The dog days of summer deserve a day just for the dogs before the pool season ends.
Reston Association is hosting a Dog Paddle on Saturday in the North Hills Recreation Area from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
People are not permitted in the water with the dogs and a current dog license is required. In order to participate, dogs must remain under control or will be asked to leave without a refund. RA may ask specific patron or dog owners to leave.
A waiver is required on side and admission is $10 the day of the event. Participants can register in advance online via RA’s Webtrac system where tickets are $6 for RA members and $8 for all others.
Photo by Sammy Monaghan for RA
In a preliminary dive into next year’s budget on Monday, Reston Association’s Board of Directors and members of its fiscal committee explored ways to navigate a possible increase in assessments next year.
The increase may be necessary to offset additional expenses and new capital projects, according to RA officials. A major driver of expenses is a $50,000 increase in health insurance premiums for staff and $215,000 to pay for unanticipated lease payments for the lease of RA’s headquarters. Although staff hiring savings of $90,000 are expected to offset some expenses, the association has also seen an increase in lawsuits, amounting to roughly $30,000. Revenues from the Lake House and tennis courts are also down, said Larry Butler, RA’s Acting CEO.
Other expenses include a $60,000 state-mandated reserve study, $40,000 in software updates, $44,000 to add dechlorination systems for pools, $30,000 for a new billing and collections software and $20,000 for targeted marketing. The dredged of Lake Audubon, which was pushed from this year to next year, is expected to cost $850,000. Projected cost estimates for improvements to Hook Road are also expected to be a major expense next year.
Butler pitched several budgeting strategies for next year’s budget. On the top of the list is a proposed 2.5 percent in membership dues or annual RA assessments. Other alternatives include cutting expenses by 2.5 percent, dipping into investment earnings for $35,000, and the use of RA’s operating reserves.
RA Board President Andy Sigle suggested that staff continue to explore ways to balance the budget with RA’s operating reserve, which was also used to pay the Lake House loan. A stronger understanding of the projected year-end balance for the operating fund was necessary to determine whether or not to increase assessments, Sigle said.
Board member Julie Bitzer also stressed the need to ensure budgeted amounts are conservative and realistic, citing that RA budgeting for a decrease in lease payments for its headquarters location, only to later discover a decrease was not expected.
RA staff and the board will take a second dive into the budget by presenting draft two of the budget in late September. Following a series of listening sessions with members, the fiscal committee will receive the budget in late October. The budget is approved at a November meeting by the board following additional member input opportunities and amendments.
Photo via Reston Association
10,000+ pull-ups — A student from Great Falls may have set new world records by doing 10,020 pull-ups in less than 20 hours at a Reston gym. [WTOP]
Reston Association sends PRC letter — The organization has penned a letter to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins detailing the Board of Director’s standing after a series of meetings with the county. [Reston Association]
Let’s talk acquisitions — “Reston-based SOC Telemed (SOC), an acute-care telemedicine company, has acquired Houston-based JSA Health, a behavioral health telemedicine firm.” [Virginia Business]
Photo by Beth Allgaier
Following a series of meetings with county officials about a planned population density increase in Reston, Reston Association’s Board of Directors is urging the county to build more assertive, clearer statements into its planning and development mechanisms.
At a special work session Monday night, board members considered adding language to specify a population cap. After some discussion, the board concluded it was best to avoid locking in a specific number until other items were addressed. Acting CEO Larry Butler said it was better for RA to not take a position on the issue yet.
“This takes more of a position which I’m sure a lot of people in the community would like to see but I’m just saying that it has not been the tack of the board,” Butler said.
RA board president Andy Sigle said adding a specific population cap could be addressed in a subsequent letter. The letter itself raises the following points:
- Provide a clear statement that Reston’s Village Centers, with the exception of Lake Anne and Tall Oaks, are planned to reflect land uses that currently exist
- Like the Tysons plan, Reston’s plan should include periodic updates on how development and public infrastructure are being developed, binding commitments for additional infrastructure and a formal transportation operations analysis
- A review of the assumptions and methodology that drives the Reston Transportation Network Analysis
- Implementation of a collaborative mechanism between RA, the county, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, the Fairfax County Park Authority and Reston Town Center Association to create a plan to increase the capacity of Reston’s recreational facilities to serve new residents
- The addition of clearer, more assertive statements that ensure development and infrastructure capacity are developed simultaneously and as demands arise
- Establish a realistic plan to add increased school capacity to serve new student populations
- Remove the grid of streets road connection between American Dream Way and Isaac Newton Square
- Clarify that a land use category that applies to the Harrison Apartments and the Charter Oaks Apartments applies only to those two parcels
As one of the original members of the Coalition for a Planned Reston, the grassroots organization heavily involved in discussions with the county, board member John Mooney said RA must recognize that it has no legal power in these discussions. Mooney said the organization should exercise its political power to push for changes as necessary.
“There is a power to truth and we have insisted that we want reason to show what the truth is… we have made it not an act of the will but an act of reason,” Mooney said.
More information on the proposed zoning ordinance amendment is available online. The county has not yet released a schedule detailing when the amendment will be formally introduced at the county level.
File photo via Reston Association
The inaugural 2018 Reston Youth Splash and Dash will take place this Sunday at 8:30 a.m. As of today, registration is completely sold out and local musician Ted Graber will provide entertainment during the event.
Proceeds from the event will benefit underserved youth. Children who are six-year-olds will swim 50 meters and run 1K; seven-to-ten-year-olds will swim 100 meters and run 1K; 11-to-15-year-olds will swim 150 meters and run 2K.
The pool swim will take place at the Lake Audubon pool and the run course will take place on a nearby section of pathways. The focus of the event is participation, not competition, according to organizers.
All participants will receive a medal and T-shirt. Athletes can also enjoy snow cones provided by KONA Ice, yogurt with toppings by honeygrow and snack by BARE Snacks. Volunteers will also be dressed like superheroes.
The event is sanctioned by USA Triathlon in possible with a partnership with Reston Association and the CORE Foundation.
More information on the event is available online.
Photo via CORE Foundation
Reston Association is holding a raffle for abandoned and donated boats this week. In order to enter, individuals must email [email protected] with the subject line “BOAT RAFFLE” by Thursday (August 24).
The email must contain the name of the entrant, address and phone numbers. Entries are limited to one per household. Proof of residency and a general access permit application are required to be eligible to participate.
Winners will be randomly selected the week of August 27. Those selected can pick a boat on a first-come, first-serve basis. All boats must be purchased as they are. The raffle and boats are free.
Reston Association is, however, encouraging donations to Friends of Reston to help fund watershed education program. The organization is a non-profit entity that aims to support RA’s charitable, educational and scientific purposes, according to its website.
File photo
A bloom of purple algae has appeared at Lake Thoreau. Reston Association is monitoring the bloom of Planktothrix rubescens algae.
In a statement, RA said that the algae likely appeared because heavy rains washed different nutrients and sediment into the lake.
Although the algae are expected to clear up on its own, people and pets should avoid ingesting water from the lake. The algae should disappear on its own as cooler conditions take over.
Blue and green algae that appeared on Lake Audubon disappeared after floating on the lake three years ago.
Photo via RA
‘Muscle Up Mondays’ continue today — Crunch Fitness will continue to offer free group fitness classes on Mondays through October 29 at 6:30 p.m. in Reston Town Center. [Facebook]
Delays on Orange, Silver and Blue lines continue –Metro commuters are encouraged to seek other transportation options this week as major construction work continues through August 26. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Ramp and lane closures in effect this week — Several local lanes and ramps will be closed this week as work on phase two of the Silver Line continues. Impacted roads include the Dulles Toll Road, Sunset Hills Road, Sunrise Valley Drive and Herndon Parkway. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]
Let’s talk finances — Reston Association’s Board of Directors will meet with the organization’s fiscal committee to review the first draft of the operating and capital budgets, as well as the PRC zoning amendment. [Reston Association]
In summary: Downtown Herndon redevelopment — Comstock Partners has officially withdrawn its application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to the Town of Herndon’s Heritage Preservation Review Board for the redevelopment of downtown Herndon. But plans are in the works to resubmit the proposal, which calls for roughly 17,600 square feet of retail, 200+ apartments, and a 761-space parking garage. [Fairfax County Times]
Photo by Beth Allgaier
Want to learn more about the history behind Hunter Mill Road? Reston Association is offering a narrated bus tour conducted by local historian and tour guide Jim Lewis in late August.
The tour will take place on August 29 from 8:30-11:30 am. Attendees will get a chance to see locations of military forts, encampments, structures, cemeteries, mill sites and old roads. The tour will also stop by Confederate earthworks.
Attendees will get on and off the bus to check out local treasures up close. Registration is $35 for RA members and $42 for all others.
File photo
Continuing a practice embraced by previous candidates for the Reston Association’s Board of Directors, the board will host four member listening sessions starting next month.
Residents in each voting district will be able to provide feedback and learn more about updates on district-related topics, as well as community members. Each listening session is hosted by the board member representing the district.
RA Board President Andy Sigle said he hopes to see strong attendance at the listening sessions.
“The district listening sessions are designed to make sharing thoughts and ideas about our association easy,” Sigle wrote in a prepared statement “Drop in, chat with neighbors, staff and board members. Listen to a short talk from a board member on current association issues and priorities and then share your views.”
Details for the sessions are below:
- September 26: North Point District with John Mooney (The Lake House, 11450 Baron Cameron Avenue)
- October 3: South Lakes District with Julie Bitzer (Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive)
- October 10: Hunters Woods/Dogwood District with Caren Anton (Southgate Community Center, 12125 Pinecrest Road)
- October 17: Lake Anne District with Sherri Hebert (Reston Community Center Lake Anne, 1609 Washington Plaza)
Photo via Reston Association
Local police now armed with Narcan — In order to tackle the growing opioid epidemic, local police are now equipped with protective equipment that could reverse overdoses, including the popular use of Narcan. [Fairfax County Police Department]
If you’re a tennis fan — Reston Association is organizing a trip to the U.S. Open tennis championships on August 30. The trip is $190 for RA members and $200 for all others. [Reston Association]
Confession letter surfaces in the murder of Reston couple — “The alleged neo-Nazi teen accused of killing a Reston couple inside their home wrote a confession letter, ABC7 has learned. In new documents obtained in the case, the search warrant says the teenager “devolved in detail his actions on the night of this murder. Detectives believe the letter was mailed during the spring to a classmate at the Dominion School, which is now called the Kellar School.” [WJLA]
Photo submitted by Mike James
Need some extra help getting around? Reston Association is hosting an information session on how to ride the bus and Metro.
The event, set for August 16 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will offer attendees a hands-on learning experience. Participants will ride the Mobile Accessible Travel Training bus and get tips on reading bus schedules, route maps, calculating and paying fares, and other skills.
The bus will then stop at a Silver Line Metro Station, where participants will learn how to determine fares, buy Metrorail fare cards, load SmarTrip cards and read the rail system map.
The event is free. Attendees will meet on the training bus, which will be parked on the southwestern corner of the parking lot of the Reston Association (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).
File photo
Updates to Reston Association’s disclosure document fees for home resales will go into effect on Aug. 20 following the Board of Director’s approval of the new fee breakdown last month.
The Property Owners’ Association Act requires homeowners to provide interested purchasers with legally required information about the property, common areas and the homeowners association.
State law allows RA to charge fees to prepare disclosure packets, which must be completed within 14 days from the day payment is received. According to a statement, fee increases were instituted to account for inflation over the last five years.
Fee increases vary between roughly $17 to $39 depending on the type of document to be disclosed. The new fee schedule is below:
Additionally, the fee for electronic disclosures is $264.08 and $293.42 for paper or CD disclosures.
Photo via Reston Association
(This story was updated at 9:23 a.m. on Aug. 7 to include fees for electronic and paper/CD disclosures).
Roughly 230 young athletes hit local pools, streets and trails in Reston on Sunday for the eighth annual Reston Kids’ Triathlon.
The event, which was open to children between the age of 6 and 14, is sponsored by Reston Association and the Fairfax County YMCA.
Photos by Sean Bahrami for Reston Association
Several Reston roads will be closed Sunday morning as kids and attendees take to the streets to participate in the eighth annual Reston Kids’ Triathlon, which is co-sponsored by Reston Association and YMCA Fairfax County Reston.
RA provided the following information via a statement:
Ridge Heights Road will be shut down between Terraset Elementary School and Turtle Pond Drive from approximately 7:15 to 10 a.m. and Seahawk Drive will be closed from about 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. There will be a coned-off bike lane on Ridge Heights Road, South Lakes Drive and Soapstone Drive – all on the inside lane of the triangle formed by those roads.There will be no parking along the south side (Langston Hughes Middle School side) of Ridge Heights Road beginning at midnight extending from Soapstone to South Lakes. The above map shows the bike course on those three roads.
Photo via RA
