This is a letter from Diane Blust, former chair of Reston Association’s Environmental Advisory Committee. She resigned last week after RA’s Board voted to approve a land swap in order for developers to build a new parking garage at Lake Anne Plaza. Something on your mind? Send a letter to the editor to [email protected].

As some of you know, I took the extraordinary step of resigning last week from Reston Association’s Environmental Advisory Committee and as the Chair of RA’s Sustainability Working Group, which was established just last spring by the RA Board to design a sustainability road map for RA.

It would be easy to say I stepped down because of a few trees.  But, that would be a gross oversimplification.  The RA Board decision to swap an acre of mature upland forest for land that serves in part as a drainage ditch for Baron Cameron came at the end of a long process marked by a lack of transparency and bad management.  Changes must be made if Reston is to develop and redevelop in a truly sustainable manner, one that meets “the community’s present needs while preserving Reston’s essential character and ensuring the ability of future generations to meet their needs” — the RA Board’s own definition of sustainability.

The management of the land swap process was flawed, largely due to a lack of transparency.  Although senior RA staff was aware of the plan, neither RA environmental staff nor the volunteers on the Environmental Advisory Committee were told that RA was considering giving up an acre of natural area as RA’s contribution to the revitalization of Lake Anne. Outside advisors were apparently hired to help with decision, but the people charged with providing the RA Board with sound advice on the management of RA’s natural areas were completely left out of the discussion.

If we had been involved, the RA Board would have learned what we tried to tell them in testimony at public hearings and in emails: this little acre was much more than land and trees.  It was a valuable upland forest ecosystem that captured stormwater and carbon, provided a natural area for members, and provided habitat for critters providing services that promote human health.  It was most certainly not “just some trees.”

The process was flawed because there was no broad community involvement. The week before the October Board meeting, a couple legal notices stating RA was considering a land swap with the Lake Anne Development Partners appeared in the Connection and the Fairfax Times.  Full details of the land swap were not posted to the RA website until the week of the October board meeting.

 Yes, this covered RA from a strictly legal point view.  But, no organization that strives to be sustainable would be satisfied with doing the absolute legal minimum.  Sustainable organizations actively engage members to ensure broad community support for policies and decisions.   Read More

Reston Tennis Manager Mary Conaway was inducted into the Mid-Atlantic Tennis Hall of Fame at a reception in Arlington on Saturday.

The Mid-Atlantic Tennis and Education Foundation says it chose Conaway because she is “a leader who has promoted the growth of tennis in our communities.”

Conaway has been involved in Reston tennis since 1987. She became a certified PTR instructor in 1998 and currently serves as tennis manager for RA.

Conaway manages Reston’s USTA Pathway programs, working with three-year-olds to adults and seniors. In 2000, Conaway was chairperson of the Virginia District Junior Recreation Committee, and was selected as Virginia District Program Promoter of the Year.

Among her awards: 2009 USTA Mid-Atlantic NJTL Chapter of the Year; 2010 PTR/USTA Community Service Award; 2012 Voted Best Tennis Club in Northern Virginia by Virginia Magazine; 2012 USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Organization of the Year; and 2012 RSI Park and Recreation Agency of the Year.

Lake Anne Development Partners (Republic Development) says work is already underway on a preservation plan to “safeguard and strengthen the trees that will remain undisturbed on an estimated 30 percent of the property” where a new parking garage is planned for a redeveloped Lake Anne Plaza area.

The developers also said an arborist reports that pruning and other tree care now will ensure that “80 to 90 percent of the trees we want to preserve will be just fine.”

The parking garage is being planned as part of a land swap that was approved 6-2 by the Reston Association Board of Directors on Thursday. RA will give the developers 0.7 acres of wooded land adjacent to the current Lake Anne Plaza parking lot. LADP will give RA 1.1 acres of land off of Baron Cameron Avenue and hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements to improve sustainability and pathways in Reston.

LADP was chosen by Fairfax County in August to redevelop the aging Crescent Apartments’ site, as well as areas surrounding Lake Anne Plaza. They need RA’s wooded parcel to build a 120-space parking garage, which is crucial to revitalizing the retail area at Lake Anne.

Republic CEO David Peter said on Thursday the company investigated 11 other Lake Anne-area sites for potential parking and found none of them as suitable as the RA land.

RA’s decision was met with outrage by many citizens who spoke at Thursdays meeting. They said preserving mature trees should take precedence over development. After the decision, Diane Blust, chair of RA’s Sustainability Committee, resigned her position.

In a statement, LADP thanked RA for its “thorough, thoughtful review and approval of the proposed land exchange. There was a lot to be considered, and we appreciate the balanced process the Board afforded all stakeholders.”

The statement continues:

We are at least three years away from construction on the exchange parcel, but work is already under way on a preservation plan to safeguard and stregthen the trees that will remain undisturbed on an estimated 30 percent of the property, perhaps most importantly many of those that ring Washington Plaza.

Leading arboricultural consulting firm Zimar and Associates, which has done preservation work at the World War II Memorial and Monticello, has already visited the site and made recommendations on a years-long root pruning plan, immediate pest protection and irrigation and moisture monitoring that will improve the health of the trees and ensure a high level of success. “I’m very confident that 80-90 percent of the trees we want to preserve will be just fine,” says company founder and noted arborist Don Zimar.

Additional environmental safeguards will include capturing 100 percent of stormwater runoff from Lake Anne Village Center and the nearby Crescent Apartments—runoff that currently is discharged into Lake Anne without treatment, to reduce pollutants. Lake Anne Development Partners will also provide additional funds in escrow to the RA board for adding and preserving tree canopy.

Lake Anne Development Partners is committed to an exciting and sustainable revitalization that will respect and renew the Lake Anne Village Center not only for the existing merchants, but for all of Reston.

 More:

• Reston Association Mulling Land Swap
• RA Asks for Tree Care as Part of Land Swap
• First Look at Plans for Lake Anne (Reston Patch)
• Morning Poll: Parking or Trees? 
• Letter: No Other Parking Site Will Sensibly Benefit Lake Anne
• You Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone
• Reston Association OKs Land Swap

Diane Blust, chair of the Reston Sustainability Committee and a member of Reston Association’s Environmental Advisory Committee, resigned her positions last night in the wake of the RA board’s decision to move forward with a land swap that would remove mature trees in order to build a parking garage at Lake Anne Plaza.

“There’s really no sense in continuing to try to work within a system that is so clearly out of touch with sustainable development,” she told Reston Now in an email.

Blust has been a committed environmental advisor to Reston, working for years to ensure best practices to keep Reston environmentally conscious.

The RA Board voted 6-2 Thursday night to enter into a non-binding letter of intent in which Republic Land Development would give RA a 1.1 acre parcel of land off Baron Cameron Avenue in exchange for a 0.7 acre wooded parcel adjacent to Lake Anne Plaza where Republic intends to build a 120-space public parking garage. Republic will also offer other concessions, such as money for tree care and replanting and trail improvements.

Blust said at the meeting that RA and the citizens “got here through bad management.”

“It is no secret that the environmental management was not brought into this deal until late,” she said.

While Republic was chosen by the county in August to redevelop Crescent Apartments and surrounding areas, the land swap deal was not made public until weeks later, she said.

“Alternatives were taken off table when someone agreed to put that garage on land owned by all RA member,” she told the board. “I ask  you to reject this land swap. It is in violation of RA policies on open space and natural areas. If approve it you will give up a  natural area for a drainage ditch on Baron Cameron. We’re gonna be responsible for maintenance of trees on that land. Reston will be negatively impacted by garage.”

Reston Association will be deciding Thursday on two issues that will affect the community in the long and near term.

The first — what should assessments be for 2014? The board has been discussing the needs of the association for months, and has considered taking out a loan of up to $2.5 million.

The board voted last week that the assessments will rise no higher than $634 in 2014.  The amount could be less, says RA president Ken Knueven. If they go to $634, it will be a rise of $44 from 2013, and a rise of more than $200 per household in the last decade.

The second — Should RA agree to a land swap with Republic Land Development? RA owns a 1.1-acre plot of wooded land close to the current Lake Anne Plaza parking area. Republic, the chosen firm for the redevelopment of Crescent Apartments and the nearby area, says it needs the land for a public parking garage and would give RA a similar sized plot of land and hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements in return. Many in the community have protested the removal of trees for parking.

Catch up on the issue with these Reston Now stories:

• Reston Association Mulling Land Swap
• RA Asks for Tree Care as Part of Land Swap
• First Look at Plans for Lake Anne (Reston Patch)
• Morning Poll: Parking or Trees? 
• Letter: No Other Parking Site Will Sensibly Benefit Lake Anne
• You Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at RA Headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. There will be a public comment period.

Reston Association staff is mourning the loss of  Neighborhood Outreach Specialist Arlene Whittick, who died on Thursday.

Whittick, 49, had recent surgery and was on a path to recovery when she succumbed to her ailments, RA CEO Cate Fulkerson said.

A Reston native and South Lakes High School graduate, Whittick began working for Reston Association in June 2007 as a Cluster Outreach Specialist and grew the position and impact to that of a Neighborhood Outreach Specialist , said Fulkerson.

Barbara Ramey, RA Covenants Case Manager and colleague, described Whittick as “a bright, shining personality who will be terribly missed by everyone.  She leaves a hole in the Covenants Department that will be difficult to fill.  We all mourn with her family and friends.”

Fulkerson called Whittick “a true inspiration.”

“As a fellow South Lakes High School graduate and contemporary, I am honored to have known and worked beside her,” said Fulkerson. “She was a true inspiration to me. “

Cate Fulkerson, the association’s CEO and fellow South Lakes High graduate, also shared her sadness. “I am honored to have known and worked beside her.  She was a true inspiration to me.”

Please check www.reston.org for updated information on arrangements.

Saturday Night Spring — Catch the Bowen McCauley Dance Company and the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchesstra pay tribute the 100th Anniversary of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring Saturday night at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Tickets are $25 for residents/$50 for non residents. [Reston Community Center]

Run for Office — it is almost election season for Reston Association Board of Directors. Want to run? Two at-large seats, the Hunters Woods/Dogwood seat and the Apartment Owners seat are all coming open for three-year terms. [Reston Association]

Crime in our County — Fairfax County Chief of Police Edwin Roessler was online last week to talk area crime with citizens. Among the questions from residents: are there too many burglaries and why are there fewer Neighborhood Watch groups? [Fairfax County Government]

(Photo courtesy of Reston Community Center)

Reston Association’s annual assessments will be no higher than $634 in 2014, RA’s Board of Directors decided on Monday. That’s still an increase of $44 from 2013 should the assessments be set that the top of the range.

The directors voted 7-1 (Vice President Andy Sigle was absent) to submit a budget proposal and annual assessment level for discussion and approval at RA’s Nov. 21 meeting.  New board member John Higgins was the dissenting vote.

The board has said earlier it was considering taking out a loan for up to $2.5 million in order to keep assessments from rising too high. President Ken Knueven said on Tuesday the loan action will not be decided until the board sees updated budget numbers in the next week.

Assessments in 2012 were $590. In 2011, members paid $540. A decade ago, assessments were $415.

Assessments — which give RA members access to pools, lakes and other amenities — help the association pay for maintenance and upkeep of existing Reston amenities, as well as IT solutions for improved efficiencies and member services.

Knueven has long been a proponent of Reston improving and maintaining existing facilities as Reston enters its 50th year.

“The amount of due dilligence is one this board can be very proud of,” he said. “We have made the highest priority to maximize the value of assets while minimizing the [financial] impact.”

Members can review the 2014/2015 budget documents on RA’s website  and can share their comments and/or questions by e-mailing [email protected].  Public comments are also welcome at the Nov. 21 meeting at 6 p.m. at RA headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr.

Reston Association’s Board of Directors will vote Nov. 21 on the budget for 2014 and ’15. To get ready for the annual look at the community’s wants and needs – and how to pay for them – the board is considering taking out a loan of up to $2.5 million to help offset expenses and keep member annual assessments from climbing.

Without a loan, assessments could climb close to $650 the next two years.

There are three options RA is considering:

Option 1: assessments would be $646 in 2014 and $647 in 2015 but no extra dollars would be provided for budget initiatives.

Option 2: considers a $2 million loan. Assessments, which were $590 in 2013, would be $615 in 2014 and $635 in 2015, thereby providing $1,045,843 in additional funds for new budget initiatives.

Option 3: considers a loan of $2.5 million, which would provide $1.5 million in additional funds for new budget initiatives. Assessments would be $615 in 2014 and $635 in 2015.

Both loans would include a $5,000 origination fee and 4.5 percent fixed-rate interest. RA would draw on part of it and put the rest in the reserve and replacement fund, according to the documents.

“Going into debt is never anyone’s first choice, whether for personal or business reasons,” says RA president Ken Knueven. “However, often a loan is either the only choice or the one that makes the most sense, both in the short and long term. … Our objective is to minimize impact to assessments while focusing on big project items like potential dam expenditures.”

The budget draft proposal points out that RA will have 82 fewer households in 2014 and ’15 as a result of the redevelopment at Parc Reston.

Some of the requests from RA directors and members for the upcoming budget include:

• $14,383 to replace parking lightbulbs with LED fixtures
• $43,000 in 2015 for an additional community garden at Cedar Ridge
• About $60,000 to add a park ranger position
• $35,000 for staff professional development and tuition reimbursement
• $160,000 for Document Management Solution software

However, RA recently asked  members of the community to give them suggestions on where the money should be spent. Here are some of the examples: