Faced with a tight budget, Reston Association is contemplating what capital improvement projects it should prioritize — and which ones might need to be delayed or even cut.
At a budget work session on Wednesday (Aug. 18), the board of directors discussed planned renovations, cracking tennis courts, potential pool repurposing, and where the money is going to come from to address all of those issues.
RA’s capital needs have grown in recent years, according to a presentation delivered at the meeting by the chair of the fiscal committee Dave Kerr.
Over the next decade, it’s estimated that RA will need $40 million to cover capital costs, which have become a persistent concern. RA is currently working on a five-year capital improvement project plan to better assess its existing and future needs.
“We believe that we maybe should revisit even approved projects just to make sure we are working on the right things,” said Kerr.
The projected increase in costs is due in part to a renovation schedule with six pools over the next six years, according to the presentation.
The list includes Shadowood pool, which is currently closed while it waits for about $200,000 worth of maintenance. That is in addition to the $1.4 million needed to renovate the entire facility, according to another staff presentation.
The Shadowood pool is also among the facilities that RA has proposed potentially repurposing due to low usage.
The board devoted a chunk of the meeting to discussing if it’s worth spending money to do maintenance work on the community pool now, only for it to be renovated or even repurposed later.
The consensus was that it was not, leaving the possibility that the pool won’t be open again for the 2022 season.
RA is still gathering community feedback on its pool repurposing idea, though board member Sarah Selvaraj-D’Souza offered a motion asking that an in-person event be arranged to better interact with the residents who use that pool.
“Shadowood is a very different community [than the rest of Reston]. They don’t have the time…to sit through a RA board meeting,” said Selvaraj-D’Souza. “A lot of them are non-English speaking…If we want to get feedback from Shadowood, we need to get boots on the ground, and get their feedback.”
The motion was approved unanimously, committing RA to hold an in-person event — perhaps an ice cream social — to solicit feedback.
The Barton Hill tennis courts are also in need of a major overhaul, and comments during the meeting suggested that project is a staff priority.
The courts are cracked, the foundation is an issue, and some community members have requested converting them into pickleball courts. Other possible improvements include the addition of lights and a seasonal, roof-like covering. Of course, all of that would cost money — potentially more than $850,000.
The board didn’t make any decision on the Barton Hill project beyond requesting more information about the cost and timeline.
Given the amount of capital improvements waiting to be made, including many that the board didn’t have time to discuss, one board member floated the idea of RA borrowing money so it could afford all of the projects. The board has also discussed raising assessments next year.
Further complicating discussions about RA’s fiscal year 2022 is the impending departure of CEO Hank Lynch, who announced earlier this month that he will resign for another position. While he is still technically in the role until Sept. 3, he wasn’t in attendance at the virtual budget work session.
The board of directors named RA Chief Operating Officer Larry Butler acting CEO on Thursday (Aug. 19) as the organization conducts a search for a permanent replacement.
Reston Association Board Names Acting CEO — The Board of Directors named COO Larry Butler as the organization’s acting CEO last night (Thursday) in preparation for current head Hank Lynch’s resignation effective Sept. 3. Butler also served in the position when RA conducted its last CEO search in 2018. Lynch’s permanent successor will be chosen by a committee created by the board. [RA]
Pedestrian Deaths Worry Fairfax County — Route 1 has become a focal point of concerns about traffic safety in Fairfax County, which has recorded 10 pedestrian deaths in the past seven months. The police department launched a campaign this summer urging drivers in the Reston area to slow down, especially at two intersections around Reston Town Center. [NBC4]
Second Union Backs School Vaccine Mandate — The Fairfax Education Association, which represents Fairfax County Public School teachers and staff, joined the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers in supporting the idea of a vaccine requirement for FCPS employees. The union also supports universal masking and called on the school system to extend its Family Medical Leave Act paid sick leave policy through Dec. 31. [FEA]
Car Seat Inspection Event Tomorrow — “Safety matters! Our Traffic Safety Section is hosting a car seat inspection and install event on Saturday, August 21 at 1421 Wiehle Avenue in Reston from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Inspections and installations are on a first come, first serve basis.” [Fairfax County Police Department/Twitter]
The Reston Association Design Review Board is set to vote on guidelines for electric vehicle charging stations today (Aug. 16).
Draft guidance setting parameters including about location, size, and appearance of the stations will be discussed and reviewed during the board’s meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. The board is also expected to decide whether to send the draft to the RA Board Operations Committee for feedback, RA spokesperson Mike Leone confirms.
Electric vehicle charging stations have been much discussed at cluster and RA meetings in recent months.
More and more electric vehicle charging stations have been installed throughout clusters and Reston over the last year, according to a January presentation.
Although they were all approved by the DRB, they have emerged without established guidance or standards and without consistent consultation with RA. As a result, the charging stations often vary in appearance and sometimes even pose safety risks due to their locations.
In all, six different types and designs of stations have been approved by the DRB.
Earlier in the year, RA contracted engineering consultant Kimley Horn to help establish guidelines. In May, staff admitted that, upon further research, providing adequate guidance was “more complex” than initially thought.
While a preliminary draft of guidelines has been out for several months, a working group has met twice to discuss amendments and changes.
The updated draft addresses concerns from RA members and staff. It limits charging stations to six-and-a-half feet in height, and they may not have any cords or cables that extend into foot traffic paths. They must appear “seamlessly” integrated into the surroundings, among other parameters.
Applications will also require photos or drawings of the proposed stations, proof of a maintenance agreement, and a “qualified, experienced” person to install the station.
It’s expected that a draft of the guidelines will be submitted to the BOC for feedback in time for their Sept. 7 meeting. Then, the design review board will hold a public hearing later that month.
It is estimated that the RA Board of Directors will approve the guidelines at their October 28 meeting and a set date for implementation.
RA has also been exploring the possibility of replacing its fleet of fossil-fuel vehicles with electric ones over the next decade. That initiative, though, has met some obstacles, as a staff report found that a full fleet replacement remains prohibitive due to the cost and availability of electric vehicles.
RA’s Chief Operation Officer Larry Butler said at a meeting in June that Kimley Horn, which is also assisting RA in this matter, recommended reevaluating electric vehicle options “every two to three, maybe four, years.”
Photo via Reston Association
Crews appear to have aced the overhaul of Hook Road’s tennis courts, which are once again available for use.
Reston Association finished replacing the Hook Road courts with completely new asphalt court surfaces and coloring earlier this month.
The renovation also involved installing new fencing, drainage, access improvements, and energy-efficient LED lighting, which will be operational by this coming Friday (Aug. 20), according to RA’s capital projects webpage.
After closing for construction starting in March, the four courts opened back up Friday evening (Aug. 13). By Saturday morning, community members were already taking advantage of the refurbished facilities: a game unfolded on one court, while an instructor delivered a tennis lesson on another.
“They’re beautiful, they’re flat, and they play well,” one of the players, Reston resident George Jastrzebski, said of the new courts.
The overhaul of the tennis courts on Fairway Drive ends a years-long journey.
The project was part of a larger upgrade of the Hook Road Recreational Area that RA started working on in 2016. Other projects identified there in a conceptual master plan include improvements to the baseball fields and pathways.
Crews used heavy machinery to grind up the former courts, which were built in the mid-1970s. Crews mixed in cement then laid down the new courts.
Typically for tennis court renovations, Reston Association layers gravel and asphalt on top of the existing surface, but three layers had already accumulated on the Hook Road courts, so they decided to do more extensive renovations, RA Director of Capital Projects Chris Schumaker said in a Reston Today video in late March.
“It will be a much stronger base than prior ones,” Schumaker said in the video. “It should last significantly longer than prior court renovations. We’re usually expecting about 30 or 40 years out of this.”
He also said the project has the benefit of not sending the asphalt into a landfill.
RA has 52 tennis courts, half of which are lighted and eight of which are clay courts, according to its website. A pass is required to use the private courts.
Jastrzebski has played at the Hook Road courts “on and off” but said on Saturday that he might try to use the courts more now that they’re renovated.
Reston Association’s Board of Directors began the process of creating a selection committee yesterday (Wednesday) to find a replacement for CEO Hank Lynch, who announced on Aug. 6 that he will resign next month.
The committee will screen applications, conduct initial interviews with candidates, and give recommendations on whom the board should hold final interviews with, according to a motion made during a special board meeting held online through Zoom.
“Hank, you will be greatly missed, but thank you for giving us this amazing group of people at Reston Association,” Director Tim Dowling said in reference to the association’s 101 employees.
RA member Irwin Flashman urged the board to make the search effort as transparent as possible, but the board later withdrew into executive session to privately discuss personnel and contractual manners.
RA hired Lynch as its CEO in December 2018. His last day in the position will be Sept. 3.
Multiple speakers at yesterday’s meeting wished him success in his next endeavor, and board president Caren Anton said the community was fortunate to have him, especially during a pandemic.
Much of the meeting, which lasted over two hours, consisted of the executive session, and the open portion largely involved the board debating aspects of the committee.
Points of disagreement included whether the search committee would involve the entire board, as many of the directors shared concerns that having every person of the nine-member board on the committee would be inefficient.
The board ultimately decided to only have four directors on the committee. How those people are chosen will be determined at a subsequent meeting to be held as soon as possible.
The final motion to create the committee came after directors presented a few other motions that failed to pass, including one to delay the issue because three board members — Tom Mulkerin, Sarah Selvaraj-D’Souza, and Aaron Webb — were absent.
“Are we really saying that we want to punt this topic?” Director Jennifer Jushchuk said, expressing concerns about the limited time to act before Lynch leaves.
The board finally settled on creating the committee now before establishing conditions for developing it later.
Directors also discussed whether all board members would have access to candidates’ applications and whether to use a search firm.
RA’s budget will likely guide the search process, though costs weren’t discussed during the open portion of the meeting. Based on a tax form prepared in January 2021, Lynch’s compensation for the 2019 calendar year was $188,393, along with $21,912 in other compensation.
Director John Mooney, who serves as the board’s vice president, said over 100 applications were considered in the last CEO search, which lasted nine months.
Mooney’s approved motion to create the search committee also called for the committee to establish search criteria. The application screening process will receive input from the board.
Reston Association CEO Hank Lynch has resigned after roughly two-and-a-half years in the position, the organization announced in a news release on Friday (Aug. 6).
RA says Lynch told the board of directors last week that his last day will be Sept. 3 after he “accepted another opportunity.”
“We all wish Hank well in his new endeavors,” RA President Caren Anton said in a statement. “His leadership has been invaluable during his entire stay in Reston and especially during the trying times caused by the pandemic. Hank has provided a steady hand and brought new and innovative ideas to the table. He will be missed.”
Reston Now reached out to Lynch for further comment but did not hear back by press time.
Hired in December 2018, Lynch joined RA at a time of uncertainty for the association, which had been without a chief executive officer for nine months after his predecessor Cate Fulkerson abruptly stepped down on March 1 of that year and the acting CEO who filled in for her left a month later.
A former Norfolk resident with a background in horticulture, Lynch moved to Reston as an outsider in January 2019. His initial priorities included modernizing RA’s operations by using more data to make decisions and finding revenue sources outside of member assessments.
In its press release, RA points to IT security upgrades, fiscal stability, and improved customer service as highlights of Lynch’s tenure, along with efforts to improve lake management and covenants operations.
However, the association has hit its fair share of bumps in the road over the past couple of years, from a botched election rollout and other ongoing security concerns to algae blooms and a dispute with local boat owners.
Lynch drew some scrutiny last summer for pursuing a $1.3 million Paycheck Protection Program loan without consulting the Board of Directors in a formal meeting. The loan was later returned since RA didn’t actually qualify for it.
The RA Board of Directors will hold a special virtual meeting at noon on Wednesday (Aug. 11) to discuss the search process for a new CEO.
Tasks awaiting the new hire will include the 2022 budget — accompanied by debates over a possible assessment increase and the future of RA’s pools — as well as a laundry list of increasingly expensive capital projects.
Fairfax County Sees Uptick in Unemployment — “Unemployment rates across Fairfax County and Northern Virginia ticked back up above 4 percent in June…which likely is a return to more seasonal ups and downs than a retreat from gains made in the post-COVID era. With 595,420 county residents in the civilian workforce and 25,225 on the hunt for jobs, Fairfax County’s unemployment rate for June stood at 4.1 percent, according to figures reported July 28 by the Virginia Employment Commission.” [Sun Gazette]
Reports of Sick Birds in Virginia Declining — “After Virginia and other states began receiving reports of a mysterious illness sickening or killing birds in late May, reports are starting to go down. However, the cause of the birds’ illness and deaths remains unknown…From May 23 to June 30, the most reports have occurred in Fairfax and Arlington Counties, according to a map of reports.” [Patch]
Thousands of Job Seekers Used County Website — “Just over one year after the official launch of its workinnorthernvirginia.com website and accompanying talent initiative funded by the Fairfax County government, the site created by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) has logged more than 483,000 visitors and 72,000 job views. The website connects a new and diverse talent pool — in Northern Virginia and in key target markets such as the Bay Area and New York City — with companies in the region.” [FCEDA]
Dog Paddle Events Coming to Reston Pools — Reston Association’s annual Dog Paddle will return in August, giving pups a chance to play in its swimming pools. There will be three events in August and one in September. Registration is now open with a $12 fee for RA members and a $20 fee for non-members. [RA/Twitter]
Reston Association is putting together a five-year plan for capital improvement projects as a number of decades-old facilities are in need of upgrades.
At last week’s Board of Directors meeting, staff provided a draft that details the capital improvement projects facing the organization over the next five years.
In much the same vein as one put together by other localities like the town of Herndon, the document will detail the cost, timeline, and designs of both major projects — ones that will cost over $500,000 — and minor ones.
“It includes a strategic plan…how we currently fund our projects, what are the major projects, and outlines all capital spending,” RA Director of Capital Projects Chris Schumaker said.
While the draft was provided to board members, it is not expected to be made public until before the Board of Directors budget work session on Aug. 18, when it will be discussed more at length, confirms RA spokesperson Mike Leone.
This plan comes at a vital time for RA, as the board engages in a series of budget work sessions that could result in an increase in assessments for members.
The potential increase is being contemplated due to a rise in operating expenses and the number of capital improvement projects that are being undertaken over the next several years. Back in March, a recreation facility work group determined that some of RA’s decades-old facilities are in dire need of renovations and work.
There are currently eight active capital projects and another 30 that are scheduled, according to RA’s website.
The ongoing projects include the Hook Road tennis courts, which are expected to be completed by mid-August.
The renovations will turn two tennis courts into pickleball courts, which are expected to be completed in time for Reston’s first “Paddle Battle” tournament. In addition, construction on four footbridges will start next month and be completed early next year, Leone tells Reston Now.
There’s also the much-discussed renovation of Lake Thoreau pool, which received final approval from RA’s design review board last week. Construction on the $3.5 million project is now supposed to start in November — a four-month delay from initial estimates — with a grand opening expected for May 2023.
While new pools may be opening, there’s a chance several may be closing.
In May, RA staff recommended that four neighborhood pools be “seriously considered for repurposing,” which could mean closure, due to budgetary concerns and low usage. RA is currently collecting community feedback on that proposal.
More children are participating in Reston Association’s summer camps this year than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
After canceling the program last year for the first time in its more than 40-year history, Reston Camps has seen enrollment for 2021 exceed where it was at the end of summer 2019, RA Director of Recreation and Environmental Education Laura Kowalski told Reston Now.
RA declined to share exact attendance numbers, citing “competitive business reasons,” but Kowalski says it has been “a very good camp year” even with some COVID-19 protocols still in place.
“It has been wonderful to have the program run this summer, to see the smiles from both campers and staff after a tough year,” Kowalski said.
In fact, enrollment has been so strong that, in some cases, RA has added additional sessions and staff to handle the demand.
The aquatics camp and watercraft camp — one of several new offerings that were originally planned for the 2020 season — have been especially popular, as have the tennis camps, which added more coaches and camp counselors.
“It’s sort of across the board that we’ve had good involvement,” Kowalski said.
With the camp registration period opening on June 1, the enrollment increase came as declining COVID-19 case levels and rising vaccination numbers suggested this summer would represent an emergence from the pandemic’s shadows, though the delta variant’s spread has recently started to temper that optimism.
The end of Virginia’s capacity and social distancing requirements on May 28 ahead of Memorial Day weekend meant that Reston Camps didn’t have to impose restrictions on attendance as initially anticipated, according to Kowalski.
However, RA is still following health recommendations from the Virginia Department of Social Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for camps, which need different rules given the number of children involved, many of them too young to be eligible for the authorized vaccines.
As part of its COVID-19 procedures, Reston Camps requires participants and staff to wear face masks at all times except when outdoors and maintaining six feet of distance. Staffers have some discretion for when campers can remove their masks, such as when they’re around or in water.
Staff members are also frequently cleaning and sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and children are allowed to carry a small container of hand sanitizer.
According to Kowalski, there have been no reported instances of campers or staff contracting COVID-19 since the camping season began in mid-June, though if there were, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) would prevent RA from disclosing that information.
“We have not had to close any camps,” she said.
The RA website says all camps are eligible for a full refund, including deposits, due to COVID-19.
While the camps are largely unchanged from past years, aside from the presence of masks, one alteration that Kowalski says will become permanent is the use of virtual orientations.
RA onboarded 406 seasonal staff who work anywhere from 10 to 40 hours a week in its aquatics, camp, and tennis departments this year. Having part of their orientations online instead of in-person resulted in a quicker, more efficient, and more flexible process that could accommodate their varying schedules.
“It was well received by our onboarding staff as well as the supervisors administering the orientation,” Kowalski said. “…It is something that we will continue in future years.”
Reston Camps last through Aug. 20. A fundraiser by RA’s nonprofit arm, Friends of Reston, is still open to help children who would otherwise be unable to afford to attend.
Monday, July 26
- Pleibol & Food (6:45 p.m.) — Baseball and food go hand-in-hand. Join the National Museum of American History for an event centered around their new exhibit, highlighting how the Latin diaspora has shaped ballpark snacks.
Tuesday, July 27
- The Night Sky (8 p.m.) — Spend the night at Roll Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park in Great Falls taking a tour of the planets, constellations, stars, nebulas, and galaxies that make up our night sky.
Wednesday, July 28
- The Roadducks (7-8:30 p.m.) — A four-decade staple of the southern rock music scene, the Northern Virginia-based Roadducks are hitting the stage at Burke Lake Park to rock in the summer air.
Thursday, July 29
- Citizen Science (7-8:30 p.m.) — Help biologists count the local dragonfly population by taking this class that will help you identify and do a proper, scientific count. The class is virtual and sponsored by the Reston Association.
- Rosslyn Live (6:30 p.m.) — It’s the last performance of Rosslyn Live, so take a seat, grab a drink, and enjoy a fun-filled night of drag performances.
Friday, July 30
- Block Party Tysons (4-7 p.m.) — Mark the 40th anniversary of the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival with a block party on Leesburg Pike in Tysons. There’ll be food, games, and music from local musician Shane Gamble.
- Summer on the Green (6:30 p.m.) — Throughout the summer, the Town of Vienna is hosting summer concerts every Friday. Bring the family to the Town Green on Maple Avenue for a night of music, dancing, and good times. This week, local dance and rock band Fat Chance will be playing.
Saturday, July 31
- Around the World Cultural Food Festival (11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.) — After a year off, the global food festival is back and now at Oronoco Bay Park in Old Town Alexandria. Enjoy foods, music, and learning about cultures from across the world.
Sunday, August 1
- Natural Dye Workshop (12:30-2:30 p.m.) — Learn how to dye with natural products like a professional in this three-session class from Smithsonian Associates. This workshop is virtual and will take place over three weekends.
- Brick Fair (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) — This mega Lego fair comes to the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. There will be building, exploring, and learning from the experts. Masks are required for those who are not vaccinated.
Michael Delaney Found Dead in Sugarland Run — The remains of Reston resident Michael Delaney were found in the Sugarland Run area on Wednesday (July 21), 14 months after he went missing from Reston Hospital in May 2020. His step-daughter says the family is “heartbroken but feel relieved” to have closure on his disappearance. [Courtney Park-Jamborsky/Facebook]
Matchbox Pizza Opens at Reston Station Today — After a few delays, Matchbox will officially open its new restaurant at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza Drive today (Friday), as promised last month. Some opening activities have been planned, and the venue will serve happy hour specials during the work week with bottomless brunch on the weekends. [Matchbox]
Pickleball Tournament Coming to Reston — “We are excited to announce that the first annual Reston Paddle Battle Pickleball Tournament, on September 18 & 19. See the attached flyer for more info. Register today at pickleballtournaments.com, space is limited!” [Reston Association/Twitter]
The Reston Association Design Review Board gave its final approval to the $3.5 million renovation of Lake Thoreau pool, though with a request to see a color sample.
The approval at the design review board meeting on Tuesday (July 20) keeps the project on track for construction to begin in October or November, RA spokesperson Mike Leone confirms to Reston Now in an email.
This is the third time the RA Design Board has approved the much-discussed project, but final approvals meant reviewing the exact dimensions, materials, and colors that will be used.
While the motion to approve the application passed unanimously, it came with a request for a physical sample of the teal color that would be used for a railing.
Besides colors and railings, there was some discussion at the meeting about fencing as well as the cost of redesigning and maintaining the overlook deck.
However, none of that held up approval, allowing the multi-million dollar pool project to move forward.
Leone writes that RA is already going on to the next steps of the renovation process, including moving through the estimation and procurement phase.
“We have already released the RFP (request for proposal) to potential contractors and are awaiting their submissions due around this time next month,” writes Leone. “With that information, RA staff will be able to generate a final estimate for the project and seek Board of Director approval to move forward with construction.”
He anticipates the RA Board’s approval of the project to come in September with construction to begin shortly after, barring any more contractor or material availability-related delays.
Key design elements of the renovation include ADA access with a ramp into the pool, a redesign of the overlook deck, pool reconstruction, expansion of the parking lot, and repositioning of the spa away from the bathhouses as well as modifying and expansion of said bathhouses.
Lake Thoreau pool was closed last year for renovations that are expected to be completed in the fall of 2022. A grand opening is being planned for May or June 2023, the beginning of the pool season.
Reston Association is monitoring a blue-green algae bloom that has emerged at Lake Audubon.
RA announced yesterday (Tuesday) that its watershed staff have found that the bloom contains the algal toxin microcystin, but tests of the water suggest the current levels of the toxin are low enough that no restrictions on recreation at the lake are necessary.
“However, environmental conditions such as increased heat or nutrients can affect levels and caution is advised,” RA said in the notice. “As always, no swimming is allowed at any time in Reston’s lakes and pet owners should check for floating blue-green algae before allowing pets in the water.”
The Environmental Protection Agency describes microcystin as “a potent liver toxin and possible human carcinogen.” It is the most widespread type of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which may cause issues ranging from allergic reactions to gastroenteritis, liver and kidney failure or death, though cases of severe human health issues are relatively rare.
According to RA, algae blooms often appear when temperatures rise, but they usually occur later in the summer.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on July 9 that June 2021 was the hottest June on record in the U.S., though temperatures were average for this time of year in the D.C. area.
While fishing and boating on Lake Audubon are still permitted, users should “be careful to avoid the water,” RA says.
RA recommends staying in or on watercraft at all times, avoiding contact with algae, and not drinking water from lakes. The association also discourages people from eating fish caught in lakes.
“RA will be monitoring the lake closely to see if the toxin levels increase or decrease and will adjust the status from caution, danger or clear accordingly,” RA said.
Algae blooms have been a recurring issue at Reston lakes, including at Lake Audubon, which had a small bloom last August.
A particularly large bloom that appeared in Lake Thoreau that same month prompted RA to commit to spending more money on lake management this year in order to take a more proactive approach.
In addition to posing a potential health risk when in high concentrations, algae blooms can be devastating to freshwater ecosystems, as they can block out sunlight, clog fish gills, and create oxygen dead zones where no aquatic life can survive. Scientists say human activities and climate change are leading to more common and more toxic blooms.
According to the Reston Association, there is no method of removing toxins from lakes, but people can help prevent the nutrients that produce algae blooms from entering the water.
“The public can help reduce the occurrence of blue-green algae blooms by preventing nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from entering waterways through responsible use of lawn fertilizers, picking up pet waste, and controlling sediment erosion,” RA said in its statement.
Reston Association Watershed staff have been monitoring a blue-green algae bloom on Lake Audubon. For more details please the attached image.
Please send any questions or concerns to our Watershed team at [email protected]. pic.twitter.com/GE9ug77PPi
— Reston Association (@RestonOnline) July 20, 2021
Photo via Reston Association/Facebook
Reston drivers might have noticed some fencing and other construction equipment going up along stretches of road near South Lakes High School, as crews prep the area for a sidewalk construction project.
The approximately $2 million bicycle/pedestrian project on South Lakes Drive will add sidewalk to areas that are currently mostly dirt paths. According to a Fairfax County document, the sidewalk being constructed involves an approximately 3,600-foot-long area.
That’s not all. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation project will also add sidewalk on Twin Branches Road at the intersection with South Lakes Drive, where safety upgrades for pedestrians will also occur, Reston Association Chief Operating Officer Larry Butler said in a Reston Today video on Tuesday (July 6).
“Very early in the planning and scoping for this project, Fairfax County agreed to add a short section of sidewalk that had been identified in our multimodal transportation advisory committee’s report, Reston on Foot and Bike,” Butler said.
The project, which uses 2014 bond money, will install walkways from Greenskeepers Court to Soapstone Drive, Whisperwood Glen Lane to Ridge Heights Road, and Harbor Court to Twin Branches Road.
Orange barrel markers have been placed along areas of the project — areas which Butler said will fill in gaps between existing sections of sidewalk and Reston Association pathways, and improve three bus stops in main sections of the work.
Butler noted in the video that the project is one of three recent pedestrian improvement projects in the area. Work to add five-foot-wide sidewalks on the south side of Sunrise Valley Drive from South Lakes to Soapstone Drive and from RA’s headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Dr.) west to Glade Drive has been completed.
“These improvements will help facilitate a safer pedestrian experience for all Restonians,” Butler said. “I hope you get out and enjoy these paths and sidewalks once they’re completed.”
Reston Association will collect community feedback this summer about the potential “repurposing” of several community pools.
The process to go about doing this was discussed last week at a Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) meeting.
In May, RA staff recommended that four pools — Golf Course Island, Newbridge, Tall Oaks, and Shadowood — be “seriously considered for repurposing” due to low usage.
An online petition advocating against any pool closures has garnered more than 800 signatures, though there’s no guarantee that everyone who signed is an RA member or Reston resident.
RA maintains that there are currently no definite plans to close any pools, but the possibility is open depending on community response.
“RA is currently not planning the closure of any of our 15 community pools,” said at-large RA board member Tom Mulkerin, who is on PRAC, addressing what he called “rumors ” about pool closings. “Before any pool in the RA system is considered for closing or repurposing, the RA Board of Directors will go through a comprehensive community engagement process to determine what the community wants and needs.”
The PRAC committee was only recently reinstated after a year-long suspension at the recommendation of the Recreation Facilities Working Group.
At the beginning of the meeting, two RA members expressed their concern over the possible closing or repurposing of pools.
“All the pools…are beautiful gems,” said one. “The best use of the Tall Oaks pool is as a pool.”
Members of PRAC spoke at length about the best methods for gathering community feedback about what to do with the pools. Suggestions included attending in-person cluster meetings and using social media as well as more informal feedback and data gathering.
Currently, both Shadowood and Tall Oaks are closed due to planned capital improvements and are in need of extensive repairs. It could cost upwards of $250,000 to do those renovations, making the need for community feedback on those facilities particularly urgent.
PRAC members questioned if it was appropriate to spend that money now, especially in midst of RA’s budget crunch, if it remains unclear what members really want.
RA CEO Hank Lynch also expressed the need to gather feedback quickly since these renovations are scheduled to be done soon. He also noted that it is important to figure out why these particular pools have low usage.
In response, PRAC will immediately start reaching out to close-by clusters to gather data and feedback.
Committee members also expressed concerns about the believed need to make all RA pools an “attraction” or “destination pool” with water slides and other highly-valued amenities. This could drive up renovation costs and lead to members wanting them to be repurposed.
However, a potential compromise could be to simply make Tall Oaks or Shadowwood a wading pool or another facility with more basic features, as opposed to investing more money. The pools would then be available for lap swimming, swim teams, and even rentals to nearby daycares.
Lynch said that whatever decision is made about the pools, it has to be one that the community will continue to be okay with decades into the future.
“When you restore a pool, it’s designed to last [minimum] 30 years,” said Lynch. “The question is what do we do now, the community will have to support and embrace for the next 30 years.”
RA staff said there is already a working draft of a survey that asks residents about their recreation habits and pool usage. It will be released to the public in the coming weeks.
