Monday, May 17
- One Loudoun Carnival (5-10 p.m.) — After taking a break in 2020 due to the pandemic, One Loudoun’s annual carnival is back. Open nightly through the end of the month, the event features rides, games, and of course, the requisite funnel cake.
Tuesday, May 18
- Questions About Demographic Change (6-7 p.m.) — Have questions about the latest Census results and the demographic changes that it’s reporting? Come ask George Mason University Associate Professor of Policy and Government Justin Gest in this virtual question and answer session organized by Fairfax County Public Library.
Wednesday, May 19
- Ravel Dance Company presents “Coppelia” (5 p.m.) — The Ravel Dance Company in Reston is finally heading back to the stage with a performance of the comedic ballet “Coppelia.” While there remains no live audience, the performance will be videotaped and presented digitally through invitation only.
Thursday, May 20
- Brian Boome in conversation with Jason Reynolds (8 p.m.) — Politics & Prose presents a talk between authors Brian Boome and Jason Reynolds, who will discuss his new book, “Punch Me Up To the Gods.” Reynolds is a D.C.-area native who has won awards for his young adult fiction, and Boome is presenting his memoir about his experiences growing up in Ohio.
Friday, May 21
- Dinner at Dusk (6 p.m.) — Have the perfect date night at the Key Bridge Boathouse in D.C. The evening starts with a one-hour paddle, followed by dinner and live music along the shores of the Potomac River.
Saturday, May 22
- Hole in One (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) — Go for a hole in one at the newly renovated Jefferson District mini-golf course in Falls Church. The course is hosting an open house for all to check out those immaculate greens. Play, put the ball in the hole, and get a goody bag as well.
- Movies in the Park (7:45 p.m.) — Take in the 1988 John Candy comedy “The Great Outdoors” outdoors. Join the Reston Association for the latest installment in their “Movies in the Park” series. Bring a blanket, your mask, and the family to Lake Newport Soccer Field to catch a flick outside.
Sunday, May 23
- Turtle Trek (1:30-3 p.m.) — In honor of World Turtle Day, go in search of turtles that call Reston home. Meant for all ages, the day will end with a hike to the turtle habitat at Lake Audubon.
Photo via Linnaea Mallette/Public Domain Pictures
Recent thefts at Reston community gardens are leading to increased security and involvement of the police, Reston Association announced in a statement yesterday (May 10).
Just last week, thieves stole hundreds of dollars of plants from a community garden plot in Hunter Woods Park, Patch reported.
This isn’t the first time this has happened at the garden, which is located at 2501 Reston Parkway. Incidents of this nature date back at least two years, with thieves stealing materials, supplies, tools, and even a little girl’s garden gnome.
Reston Association previously installed a 10-foot chain link fence and motion detector lights, but that didn’t prevent this past month’s robberies.
“Before this season, there was no real fencing or locked gate,” Reston Association spokesperson Mike Leone told Reston Now in an email. “So, this is the first break-in.”
The Fairfax County Police Department has received 23 theft reports from this particular community garden since last year, a police spokesperson tells Reston Now.
However, that number reflects the number of victims, rather than separate incidents, with many of the thefts occurring on the same day.
There have been six reported thefts in this past year alone, with three of them occurring on the same day. Many are happening between the months of May and July, according to the police spokesperson.
As a result, RA says it will ramp up security efforts at the community garden.
The organization is looking into upgrading the lighting and installing a trail camera that would help identify anyone coming or going from the garden. Its Central Services Facility team is also asking all gardeners to constantly check if the gates are locked and not to share the combinations with anyone.
Additionally, FCPD is increasing its presence in the area overnight to deter further thefts and break-ins.
Beyond safety concerns, gardeners spend a lot of time, money, and energy working their plots.
“We know how much the Reston’s garden plots mean to our community members,” Reston Association CEO Hank Lynch wrote in a statement. “Gardeners give their time and energy to help us manage these facilities and they get immense personal satisfaction out of growing their own plants and vegetables. We want residents of all ages to feel they can pursue this wonderful hobby in a safe and secure manner.”
The motives behind the thefts remains unclear, though one person told Patch that the nature of the stolen items and the methods used to obtain them, such as the unscrewing of wooden frames around the garden, suggest the culprits could be landscapers.
FCPD is continuing to investigate and follow-up on the reported thefts and encourages community members to report any suspicious activity they see in the garden’s vicinity.
(Updated at 12:55 p.m.)
Monday, May 10
- Learn Sumi-e (6-7 p.m.) — Sumi-e is a Japanese art form that uses ink and water to create a calligraphy type of painting. Take a virtual class on this art through the Thomas Jefferson Library in Falls Church. All materials are picked up and returned to the library.
Tuesday, May 11
- Super Snakes (10 a.m.) — Don’t worry, there’s no Marvel movie about super snakes (yet). Join a naturalist from the Fairfax County Park Authority to learn about the snakes that slither through our region. Then, head out to Burke Lake Park to go find some.
Wednesday, May 12
- Village Centers of Reston (7-8:30 p.m.) — Join the Reston Historic Trust and Museum for a virtual presentation on the history of village centers. It will feature archival materials from the museum’s collections, as they continue to embrace the future to explain the past.
Thursday, May 13
- X-Wing Lands At Smithsonian (10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.) — The X-Wing flown by Poe Dameron in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has landed at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly. It’s in the restoration hanger and can be seen by the public while it undergoes inspection, conservation, and cleaning before heading off to a galaxy far, far, away — that is, D.C. where it will hang in the museum downtown starting late next year.
Friday, May 14
- First Date (8 p.m.) — In NextStop Theatre’s first return to the stage since the pandemic, follow Casey and Aaron on their first date through the Town of Herndon.
- Drive-In Movie Night (7:15 p.m.) — Catch a free drive-in movie at Reston Hospital to honor Nurses and Hospital week. The movie will be “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” and there’s space for 150 cars.
Saturday, May 15
- RA Pools Opening (1 p.m) — It’s finally pool season, even if the weather remains a bit cool. The first two of Reston Association’s 12 pools opens this weekend for the season. And, don’t worry, the pools are heated.
- Tour de Hunter Mill (8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.) — Join this community bike ride around the district to reacquaint oneself with the hidden treasures, cultural, and environmental resources in the area. It’s the inaugural ride and also a chance to peddle around with Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
Sunday, May 16
- Virginia Psychic Fair (9 a.m.) — Some of the area’s most well-known psychics, mediums, healers, and readers of all types will be on hand at the Virginia Psychic Fair held at the Arlington-Fairfax Elks Lodge in Fairfax. The fair is for the serious-minded and those just curious alike. Masks are required.
Grab a blanket or chairs, and prepare to settle in for some Movies in the Park, courtesy of Reston Association.
RA kicks off its 2021 Movies in the Park series on Saturday, May 8, with a 8:15 p.m. showing of “Lego: Batman” at Hunters Woods Park.
There are five additional movies planned throughout the year, with the last showing coming on Sept. 10. The location of the screenings will also rotate around the area. The remaining movies are:
- May 22: “The Great Outdoors” — movie starts at 8:30 p.m. at Lake Newport Soccer Field
- June 11: “Croods: New Age” — movie starts at 8:45 p.m. at Brown’s Chapel
- July 16: “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” — movie starts at 8:45 p.m. at Quartermaster – Gary Braithwaite Field
- 20: “Wreck It Ralph” — movie starts at 8:30 p.m. at Hook Road Recreation Area
- 10: “Raiders of the Lost Ark” — movie starts at 7:45 p.m. at Hunters Woods Park
Doors to each event will open 45 minutes before the start of the movie.
Available to both RA members and non-members via RA’s website, tickets for each movie cost $8 for adult RA members and $5 for children, 3 years old and up, for RA members. For non-members, adult tickets are $10 each and kids are $6. Entry is free for children under 3.
Screenings will be cancelled in the event of rain or the threat of rain. If RA cancels an event, it will issue refunds. If a ticket holder wishes to cancel, they must cancel 72 hours in advance to receive a refund.
COVID-19 precautions will be in place at the events. A limited number of participants will be allowed to attend each movie. A six-foot distancing rule will be in place, and face masks are required when moving about the site.
Concessions will be available for purchase on site.
Image via Reston Association
The Reston Association Design Review Board has given a tentative thumbs up to Tall Oaks Assisted Living’s plans to expand its parking lot on North Shore Drive.
The board voted 4-1 with one abstention on Tuesday (April 20) to give conceptual approval to the assisted living facility’s proposal to add 29 new parking spaces to the 44-space lot, even as members lamented the anticipated loss of landscaping and the trees that give Tall Oaks its name.
Board architect Michael Wood voted against Tall Oaks’ request for conceptual approval, saying that he understands the facility’s need for additional parking but wishes it could be achieved without such a significant environmental impact.
“That’s some really nice trees and landscaping that go along the edge of the facility right now, so it’s a little bit of a shame,” Wood said. “…If it wasn’t so close to neighbors, it maybe wouldn’t be an issue, [or] if it wasn’t impacting the trail…But it is doing all that stuff.”
Built in 1988, Tall Oaks Assisted Living currently hosts 152 beds with 48 staff members on site at a given time, but it still only has 44 parking spaces.
In recent years, the facility utilized surplus parking at the adjacent Tall Oaks Village Center, but that is no longer an option, thanks to ongoing construction on a long-gestating redevelopment of the shopping center.
Land use attorney Sara Mariska says that Tall Oaks Assisted Living reached an agreement for a parking license with developer Stanley Martin, which agreed to provide 12 spaces on the redeveloped village center lot. However, Tall Oaks would not have 24-hour access, and that would ultimately not be enough spots to accommodate the facility’s needs.
Those 12 spaces have also not yet been constructed, noted John Albert, the development and project management director for Coordinated Services Management, which operates Tall Oaks Assisted Living.
In comparison, the assisted living facility’s proposal would bring its parking lot up to 68 total spaces, with 10 of the 29 new spots envisioned as tandem spaces.
“We’re struggling as a business right now post-pandemic. Our occupancy level is the lowest it’s ever been, and we’re worried about the viability of an ongoing business,” Albert said. “This is something we really didn’t want to do, but we did a parking study, and we really do need every space that’s on this plan right now.”
Tall Oaks Assisted Living representatives said that they are “very sensitive” to the concerns raised by the community and have worked with the adjacent residential neighborhoods to mitigate the impact of their proposal as much as possible.
In addition to reconfiguring the parking lot design to preserve some trees in a section of the property line most in need of buffering, the assisted living center’s request for additional parking is more modest than the 99 spaces that Fairfax County’s zoning ordinance requires for a facility of its size.
“We are requesting a pretty sizable reduction because we do not want to pave over this parking lot,” Mariska said. “We want to constrain our impact as much as we can, and we are requesting only the spaces that we would need for the facility to remain viable.”
Even with those adjustments, however, Tall Oaks still anticipates removing 66 trees and 95 shrubs, and it is only proposing to plant 17 new trees.
Michael Byrne, secretary of the Villa de Espana Cluster Association, expressed sympathy for the assisted living center’s situation, but said it will be difficult for his neighborhood to lose another stand of trees go after they already had a canopy removed by the Tall Oaks Village Center redevelopment.
“Our concerns are obviously losing our tall oaks, what is essentially the beauty of our natural environment, and also what it brings to the drainage problem,” he said. “The trees absorbing water, we don’t have a lot of drainage problems in that section of our quadrant.”
The design review board’s vote this week gave approval to the conceptual plan presented by Tall Oaks Assisted Living, but the applicant will need to return to get approval of its final design, including details about bicycle racks, a proposed retaining wall, and other elements that are still being refined.
The request for additional parking is slated to go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission for a public hearing and vote at 7:30 p.m. on May 19.
Images via Google Maps, Reston Association
Early Voting Begins Today — At 9 a.m., Fairfax County voters can start casting their ballots for the June 8 Democratic primary. Early voting has expanded from previous years, with all registered voters now allowed to participate and the county immediately offering three locations with Saturday hours. [Fairfax County Government]
Massage Therapist Arrested for Sexual Battery in Herndon — “Herndon Police arrested a massage therapist Wednesday in connection with a sexual battery incident that occurred at a business in the 400 block of Carlisle Drive, according to a post on the department’s official Facebook page. Police charged Zachary Nelson Guzman-Orellana, 39, of Leesburg, with aggravated sexual battery by a therapist.” [Patch]
Herndon Farmers Market Opens Amid Blustery Weather — “A handful of vendors bundled up early Thursday morning and set up their tables, signaling the return of the Herndon Farmers Market to Lynn Street in old town for the 2021 season. It was cold and windy, but everyone seemed happy to be back.” [Patch]
Reston Association Job Fair Coming Tomorrow — “Join us this Saturday at the Reston Aquatics Job Fair! From 11 AM-2 PM, come to Ridge Heights Pool and chat with current staff, play games, and win prizes. Bring your friends and spread the word! Social distancing and masks will be required.” [RA/Twitter]
Reston CEO to Host Entrepreneurship Workshop — Reston Limousine Service President and CEO Kristina Bouweiri will lead the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority’s next “Entrepreneurship 101: Starting a Business in Fairfax County” webinar on May 4. Held every other month, the virtual workshops feature panels of small business experts on how to start a business. [FCEDA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
2020 was the “single greatest year” for capital project execution in Reston Association’s history, outgoing RA president Julie Bitzer declared at the association’s annual members’ meeting on Tuesday (April 13).
However, a number of much-needed capital projects remain, and RA CEO Hank Lynch says the ability to fund them is “primarily my biggest concern” for the next five to 10 years.
Despite delays and shortages related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Reston Association managed to finish 85 of its 121 ongoing capital projects this past year — 70% completion rate.
The projects included Lake Anne dock upgrades and work at a number of Reston pools. RA also started renovating the Hook Road tennis court and making trash rack repairs at Lake Audubon.
There are 13 active projects, and 28 projects will be completed this coming year, according to the map available on RA’s website.
Lynch specifically cited the Hook Road tennis court renovations and the Lake Thoreau Pool project, which is expected to enter the construction phase in the fall, as “taking up a significant amount of capital work.”
$3.8 million was spent on all projects this past year, and $3.6 million is being budgeted for this coming year, Bitzer said.
Back in March 2020, a newly re-established recreational board facilities working group determined that a number of decades-old facilities were still in need of work.
“We have aging amenities…About half of [the swimming pools] are more than 30 years old,” Lynch said. “As we look to the next five to 10 years, five of these pools will require major renovations.”
Lynch noted that these renovations will take multiple years and require multi-million-dollar commitments.
However, RA’s budget for taking on these big projects is lacking, and the association may need to make some hard decisions going forward.
“Our assessments have really not kept pace with our anticipated long-term spending demands that we now found ourselves facing,” Lynch said. “We are really going to have some tough choices to make when it comes to some of these larger price-tag items.”
According to the presentation at the annual meeting, a huge chunk of members’ $708 annual assessment already goes towards maintaining and improving facilities as well as providing recreation services.
58.5% of the annual assessment dues goes towards these three categories. That’s about $414 annually per member.
RA members suggested some other ways to raise revenue, such as re-starting boat and Lake House facility rentals, particularly with weddings and other big events potentially returning this coming year.
But officials made it clear that the biggest potential source of much-needed revenue would be to raise annual assessment rates again. Rates went up each of the past two years, though there was a decrease in 2017.
How to fund capital projects will be one of the top issues that RA’s new board of directors and president Caren Anton will have to address in the coming year.
“Keeping our assets and facilities in top condition remains a top priority for the board,” Bitzer said.
Photo via Youtube/Reston Association
Reston Association has elected two new members and re-elected one to their Board of Directors.
The board’s two open at-large seats went to Sarah Selvaraj-D’Souza, who won a second three-year term with 4,275 votes, and Timothy J. Dowling, who was elected for his first three-year term with 3,987 votes.
They both bested John Farrell by a relatively slim margin. The former RA Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee member received 3,719 votes, while 26-year-old software engineer Vincent Dory received 1,221 votes. There were 647 votes to abstain.
Voters could vote for one or two candidates on their ballots.
In the South Lakes District, Jennifer Jushchuk ran unopposed, though about 12% of the votes cast were abstentions.
The results were announced last night (April 13) at RA’s annual members’ meeting. Full results, including vote count and turnout, are publicly available.
The board candidates were announced in February. Voting opened on March 1 and closed on April 2.
RA Election Committee Chair Ed Abbott tells Reston Now that the election ran smoothly and was free of the technical glitches that cropped up last year.
“The Election Committee did not encounter any major issues in the election process,” he said by email. “The use of Zoom for the Candidate Forums and Meet and Greet Sessions went well thanks to the technical support of the RA staff and the cooperation of the candidates.”
Voter turnout also actually went up this year to about 19%, a roughly 5% increase from last year, Abbott notes.
Nonetheless, it remains low, something that the Elections Committee hopes to look into for next year.
“The Elections Committee will evaluate this year’s election process in the coming months and report to the Board of Directors,” Abbott said. “The evaluation will consider, among other things, increasing member participation, reducing costs and improving the overall election process.”
Voters could use either paper or online ballots, though nearly two-thirds of the votes came through online ballots.
The new board will select their officers at their first board meeting tonight (Wednesday). The officer positions include president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
Reston Association’s outgoing president Julie Bitzer was first elected to the Board in 2015 and was president for the last year.
Reston pools are reopening for the season starting May 15 with similar restrictions and guidelines as last summer.
The heated pools at North Shore and Ridge Heights will be the first two to reopen. The rest of the Reston Association’s 12 available pools will open in phases on May 29, June 1, and June 12.
Like last summer, reservations will be required, even for open swim, so that the pools can limit capacity and maintain 10-foot social distancing requirements.
Residents will be able to book two-hour blocks for open swim and one-hour blocks for each lap swim and water fitness.
A registration system will open on May 10 at 9 a.m., allowing reservations to be booked on a rolling basis one week in advance of each day.
This is how RA plans to operate the pools for the moment, but it could change later in the summer, RA Director of Communications Mike Leone wrote in an email to Reston Now.
“The situation remains fluid and RA will continue to monitor it as we move into the later spring and summer,” Leone said. “It’s possible the procedures could change if the Governor further relaxes social distancing and gathering restrictions, but for now we are following similar guidelines as last summer.”
Cleaning protocols instituted last summer will still be in effect, according to Reston Aquatics.
All spas, hot tubs, and spray features will remain closed, in accordance with a March 23 Executive Order from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.
Starting on May 15, North Shore Heated Pool will be open on Mondays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ridge Heights Heated Pool will also be open on Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Leone says that the opening dates for specific pools is based on known activity levels, and the timing of all the pools’ openings corresponds with the beginning of summer break for Fairfax County Public Schools.
Besides a high number of students using the pools, RA aligns the pool openings with school dismissals, because local high school students are often hired for lifeguard positions. Hiring enough lifeguards has been a challenge in the past.
Below are the opening dates for the rest of the available RA pools:
May 29
- Dogwood
- Glade
- Lake Newport
June 1
- Golf Course Island
- Lake Audubon
- Newbridge
- North Hills
June 12
- Autumnwood
- Hunters Wood
- Uplands
Three of RA’s pools — Lake Thoreau, Shadowood and Tall Oaks — are closed due to capital improvements, according to the website.
The new Lake Thoreau pool is set for a groundbreaking in October with a likely reopening in May 2023. Shadowood is also expected to undergo a full-scale renovation, and Tall Oaks has had past issues with contamination.
Image via Reston Association/YouTube
Hail Spotted During Evening Showers — Hail pelted Reston and Herndon last night when a rainstorm passed through the area around 7:45 p.m. The storm moved through fairly quickly but still made an impression. [Capital Weather Gang/Twitter]
Reston Association Annual Meeting Tonight — Reston Association will hold its annual members’ meeting virtually at 7 p.m. today. Member comments will be followed by an announcement of the results of the 2021 Board of Directors election and an introduction of the new directors. [RA]
Developers Undeterred by Silver Line Delays — The second phase of Metro’s Silver Line will not open until next year, but developers and local economic leaders still have a “positive long-term outlook” for the Reston and Herndon area. In the short term, though, the delays have “added challenges to those under construction and looking to break ground.” [Bisnow]
Fairfax County Joins Solarize Program Again — For the fifth year in a row, Fairfax County is participating in the Solarize Virginia program, which helps reduce costs for homeowners and businesses seeking to adopt solar power technology. This year’s program runs from April 12 through June 30, and for the first time, participants have the option to also install battery storage systems. [Fairfax County Government]
Outdoor “Twelfth Night” Production Coming to Herndon — The Herndon Community Arts Lab, Arts Herndon, and Dark Horse Theatre are putting on performances of Willian Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night or What You Will” on the Arts Herndon Lawn Stage in Old Town this spring. There will be a “pay what you will” preview on April 23, followed by regular performances on April 24 and 25, and May 1 and 2. [Patch]
Local College Student Bombarded by Camel Calls — A college student was baffled by a rash of callers asking to buy a camel he didn’t have until he learned about a Craigslist post advertising a camel for sale in Fairfax County with his phone number. The legality of private camel ownership in the county is unclear. [DCist]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fairfax County and Herndon Budget Hearings This Week — Fairfax County will hold virtual public hearings on its advertised FY 2022 budget and capital improvement program on Tuesday through Thursday (April 13-15). The Herndon Town Council will have a public hearing on its proposed budget when it meets at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, with a second public hearing scheduled for April 27. [Fairfax County Government, Town of Herndon]
Metro Phasing Out Original SmarTrip Cards — Metro will start phasing out fare cards that were made before 2012 starting in June as it prepares to rollout new faregates over the next year. The change will affect up to 400,000 out of the 6 million cards that were in active circulation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. [WMATA]
County Talks Equity in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution — At a town hall on Thursday (April 8), Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay shared that the county “has set up three “equity vaccine centers” and plans to establish more of them as the county receives larger supplies of vaccine doses. The county also plans eventually to get mobile vaccine clinics…up and running as soon as vaccine supplies increase.” [Patch]
Reston Consulting Firm Receives $1 Million in Damages — “A Reston government consulting firm seeking $1 million in damages related to a lawsuit it filed almost two years ago, has finally received its judgment, netting more than half what it asked for. Counter Threat Solutions LLC…filed a suit against Herndon IT services and intelligence analysis company Consulting Services Group LLC (CSG) in July 2019, alleging breach of contract related to a consulting agreement held by the two companies.” [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Association Volunteers Help With Potomac River Cleanup at Reston Regional Library — “Thank you @RestonOnline and RA volunteers for participating in today’s (4/10) Potomac Watershed Cleanup activities. A tremendous effort for a spring cleaning of our beautiful community!” [Supervisor Walter Alcorn/Twitter]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The Reston Association plans to spend more on lake management in 2021 than in previous years.
Lake Anne and Lake Thoreau suffered from constant algae blooms and overgrowth of invasive hydrilla in 2020, according to an RA community discussion last week about the lakes.
To manage those rather typical lake-related issues, the plan is to take a more “proactive” mitigation strategy, but that requires increasing the lake management budget, a possibility that was first discussed last fall in relation to a potentially toxic algae bloom that emerged in Lake Thoreau over the summer.
However, the investment is planning to be substantially more than initially thought.
In 2020, RA spent $17,000 for monitoring and treating lakes. In 2021, the plan is to spend about three times more money — nearly $52,000.
As stated at the March 31 meeting, this is largely due to Lake Thoreau.
Besides algae, Reston’s deepest lake also suffers from overgrowth of hydrilla, an aggressive, invasive aquatic plant that crowds out native species and impedes boating and fish habitats.
“Hydrilla is a big concern in Lake Thoreau,” said Bill Kirkpatrick of Aquatic Environment Consultants, which RA hired to manage the lakes. “Hydrilla grew late in the year, and the treatment was done on an emergency basis. We’ve revisited this and rethought the process.”
The plan is to start treatment early in the growth stage with a low, multiple-dose application of herbicide that is released slowly through clay pellets dropped to the bottom of the lake.
“It’s kinda like taking antibiotics,” Kirkpatrick said. “You don’t take all of it at once…You split it up to keep a certain concentration in your body.”
While this is a more expensive and time consuming way of treating the hydrilla, the hope is that it lasts much longer.
“It should suppress the growth and it never reaches that big die-off phase,” Kirkpatrick said.
While the hydrilla treatment will cost about $19,000 in 2021, the consultant believes that, if it is successful, no further treatment will be needed in 2022 or, perhaps, for several years beyond.
Starting in May, both Lake Thoreau and Lake Anne will be treated with low-dose algeasized concentrations on a monthly basis through September.
“The goal is to control the noxious algaes and allow the beneficial algaes to exist,” Kirkpatrick said.
Aquatic Environment Consultants plans to manage algae in this manner going forward, and the cost of algae treatment in 2022 is expected to remain the same.
All in all, it’s currently being estimated that the budget for lake management in 2022 will be $29,471 — about $22,000 less than RA anticipates spending in 2021.
The budget also includes funds to monitor lake water quality and to manage alligator weed, water primrose, and water lilies on Lake Newport.
The community discussion covered several other lake-related topics as well, including restocking the carp population, a new fishing line recycling program, and managing the Canadian geese population by tracking nests, counting geese, and potentially addling eggs.
“They cause traffic disturbances, they cause damage to people’s property, and they can put a huge amount of nutrients in the lakes, which can cause some of those algae blooms,” RA Watershed Manager Bill Peterson said. “We are not trying to eradicate the geese population, just trying to keep it down to an acceptable level.”
In recent months, the Reston Association has increased the assessment fee by $10, and as noted at the meeting, the boat mooring rate has also gone up.
Reston Man Hospitalized After Assault — A man was “assaulted by several acquaintances inside his home” at the 11600 block of Stoneview Square on March 26, according to police. The victim reportedly “sustained cuts to his lower body” and was taken to the hospital “with serious injuries.” [FCPD]
Police Arrest Four Suspects in Home Burglary — The Fairfax County Police Department arrested four men after determining that they were involved in taking property from a house in the 10600 block of Water Falls Lane on March 28. “Detectives continue to investigate this case, confirm the men’s identities and their involvement in other burglaries,” police say. [FCPD]
Longtime Chemical Engineer Dies at Reston Hospital — William “Bill” Friend built a 41-year career in engineering that included election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1993 and 21 years of work for the Reston-based Bechtel Group. At 86, he died from complications due to COVID-19 at Reston Hospital on Jan. 27. [The Washington Post]
Reston Association Opens Tennis Courts –“Reston Association’s clay courts at the North Hills and Glade tennis facilities opened April 1. Lights at these locations will be operational seven days a week between 6 p.m.-11 p.m. All players must have an RA 2021 recreation pass or a 2021 non-resident tennis pass to access the courts. Court monitors will be on site to check passes. Players are required to sweep the courts when they are done.” [RA Newsletter]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
(Updated, 4:40 p.m.) Reston Association is in the midst of renovating the Hook Road tennis courts on Fairway Drive.
In recent years, the courts have started to crack and show their age, considering they were built in the mid 1970s. The project was first discussed in 2016.
Renovations began in early March and are expected to be completed by late June or early July, though RA Director of Capital Projects Chris Schumaker says that the project is currently ahead of schedule.
In a video update on the renovation, Schumaker explains that RA is doing a “full depth reclamation process” that involves pulling up the existing asphalt, grinding it up, and mixing it with cement so that it can be compacted and laid down as the base for the new tennis court.
On past tennis court projects, RA typically put down a layer of gravel and then added a new layer of asphalt over it, according to Schumaker, but due to the age of the Hook Road courts, which already had several layers of asphalt, they made the decision to instead start over.
By mixing in cement with the asphalt, it should provide a stronger base and make the courts last longer — perhaps as long as 30 to 40 years, Schumaker says.
Reston Association tells Reston Now that the project is estimated to cost $650,000, which also includes refurbishment of the multipurpose court.
The tennis courts renovations are part of a conceptual master plan for Hook Road recreational facilities that includes baseball field upgrades and pathway renovations.
Those portions of the project remain in the “engineering phase,” according to Schumaker.
Back in 2017, tempers flared at several meetings about the Hook Road project. It was related to then-RA Board of Directors Member Ray Wedell’s adamant disagreement with the project and confrontational tactics in expressing them. He subsequently resigned from the board.
Photo via Reston Association/Youtube
(Update 5:00 p.m.) The soon-to-be-completed Reston Comprehensive Plan study is reviewing previous plans from 2014-2015 that say the Reston’s population is slated to more than double in the coming years, according to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
Reston was home to an estimated 66,000 people in 2019, according to Fairfax County, which projects the population to jump to about 71,000 people by 2040. The existing comprehensive plan makes room for up to 157,000 people to eventually live in Reston — a 138% increase from 2019.
However, the RCP community task force is reassessing that number to see if it still remains appropriate.
“It’s definitely been an area of discussion for the task force,” Alcorn said at a briefing with local reporters on Friday (March 26). “The task force is making sure…the [RCP] infrastructure will be sufficient to manage that, both in terms of residential but also office workers and retail.”
Alcorn also noted that this population hike will have a notable impact on transportation and school capacity, elements that are continually part of the task force’s discussions.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a review of the Reston Comprehensive Plan in January 2020, and the task force formed in May. The goal of the review is to analyze potential changes to the plan, which was last adopted in 2017 and guides future planning and land use decisions for the area.
The process was expected to take 12 to 18 months, but the pandemic may end up delaying the study’s completion by a few months. Alcorn said they are looking to wrap up by the end of the summer.
Chaired by Alcorn, the task force is made up of 32 members, including representatives from Reston Association, Save Our Sunrise, Reston Community Center, and Southgate Community Center.
In relation to anticipated population increases, the task force is also examining land use and areas where density might need to come down. Alcorn specifically noted Hunters Woods, South Lakes, and North Point village centers.
There’s also talk of having developers “earn” requested density by making commitments related to environmental impact and equity.
“How can new development, and the economic activity that comes with that, [make] connections…with underserved communities, communities in the Reston area that have not had the opportunity to fully take advantage of prosperity that comes with new development?” Alcorn said.
In terms of environmental footprint, Arlington County offers a similar exchange to developers, allowing extra density if they promise buildings will earn green building certification.
Alcorn noted that Reston could end up being a model for the rest of Fairfax County with what they are finding out from this study.
“Reston is exactly the right place to start these discussions in Fairfax County, given Reston’s history and Bob Simon’s principles,” Alcorn said.
The task force’s next meeting will take place on April 12.
Photo via Reston Association/Facebook
