As the Reston Association Board of Directors continues to work on the 2018-19 budget, RA members are encouraged to participate in a budget-development community meeting next week hosted by RA’s treasurer.
Sridhar Ganesan, treasurer and RA Board at-large director, will facilitate the meeting Thursday, Sept. 14 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.”
Two more budget work sessions, open to the public, are slated for Monday, Sept. 18, from noon-5 p.m. and from 7:30-10 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.
The final draft of the 2018-19 budget is to be presented at the Board’s Sept. 28 meeting. There will then be a pair of public hearings on the budget in late October, as well as a community input opportunity at the Oct. 15 Lake House open house event. Approval of the operating and capital budgets, and the 2018 assessment rate, is scheduled to take place at the Board’s November meeting.
The 2018-2019 budget development process began in February with the adoption of the biennial budget development calendar.
Reston Association is asking members interested in taking over for Ray Wedell, who has vacated his seat on the RA Board of Directors, to put their names in the hat.
Anyone interested in serving out the remainder of the term of the at-large seat, which runs through April, is asked to submit a statement of candidacy by noon Friday, Sept. 22. Completed applications can be sent in by mail (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20191-3404); by email to the board’s assistant secretary, Sabrina Tadele ([email protected]); or in-person at RA headquarters.
Certified candidates will meet with the board at its Thursday, Sept. 28 meeting to discuss interests and qualifications.
Wedell stepped down last week, 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.
RA is issuing the call for candidates after receiving “unanimous consent” from the Board of Directors to do so. The seat is one of four that will be up for vote in the 2018 election.
Va. Transit Ridership Continues Downward Trend — Usage of the Metro’s Silver Line stations at Reston and Tysons is increasing, but that’s one of the few bright spots for public transportation ridership in the region. [WTOP]
Board to Determine Fate of Wedell’s Seat — Following Ray Wedell’s resignation from the Reston Association Board of Directors last week, remaining board members have a decision to make about whether to fill the seat and, if so, how. The term on the now-vacant seat runs through April. [Reston Association]
Reston Sisters Make Jewelry for Good Cause — A pair of local girls founded their own charity project, Rays of Hope, in 2012. They make jewelry out of shells they find on the beach in North Carolina’s Outer Banks and sell it to benefit CancerFree KIDS, a cause they became passionate about when their cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. [Connection Newspapers]
County Expands On-Scene Mental Health Work — The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board recently added a second fully operational Mobile Crisis Unit, part of the county’s “Diversion First” initiative to offer alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness and other disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low-level offenses. [Fairfax County]
(This article was updated at 4:35 p.m. after confirmation of Wedell’s resignation was received from Sherri Hebert.)
With about eight months remaining in his term, Reston Association At-Large Director Ray Wedell has resigned from the Board.
In a statement provided to Reston Now, Wedell spells out the reasons for his decision; however, his statement does not give an effective date of the resignation. Reston Association Board President Sherri Hebert said she contacted Hebert to confirm his decision and was told his resignation is effective immediately.
The often-outspoken Wedell has been at odds with other Board members throughout his tenure and, recently, he found himself at odds with fellow Restonians over comments he made regarding the future Hook Road Recreation Area project. This controversy came to a head at a public meeting Tuesday night that at times turned ugly.
Wedell was elected to the Board in 2015. His full statement of resignation, as submitted to Reston Now, can be read below:
During a community meeting earlier this week (video) on a future Hook Road Recreation Area capital project, residents provided their thoughts on what should — and should not — be done at the park.
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.
Tuesday’s meeting was a kickoff to the project, sharing information with the community and beginning the process of gathering input. In between tense moments at the meeting, many residents of the community said they appreciated the effort Reston Association is undertaking to engage the community from the very start of the process.
“We all know, living in Reston, things change,” said John Pinkman, of Rescue Reston. “Things have to improve if we want to keep our property values as high as they are, [so] I really encourage this process.”
Dan Pennington, president of the Orchard Green Cluster Association, asked for clarification on what has been identified by Reston Association staff as “aging components” of the park that require attention. Garrett Skinner, RA’s capital projects director, said everything at the park falls into that category.
“Nothing has been replaced — in terms of the tennis court, the ballfields, the multipurpose court — since 1975,” Skinner said. “Many of these features are all kind of due for rehab around the same time, and this will be a good opportunity to look at everything as one facility instead of the previous methodology for us, [which was] just to fix little things as they’re needed.”
Concerns about parking and restroom facilities at the park are among those that have been brought up in one way or another regarding the project. Upgrades to facilities including the baseball field have also been mentioned by community members.
At Tuesday’s meeting, 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 representative of PRAC also shared information, as did Skinner.
The question was raised of whether the fact that $50,000 has already been allocated from the Repair & Replacement Reserve Fund to develop plans for Hook Road means a “very large” project is being envisioned.
“What you saw tonight from Dewberry, all of that work, that’s where we allocated that $50,000 — all the data gathering, all the community input, all the research they’re doing,” said Sherri Hebert, president of RA’s Board of Directors. “There is no design [yet]. It could be anything from a small little thing to whatever the community wants. There’s nothing out there yet.”
Saying the current RA board is “very conservative” when funds are concerned, Hebert said a large-scale project is not anticipated.
“What will be different this year is an iterative process between the Working Group … and the Board,” Hebert said. “It’s not going to come back with this big project. … Nothing will be a surprise with the community.”
The 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.
It’s the end-of-summer party known as Labor Day Weekend. Over the next three-plus days, there will be plenty of chances to get out and give summer its well-deserved sendoff.
There are several marquee events in the area this weekend, beginning with the kickoff of the JamBrew series tonight in Herndon. Aslin Beer Co. will be pouring frosty mugs, Weird Brothers Coffee will be offering tasty drinks, Lake Anne Brew House/Nordic Knot Pretzels “will be vending fresh baked soft pretzels to the masses,” and there will be much more. Live music will be offered from DJ Cihad, Todd Wright and Tammy Gann, and Turtle Recall. The free event is slated for 6-10 p.m. at the Herndon Town Green (777 Lynn St.).
(Lake Anne Plaza’s Jazz & Blues Festival has been canceled due to rain in the forecast.)
Over at Lake Anne Plaza, the 11th annual Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival will go down from 1-9 p.m. Saturday. The lineup of musicians for the festival includes many well-known names in the local music community. The eight hours of music will include performances by Cheick Hamala Dibaté, Sam Gunderson, John Lee & Michael Pavone, Integriti Reeves, Mykle Lyons (sextet), Gigi MacClaughlin, Kriss Funn and Crush Funk Brass.
On Monday in Herndon, the town’s annual Labor Day Festival will feature Virginia wine tastings, craft beers, live music, a craft show, food vendors, lawn games and more. Eight craft brewers will offer tastings, and eight wineries are participating as well. There will also be live music throughout the event and much more. Admission for those participating in sampling wine and beer will be $20, which includes a glass for wine and three complimentary beer tastings. Anyone who won’t be purchasing alcoholic beverages will be admitted for $5, and children 12 and under will be admitted free. The event is slated for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Herndon Town Green (777 Lynn St.).
The weekend weather forecast calls for a chance of rain Saturday, a partly sunny day Sunday and then a gorgeous Labor Day holiday. Get out there and make the most of it!
Listed below are some other events that will also be taking place this holiday weekend.
(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 is hosting a chartered bus trip to the National Book Festival at the Washington Convention Center on Saturday. All ages are welcome, but children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $18 for RA members and $23 for non-members. The bus will depart from RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive) at 9 a.m. Saturday. Registration can be done through Webtrac, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 703-435-6577.
- Reston Association will have four pools — Lake Audubon, Lake Newport, North Shore and Ridge Heights — open Saturday, Sunday and Monday. North Shore and Ridge Heights will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day; Lake Audubon and Lake Newport will be open from noon to 7 p.m.
- The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
- Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
- Surf Reston is offering the chance to paddleboard to the sounds of the Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival from 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Advance registration is required. In addition, there will be SUP yoga from 9-11 a.m. Saturday.
- Unitarian Universalist Church (1625 Wiehle Ave.) will show the film “A Five-Star Life” tonight beginning at 8:30 p.m., preceded at 8 p.m. by a social and snack opportunity.
- Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night; 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.
- Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) will also have a pregame party Sunday in anticipation of that evening’s college football game between Virginia Tech and West Virginia at FedExField. The restaurant will also charter a bus to the game, leaving at 3:30 p.m., with tickets starting at $29.99. (Note: That price only includes the ride and the party, not tickets to the game itself.)
- Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music from Olivia & The Mates tonight from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and from Sam Gunderson during those hours Saturday night.
- Mr. Knick Knack will provide “unique, heart-centered music” for children Monday from 10:30-11:15 a.m. at the Reston Town Center pavilion. Parking will be free at the Town Center for the Labor Day holiday.
#RestonExpo: One-stop shopping event for home improvement & more! Food, music, kids tent events & workshops. https://t.co/T5k6M1uxc5 #Reston pic.twitter.com/qeMbK7FYvm
— Reston Association (@RestonOnline) August 29, 2017
Area home and garden businesses will share their products and services with residents during the Reston Expo, now scheduled for Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event was originally planned for Saturday, May 13, but it was postponed due to rain on that date. To avoid a recurrence of that situation, the event is planned to be held under a tent.
In addition to the change in date, there will also be a change in location. Instead of its normal home at Reston Association headquarters, the free event will take place at 1900 Campus Commons Drive. According to the Eventbrite page for the event, this will allow the Expo to be combined with RA’s semi-annual yard sale.
Advertised as “a one-stop shopping event for home improvement and more,” the event will also include food, music, kids’ tent events and workshops.
For exhibitor and sponsorship information, go to www.restonwebtrac.org and click on Search, then Service Search. Any questions about the event should be directed to [email protected] or 703-435-6530.
The first community meeting to discuss a future project at Hook Road Recreation Area provided members a chance to learn about the process and share information about how their voices will be heard.
It was far from run of the mill, though, as the Tuesday evening event was dotted with angry voices and flaring tempers — and even an appearance from the Fairfax County Police Department.
The meeting was the kickoff of what will be a several-month project to determine what, if anything, should be done to enhance the facilities at the park in North Reston. 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.
Many of the more than 100 members in attendance, however, expressed their dismay with Ray Wedell — the At-Large member of the Reston Association Board of Directors who recently shared his personal thoughts on the project in a five-page statement. In the statement, Wedell said amenities such as the baseball field at the park do not need upgrades, and that consideration should be given to removing the tennis and basketball facilities altogether.
Sherri Hebert, president of the RA Board, made a point at the start of the meeting to mention that Wedell’s opinions in no way represent anything that is being considered by the Board as a whole.
“I did receive several emails, and I know the RA Board did as well … regarding a letter [from Wedell],” Hebert said. “I just want to say that was Ray’s comments and Ray’s perspective; that did not represent the Reston Board or RA.”
Presentations were provided by Elaine Killoran of RA’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and by Garrett Skinner, RA’s director of capital projects, on how the process of determining what will be done at the park will proceed. Members are being encouraged to apply to be part of the Hook Road Working Group, which will be appointed in October and will be asked to give a report to the Board in February.
In December, the Board authorized the allocation of $50,000 from the Repair & Replacement Reserve Fund for the purpose of developing design concept plans related to the Hook Road project. The Board voted at its July meeting to form the working group.
Future community work sessions and roundtable events on the project have been tentatively scheduled for Oct. 4, 10 and 24.
Hook Road Meeting Tonight — The first community meeting on the establishment of the Hook Road Working Group and to discuss the pending project at the recreation area will be tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Reston Association headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). [Reston Now]
Vote Today for County School Board Seat — Polls are open until 7 p.m. for the special election to fill an At-Large seat on the Fairfax County School Board. [Reston Now]
South Lakes High School Sports Schedule — The SLHS volleyball and golf teams have matchups tonight. Other sports including field hockey, cross country and football will go up against competition later this week. [South Lakes High School]
Lake Anne Brew House Owner Touts Women in Brewing — Melissa Romano, owner of Lake Anne Brew House, was one of speakers at the “She Can Brew It” series, dedicated to women who brew and own breweries, Saturday night in Alexandria. [Mash the Patriarchy]
Digital Services Provider Moves to Reston — Octo Consulting Group has moved from Tysons Corner to a new 25,000-square-foot headquarters at 10780 Packridge Blvd. Octo has about 350 employees, 130 of whom have been hired in the past 18 months. [Washington Exec]
It’s the last weekend in August, and school starts Monday.
It’s not even Labor Day yet, but it’s an unofficial end of summer.
With that comes the end of many of the events that have defined the season in Reston. Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series ends this weekend, as does Reston Town Center’s summer concert series.
This also marks the end of the season for much of Reston Association’s swimming pool schedule. North Shore and Ridge Heights pools are the only locations where daily hours will continue after this weekend, though Lake Audubon and Lake Newport pools will open for Labor Day Weekend.
Kids and families, take advantage of these last two days before the school bell rings Monday.
Below are many of the fun events that are going on this weekend, for the young ones and the adults alike.
(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.)
- The “Summerbration” comes to a close this weekend at Reston Station. Tonight from 7-9 p.m., The Swingin’ Swamis will perform. Saturday night from 8:30-10:30 p.m., there will be a free screening of “The Little Mermaid.” The Summerbration events are in the plaza outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. (Note: To receive free parking for these events, parking tickets need to be validated by personnel on the plaza. Find the sign that reads “Parking Validation Here.”)
- Saturday night, Reston Town Center’s summer concert series wraps up with a show from David Akers and the Soul Shakers from 7:30-10 p.m. at the pavilion (11900 Market St.). Parking at RTC is free on the weekends.
- Hours for humans at Dogwood and North Hills pools may have ended, but there’s still fun to be had there for their four-legged friends. Reston Association will host two “Dog Paddle” events this weekend, at Dogwood Pool (2460 Green Range Road) on Saturday and at North Hills Pool (1325 North Village Road) on Sunday. Each day, the events will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost to register is $4 for dogs of Reston Association members and $6 for dogs of non-members.
- Potomac River Running will put on the sixth-annual South Lakes 10K on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., beginning at SLHS (11400 South Lakes Drive).
- Reston Bicycle Club’s 35th annual Century ride will roll off at 6:30 a.m. Sunday from the pavilion at Reston Town Center. Three hundred slots are being held of same-day walk-ups. In addition to the 100-mile ride, there are 31- and 62-mile routes available.
- The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
- Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
- Interested in stand-up paddleboarding? Surf Reston is offering sessions this weekend on Lake Anne. Advance registration is required. In addition, there will be SUP yoga from 9-11 a.m. Saturday.
- Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night; 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 Revelator Hill tonight from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Saturday night, DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits.
- Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor square off Saturday night in one of the most anticipated professional fights in history. Many sports bars in Herndon, Tysons, Sterling and elsewhere in the area will be showing it on the big screen.
As input sessions on a proposed capital improvement project at Hook Road Recreation Area will soon begin, one member of the Reston Association Board of Directors has big questions.
Ray Wedell, an At-Large director who lived on Hook Road for seven years, has been adamantly against the project proposal from the start. He says the future of that park must be evaluated in a “deeper and more meaningful way” than what is currently being approached by RA.
In a five-page statement (download in full) that he recently presented to the Board, CEO Cate Fulkerson and RA staff members, Wedell argues the emphasis should be on preserving the “beautiful and peaceful open space” at the park rather than on enhancements to what he views as little-used facilities.
“I submitted this as part of the record before the first budget meeting, which I could not attend. I asked it be part of the record. Having heard nothing from any of the 18 recipients in the RA brain trust concerning my piece, I brought it up at the next budget meeting (very lightly attended), and again asked that it be included as part of the record,” Wedell told Reston Now. “Although politely added to the record, my sense is that it will be buried. The procedure to follow on this Hook Road project (and maybe even the ultimate outcome) [has] already been determined long ago. My opinions will be circumvented as much as possible.”
Wedell’s opinions focus in large part upon changes to the eastern portion of the property, which features four tennis courts, a tennis practice wall and a basketball court — all amenities the director says are greatly underused.
There are four tennis courts that are lit at night. There is amazingly little use of these courts during most of the year, as I have often documented. There is also no check that I can ever decipher that the few people playing there are actually Reston residents paying for the privilege. Alongside the tennis courts is a practice tennis wall, another wasted space rarely used. There is also a paved basketball court. This is almost never used.
Instead of renovating these facilities, which he says would be “expensive and unnecessary,” Wedell says they are perfect places to increase parking at the recreation area.
All of this territory can be beautifully re-purposed at minimal expense, and likely less upkeep. Furthermore, my proposal could draw heavily from private donations, whereas none of the retrofit projects to keep Hook Road as is would do so.
Reduced pool hours in the 2017 schedule drew the ire of many in the Reston community.
Now that the season is nearing its end, those members and others will have the opportunity to share feedback from their summer experiences.
The Reston Association Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee will be made available on Sunday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon during an open house at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue). They will be collecting member input on the 2017 pool schedule, as well as thoughts and suggestions about what should be done in 2018.
This year, no pools were open on weekdays prior to Memorial Day. (In 2016, both the North Shore and Ridge Heights pools were open from 1-7 p.m. each weekday beginning May 14.) Through June 23, only four pools were open on weekdays, with one (Glade) open only three hours a night.
In addition, as school is starting next week — one week earlier than in past years — North Shore and Ridge Heights will be the only two pools open the week preceding Labor Day, from 4-7 p.m. each evening. However, RA has announced that Lake Audubon and Lake Newport pools will both be opened for Labor Day weekend.
North Shore and Ridge Heights pools will remain open on weekends and weeknights through Sept. 24.
Mike Leone, communications director for Reston Association, told Reston Now in April that the 2017 schedule was developed as part of an effort to “identify significant cost savings.”
“During the 2017 budget development process, the Board directed staff to identify significant cost savings in the budget to accommodate other strategic goals. Based on facility usage data collected over the past three years that shows a decline in pool attendance as well as feedback from the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee, the Board of Directors approved pool schedule options by which the proposed aquatics budget could be reduced while still serving the interests of the membership as a whole.”
Members brought up concerns about the pool schedule during general member input sessions earlier this year. Those suggestions are being considered by the RA Board of Directors as part of their budget process.
Anyone who has input to share but is unable to attend the Sept. 10 event is invited to email comments to [email protected].
The Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee is scheduled to make a report on the issue to the Board of Directors at a budget work session Sept. 18.
A meeting next week will allow Reston Association members a chance to learn more about a future project at the Hook Road Recreation Area.
“This first meeting on the Hook Road Recreation Area is intended to be a kick-off for the project,” according to Sabrina Tadele, RA’s board and committee liaison. “[It] will be followed by multiple community input meetings this October soliciting member feedback on what improvements (if any) should be made at this site.”
At the meeting, slated for Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive):
- Members will receive an overview of the process undertaken by Reston Association’s volunteer Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee to select this site
- The schedule for future community input meetings will be shared
- Staff will provide an outline of final project deliverables
- The design consultant engaged for the project will be introduced (This firm has been selected to help facilitate the development of a master plan for the site based on community input and the guidance of the Hook Road Working Group)
- The opportunity to serve on the Hook Road Working Group will be highlighted for any members interested in contributing to the development of this project on an ongoing basis.
The Reston Association Board of Directors voted at its July meeting to form the group. The group’s purpose will be to provide to the Board, by January, recommendations for implementing solutions that affects both park users and adjacent property owners. The recommendations are to be determined after the series of public input meetings, in coordination with the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee and the project design firm.
The group’s recommendations, according to its purpose, should:
- Enhance the use of Hook Road Recreation Area through facility renovations and improvements including but not limited to restroom facility additions and evaluation of existing amenities;
- Improve landscaping and hardscaping;
- Increase accessibility and improve safety for users; and,
- Fit within the budget constraints set by the Board.
The park was selected by RA’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee for “full-facility enhancement” after multiple facilities were evaluated last year. “Full-facility enhancement” is part of the new capital project methodology that was adopted by the RA board 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, doing comprehensive work to upgrade the facility all at once.
In December, the Board authorized the allocation of $50,000 from the Repair & Replacement Reserve Fund for the purpose of developing design concept plans related to the Hook Road project, which may help to resolve any current site configuration challenges that may exist based on community input.
During Board discussion of the project at its March meeting, At-Large Director Ray Wedell was especially vocal in his opposition to the project. During an animated speech, he said it is “an excellent field as it sits” and “what Reston should represent.”
“For the life of me, I have no idea what you people are going to propose to change it,” he said. “[People who live near the park] are quite content with how it is right now.”
The Hook Road Recreation Area was originally developed in 1965, with additions of tennis and basketball amenities in 1973. Since, the property has remained relatively unchanged.
Photo courtesy Reston Association
In order to comply with Virginia code regarding flood protection and dam safety, Reston Association crews will remove 143 trees in North Reston next month.
Most of the trees to be removed (131) are located near Butler Pond. Another dozen trees located near Bright Pond will also be removed.
The issue was brought to RA’s attention during a recent dam inspection by GKY & Associates.
According to Virginia code:
Dam owners shall not permit the growth of trees and other woody vegetation and shall remove any such vegetation from the slopes and crest of embankments and the emergency spillway area, and within a distance of 25 feet from the toe of the embankment and abutments of the dam.
Butler Pond is located on the west side of Reston Parkway near the intersection with Route 7. The trees in question line Reston Parkway, with most on the eastern side.
Bright Pond is located on the east side of Reston Parkway, north of the intersection with Wiehle Avenue. The trees in question there are located on the southeastern side of the pond, near Reston Association’s Pink Trail.
RA’s arborist and environmental crews are expected to begin the work during the first week of September. RA plans to replant trees beyond the 25-foot buffer area within the natural area behind Stones Throw Drive, beginning later in September.
Map of Butler Pond work plan courtesy Reston Association
The dog days of summer are coming to an end, and Reston’s four-legged residents need to get their last fun of the season in too.
For the second year, Reston Association will host its “Dog Paddle” event next weekend. It’s an opportunity for man’s best friends to splash in RA pools that have closed for the summer, community events supervisor Ashleigh Soloff said.
“[It’s] a super fun event,” she said.
About 70 canines participated in the event in 2016, Soloff said.
Appropriately enough, Dogwood Pool (2460 Green Range Road) will host the event Saturday, Aug. 26. The next day, the dogs will splash at North Hills Pool (1325 North Village Road) will welcome pets. Each day, the events will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
No people are permitted in the water with the dogs, and current dog licenses are required. Dogs must be kept under control and sociable at all times, and female dogs in heat will not be permitted.
Registration can be done through Reston Association’s WebTrac system or by calling 703-435-6531. Cost is $4 for dogs of Reston Association members and $6 for dogs of non-members.
