Reston will likely be getting a 135-bed assisted living and memory care facility located on Leesburg Pike.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve on Tuesday a special exception to a zoning ordinance that that will allow Singh Senior Living of Cary, NC, to build Waltonwood Reston on a 23-acre parcel at 10819 Leesburg Pike. The land is located just in front of the Ascot subdivision of homes near the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue.

Singh currently manages more than two dozen Waltonwood facilities nationwide, including one in Ashburn.

The special exception is required to build a medical care facility on land that is currently zoned residential. The land currently contains a 1,500-square-foot unoccupied house, which will be torn down, according to an October report by the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning.

The staff report recommended approval of the project, as did the Fairfax County Planning Commission at a December meeting.

The 155,150-square-foot facility is “proposed to be developed as a medical care facility consisting of assisted living and memory care units to serve the immediate area needs for senior assisted living and dementia. The facility will primarily serve the greater Reston, Great Falls, Tysons Corner and Herndon area. The future residents of the facility are projected to come from the area, or move to the area to be near their adult children who live in the vicinity of Waltonwood Reston, ” says the developer application.

The applicant says the proximity of Reston Hospital Center, about two miles away, will be a great asset to the project and offer added medical services not provided on site but that may be needed by residents.

Singh says:

There will be about 20 acres of open space on the property.

Plans include 110 assisted living and 25 memory care units, plus a single staff/visitor unit, and 113 parking spots.

There will be a continuous retaining wall along the majority of the frontage, enabling preservation of a large portion of the existing hedgerow Leesburg Pike and a complete screen of the parking areas visible from Leesburg Pike.

The building will be designed in a courtyard configuration. It will include additional common areas, including: a common dining room, hair salon, convenience store and cafe, library, hobbies & crafts room, movie theatre and assorted lounge areas. A complete, state-of-the-art physical therapy and exercise area is also planned. Read More

Defense contractor General Dynamics envisions one five-story building nestled into a wooded area off Sunset Hills Road in Reston for its new headquarters. It’s a complex with a small footprint, an unobtrusive security fence and on-site amenities for about 200 employees.

However, it is not the plans themselves that worry nearby residents and workers — it’s the added stress to Sunset Hills Road, which is two lanes in most spots and is already often a traffic jam during rush hour.

“I think it is a spectacular site plan,” said one citizen at a community meeting with General Dynamics representatives at South Lakes High School on Wednesday. “But Sunset Hills Road 45 years ago is exactly the same way it is today. Every other road has been brought into the 21st Century. This is the perfect time to bring [Sunset Hills] into the 21st Century.”

General Dynamics announced last week it intends to build a 190,000-square-foot headquarters on a 22-acre lot currently owned by Boston Properties. The project would have 300 parking spaces, most of them in a below-ground garage.

The site is at 11011 Sunset Hills, between Wiehle Avenue and Hunter Mill Road and bordered on one edge by the W&OD Trail. Read More

The plans for Reston’s tallest building are getting a few revisions.

RTC Partnership and Akridge have jointly filed a Planned Residential Community Plan Amendment for design modifications for the 23-story tower, which was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2012.

The tower will replace a five-story office building currently on the site at 1760 Reston Parkway.

The developers are going back to the board for approval of design modifications on the building entry and pedestrian plaza; pedestrian plaza landscaping; redesign of the rooftop terraces; and the addition of two new private terraces.

The plans also call for an increase in parking for the five-level parking garage. It is not yet known how much more parking the planners are requesting.

The new plan will go to the Fairfax County Planning Commission is scheduled for May 18,.

The $210 million building was controversial when it was approved by the supervisors because of its size, height and distance of nearly a mile from the future Reston Town Center Metro Station, slated to open in 2020. Read More

Now that Reston is becoming a transit-oriented community, how should the streets surrounding the Metro stations be organized?

That is the subject of a Feb. 1 meeting of the Reston Network Analysis Group.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Lake Anne Elementary School, 11510 North Shore Dr.

The Reston Master Plan calls for an urban-style layout of streets near Silver Line stations at Wiehle-Reston East and Reston Town Center (which will open in 2020). County officials have organized the Reston Network Analysis Advisory Group to get feedback from citizens about about the plans for the street grid.

Residents can also comment online on the Reston Network Analysis page.

See more about the committee’s analysis in the presentation below.

Updated Thursday with information on what “VY” means.

JBG Companies’ Reston Heights Phase II has a new name: VY at Reston Heights, according to signage at the construction site.

A JBG spokeswoman said this about the name:

“VY is an abbreviation of very, and creates a unique word that allows us to inject further meaning into it when the marketing campaign is launched. Once the name VY is inserted within the context of the brand, it will evoke the vitality and velocity of this new addition to Reston Heights.”

The former site of the Reston International Center’s convenience stores, a bank and a Chili’s Bar and Grill were razed in recent weeks to make way for the mixed-use development.

The Westin Reston Heights, Mercer Condominiums and office buildings make up the first phase of Reston Heights, which was completed several years ago.

The second phase, approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2013, will have a six-story residential building, a 15-story residential building, a five-story building that incorporates a parking garage with residences and retail space; and a 10-story building that mixes office space, parking and retail space.

The plan includes 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and 498 residential units.

The only major tenant signed thus far is 24 Hour Fitness, a JBG spokeswoman said.

However, a rendering at the construction site gives a sneak peek into the cafes, shops and outdoor seating that will eventually be at the development.

General Dynamics Corporation is planning to build a large office building on Sunset Hills Road near Hunter Mill Road.

The aerospace and defense company has filed plans with Fairfax County for development on the 21.7-acre parcel at 11011 Sunset Hills Rd., which is currently a vacant lot between Hunter Mill Road and Wiehle Avenue.

The lot has previously been approved by the county for three buildings totaling 357,694 square feet. General Dynamics’ plans for Phase I of the project are for one 190,000-square-foot building with underground parking.

The headquarters would have about 200 employees, county officials said. General Dynamics currently leases several floors of a building in Falls Church. That lease will expire in 2019, the firm says.

While the development is planned for the commercial/industrial lot, it is located across from Dressage Lane, the entrance to a residential development. The county has sent letters to residents informing them of General Dynamics plans.

Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins has also scheduled a community meeting for next week to discuss with residents the impact the office building will have on traffic and other community concerns.

“While this development will go through the standard Reston Planning and Zoning Committee review process, I wanted to also give the community an early opportunity to talk about the development and address any concerns,” said Hudgins. “The owner and developer involved will be present and available for questions. My hope is that by engaging the community at the onset everyone can be fully informed as the review process proceeds.”

The meeting is at 7 p.m on Jan. 20 at South Lakes High School.

Photo: Future site of General Dynamics on Sunset Hills Road

This is an opinion post by Reston resident Terry Maynard, who serves as the Co-Chair of Reston 2020. It does not represent the opinion of Reston Now.

The newly re-elected County Board of Supervisors is at it again: They are proposing a “Priority 1” zoning ordinance amendment (ZOA) that would allow development density in a number of areas in the County to increase to a floor-area-ratio (FAR) of 5.0 plus a 0.5 bonus density for meeting key County priorities.  The ZOA includes all of Reston’s Metro station areas (TSAs) and Lake Anne, a Commercial Revitalization Area (CRA).

In fact, the ZOA proposal covers an entire alphabet soup of about 20 urbanizing and redeveloping “Selective Areas” across the county: TSAs, CRAs, CRDs, CBCs, PDCs, and PRMs. Together, the County calls all these “Selective Areas” and the ZOA makes no distinction among them. That’s a potential half billion gross square feet (GSF) of new development and redevelopment added to the County’s current roughly one billion GSF of total existing development of all kinds.

And the “Selective Areas” cover only about five percent of the county’s total 400 square mile area.  If you are interested to learn about this proposed ZOA, there are opportunities for you to hear more and provide your comments as early as this Wednesday, Jan. 13. Read More

Demolition finally began on Tuesday the Reston International Center’s retail buildings.

The businesses there closed over the last 18 months to make way for JBG’s large, mixed-use extension of Reston Heights.

Wells Fargo Bank shut down in the summer of 2014, followed by Chili’s in December 2014. By August, the strip that housed Reston Kebob, a 7-Eleven and a dry cleaners closed too.

After months of pre-construction work and asbestos removal, the wrecking ball made quick work of the Reston Kabob strip, demolishing it in one day. Chili’s is still a work in progress.

The stand-alone Popeyes will remain throughout the redevelopment.

JBG’s Reston Heights Phase 2 will include a six-story residential building; a 15-story residential building; a five-story building that incorporates a parking garage with residences and retail space; and a 10-story building that mixes office space, parking and retail space.

One major tenant, 24-Hour Fitness, has been signed for Phase 2.

The under-construction residential property by Reston developer Chuck Veatch and Bozzuto has a name: The Aperture.

The Aperture is the project at Sunset Hills Road and Metro Center Drive, across the street from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro and Comstock’s Reston Station.

The Aperture will feature 421 apartments in a seven-story building, and has been approved for 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The five-acre site was previously home to a mini-storage facility and retail strip center.

The site was also previously zoned industrial. Now that it is residential, residents will be Reston Association members.

Planned amenities include a pool, pet play area, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, outdoor yoga space, and amphitheater, according to the Bozzuto website. The building will have 15,000 square feet of amenities, including an expansive resident clubroom.

Among the other amenities: a 24-hour concierge, a movie screening area, library/work space, three adjacent fitness spaces, underground parking and a Wi-fi lounge with computer games.

Photos: Top, rendering of finished product/Courtesy Bozzuto; Bottom, building under construction last week.

Late last week, Lake Anne Development Partners (LADP) announced it was backing out of a massive redevelopment project at Crescent Apartments and the area surrounding Lake Anne Plaza.

LADP’s plans called for more than 1,000 homes, as well as retail stores, office space and a parking garage. The redevelopment, which would have taken more than a decade, was going to move Village Road; widen the entrance to the historic part of Lake Anne Plaza with an enhanced retail boulevard; and add an outdoor amphitheater and parking garage, and boost needed density to improve the retail outlook.

The developer also promised to add more affordable housing in addition to the 181 replacement units at Crescent.

None of that is happening now, though there is a reasonable chance the county, which owns Crescent and selected LADP in a Request for Proposals in 2013, will put the call out to other developers interested in the project. That will take time, which leaves the future of the plan wide open.

What do you think will happen?

Crescent Apartments/file photo

Reston Association representatives said they must meet with Fairfax County before it will know whether RA gets back its acre of land at Lake Anne Plaza.

As part of the deal to redevelop Crescent Apartments and the area surrounding Lake Anne Plaza, RA’s board approved a land swap in late 2013.

On Friday, Lake Anne Development Partners said it was withdrawing from the large-scale redevelopment plan that would have brought more than 1,000 residences; a high-rise tower to complement Heron House; and more than 100,000 square feet of office and retail space. LADP reps said the plan was not economically feasible.

Lake Anne Development Partners was picked by the county to redevelop Crescent’s 16 acres and the surrounding area in 2013. The developer said it needed the one-acre plot to build a 120-space parking garage. The land is located near the current parking lot and “The J” retail part of Lake Anne Plaza.

In return, RA would get a similar sized piece of land off of Baron Cameron Avenue.

At the time, the swap was controversial. Opponents were concerned about the loss of mature trees and that the Baron Cameron land was less valuable and full of litter.

Lake Anne Development Partners offered RA about $500,000 in general facility improvements as part of developer contributions. It also offered $100,000 in tree care as part of the land swap agreement, which RA passed 6-2 (with one director abstaining).

RA said in a statement Monday it must now pursue discussions with county representatives to determine the status of the Final Development and Disposition Agreement between the county and LADP and whether the county will soon seek a replacement redevelopment partner.

“The status of the Real Property Exchange Agreement between RA and LADP cannot be determined until these discussions are held with the county,” said RA.

In general, though, Ra supports Lake Anne redevelopment.

RA Board President Ellen Graves said in the statement the association is “both surprised and disappointed” about LADP working to withdraw from the contract.

“RA supports the revitalization of Lake Anne Village Center, as contemplated in the zoning and development entitlements, which were approved earlier this year by the county and the association’s Design Review Board,” said Graves.

Ten years.

That’s how long plans for revitalization of Lake Anne Village Center were discussed and criticized, reviewed and voted upon, anticipated, and finally revoked.

Lake Anne Development Partners (LADP) announced late last week that it was terminating its agreement with Fairfax County for the giant redevelopment plans for Crescent Apartments and the area near Lake Anne Plaza.

LADP’s plans called for moving roads (Village Drive) and tearing down buildings (Crescent’s aging garden apartments, as well as an office building and the the former Millennium Bank building). They envisioned a high rise along North Shore Drive; nearly 200,000 square feet of office space; a parking garage and an expanded retail boulevard leading into Lake Anne Plaza’s historic section.

But LADP, chosen by Fairfax County after a request for proposals in 2013, never put a price tag on the grand plan. LADP said on Friday that it “has not been able to satisfactorily assemble all of the required land parcels needed for a viable development plan.” Sources said that did not happen because the company was unable to get the necessary financing to do so.

Here are some questions and answers about the project.

Why was Fairfax County involved in the project?

Fairfax County owns Crescent Apartments, which it purchased for $49.5 million in 2006 to use as affordable housing.

Also in 2006, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized evaluation of a plan amendment for Reston’s Lake Anne Village Center and adjacent areas. In March 0f 2009, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted the final Comprehensive Plan text to guide the revitalization of 41 acres of Lake Anne.  Read More

Construction crews are very busy at Comstock’s BLVD Apartments at Reston Station, where they expect the first residents will move in in mid-February.

The 450 luxury apartments will be the first major building at Reston Station, which is adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. More housing, a hotel and office buildings are planned for the mixed-use development. Founding Farmers restaurant has signed a lease for the retail space.

BLVD’s leasing center, located on the plaza at Reston Station, is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

Rents will start at about $1,900 a month for a studio to more than $3,000 for a three-bedroom plus den model. There are a number of floorplans available.

Among the features and amenities:

• Stainless steel, gas appliances, hardwood laminate floors, quartz countertops and other high-end finishes in all units.
• A concierge lounge, business center, and cold-storage space for grocery delivery, as well as an exercise room and yoga/martial arts space.
• 20 percent (88 units) of the apartments are priced for workforce housing.
• A ninth-floor “skypark” with green space.
• Penthouse-level lounge, pool, media lounge, dog walk and demonstration kitchen with 360-degree views.

The building will open in stages, with the first eight floors available for occupancy Feb. 15, says leasing manager Evan Schluederberg. Upper floors should be available in mid-April, he said.

Residents of the building will be Reston Association members. Comstock has paid RA $650,000 in developer contributions, $300,000 of which is an association initiation fee under a new membership fee structure for buildings along the Dulles Toll Road, which were not previously RA property.

Residents will not have to pay the annual RA assessment fee but they will be offered an optional $350 annual recreational package to gain access to RA’s pools, tennis courts and other amenities for members.

When and if the building goes condo, residents will pay 50 percent of the RA full-member assessment, under the agreement between RA and Comstock.

Proponents of open space in Reston got a small victory on Friday when Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Michael Devine denied the request of RN Golf Management, the owner of Reston National Golf Course, to delay the final issuance last month’s opinion on the future of the the 166-acre-course.

In November, the court vacated the Board of Zoning Appeals’ decision from earlier in 2015, when it ruled that the golf course owners would not need a comprehensive plan amendment to redevelop the course as a residential neighborhood.

RN Golf has been saying the last several years it has no specific plans it just wants to know its rights.

Last week, RH Golf had asked the court to delay issuance of its order — which cements the ruling — for at least three months so as to permit RN Golf more time to consider alternative strategies.

That means the clock begins ticking now if RN Golf wants to take the case to the Virginia Supreme Court. RN Golf has 30 days from Dec. 4 to appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court.

The issue dates back to 2012, when RN Golf asked Fairfax County if the course at Sunrise Valley and Colts Neck Road could be considered residential. Fairfax County Planning and Zoning said no, it’s open and recreational space. After several postponements, RN Golf filed an appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), which heard from all sides in a lengthy hearing in January of 2015.

Rescue Reston, the advocacy group created in the wake of the golf course saga, said they expect a further fight in the case.

“We fully expect RN Golf Management to continue its attempts to invade our open space,” said Rescue Reston President Connie Hartke. “Rescue Reston will remain vigilant and take all steps necessary to prevent that from happening.”

The rezoning for a new housing development a quarter-mile from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station has been postponed until early next year.

“The Lofts at Reston Station,” first announced last spring, was slated to go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission Dec. 9, but has now been postponed to Feb. 18, Fairfax County documents show.

The project, by Pulte Home Corp., seeks to build 42 two-over-two townhomes on the site of what is now a one-story office area at 1825 Michael Faraday Ct.

The Pulte project would need to rezone the 1.58-acre parcel from the I-4, Medium Intensity Industrial to R-30 residential district. As part of the rezoning, Pulte is asking to modify the minimum R-30 district size from three to 1.58 acres to allow the “infill” project.

Pulte is also asking for waivers on the minimum front and side yard sizes (from 20 to 10 feet) and the amount of open space (from 40 percent to 23 percent).

The Michael Faraday location is surrounded by other office buildings, but is just past the office building at 1831 Wiehle Ave., where developer JBG is seeking to rezone an office building to construct 504 multifamily residential units and up to 61,000 square feet of retail.

Also nearby, the 540-unit BLVD Apartments are nearly completed, and Bozzuto is in the process of building more than 421 apartments in the 11400 block of Sunset Hills Road.

On Michael Faraday Court, the existing 11,000-square foot, one-story building has been owned by the Hardwood, Plywood & Veneer Association since 1976. Pulte would have to own the property before rezoning, and likely has a contract to buy conditional on the rezoning, commercial real estate sources said.

“The proposed development will replace a single-story office building with attractive and high-quality facades, enhance the mix of uses desired near the Wiehle Avenue East Metro Station, and facilitate the planned grid of streets for the Transit Station Area,” states the Pulte’s rezoning document.

Pulte’s plan includes residences that will be “distributed in two rows oriented east-west to align with the future grid of streets, with a central private street to provide access to the rear of the units.”

The plan will take advantage of additional pedestrian and vehicular access on new streets planned for the surrounding area. It also calls for eight-foot wide sidewalks and a pocket park in the northeast corner of the site.

Pulte has said that because the other new construction planned for Wiehle-Reston East is high-rise buildings, offering townhomes will serve a broader segment of housing needs.

Photo: 1825 Michael Faraday Dr. in Reston is currently an office building.