Why Bechtel matters — The corporate giant already has a Virginia home, so why does the move of its headquarters to Reston matter? [WTOP]
Alerts about pool alerts — On Saturday and Sunday, two Reston Association pools were closed. On Sunday, Autumnwood pool closed early due to a failed mechanical component and on Saturday, Uplands fountain pool closed due to water contamination. [Reston Association]
Making bank –– The Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department can expand medical services after winning a $10,000 grant from a toll road network manager. [Fairfax County Times]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Getting real [estate] — The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority has published its 2017 real estate report. New building deliveries hit a three-year high while vacancy rates in the county remained unchanged. [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]
A special shoutout to — Willa Suter, Reston Association’s aquatics manager, who was recognized as an aquatic professional competitor of the month. [Association of Aquatic Professionals]
Partnering with Amazon — SAPT National Security Services, Inc, a Herndon-based company, is partnering with Amazon Web Services to bring more people onto the cloud (nine?). [Cision]
Photo by Wade Gilley Sr.
County officials will conduct small working sessions in the coming weeks with representatives from the Coalition for a Planned Reston, a grassroots umbrella organization, and Reston Association.
The meetings are intended to encourage dialogue between county staff and other organizations as the county mulls a controversial plan to increase Reston’s population density in Reston’s Planned Residential Community district from 13 to 16 people per acre.
The working sessions will cover planned future growth and its impact on transportation, schools and public facilities, parks, recreation and open space and overall planning.
CPR, which includes residents from the Reston Citizens Association, Reclaim Reston and Reston 20/20, hopes talks will allow the organization to “further clarify the modifications to the Reston Master Plan proposed by CPR and [RA]” said Lynne Mulston, a spokesperson for CPR.
Ultimately, CPR hopes changes to the Master Plan will eliminate the need or perceived need to boost the density cap.
In March, many suggestions pitched by both organizations were rebuffed by county staff, who argued that proposed changes to Reston’s PRC simply implemented the Master Plan, which was formed with community and stakeholder input.
Most recently, CPR and RA met with Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and county staff to resume discussions on May 14.
The working sessions’ statement of purpose, proposed by Fred Selden, Fairfax County Director of Planning and Zoning is as follows:
The purpose of these small group meetings is to continue the dialogue between Fairfax County staff and representatives of both Reston Association (RA) and Coalition for a Planned Reston (CPR) regarding the proposed changes to the PRC zoning district. Each small group will consist of representatives from County staff, RA, CPR and other Reston stakeholders. They will discuss future growth and its implications or impact on public facilities and infrastructure that serves Reston.
The schedule of meetings has not been finalized. CPR and RA are reaching out to subject matter experts to participate in the sessions.
File photo
As it grapples with recent leadership and board vacancies, Reston Association’s Board of Directors will explore the possibility of changing the relationship between RA’s governing body, the CEO, CFO and general counsel.
At June 5 work session (agenda), the board will consider changing the reporting structure between the CFO and the general counsel.
Director John Mooney suggested holding a work session at a May 24 board meeting. RA’s Board Governance Committee has been discussing how to amend the resolution that covers Board and Association operations and the relationship between board and staff.
“This revision is necessitated by the fact that we now have an in-house counsel so we need to deal at least with that,” Mooney said.
Rather than redraft or revise the current resolution, the committee has created a matrix that outlines possible relationships between the CEO, in-house counsel, and the board.
That matrix will guide the board’s discussions about changing reporting structures and relationships, including the role of the board in hiring, firing, disciplinary actions and salary.
File photo
An artsy flashback — In this blast to the past, check out some artistic contributions to early Reston, as seen in a new online gallery published by the Reston Historic Trust & Museum. [Reston Historic Trust and Museum]
Something’s fishy — PassionFish, a restaurant in Reston Town Center, is closed temporarily through around June 5. Major repairs are planned. [PassionFish]
On the run — A Herndon man wanted for multiple charges, including abduction, may have already left the area. Police believe Osman Osman traveled to New York City. [WTOP]
Free ice cream today — Come out to the pool to enjoy ice cream by the poolside. Dessert is free, but supplies are limited. The event will take place in the North Shore Recreation Area (11515 North Shore Drive) from 4:30 to 4:45 p.m. today. [Reston Association]
Flickr pool photo via vantagehill
As the mid-year point before next year’s budget cycle approaches, Reston Association’s Board of Directors and staff will discuss how to approach a comprehensive analysis of RA’s recreational facilities.
The analysis, requested by Director Julie Bitzer in March, would be the first comprehensive examination of RA’s recreational facilities in 13 years.
Larry Butler, acting CEO and senior director of land use and planning, said the last study was done in 2005 and examined issues like cost utilization trends, usage, maintenance, repairs and suggested upgrades.
Staff recommended hiring a consultant to complete the study due to limited staff resources over the next two-to-three months and ongoing summer projects like the Hook Road working group and the lakes, docks and boats working group.
The board will hold a work session on June 5 to discuss the scope of the analysis, whether a consultant is needed to complete it and better define the goals and scope of the work.
Other recreation-related decisions may be more pressing.
Board members suggested a timely decision on the future of Lake Thoreau pool, which Director Sherri Hebert said was “falling into the lake,” was necessary. Hebert said an expenditure of $1 million is estimated to bring the aging pool up to go code. No decision on the future of that pool has been reached.
The longterm examination will guide the board’s budget decisions on replacement, repairs and upgrades to facilities.
Photo by Mike Collins
After several failed attempts to appoint a new board member, Reston Association’s Board of Directors appointed Caren Anton, chairwoman of RA’s elections committee, to serve as the Hunters Woods/Dogwood District Director through April 2019
The board was tasked with appointing a new director from a pool of four candidates after the previous director resigned earlier this year. At a Thursday meeting, five board members voted for Anton to fill the position after several motions to appoint other candidates failed to garner enough votes.
But the board failed to make a decision on the next board president after David Bobzien, the former president and apartment owners’ representative, resigned due to a leukemia diagnosis earlier this month.
Despite two rounds of voting, the board remained deadlocked due to a tie between two directors: newly elected Andy Sigle and incumbent Sridhar Ganesan. The board deferred a decision to its next June 28 meeting when an apartment owners’ representative is expected to be seated. Sigle previously served on the board from 2011 to 2014.
Sigle’s first attempt to appoint Anton failed to gather enough votes. But after Director Sherri Hebert’s motion to appoint John Bowman and Julie Bitzer’s nomination to appoint Travis Johnson fell through, the board reconsidered Anton’s appointment. Both Bowman and Johnson ran for a board seat earlier this year.
Board members lauded Anton’s experience as a Reston resident for 30 years, her knowledge of the community and what Sigle called her “goals of independence and collegiality.” Newly-elected Director Ven Iyer applauded Anton’s “independent thinking,” a point that Hebert found “offensive.”
“I have to say Ven that I find it offensive that you think the rest of the board members do not think independently and do not make the votes on their own merit,” Hebert said.
Iyer also urged board members to recuse themselves from voting if any financial intermingling took place between them and other candidates in order to shield the board from accusations of “cronyism or impropriety.” Bowman and Johnson ran for seats on the board earlier this year.
Hebert abstained from voting for Anton and instead unsuccessfuly pushed for Bowman, who previously served on the board. She said he would “hit the ground running” as RA navigates complex issues in the coming months, including the absence of a permanent CEO and other staffing changes.
Rick Landers, who also ran for the position, was not nominated.
Bitzer said she looks forward to having another woman serve on the board. “I feel that we as a board in a sense owe Caren a chance to show how much more she can do and give to us,” she said.
Positioning herself as “an open, honest, ethical and transparent” candidate, Anton said she hopes to engage with apartment renters, who often have little knowledge of the function and role of RA. She also wants to explore ways to make the Hunters Woods Village Center a more enjoyable place to dine, play and gather.
“I come to you with no hidden agendas or allegiances,” she said.
Photo via Reston Association
Changes to Reston Association’s Board of Directors and its relationship with staff are being contemplated ahead of the board’s Thursday meeting at 6:30 p.m.
North Point District Director John Mooney has proposed a resolution to evaluate the relationship between the CEO, CFO, attorney, and board as part of an ongoing process initiated by several parties. Reston Association’s CEO and longtime RA advocate Cate Fulkerson left RA earlier this year.
Resolution: RA Board and Staff Relationship by Fatimah Waseem on Scribd
The board will also consider a motion to form a CEO search committee to fill the vacancy created by Fulkerson. Currently, Larry Butler, RA’s senior director of land use and planning, is filling the position after acting CEO and CFO Robert Wood left RA for another employment opportunity.
A new board president will also be elected following the resignation of David Bobzien. The apartment owner’s representative resigned this month due to a recent cancer diagnosis. The board will elect the new president, who will serve through April 10, 2019.
Additionally, the board will appoint a new Hunters Woods/Dogwood District Director from a pool of four candidates. The vacancy was created when the former director resigned one day after this year’s board elections. Four candidates – Rick Landers, Caren Anton, John Bowman and Travis Johnson — will be interviewed.
The meeting will be streamed live on YouTube.
File photo
Lynchburg police search for Reston man — Police have identified Mark Anthony Goldring Jr., 31, of Reston, as a shooting suspect in a malicious wounding reported late Sunday evening. [WBDJ 7]
Dredging underway at Lake Thoreau — All dozen coves of the lake will be dredged and up to 400 truckloads of material could be removed. [Reston Association]
Five-story hotel approved — A 138-room hotel will replace surface parking in Lake Fairfax Business Park. The county offers an update on the recent approval. [Fairfax County Government]
A fine time — The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival took place in Reston Town Center. A local outlet posted several photos of the art displays and work. [Around Reston]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
A vacant position on Reston Association’s Board of Directors could be filled on Friday (May 24).
Four candidates — Rick Landers, Caren Anton, John Bowman and Travis Johnson — are vying for the open Hunters Woods/Dogwood District seat.
The position became vacant in April — just one day after the board election — when Victoria White resigned. The board will vote to elect the new director during its meeting.
Bowman finished second for the one-year, at-large director seat during elections earlier this year. Johnson finished fourth in the race for a three-year, at-large director as well.
The candidates’ statements are below.
Candidate Statements – Vacancy by Fatimah Waseem on Scribd
Photo by Reston Association
Searching for the silver lining –An independent contractor will review the condition of concrete panels that are part of phase two of the Silver Line project. The news comes as the feds join a whistleblower’s lawsuit against a company accused of using faulty concrete. [NBC4]
‘Bike to Work Day’ is today — Be wary when you’re out and about today as bicyclists will take to the streets today. Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association invites riders to celebrate bicycling “as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work.” [Bike to Work Day]
Coyotes spotted in Reston — Dave B., a Reston Now reader, spotted a coyote with what appeared to be her pup yesterday just north of the Ridge Heights Pool. Have you seen any recently?
Tired of drivers speeding down your street? — Residents can ask police at their district station for increased patrols or speed enforcement. [WTOP]
Get your Reston glitz and glam — Reston Association’s gear and gift shop recently expanded, so if you’re all about Restonian pride, now is your chance to purchase some products. [Reston Association]
Photo by Dave B.
It’s not just Amazon — Apple is considering Northern Virginia for 20,000 jobs, in what could be the company third major U.S. hub. The governor pitched three sites: Tysons Corner, Loudoun and Crystal City. [The Washington Post]
What’s coming to your neighborhood — Zoning changes are afoot, including plans to expand areas where community gardens are allowed and how Airbnb and other short-term lodging options are regulated. Informational sessions are planned in the coming weeks. [Fairfax County Government]
Member Services closed for part of the day — Reston Association’s member services department will be closed today from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to allow staff to attend a session by local police about workplace violence. [Reston Association]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Mark your calendars: Chalk on the Water, the fifth annual street-art festival, returns to Lake Anne Village Center in early June.
Hosted by Public Art Reston, the two-day festival challenges artists to create chalk drawings on Lake Anne’s Washington Plaza. This year’s event will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 9 and 10.
Artists can register in three categories, including professional artists, amateur artists, and families and kids. Participants have a chance to earn a prize. Face painter Becky Nelson will be on-site to paint faces and snow cones and popcorn will be available for purchase by Reston Association.
Last year’s festival sold-out for the first time. Organizers expect a high turnout this year as well.
“It’s a challenge to come up with a compelling drawing for the event, and a little intimidating to draw in public, but it’s always worth the effort. It’s also fun watching the reactions of people walking by, especially kids, and hearing their comments about the drawings,” said Bruce Wright, last year’s winner in the amateur category.
Online registration is open and closes on June 8 at 5 p.m. Participants can also register on-site on the day of the event. Fees range from $10 to $20 depending on the category.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. For more information, contact [email protected].
Sponsors include Lake Anne Coffee House & Wine Bar and Reston Association Camps.
Photo via Facebook
The Reston Association is gearing up for its first ever Bio Blitz on June 2, and staff are hoping many residents will sign up to join in on the fun.
But first–what’s a Bio Blitz, anyway?
Well, “blitz” means to do as much as you can in a short amount of time. “Bio” is short for “biological.” Put them together, and you have an event in which a large group of volunteers spreads out across a specific area and tries to identify as many different biological species as they can in that time period.
For this event, the specified area is Reston, and that time period is midnight to 11:59 p.m. on June 2.
“Naturalists and volunteers will work together during a 24-hour period to identify as many plants, animals and other organisms that live in Reston as possible,” say event organizers.
Volunteers of all types are encouraged to join in during the 2018 Reston Bio Blitz. A signup has been created, breaking up the 24-period into shorter, four- or five-hour periods, as well as separating people into groups who will search for different types of animals and plants.
Organizers say they are searching for people who are “subject matter experts” to lead teams that are hunting for specific species.
However, beginners are welcome too, they say, and will be paired up with more experienced people and an expert leader.
Requirements for volunteers are as follows:
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Familiar with Reston’s natural areas and trails
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Familiarity with the app “iNaturalist” (download it and learn how to use it ahead of time)
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A digital camera to capture photos of different species
Those who know someone who is considered a subject matter expert in a certain biological area of study can form their own team, or volunteers can join an existing team listed on the signup. Additional teams may be added as more subject matter experts are recruited.
The “BioBlitz” hub for this event will be the Walker Nature Center in Reston.
If all of this sounds intriguing but you’re not free on June 2, representatives say you can play your own game of Bio Blitz by taking photos of various plant and animal species you find when you’re out in Reston nature on your own, and upload them to the Reston Biodiversity Project.
Photo: Patricia Greenburg, Reston Association Environmental Resource Supervisor / Credit: Reston Association/YouTube
Warm weather is here, and that means tennis season is here in Reston.
To swing into the new season, the Reston Association will be hosting a Tennis Racquet Demo Day at the Lake Newport tennis courts on Saturday, May 12, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Reston Association tennis program manager Rob Tucker will have several racquets on hand for people to try out, including some of the newest models from brands like Babolat, Wilson, Dunlop and Head.
Tennis instructors will also be there to show people how the racquets are used, and to help players figure out which racquet is right for their game.
To RSVP for this free event, at 11452 Baron Cameron Avenue, contact Tucker at [email protected].
Photo via Reston Association
