The standup paddleboard business that planned to launch last year at Reston’s Lake Audubon has a new owner, and possibly a new location.
Late last summer, Reston Association’s Board of Directors passed a motion to allow to allow Surf Reston Standup Paddleboard Adventures to do business from summer 2013 through Fall 2014 at the all-residential lake.
Many directors said they thought the limited term would allow the board to determine (and hear from residents) whether there was any negative impact.
After receiving many complaints from Lake Audubon area residents that the operation would cause problems at the lake, South Lakes Director Richard Chew presented the idea that the board should reconsider its decision. However, the board stuck with its approval.
But the board lessons at Lake Audubon never materialized. Among the reasons: owner Chris Higgins was transferred out of town and RA needed more time to consider the terms of the agreement with SUP Reston.
The business is now owned by Reston resident and certified paddleboard instructor Steve Gurney, who is rethinking where and what kind of business SUP Reston should be.
Gurney, who will meet with RA’s board this week to discuss paddleboarding, has also met with the Lake Anne Merchants Association, which “expressed great interest in having this type of recreational program centered at Lake Anne,” says RA.
There was lots of negative reaction from some Lake Audubon residents in 2013. They said having a commercial operation at the all-residential Lake Audubon would take away from the quiet and private atmosphere there. Lake Anne, they countered, already has boat rentals and it centered on a commercial area.
Gurney has suggested two days/evenings of paddleboard instruction on Lake Anne per week, and no more than three intermediate level classes per month at Lake Audubon, all to be closely scheduled with RA staff to avoid conflicts with other users and events.
Additionally, there will be no rental fleet of paddleboards at any Reston lake, RA says. That was also a concern for Lake Audubon residents who did not want people from out of the area flocking to RA property.
At Lake Anne, SUP Reston may be able to expand into paddleboard yoga — where users perform yoga poses on the boards on the lake for a good core and balance workout. RA staff has met with a Tysons Corner-area yoga studio that is interesting in renting or purchasing space at at Lake Anne Village Center and would like to offer paddleboard yoga classes.
RA says its staff will evaluate both requests, and facilitate the coordination between two groups for a more seamless function in an effort to bring paddle
The RA Board will likely revisit the paddleboard plans at Monday’s board planning meeting and at its Feb. 27 regular meeting.
This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. She writes twice weekly on Reston Now.
As a real estate agent, I frequently have conversations with clients and friends about their home renovation plans. I’m always amazed at the interesting ideas people have for improving their homes. However, almost always the conversation turns to how much they dread going through the Reston Association design review process.
This is not something you need to dread! I promise — the DRB application procedures are very easy to follow. And, if you do need help, it’s there for you. The Covenants Advisors are one of Reston homeowners’ greatest resources that many don’t know about. They are here to help make the design review process the easiest part of your renovation project.
DRB application procedures
The Reston Association website has all the phone numbers and forms you need. Here is a recap of the DRB application procedures.
1. Contact RA to find out who your Covenants Advisor is. They’ll meet with you and advise you on your project and everything you’ll need for your application.
2. Submit your application. The application can be found on the RA website. The application includes the following:
- A detailed written description of the proposed exterior modification or addition
- Scale drawings
- A site plan showing the size and location of project
- Photographs of the existing condition
- A brochure, detail sheet or catalog photo of materials
- Estimated project completion date
- Signatures of at least three different property owners adjacent to or within view of your alteration or improvement. If your property is located within a Cluster Association, at least one of the signatures must be that of a Cluster Officer.
3. Bring in or mail your application to the Reston Association.
4. Property Visit — RA staff and/or members of the DRB may visit and possibly photograph your property for reference.
5. Attend the DRB review panel meeting — While not all projects go in front of the DRB review panel, if your project does require it, you should plan on attending the meeting. Your Covenants Advisor can you let you know when it’s on the agenda.
Those are the basic steps. If your application is rejected, you can appeal the decision. Or you can revise the plans to meet RA Design Covenants and Guidelines and resubmit your application.
However, if you work with your Covenants Advisor and follow the RA guidelines, your project should be approved and you are on your way!
Fire and Rescue squads from Reston’s Station 25 were out on Lake Audubon’s ice over the weekend. There was no one in peril; the firefighters were practicing rescue drills should someone fall through the ice.
Even though its was a 50-degree day, the ice remained frozen solid, and the squad had to use a chain saw to drill through the six-inch-thick ice.
Then the firefighters took turns donning a high-tech wetsuit and climbing into the freezing water. The suit is made of thick rubber and it seamless from boots to hood to gloves, making it warm and dry for the rescuers.
The rest of the crew worked on pulling the “victim” out of the water and to safety.
It has been a few years since the water on Reston’s lakes has seen significant freezing. Technically, skating and walking on the lakes is banned by Reston Association. Still, many residents have been seen in the last few weeks testing out the surface.
Lake Anne Redevelopment Partners (LARP) will update the Reston community on Monday about the plan to revitalize Crescent Apartments and the Lake Anne area.
LARP (a division of Republic Land Development) was chosen by Fairfax County summer after a Request for Proposals process that took more than a year. Since then, LARP has offered up renderings of the vision, and a few key events have happened as the project moves forward.
Principals will give an update on the progress at an open house at 7 p.m. Feb. 3 at Reston Community Center Lake Anne.
The county issued the RFP to make over the 16-acre site housing the county-owned Crescent Apartments, an aging affordable housing complex close to Lake Anne Plaza. Republic had many meetings with residents, Lake Anne business owners and Reston founder Bob Simon, among others, to determine what the community wanted to see for the area.
The retail and residential of Lake Anne Plaza itself will not see big changes, as historic designation prevents that.
However, an interim agreement is in place for LARP to proceed with the process of county planning, Reston Association Design Review Board and other land use approvals necessary to rework the surrounding areas. The approval of the project design and land use permits is expected to take more than a year, said Republic president and CEO David Peter.
The Reston Association pathway on the east side of Terraset Elementary School, 11411 Ridge Heights Rd., will close for construction beginning next month.
The pathway will close in early-to-mid February and will not reopen until March or April of 2015, RA officials said.
The school will be gating the pathway on the west side of the building in the wooded area. The gate will be locked during school hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Signage will be placed at the first pathway intersection explaining the closures.
Fairfax County Public Schools will install detour signs guiding pathway users around the east-side construction area for after-school hours and on weekends.
No word yet on how the closures will affect the Reston Triathlon and other races, which often use that section of the RA paths.
This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. She writes twice weekly on Reston Now.
If you’re living in Reston, chances are you are a member of Reston Association. That means if you want to make a change to the exterior of your home, you’ll need the approval of the Reston Association Design Review Board (DRB).
For some reason, working with the DRB fills many people with dread. I’m not sure why. Working the DRB is really very easy. I’m not just saying that because I’m on the RA board and am DRB Liaison. For years, I’ve helped my clients (and friends and neighbors) work with the DRB. There are three simple tips for making the whole process smooth sailing.
1. Don’t assume that what your neighbor did is OK
There is no worse surprise than building your deck or adding a few windows only to get a letter from RA saying your in violation of design standards. In most of these situation, had the homeowner shown the plans to the DRB, the plans would have been approved with just a minor adjustment—saving the homeowner a lot of money and misery in the long run.
How can you avoid this mistake? Easy. Don’t assume because your neighbor has done something that it is OK. If you want to build an addition or make an alteration, contact RA and go through the design review process. The time you spend upfront will save you time and money later.
2. Follow the Process
My second piece of advice for homeowners is to simply follow the process. It’s not difficult. The Reston Association website provides very detailed information about what the DRB covers, how to fill out the application, and who to talk to if you have questions. (Hint, it’s your covenants advisor. Call 703-435-6530 to find yours.)
3. Take advantage of the Covenants Advisors
Your covenants advisor is a tremendous resource when it comes to planning your alteration/addition. They know what the guidelines are and they know what will or will not get DRB approval. You can save yourself tremendous time and energy by reaching out to them from the beginning. Some of the things they’ll do for you include:
- Sending you the guidelines or cluster standards that relate to your project
- Advising you about the information you will need to provide with your application
- Explaining how the review process works and what level of review and application will be necessary
- Giving you an estimate of how long the review process might take for your project
- Working with them is a benefit of RA membership. So use it!
The DRB plays an important role in upholding the design standards that make Reston so unique. Enjoy the process—and enjoy the the changes to your home.
When the Derecho blew through Reston in late June of 2012, its 75-mph winds cut a swath of destruction, including knocking down dozens of trees.
Among the victims: a 106-foot Virginia Pine near the Reston South Park and Ride Lot at Lawyers Road and Reston Parkway.
Fairfax Tree Commission officials and Reston Association staffers gathered at the site of the fallen tree last week to give the old guy a proper sendoff.
See, the tree was a former national and reigning state champion when it met its demise.
The big tree first got the attention of Robert Vickers, chairman of the Fairfax tree commission, in 2009 when he was waiting at a traffic light at the corner of Reston Parkway and Lawyers Road.
Vickers measured it and found it was 82 inches around and had a crown that spanned 39 feet. That’s when he called Jeff Kirwan from Virginia Tech. Kirwan is the keeper of the Virginia Big Tree database .
The men found that the giant pine was the tallest tree of its kind in the country. It was then included in the National Register of Big Trees, a publication produced by American Forests, a nonprofit conservation organization.
Alas, the Reston tree lost the national title when a larger Virginia Pine found in West Virginia in 2010.
But Reston’s tree still was the state champ. That is, until the Derecho blew through.
The fallen giant lay undisturbed until last week, when tree commissioners decided to cut a few cross sections– called “cookies” by tree folks — to be made into plaques and displayed at county and Reston Association offices. RA Environmental Resource Manager Claudia Thompson-Deahl says Reston’s will be displayed at Nature House at Walker Nature Center.
“It’s kind of cool that Reston Association had a national champion tree,” she said.
Indeed, the tree had stood a long time. The tree experts — who cut five cookies from the trunk — counted 125 rings, which makes the tree more than 200 years old.
The rest of the tree will be left where it fell, said Thompson-Deahl.
“It will decompose naturally,” she says. “It is in a heavily wooded area and there is no threat to being on the ground.”
Fairfax County says that the county was home to three national champion trees for many years. With the demise of Reston’s pine and of a dethroned champion chestnut in McLean in 2010, just one champ remains — a giant paw paw growing by Potomac River in Great Falls.
For more information and to see additional tree photos, visit the Fairfax County Park Authority blog.
The Reston Association Board of Directors is not likely to discuss amending the rules of its RELAC air conditioning system this month as it needs more time to discuss potential changes and their place under federal fair housing laws, board members said.
Last month, the board introduced an amendment to the Reston covenants declaring that a person who is asking for an exemption from using the aging air conditioning system must show a doctor’s order advising of the “handicap,” information about the handicap (such as medical records), and that order must be updated annually. That rule tightens up the current exemption, in which a medical reason is good for as long as the homeowner lives in the house.
That idea was not received well by many RELAC users, who attended the December RA meeting expressing privacy concerns and taking issue with being designated handicapped. That terminology is put in place because fair housing laws state that accommodations must be made for someone with a handicap, said RA attorney Ken Chadwick.
RELAC (Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning Corporation) has been the cooling system for about 300 Lake Anne-area homes since the mid-1960s. The system is powered by recirculated lake water from Lake Anne. Touted as state-of-the-art when it was built, nearly 50 years later it is oft-criticized by users for being inefficient and mold-producing.
Eve Thompson, the RA Lake Anne/Tall Oaks Director, says she has recommended to the board that a medical professional be able to certify why the homeowner needs to opt-out, but that more invasive requirements be nixed.
“Let a doctor certify why someone is requesting a change,” she said. “But that should be without additional medical information and I have recommended they not have to recertify.”
Thompson also is wary of another item in the amendment — that residents must provide a written statement from a HVAC technician familiar with RELAC saying the system is working and that inadequacies come from the water system and not the equipment .
“I’m suggesting we don’t want to be in the mindset of requiring members to have their systems evaluated by RELAC,” she said. “There are no certified RELAC specialists. We should get that item out of the amendment altogether. It is too slippery a slope. RELAC has a vested interest in keeping everyone on the system; a homeowner has the opposite interest. We have no way to objectively measure whether the system is working.”
To that end, the time may be right to discuss RELAC’s big-picture future, Thompson added. RELAC’s use is bound by the RA covenants, and a covenant is very hard to change. But if after 45 years the system isn’t working as performed, it is time to talk.
RA president Ken Knueven pointed out in a recent post on Reston Now that Lake Anne residents voted to keep the system in a 2005 referendum.
Thompson says RELAC’s future is a separate issue and not related to the current medical exemption debate.
“We should at least be facilitating a discussion about RELAC’s sustainability,” she said.
Where people will live and work in the Reston of the future has been spelled out in changes to the Reston Master Plan, which the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will discuss on Jan. 28.
But where will they play?
Athletic fields have continued to be a sore spot for development watchers. Reston 2020, for instance, says that with tens of thousands of additional residents likely to move into high-density areas around Reston’s three transit stations there will also be an increased need for more athletic fields.
There already is an existing field deficit, the master plan points out, especially in the area lining the Dulles Toll Road, which was formerly designated as commercial only. Growth and development planned for that area, as well as in the one-quarter mile area closest to the transit stations, “will exacerbate the existing deficits,” the Master Plan draft amendment says.
The draft formulated by the Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force originally called for 12 additional athletic field to be added in Reston based on projected population growth of about 44,000. The final version that passed the county planning commission last week asks for at a minimum, three fields to be built — one near each of the transit stations.
“The provision of new athletic fields that require larger land areas within Reston TSAs (Transit Station Areas) is especially important and challenging,” the report states. “Creative approaches to providing for sports needs in Reston will be necessary, including integrating facilities within development areas, on rooftops, over stormwater detention facilities, in utility corridors and other alternative locations.”
By Ken Knueven, Reston Association
Living on Lake Anne is all it is advertised to be; it is beautiful, serene and a reminder of what has made Reston special for 50 years. And, as I sit on my deck and admire the snow-covered banks, I am thankful that sense of peace and tranquility lasts throughout the seasons.
Of course, as close as Lake Anne is to my version of Utopia, I do understand it comes with a few challenges. And yes, RELAC is one of those challenges.
The Reston Association Board of Directors is currently reviewing changes to the Use & Maintenance Standards Resolution 15; Air-Conditioning Units/RELAC HVAC System and is still accepting public comment on these issues. Amendments have been made to constitute what establishes a member has “worked with RELAC” to correct/address problems with the system.
As well, new language has been added to clarify the term and conditions under which temporary exemptions from the covenant are to be granted. These changes are not designed to make it more difficult to be removed from the system, but instead are intended to decrease the ambiguity associated with how one does get an exemption.
While RELAC has its detractors and critics, the community did have a chance to remove it as the cooling system for Lake Anne through a referendum a few years ago. The community spoke, however, and chose to keep RELAC. Those who own and operate the system need to ensure it is efficient for all who use it. And, those who use the system need to discuss coming together and possibly resurrecting the community committee which existed years ago to look at the sustainability and viability of the system.
In the meantime; as with all RA board activities, the board needs your input on the rules allowing for temporary exemptions to use alternate methods of air-conditioning when needed for medical reasons. The public comment period is open and we look forward to hearing from you. You can email [email protected] or attend an RA board meeting. Board agendas will be available on www.reston.org prior to the meetings.
Ken Knueven is a Lake Anne resident and the president of Reston Association.
Want to help lead Reston? Applications are now open for several Reston Association Board of Directors seats in 2014.
The filing deadline is Feb. 3 for the election in March and April.
RA board members guide the policy of the association, which includes more than 20,000 households. It is the largest homeowner’s association in Virginia and the de facto local government in Reston.
The board needs:
- Hunters Woods/Dogwood District Director for a three-year term (vacated by Cheryl Beamer this year and temporarily filled by Ellen Graves)
- At-Large Director for a one-year term (Donna Rostant’s recently vacated seat)
- At-Large Director for a three-year term (currently held by Andy Sigle)
- Apartment Owners Representative for a three-year term (current rep Amanda Andere is not running for re-election)
To qualify you must:
- Be a member of the Reston Association – either a renter or property owner
- Complete a Statement and a Petition of Candidacy (download form below)
- If you run for a district seat, you must live in that district
To file as a candidate fill out these forms:
– Candidacy Instructions (pdf)
– Petition of Candidacy (Word doc)
– Candidate Statement (Word doc)
Elections are by mail/internet in March and the new board members are sworn in in April.
For more information or questions, e-mail [email protected] or call 703-435-6512.
Many Lake Anne-area residents voiced their disapproval Thursday over potential new rules that would make it harder to opt out of the aging air conditioning system that serves their neighborhood.
RELAC (Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning Corporation) has been the cooling system for about 300 Lake Anne-area homes since the mid-1960s. The system is powered by recirculated lake water from Lake Anne. Touted as state-of-the-art when it was built, nearly 50 years later it is oft-criticized by users for being inefficient and mold-producing.
Reston Association was slated to discuss an updated amendment to the RELAC agreement at its meeting on Thursday. RA president Ken Knueven says the amendment “tightens up language” of an existing rule that residents showing a medical reason can opt to install a supplementary cooling system.
The board heard testimony from about 10 RELAC customers. They expressed varying degrees of dissatisfaction — both with the system and with the amendments that would enforce them to be designated as “handicapped” in order to get a medical exemption from the system.
“I am strongly opposed to this amendment and the last one that was made [this year] with very little public consultation,” said Mike Pritchard, a member of the board of Washington Plaza Cluster.
One of Pritchard’s concerns: the medical waiver is temporary and must be reapplied for every year. Read More
Coming soon to a Reston Association field near you: Bocce ball
The RA board unanimously approved a motion on Thursday to authorize the construction of a bocce court on Reston Association Common Area located at Cabot’s Point Recreation Area off of South Lakes Drive.
The idea was introduced by South Lakes Director Richard Chew. The proposal is subject to a few conditions — the final design and location of the court is to be reviewed and approved by the RA staff, and the Design Review Board and funding for the construction of the facility (including but not limited to landscape materials, benches and a picnic table ) will be provided by the Friends of Reston for Community Projects. The Friends will set an initial fundraising goal of $2,500.
RA’s responsibilities — once the required approvals and funding have been obtained — will be to prepare the site for construction, provide ongoing maintenance of the facility and promote bocce as a new recreational amenity for Reston.
Chew and at-large directors Ken Knueven and Andy Sigle have been looking into adding bocce for several months. Chew says in the proposal that bocce would be a “great addition to our recreational facilities and add a low-cost recreational amenity that is accessible to RA Members regardless of athletic ability, gender, age, or skills.”
He says that bocce, a sort of lawn bowling that dates back to Ancient Rome, has become popular among people of all ages around the world.
The proposal points out that the Cabots Point location is ideal because it has an existing tot lot and the court can be located in a manner to preserve most of the open grassy area. The location also has ample parking, is within walking distance to the South Lakes Village Center, and is close to the Reston “corridor” redevelopment.
The proposal says there should be minimal visual impact on surrounding properties, and the plan is to add additional landscaping to help blend the court into the existing park. The space would be a 12-by-60 foot bocce court with a stone dust or oyster flour surface in the western corner of the park. Benches and landscaping would also be considered for the court area.
Photo Courtesy of Joy of Bocce.
Reston Association is working on offering Lake Anne residents clearer rules if they want to use an air conditioning system other than RELAC.
RELAC (or Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning Corporation) – has been the cooling system for about 300 Lake Anne-area homes since the mid-1960s. The system is powered by recirculated lake water from Lake Anne. Touted as state-of-the-art when it was built, nearly 50 years later it is oft-criticized by users for being inefficient.
RELAC had been operated by Aqua Virginia, but earlier this year it was sold to a group of local businessmen.
RA’s Board of Directors recently sent RELAC users an updated amendment, which will be voted on by the board at Thursday’s regular monthly meeting.
RA president Ken Knueven says the amendment tightens up language of an existing rule that residents showing medical reason can opt to install a supplementary cooling system.
Many RELAC customers have complained that the system does not provide enough cooling and that homes remain humid in hot months, exacerbating allergies.
Under the new amendment, residents can show a note from a medical professional showing cause to add an additional system (but the system cannot be a window unit). Residents will be granted a temporary, one-year exemption.
“At each renewal, the requesting resident must establish that there is still a handicapped, person who requires an accommodation residing in the home and that the RELAC cooling system is still inadequate to allow the handicapped person to reside in the home without supplemental air-conditioning,” says the amendment.
Residents must also show a report from a certified HVAC technician familiar with RELAC “who can show that the central air-conditioning system in the home is in good repair and is operating properly so that it can be established that the need for a supplemental air conditioning system is due to inadequacy of the water serving the home rather than a mechanical deficiency with the equipment serving.”
Also on the amendment and in the RA covenants: Residents cannot terminate their RELAC service despite the additional system.
In 2005, a petition was signed by residents of 160 homes and RA put replacing RELAC to referendum. Residents voted 130-100 to keep the system, falling short of the three-fourths necessary to move it forward. In 2011, RA adopted the provision that will allow some RELAC users to add a supplemental system. In the summer of 2012, there was concern by residents and Knueven over low water levels that could not adequately power the system.
The new owners have said they hope to install improvements, including a cooling tower, to make RELAC run more efficiently.
Is it time to put RELAC to rest? Or at least let Lake Anne residents choose what kind of cooling system to put in homes? Tell us in the comments.
Thinking about running for a spot on the Reston Association Board of Directors? Four seats will be open in 2014.
RA is holding an election information session Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the RA Conference Center, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive.
Seats open for election are Hunters Woods/Dogwood District Director (three-year term), At-Large Director (one-year term), At-Large Director (three-year term), Apartment Owners Representative (three-year term).
To qualify you must:
Be a member of the Reston Association – either a renter or property owner
Complete a Statement and a Petition of Candidacy
If you run for a district seat, you must live in that district
The following forms must be filed by 5 p.m., Feb. 3, 2014:
For more information or questions, e-mail [email protected] or call 703-435-6512.
