responsible for routine maintenance will include general debris removal, minor asphalt patching, pruning/edge mowing, leaf removal as necessary, and snow plowing. The county will be responsible for major repairs and capital replacement.
The county-owned trails would include:
- The entire frontage of the real property located at Tax Map No. 11-2((8))(1B) (Reston Parkway at Route 7)
- The western side of Wiehle Avenue from Center Harbor Road to the southern intersection with Longwood Grove Drive
- The western side of Wiehle Avenue from Baron Cameron Avenue to North Shore Drive
- The western side of Wiehle Avenue from North Shore Drive to Inlet Court
- The western side of Wiehle Avenue from the Lake Anne dam embankment to Isaac Newton Square South
- The western side of Reston Parkway from Dulles Access Toll Road to Sunrise Valley Drive
- The northern side of Sunrise Valley Drive from Wiehle Avenue to Soapstone Drive
- The entire frontage of the real property located at Tax Map No. 27-1((16))(3) parcel 1 along Sunrise Valley Drive immediately adjacent to Campus Commons Drive
- The northern side of Sunrise Valley Drive from Alexander Bell Drive to the western intersection with Preston White Drive
- The northern side of Sunrise Valley Drive from approximately 80 feet west of the northern side of Sunrise Valley Drive from approximately 80 feet west of Hunter Mill Road to Alexander Bell Drive.
The agreement says Reston will only care for the county trails if there are available funds within its current maintenance budget and the availability of adequate funds to apply to such routine maintenance shall be determined at Reston’s sole discretion. In the event such funds are not currently available, Reston must tell the county.
The agreement says the the trails will be plowed upon the accumulation of two inches of snow and plowed clear after the snow storm has ended; trail shoulders should be mowed monthly in growing season; and potholes should be reported to the county. RA will not be responsible for making major repairs to county trails.
Photo: RA trail plows/file photo
