Dogs and their owners are invited to a Pup Social tomorrow at Hyatt Park in Reston Town Center (1800 Presidents Street). In this on-leash dog event, dogs and their owners can socialize with their neighbors from 2-4 p.m.
Attendees will also get the chance to get a professional portrait of owners and their dog. Attendees can also enter a raffle for a $100 RTC gift card. Refreshments will be provided by EagleBank. The event is hosted by Public Art Reston.
Tomorrow (April 27)
- Woofie’s Grand Opening (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) — The business, which offers pet sitting, dog walking and a mobile pet spa, will host a grand opening event at Jimmys Old Town Tavern (697 Spring Street).
- Community Yard Sale (9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) — Eighty families will sell a variety of items in this event hosted by Reston Association at 1900 Campus Commons Drive.
- Spring Carnival (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — The spring carnival by Reston Children’s Center includes food, carnival games, fire truck visits, a treasure hunt and more. Entrance is free but game tickets cost 50 cents per ticket. The carnival will take place at Reston Children’s Center (11825 Old Crafts Drive).
- Opening Reception of Things That Don’t Have Names (5-7 p.m.) — Join the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market Street) for the opening reception of this exhibit by DC-based artist Stephanie Williams. The exhibit of objects apparently doesn’t have names.
- Annie (8 p.m.) — Reston Community Players kicks of a performance about the comic strip heroine, Little Orphan Annie. Additional performances are planned through May 18.
Sunday (April 28)
- Bird Walk (7:30-10:30 a.m.) — Beginners and experts will search for birds across a variety of sites starting from Glade Stream Valley Trail. The event is for adults only and registration is not required.
- Healthy Kids Day (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.) — Kids can awaken their imagination by exploring new activities and healthy habits with activities like swimming in a pool and a petting zoo. The event takes place at the YMCA in Reston (12196 Sunset Hills Road).
- Bike Drive for Kids and Bike Maintenance Check (12-4 p.m.) — Athletes competing in the Reston Sprint Triathlon and the BeAMYazing Reston Youth Triathlon can get free bike safety checks at The Bike Lane (1150 Sunset Hills Road). Event organizers will also accept like-new or gently-used bikes for low-income kids.
When Hank Lynch — a trained horticulturist and arborist — came to Reston to fill the long vacant position of Reston Association CEO a little over three months ago, he knew the community “needs protecting.”
The Norfolk resident is a newcomer to Reston — standing in stark contrast to his predecessor, Cate Fulkerson, who left after serving the organization for 26 years in different roles. In the coming months, Lynch hopes to bring a fresh set of eyes to the quasi-governmental association to reimagine RA and its members, all while preserving what makes Reston unique.
Lynch’s executive experience is largely restricted to the environmental sector – a characteristic that he says is relevant to Reston. He was the CEO for Farm Sanctuary, an animal protection organization that advocates for farmed animals. He also held leadership positions at the National Maritime Center in Norfolk and Stan Hywet Hall & Garden in northeast Ohio. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in horticulture, including design, public administration and museum management, from the University of Maryland and the University of Delaware.
“It’s got a very strong tie to make sure the environment of this community is maintained in a very healthy way,” he said.
Lynch said RA should consider modernizing its operations and services instead of maintaining the status quo. He is working with RA’s communications team to find an outside contractor who would help RA determine how its membership pool has changed, what the community’s needs are today, and exactly what RA’s members want and need from the organization.
For Lynch, backing decisions based on data instead of personal opinion is the most healthy way for an organization to operate.
“The last time RA can look back from when it did something like this, it was almost 10 years ago,” Lynch said. “And the community has changed dramatically.”
Right now, his office is gearing up for the next operational budget and a new strategic plan for the association.
Lynch also hopes to find more ways to generate revenue without relying on assessment increases. In response to questions about revenue generation from the Lake House, Lynch said it was too early to speculator on how to generate revenue. He expects to work with RA’s Board of Directors to explore different ideas.
“There’s never just one thing that solves a problem or a challenge like this. It’s always a lot of little things and how you maybe weak some programs,” he said.
Lynch said one of his top priorities is to maintain low assessments. Solidifying Reston’s identity, however, will require give and take. RA will have to determine its niche as a community organization without duplicating services and programs offered by others in the community.
As the seeds planted by Reston’s Comprehensive Plan bring more mixed-used development to the area, the horticulturist is hopeful Reston’s roots will remain strong. Lynch says that the community has welcomed him in the “most professional and gracious way in any job that I have taken.”
So far, Lynch — who follows a plant-based diet — is embracing Reston’s beauty and uniqueness, he said. As he bikes in the area, Lynch said he hopes Reston’s unique identity remains preserved.
“We can set it as an example of how other communities should function.”
Photo via Reston Association
Fatal Pedestrian Crashes Exceed Murder Rate in Fairfax County — Local officials are asking the public to avoid distracted driving in order to help prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being killed on the road. [WTOP]
‘Before the Flood’ Screening Tonight — The film follows actor Leonardo DiCaprio as he interviews scientists, activists and world leaders about climate change. The screening, which is part of an annual environmental film series, takes place at the Walker Nature Center from 7-9 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. A donation of $5 is suggested. [Reston Association]
County Proposal to Pay Legal Fees for Residents Facing Immigration Enforcement –– “As the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approaches the May 7 deadline for budget adoption, one of the more intriguing, and potentially polarizing, items under consideration is a pilot program that would fund legal representation for county residents subject to federal immigration enforcement actions.” [Fairfax County Times]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
A 56-page document gives detailed guidelines on urban design and streetscape implementation for Reston’s Transit Station Areas. Now, Reston Association and county officials are working to bring the guidelines, which were formulated late last year, to life.
A streetscape demonstration is set for May 2 at 3:30 p.m. at RA’s Central Service Facility (12250 Sunset Hills Road). Several design schemes will be revealed to help developers implement Reston’s guidelines.
Suzie Battista of the county’s Office of Community Revitalization said the demonstration helps showcase Reston’s unique character. Unlike design guidelines for Tysons, Reston’s streetscapes are generally divided into three styles. Overall, the landscape panel is lighter, transitioning from lush landscape with multi-level plantings to a suburban streetscape in areas that are pedestrian-oriented. In between these two extremes is a hybrid streetscape. Denser plants are called for compared to the plan for Tysons, according to the county.
“We want people to see it in real life,” Battista told Reston Now.
The county’s Office of Community Revitalization will invite developers to attend the demonstration.
Reston’s design guidelines are based on the following principles:
- “Streets and their adjacent streetscape are vital parts of the public realm.”
- “Streetscapes should be places for social interaction, economic activity, civic activity, and public gatherings.”
- “Designing from the perspective of the pedestrian is important for creating great places.”
- “Landscaped amenity zones and landscape features should be used to buffer the pedestrian from the road, and are opportunities to integrate Reston streetscape character into a more urban setting.”
- “Low impact development techniques for stormwater management should be incorporated into new and redesigned streets where practical.”
The complete guidelines are available online.
Photo via Fairfax County Government
Herndon’s Farmers Market Opens Today — The market kicks off the 2019 season today. As usual, it will be held on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Lynn Street from April to November. [Town of Herndon]
Reston Association Volunteer Service Awards Reception Set for Tonight — “Two individuals were named as Volunteers of the Year. Doug Britt, who has been instrumental in collecting environmental data, and Cindy Metcalf, who coordinates and leads class instruction on how to start a garden, both won the top honor.” [Reston Association]
Evelyn Mo Returns to CenterStage Tonight — In this “Meet the Artists” event, the Harvard junior and pianist returns to CenterStage. The event starts at 2:15 p.m. and is open to all ages. [Reston Community Center]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
For seven years, the pool behind Vantage Hill Condominiums (11619 Vantage Hill Road), boxy housing built in the late 1960s, has been closed. Now, discussions are underway to build townhouses on the pool site to save a condominium building that its community association leadership says is on a slow and steady decline.
The assocaition hopes to use revenues generated from the project to help finance around $4.5 million in needed infrastructure upgrades. Rob Schuman, the community association’s president, told the Reston Association’s Design Review Board last night (April 16) that the association has been grappling with major infrastructure needs for years.
The 152-unit development, which has 24 garden-style buildings, was one of Reston’s first projects and offers market-based workforce housing. Prices for a one-bedroom unit start at $140,000 and up to $250,000 for a three-bedroom unit.
Schuman said the association does not have enough money to take on infrastructure improvements on its own. Members pay yearly HOA fees between $420 and $680. Pipes leak every week, the electrical system is 60 years old and doors and windows provide little to no insulation, Schuman said.
The association is considering pooling the one-acre pool site and another acre used for parking to create enough developable space for 38 townhouse units. Parking lost to the development project would be redistributed. Schuman said 70 percent of the association’s members approved of the development proposal. The association’s bylaws require a two-thirds majority from the ownership to proceed with the project.
If approved — a process that could be years away — the townhouse community could become its own cluster with its own community association. So far, association members stressed a formal proposal is forthcoming and discussions are preliminary.
Charlie Hoffman, a DRB member, said he worried that the infill development could hike up the prices of the condo units.
“I would hate to see them get so nice that people can’t afford to live in them anymore,” Hoffman said. Overall, he said the project could bring new energy to the aging building.
Revenue from the project would help fund metered electrical service for each unit, new windows and doors, new entrances, upgraded heating, new plumbing, security upgrades and an expanded playground. Electric vehicle charging stations are also under consideration.
Photos via Reston Association/handout
(Update at 2:31 p.m. to include information about the timing of Ganesan’s resignation)
Sridhar Ganesan has resigned from his position as vice president of Reston Association’s Board of Directors roughly one week after the results of this year’s board election were released.
Ganesan was appointed to a one-year, at-large seat in 2017 and served as treasurer. The next year, he was elected to an at-large seat. His term expires in 2021.
After missing several board meetings earlier this year, Ganesan said he realized that it would be difficult to balance his commitment to the board with his business obligations. The Reston resident recently took on two major projects in Frederick, Md. and another abroad, making it challenging to balance both obligations.
Ganesan told Reston Now he did not want to officially announce his resignation during the board’s election process in order to prevent confusion. He had hoped to leave in the beginning of the year so that the new board-appointment member could serve a more complete term.
Mike Leone, Reston Association’s director of communications and community relations, told Reston Now that Ganesan notified the organization of his resignation on Sunday (April 14). In order to make it in time for the latest election, Ganesan would have had to make an official announcement about his intention to resign by the end of November or early December. His new business obligations surfaced earlier this year, he said.
Reston Association released the following statement from Ganesan:
“I very much appreciate the confidence placed in me by the RA membership and the support I received from them, the RA staff and my board colleagues, especially during 2017-2018, when I helped implement new operational policies and procedures, as well as internal controls at RA. I am also happy that during my two years on the RA board, I helped forge and maintain a strong partnership between RA and Coalition for Planned Reston (CPR), which resulted in holding off the Fairfax County from raising the density cap for Reston PRC district.”
The board has issued a call for candidates to fill the seat vacated by Ganesan. Candidates can apply by submitting a statement of candidacy to the assistant secretary by May 16 at 5 p.m. The board will review candidate applications that are certified by staff at a May 23 board meeting.
The term will run through April 2020 and be up for election in 2020. The elected candidate will serve the final year of the term.
Photo by Reston Association
Looking to decorate your home or a college dorm without breaking the bank? Reston Association will hold its annual community yard sale on Saturday, April 27.
Up to 80 families will sell a mix of items at 1900 Campus Commons Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To set up a booth, which is spread over two parking spaces, vendors can sign up online. The registration fee is $39 for RA members and $49 for all others. Tables will not be provided.
All sales are final and no refunds will be accepted unless the event is cancelled. A rain date is set for April 28. For questions, contact [email protected] with any questions.
Photo via RA
Bollywood Dance Fitness Tonight — Local instructor Aparna Rao offers a new Bollywood dance fitness program specifically for adults and teens at Reston Regional Library. The class runs from 6:30-8 p.m. [Reston Regional Library]
A Primer on Reston Association — RA is out with new video with details on what the organization is about. The video is centered around the theme “Together we make Reston great.” [Reston Association]
Shoutout: High Honors for Cpl. Sullivan — Devin Sullivan of the Herndon Police Department recently returned from Air Force Basic Training in San Antonio, TX. He finished in the top ten percent of his class and now heads to technical training school. [Herndon Police Department]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Reston Association’s Board of Directors elected Catherine Baum to the position of board president Wednesday night.
In her candidate statement, Baum, a former real estate executive who currently advocates for people with dementia residing in memory care, addressed a controversial debate around the Planned Residential Community — Reston’s primary zoning district.
“Let me state clearly for anyone concerned: I am not now and nor will I ever be for unfettered development throughout the PRC,” Baum said. “I supported and will continue to support every motion made and seconded relative to RA dealings with Fairfax County on this topic.”
While the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted in March to “indefinitely defer” the consideration of a proposed zoning amendment regarding the PRC, the hotly debated issue will likely resurface in the future.
Baum also outlined her priorities as the board’s president.
“Our most important job this coming summer and fall is to pass a 2021 biennial budget,” Baum said, adding that the board must support the new Chief Executive Officer Hank Lynch and use data.
“We will have to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions made on facts,” she said.
Baum was the only candidate nominated to be president. After South Lakes District Director Julie Bitzer nominated Baum, At-Large Director Ven Iyer urged the future president to improve the board’s inclusivity.
“I would like to say I am disappointed in the way my colleagues have conducted discussion in the past year, and it’s because whenever there has been a dissenting or an opposing view, it has often been ridiculed. It has often been cut short,” Iyer said.
Iyer said that he has seen board members aim to form a majority to win motions.
“My request to the future president is to try to be inclusive and to make sure that all board members seem to be heard,” Iyer said. “These board discussions are not about proving your point. They’re about making progress.”
In response to Iyer’s concerns, Baum said that “each of you holds yourself accountable to everyone else on this board.”
The other officers chosen are:
- Vice President Julie Bitzer
- Secretary John Mooney
- Treasurer Eric Carr
Photo courtesy Reston Association
Reston Association Volunteer Service Awards Next Week — “Two individuals were named as Volunteers of the Year. Doug Britt, who has been instrumental in collecting environmental data, and Cindy Metcalf, who coordinates and leads class instruction on how to start a garden, both won the top honor.” [Reston Association]
Penzance’s Plans for 555 Herndon Parkway — The District-based developer is out with new renderings for its planned development just one tenth of a mile away from the entrance of Herndon Metro Station. [Town of Herndon Government]
Community Emergency Response Guide — The new guide offers tips on how community partners and neighbors should collaborate during an emergency. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo by Joe Heflin
Registration for the ninth annual Reston Kids Triathlon will open today (April 10). Young athletes between ages 6 and 14 will swim, bike and run in the three-event race.
This year’s event is set for Sunday, August 4 at Ridge Heights Pool (11400 Ridge Heights Road). The registration portal will open at 7 p.m. on the event’s website.
The event is sponsored by Reston Association and the YMCA-Fairfax County. Participants are divided into three age groups and swim distances between 50 and 150 meters, bike between 1.1 and 4 miles and run between 0.6 to 1.4 miles.
Information about this year’s course is available online. Like last year, the finish line is on the west end of Langston Hughes Middle School. Event organizers are working with officials at Terraset Elementary School, which is under construction, to provide a safe route from the underpass to wooded trails.
Although the sign up form for volunteering has not opened yet, interested volunteers can contact Dan Merenick at [email protected].
Photo by Sean Bahrami via Reston Association
After several months of fighting the county on a controversial zoning proposal, outgoing Board of Directors President Andy Sigle said he expects the Reston Association will keep tackling development and density issues in the future.
“A hot topic for Reston over the last several years and one that will continue into our future is development,” Sigle said, adding that the RA board and staff worked with community organizations to “protect the ‘planned’ part of our Planned Residential Community (PRC) designation.”
In March, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to “indefinitely defer” the consideration of the proposed zoning amendment that would have increased the maximum allowed population per acre in the PRC district — Reston’s primary zoning district.
“The board and RA staff will continue to monitor this as density issues resurface in the future,” Sigle said.
Looking back at accomplishments over the past year, Sigle highlighted the following:
- renovation of the Central Services Facility
- hiring a new chief executive officer
- capital improvement projects, including interior renovations to the Glade Room, tennis court refurbishments, Lake Thoreau dredging, ADA-improvements to Nature House
- a “realistic” budget with a small assessment increase
Last night’s meeting was the 50th anniversary of Reston Association’s first Annual Members’ Meeting. The meeting serves to update RA members on the state of the association, unveil the election results for the Board of Directors and receive member comments.
Election Committee Chair Ed Abbott announced the election results for the Board of Directors. “This year we saw a 14 percent turnout for Reston generally and even higher turnout in some districts,” Abbott said.
Here are the results:
- At-Large, 3-year term: Tom Mulkerin won with 5,040 votes
- Apartment Owners, 1-year term: Catherine Baum won with 1,563 votes
- Hunters Woods/Dogwood, 1-year term: Caren Anton won with 1,101 votes
- North Point, 3-year term: John Mooney won with 1,486 votes
- Lake Anne/Tall Oaks, 3-year term: Aaron Webb won with 1,156 votes
The new RA board will hold its first monthly meeting tonight (April 10) at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).
Photos via YouTube
Needle felting — From 7-9 p.m. participants can learn how to make creations through needle felting, which involves poking gathered wool with a special barbed needle. Andrew Black, a Reston resident and artist, will lead the workshop. [ArtSpace Herndon]
RA election results — The Annual Members’ Meeting from 7-9 p.m. at the Reston Association’s headquarters will include the election results for the Board of Directors and update members on new initiatives, programs and opportunities. The meeting will be live-streamed on YouTube. [YouTube]
Development size ranking — The Washington Business Journal has compiled square footage numbers for developments in the D.C. area. Based on metro-area square footage under construction, Orr Partners of Reston nabbed fifth place at 2.75 million square feet, and The Ardent Company of Reston ranked 11th at 1.93 million. [Washington Business Journal]
Reston has more than 70 pieces of public art. While many of them are placed in well-traversed locations, like the Mercury Fountain in Reston Town Center, some pieces are less widely known because they are hiding in plain sight or located off the beaten path.
“There are many gems that are off the main areas,” Anne Delaney, the executive director of Public Art Reston, told Reston Now.
Reston Now has rounded up information on eight “hidden treasures” — as Delaney describes them — and where to find them.
Where to find it: Bundeswehr–German Liaison Office (11150 Sunrise Valley Drive)
Description: A part of history is at the entrance to the office. The 4-foot-wide Berlin Wall fragment is circa 1973 and was acquired by the Command Headquarters in 1990 to commemorate the reunification of Germany, according to Public Art Reston.
Where to find it: Glade Drive Underpass near Hunters Woods Village Center
Description: Valerie Theberge’s 2010 glass and mirror mosaic tiles greet bicyclists and people walking eastbound on the Turquoise Trail. “Theberge designed this artwork to be uplifting, whimsical and optimistic,” according to its Public Art Reston bio. “Multiple shades of greens were chosen to reflect the rich vegetation in Reston.” Students from Hunters Woods Elementary School helped create the stars scattered around the art.
Where to find it: North Shore Drive Underpass near Lake Anne
Description: Multiple, concrete sculptural elements created by Gonzalo Fonseca in 1965 decorate the tunnel connecting Lake Anne and the nearby Hickory Cluster townhouses along the Green Trail. “Along with a functional seat and table, The Underpass includes pieces that — upon close inspection — provide passersby with surprises meant to jog the imagination with stories and ideas,” Public Art Reston says.
Where to find it: Right by The Underpass
Description: The curved, concrete cylinder, also by Fonseca, sits near the pathway beyond The Underpass. Public Art Reston notes that this piece is the most inconspicuous of Fonseca’s work in the area.
Where to find it: Attached to a large stone in the garden at the Freedom Grove at Brown’s Chapel (1575 Browns Chapel Road)
Description: The Reston Association commissioned the bronze memorial by Kathy Walden Kaplan to honor the memory of the victims of the 9/11 attack, including Reston residents Leonard Taylor and Norma Cruz Kahn, according to Public Art Reston.
Where to find it: In the parking lot at Plaza America directly across from MOD Pizza
Description: While three red ellipses standing more than 6 feet tall might sound like a sculpture that would stand out, this welded steel art piece by Al Landzberg is hiding in plain sight at the complicated Plaza America parking lot. Meant to be the centerpiece of the plaza, “Slit Figure is a study in contrasts: the contrast in shapes between three closed ellipses and a mysterious opening that slices through them, the contrast in colors between the sculpture’s fire-engine red and the shopping center’s subdued hues, and the contrast in design between the center’s business orientation and the sculpture’s playfulness,” Public Art Reston says.
Where to find it: Also near The Underpass
Description: Overlooking Lake Anne, the wood and steel swing was designed by William Roehl in collaboration with Conklin and Rossant. The swing has changed since it was first installed in 1965, evolving from a hanging basket swing to its current form, according to Public Art Reston.
Where to find it: Along Moorings Drive by the Blue Trail
Description: This mysterious ceramic, mosaic piece made by Olin Russum in 1967 is an abstract representation of the map of Reston, although only the right side remains intact, according to Public Art Reston. “I would love if anyone knows how this work came to be,” Delaney told Reston Now.
People looking to learn more about public art in Reston and visit the pieces in person can contact Public Art Reston or the Reston Association to find out information about upcoming walking tours and print and digital maps marking the locations of the art.
Last two photos via Google Maps
