Lake Anne Plaza is going to get colorful this weekend, and you can be a part of it.

Reston Art Gallery & Studios is hosting “Painting on the Plaza” from 4-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. According to an event information on Lake Anne Plaza’s website:

“Experience the beauty and vibrancy of the Lake Anne Community as the Plaza comes alive with artists painting en plein air. Join in the fun by painting or watching the artists as they work. Purchase an original artwork to take home. And while you’re at Lake Anne, don’t forget to vote for your favorite painting and enter the drawings for door prizes. Winners will be announced on Sunday at 5:30. The event will be held rain or shine.”

The event is being produced by the Lake Anne Merchants Association and the Friends of Lake Anne. It is sponsored by Pat and Steve Macintyre along with Reston Art Gallery & Studios. For a full schedule and information about how you can participate, check out the event details.

There is plenty else scheduled to take place this weekend in the area as well. Take a look at our list below.

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Reston Association’s semi-annual yard sale (8:30 a.m. to noon) and the Reston Expo (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) are both scheduled for Saturday at 1900 Campus Commons Drive.
• The JamBrew series wraps up this weekend in Herndon. Tonight, live music will be offered from Right On Records, Tommy Gann and Todd Wight, and Black Masala. The free event is slated for 6-10 p.m. at the Herndon Town Green (777 Lynn St.). On Saturday, from noon to 10 p.m., the OktoBrewFest will rock the town green. Music will be provided by Bach 2 Rock, Darlingtonia, Unsullied, Dr. Robinson’s Fiasco and Throwing Plates. There will also be cold beverages from Aslin Beer Co., wine, nitro brew coffee from Weird Brothers Coffee, pizza from Brama Italian Cuisine, Nordic Knot Pretzels and much more.
• In celebration of 11 years of service to the community, the Southgate Community Center (12125 Pinecrest Road) will host its annual Family Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. According to information provided by the center, the event will include giveaways, music, moon bounces, refreshments and games.
• Chicano rock band Quetzal will perform Sunday at 3 p.m. at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) as part of Reston Community Center’s Professional Touring Artist Series. Tickets are $20 for Reston residents and $30 for non-residents.
• Friends of the Reston Regional Library will be continuing their fall book sale through the weekend at the library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive). The fundraiser for the library will be open until 5 p.m. today; from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and from noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
• “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• The 16th annual TFcon, a convention for fans of the “Transformers” franchise, is taking place this weekend at the Hyatt Regency Reston (1800 Presidents St.). Check out its website for the full schedule and admission prices.
• Pulitzer Prize-winner display “Disgraced,” exploring Muslim assimilation and identity in America, will wrap up this weekend at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon). Performances are tonight at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 8 p.m.; and at a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. Tickets range in price from $17.50 to $55.
• The National Kidney Foundation’s Northern Virginia Kidney Walk is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at Reston Town Center. Proceeds benefit awareness of kidney disease, a top 10 public health problem.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
• Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music from The Vandalays tonight from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits during those hours Saturday night.

A pair of reoccurring themes emerged as members of the Reston Association Board of Directors shared their opinions about Fairfax County’s proposed zoning ordinance amendment on Reston’s Planned Residential Community density.

The Board must be bold in the fight against the County, and infrastructure plans need to be in place before any density increases can be considered.

At Thursday’s meeting, eight members of the Board each shared their personal thoughts about the proposal to increase the overall limit on people per acre in Reston’s Planned Residential Community (PRC) District — which does not include most of the community’s Transit Station Areas — from 13 to 16. The plan would also give the County Board of Supervisors the ability to approve individual developments in excess of 50 dwelling units per acre in TSAs within the PRC and when in accordance with Comprehensive Plan recommendations.

Those areas that would be marked for major residential development include all of Reston’s village centers, and citizen activists warn that the combined effect of these changes could result in the population of Reston tripling by 2050.

Cathy Hudgins, Fairfax County supervisor from the Hunter Mill District, had scheduled an informational meeting on the proposal earlier this week, at the suggestion of the Reston Association Board. However, that meeting was postponed because the size of the turnout from the community caused concerns about the fire code at Lake Anne Elementary School’s cafeteria.

(According to Hudgins’ Sept. 28 newsletter: “At this time, a new, larger location for the next public meeting on the Reston PRC has not yet been scheduled. An announcement will be made as soon as details are confirmed.”)

Excerpts of each of the directors’ statements are shared below. To hear their comments in full, check out the video from Thursday night’s meeting.

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Reston Association Board Meets Tonight — Directors are scheduled to give their thoughts about Fairfax County’s proposed zoning ordinance amendment on Reston density, appoint a new member to the Board and make decisions on budget items, among other actions and discussions. [Reston Now]

Search Warrant Gives Details of Nabra Hassanen Killing — The newly unsealed document reports that the man accused of killing the Reston teenager in July led police to her body after officers found him in his blood-stained vehicle. [Washington Post]

Fall Book Sale Starts Today — The Friends of Reston Regional Library will be hosting their semi-annual fundraiser sale from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday. [Friends of Reston Regional Library]

Sound Artist at GRACE Gallery Tonight — Alex Braden will perform a new piece composed in direct response to “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo,” now on display at the gallery (12001 Market St.). The event is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

At their monthly meeting, the Reston Association Board of Directors will share their opinions on Fairfax County’s proposed zoning ordinance amendment on Reston’s Planned Residential Community density.

According to Mike Leone, RA’s communications director, it is expected that each member of the Board will share his/her thoughts during the meeting, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).

Upward of 400 Restonians showed up at Lake Anne Elementary School’s cafeteria Monday night for a county-hosted public meeting on the subject, which was postponed because of concerns about the fire code.

In a statement to Reston Now, Board President Sherri Hebert said the following:

I want to thank the community for showing such a strong commitment to protecting Reston. We will stand with the community to protect Reston’s interest. RA requested the fourth meeting with the County and we will follow up with the Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s office to ensure that meeting is rescheduled. At Thursday’s RA Board meeting, Board members will share their individual opinions on the topic but the Board will not be ready to take action until after the fourth meeting takes place.

As referenced by Hebert in her statement, Monday’s meeting was scheduled after the RA Board adopted a resolution at its May meeting calling for it, following three county forums on the topic earlier that month. Restonians who attended the May meetings on the subject expressed their concern that the county was trying to rush the amendment through the approval process. They were especially upset when the third meeting was held in an open-house format rather than as a question-and-answer session.

The proposal from the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning would bump the overall limit on people per acre in Reston’s Planned Residential Community (PRC) District from 13 to 16. (The density is currently about 11.9 people per acre.) The PRC District does not include any of the Transit Station Area property surrounding the Wiehle-Reston East and Herndon Metro stations, nor does it include most of the property in the Reston Town Center Metro station TSA south of the Dulles Toll Road.

The ordinance amendment would also allow for the Board of Supervisors to be able to approve individual developments in excess of 50 dwelling units per acre in TSAs within the PRC and when in accordance with Comprehensive Plan recommendations. Those areas that would be marked for major residential development include all of Reston’s village centers.

Citizen activists warn that the combined effect of these changes could see the population of Reston tripled by 2050.

The agenda for Thursday night’s meeting of the RA Board of Directors also includes:

• interviews of candidates to fill a vacant seat on the Board, followed by appointment of the new director
• consideration of decision points on the 2018 operating budget
• a decision on whether to release capital funds for the Pony Barn Pavilion capital project
• a status report from CEO Cate Fulkerson on implementation the recommendations from StoneTurn Group’s report on the Tetra purchase
• a report from Capt. Ronald T. Manzo of the Fairfax County Police Department

For those unable to attend, the meeting will be livestreamed on Reston Association’s YouTube channel.

The fall edition of Reston Association’s semi-annual community yard sale is scheduled for Saturday, 8:30 a.m to noon.

The event will take place at 1900 Campus Commons Drive, at the corner of Sunrise Valley Drive and Wiehle Avenue. According to information provided by Ashleigh Soloff, RA’s community events supervisor, “85 families will be selling a variety of items, so this is a great opportunity to find things for a new home or a college dorm.”

No early birds will be allowed prior to the 8:30 a.m. opening time. Vendor space is sold out, and Soloff said the event will be canceled in the event of rain.

Anyone seeking more information should contact Soloff at [email protected] or 703-435-6577.

The event will be held concurrently with RA’s annual Reston Expo, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the same address. Advertised as “a one-stop shopping event for home improvement and more,” that event will also include food, music, kids’ tent events and workshops. Questions about the Expo should be directed to [email protected] or 703-435-6530.

Photo courtesy Reston Association

Member input on what, if anything, should be done to upgrade Hook Road Recreation Area is being sought by Reston Association through a trio of community meetings and an online master-planning survey.

The meetings, which will all be held at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.), are scheduled for:

• Wednesday, Oct. 4 (7-8:30 p.m.)
• Monday, Oct. 16 (7-8:30 p.m.)
• Thursday, Nov. 2 (7-8:30 p.m.)

The online survey will be available for comment through Friday, Oct. 20. According to information provided by Reston Association, the purpose of the survey is “to better evaluate the recreation area and its value to the community, and to identify potential areas for improvement.”

Hook Road Recreation Area was selected by RA’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee as the pilot project for “full-facility enhancement” after multiple facilities were evaluated in 2016. The idea is to take a facility that has pieces of replacement work in the plans in the capital reserve study and, instead, consider comprehensive work to upgrade the facility all at once.

At a community information session on the project last month, design consultant Dewberry was introduced to members, and its representatives shared information about the studies that have been done so far and how community input will be used as the project continues to be studied and eventually decided upon.

A Hook Road Working Group will be tasked with making a proposal to the RA Board on the project’s scope early next year. Applications for the group are currently being accepted, and interviews will take place in October.

Questions about this project or the community meetings should be directed to [email protected].

Map graphic courtesy Reston Association

Final Week for Reston Community Center Preference Poll — Three incumbents are seeking to return to the Reston Community Center Board of Governors, and the community preference poll that guides the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in its choices ends this week. Each property in Small District 5 (SD5) is to have received a ballot in the mail. Mail-in ballots must be received by no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, while walk-in and online ballots can be submitted through 5 p.m. the following day. [Reston Now]

Herndon Police Collect Items for Hurricane Relief — The department collected the items to send to Puerto Rico and help residents there recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria. [Herndon Police/Twitter]

SAIC Gets $250M USDA Contract — The Reston-based technology integrator was awarded the blanket purchase agreement to provide enterprise architecture and security support services to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. [Digital Journal]

Homeowners Save With Solar Energy — According to Fairfax County, 47 homeowners who signed contracts for discounted systems through Solarize Fairfax County will save about $1,250 per year on their electric bills. [Fairfax County]

Tree Management Workshop Set for Wednesday — Bartlett Tree Experts will discuss tree inventories, management plans and basic tree care during the event at Reston Association headquarters. [Reston Association/Twitter]

The 2017 Reston Multicultural Festival, presented by Reston Community Center and Reston Association, took place Saturday at Lake Anne Plaza.

The event, described as “a celebration that brings together the people of Reston to celebrate our rich medley of cultures,” featured arts and crafts, entertainment, art exhibits, food, and more activities. A naturalization ceremony was also part of the festival.

Photos courtesy Reston Community Center

Ray Wedell’s resignation from the Reston Association Board of Directors with eight months remaining in his term has left the remaining Board members with a decision to make.

Four RA members have submitted statements of candidacy to fill the remainder of the At-Large term, which lasts until April’s election. Directors are scheduled to hear from the candidates at their Thursday meeting and make a decision on which one should join them.

The four applicants are:

• John Bowman, a two-time former candidate for the Board. Bowman is a past member of the Reston Citizens Association Board of Directors, a founding member of Reston 20/20 and a current member of RA’s Multimodal Transportation Advisory Committee.
• Moira Callaghan, vice president of the Reston Citizens Association. Callaghan also served on the FY2017 Budget Task Force for Fairfax County Public Schools.
• Ven Iyer, who was an At-Large candidate for the Board in the 2017 election. Iyer also was up for vote to join the Board earlier this year following the resignation of Eve Thompson; however, the Board chose to appoint Sridhar Ganesan instead.
• John Pinkman, a co-founder of Rescue Reston and a member of its Board of Directors.

Each of the candidates’ full applications can be viewed in the Board packet for Thursday’s meeting.

Wedell resigned from the Board on Sept. 1, citing in his statement that his “successes have been outweighed by the frustrations.” He had served on the Board since 2015 and was also on the Board Operations Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and setting board agenda items each month.

The seat will be one of four on the nine-member Board up for vote in next year’s election.

Deadline for RA Board Candidacy is Today — Anyone interested in being considered to fill the At-Large seat vacated by Ray Wedell needs to submit a statement of candidacy by noon today. The remaining term on the seat runs through April. [Reston Now]

Silver Line Was Single-Tracking This Morning — An arcing insulator at the Rosslyn Metro station early this morning caused single-tracking on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines. [WUSA]

‘Safety Stand-Down’ Slowed Metro Thursday — Riders experienced woes Thursday morning on the Metro as maintenance inspections of 7000-series rail cars were temporarily suspended, raising union concerns and leaded to fewer available cars. [WTOP]

Letter: Redistricting Needed After 2020 — John Lovaas, of Reston, says residents need to get involved in the fight to end gerrymandering and “take back our democracy.” [Fairfax Times]

Full Presentation from Wednesday’s Community Meeting — The full PowerPoint presentation from Wednesday’s forum to discuss the potential ramifications of a zoning ordinance amendment that would raise the cap on population density in Reston has been made available. [Reston 20/20]

The Reston Association Board of Directors discussed changing its code of ethics and conflict-of-interest policy during a special session Monday (video).

The need for a refined code of ethics for Reston Association directors was brought to the forefront in an independent review of RA by Quantum Governance last year. It was further underlined earlier this year in StoneTurn Group’s independent review of the Tetra/Lake House purchase.

The Board’s ethics subcommittee, formed in May, consists of directors David Bobzien, John Mooney and Victoria White. In information presented by Mooney, it was spelled out that the revised code of ethics would focus on “a structure for managing any personal interests of RA officials that might conflict with those RA interests that the officials have a duty to serve, whether that duty is defined by laws and RA governing documents or by broader ethical norms.”

The norms, White said, involve respect for each other, dedication to the common good, stewardship of resources, respect for the truth, respect for the law and competency. Full details about what these each of these norms entails can be viewed in the board packet provided for Monday’s meeting.

The ethical culture, Bobzien explained, should be refined by using the power of example, using collegial feedback, inviting the RA community to hold the Board responsible, and continuing “ethical formation” and training. Bobzien also said RA should form an Ethics Review Committee, consisting of two RA directors and three members, to hear complaints.

“They would serve for staggered terms of three years, and they would be selected by two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors,” Bobzien said. “They would draft bylaws that would then be approved by the Board, and after that they would be ready to receive complaints.”

(Sridhar Ganesan, treasurer and At-Large director, suggested directors should not get a three-year term on the review committee, but rather should change yearly. The Board discussed the idea and agreed to consider it further before the amended code is voted upon.)

If a complaint is deemed credible, a formal hearing would be held. The committee would be given the discretion to rule on the complaint, and could potentially go as far as to call for removal of a director from the Board if such action is deemed warranted.

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Some pool hours that were lost in the 2017 schedule may return in 2018, after recommendations from Reston Association’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC).

During their special budget session Monday afternoon (video), the Reston Association Board of Directors voted to guide staff toward listening to PRAC’s recommendations when setting guidelines for the 2018 pool schedule.

The recommendations are to:

• Prior to Memorial Day: reinstate Monday-Friday weekday hours at the two open pools
• Memorial Day through end of school: ensure there is one pool in each district available by 10 a.m. on weekdays
• Through mid-August: reinstate the “closed day” to just once a week at most pools, as opposed to twice a week
• Mid-August through first day of school: continue to adjust operating hours at certain pools based on member feedback, and continue to reopen additional facilities for Labor Day weekend.

The suggested changes would add $2.88 to the projected assessment rate for 2018, RA staff has calculated. Restoring all of the pool hours that were cut in this year’s schedule would tack on an additional $1.60.

“The recommendation that is before you, by the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee, was worked on with staff,” CEO Cate Fulkerson said, addressing a director’s question about concerns with finding seasonal workers for the pools. “Staff believes that it can achieve [these changes, but] it does not believe it can go back to the full-scale set of hours that we had in 2016.”

Members provided feedback about pool hours during listening sessions held by RA directors in May and June. In addition, member feedback on the issue was collected during a feedback session with the Board earlier this month. Fulkerson said about 25 members attended and shared their thoughts.

Director Julie Bitzer (South Lakes District) is the Board’s liaison to PRAC. She said she believes the recommended changes address the majority of comments that were received about the schedule.

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(This article was updated at 6 p.m. to clarify information about interest payments on the loan.)

Speaking to members during a community budget meeting Thursday night, Reston Association’s treasurer made the argument for why the $2.4 million that remains on the Lake House loan should be paid as soon as possible.

Sridhar Ganesan explained to the small crowd at Reston Association headquarters that excess money is available in RA’s operating reserves that may be best used by taking care of the loan once and for all.

“I think the risk is pretty low [and] from a cash-flow perspective, I’m pretty comfortable [paying the loan off],” he said.

If the loan continues to be paid off through 2025, as is currently scheduled, Reston Association will be making payments of about $182,000 each year. In addition, there will be a $1.57 million balloon payment due at the end of the payments. Ganesan said interest rates are likely to increase between now and then as well, and refinancing costs would apply if RA decides to go that route.

Ganesan said that as Reston Association’s operating reserves have never fallen below $4 million — and peak at around $12 million each year as assessments are collected — funds are available to be taken from the account and used to pay off the loan now. Ganesan said interest on the loan collects at about $80,000 per year, while the idle operating reserves only gain about $59,000 in 2016.

Monthly operating spending for RA is about $1.25 million, Ganesan said.

“So the question is, what do we do? … Should we use that [reserve] money, that idle money, to pay off the loan?” Ganesan asked. “This is a question that we need to address, and we’d love to get comments from the public as well.”

Paying off the loan would result in RA’s projected 2018 member assessment rate decreasing by $8.66 per household, Ganesan said, and future assessment rates would benefit from having the loan off the books. The 2018 assessment was projected in the budget’s first draft at $678.

“It [would be] a use of money to pay back the members for the next 10 years,” he said.

Ganesan was asked whether he would have suggested paying for the Lake House property in full from reserve funding at the time of acquisition rather than borrowing the money. He said, if he were comfortable with the investment and the price was right, that “absolutely” would have been his suggestion.

The Lake House is projected to bring in about $143,000 in 2017, well below the $300,000 estimate that was in the budget. Ganesan said its budget projection for 2018 is $230,000 — with about $340,000 in expenses. He said RA is considering changing the way the Lake House operates in order to begin closing that gap, including possible expansion of operating hours and changing to an all-rental model (as opposed to offering programming there).

“Rentals tend to fetch a lot more money than programming,” he said. “So, should we just go to an all-rental model … in order to make sure we make as much money as we can, in order to make sure we get a payback from the investment?”

No decisions on the budget have yet been made.

The RA Board will have a special budget meeting, open to the public, Monday from noon-5 p.m. Members will also have an opportunity to discuss the budget with the Board of Directors at the Oct. 15 Lake House open house. Public hearings on the final draft of the budget will take place Oct. 26 and Oct. 30, and it is due to be finalized at the Board’s Nov. 16 meeting.

Thursday’s community meeting was recorded by Reston Association staff and will be made available on its YouTube channel soon.

Lake Anne Concert Series Ends Tonight — The “Take A Break” concert series at Lake Anne Plaza will wrap up tonight with a show from Texas Chainsaw Horns, an R&B group, from 7-9 p.m. [Lake Anne Plaza]

Reston Association Budget Meeting Tonight — Sridhar Ganesan, treasurer and RA Board at-large director, will facilitate a budget-development community meeting tonight from 7-9 p.m. at Reston Association headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). According to information provided by Reston Association, members “are invited to share their thoughts and comments on issues related to next year’s budget.” [Reston Now]

Meeting on Fairfax County Parkway Trail Crossing Tonight — The County Department of Transportation has slated a community meeting to discuss options for improving safety at a trail crossing of a Dulles Toll Road ramp. The meeting is tonight from 6:30-8 p.m. in the cafeteria of Dogwood Elementary School (12300 Glade Drive). [Reston Now]

Changes Coming to South Lakes Bus Route — To address crowding associated with South Lakes High School ridership, Fairfax Connector will shorten headways on some afternoon trips on Route 551 beginning Sept. 30. [Fairfax Connector]

2017 Virginia Tax Amnesty Program Begins — Until Nov. 14, delinquent individual and business taxpayers can pay back taxes with no penalties and half the interest. [Gov. Terry McAuliffe]

No More ‘Wiley’-Reston East? — In a tweet responding to a rider’s question, Metrorail says it is “exploring ways” to fix automated voice announcements that mispronounce the name of the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. [Metrorail Info/Twitter]

File photo courtesy Karen Raffel

‘Fill The Boot’ Campaign Sets All-Time Record — In its Labor Day Weekend campaign to raise money for the Greater Washington MDA and for Hurricane Harvey relief, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue raised $631,278.65. That is the highest total raised by any municipality in the history of the campaign. Half a million dollars from the drive will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, while the other $131,278.65 went to the disaster relief fund. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Pool Schedule Input Session is Sunday — The Reston Association Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee will be available on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon during an open house at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue) to collect member input on the 2017 pool schedule, as well as thoughts and suggestions about what should be done in 2018. [Reston Now]

Inmate Dies After Medical Event in County Jail Cell — Detectives are investigating the death of a 53-year-old inmate who suffered a medical emergency in her cell on Aug. 31. The inmate died Thursday at a hospital in Fairfax. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Canned Food Will Be Connected at Football Game — At tonight’s high school football game between South Lakes and Oakton, being played at OHS (2900 Sutton Road), fans are encouraged to bring canned food to be donated to hurricane victims. [South Lakes Student Government Association]

Nuclear Fuel Developer Signs New Deal — Reston-based nuclear fuel developer Lightbridge Corp. has signed a binding agreement with a North Carolina company for a joint venture to commercialize and manufacture a new line of advanced metallic fuel for nuclear plants. [Washington Business Journal]