Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is reaffirming his stance on the future of Reston National Golf Course in response to a another community call for his position on the golf course’s possible development.

In a Dec. 8 letter to Alcorn, elected representatives of nine clusters and condominium associations near the golf course called on Alcorn to release another formal statement on the golf course’s future. Alcorn made an Oct. 23 statement in which he opposed plans to redevelop Hidden Country Club.

He noted that there appears to be little to no support to redevelop the golf course. Wheelock Communities has been contemplating redeveloping the golf course into a 100-acre park with 1,000 residential units.

At a recent meeting with Alcorn, representatives from area clusters noted that a recent survey of 457 residents found that nearly 96 percent of respondents sought to preserve the land use designation of Reston National Golf Course as a public golf course.

The survey included only 54 percent of all units represented by the clusters and condominiums.

Alcorn said that his stance on the golf course has not changed. Here’s what Alcorn told Reston Now:

“Earlier this year representatives of Reston National contacted me about their plans for a series of community outreach events concerning the current status and future use of their golf course property.  I reminded them that the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan clearly designates this property as a golf course, and my long-standing position that unless and until communities surrounding the golf course indicate their desire to initiate a change in the Comprehensive Plan I will oppose any such change.  Community outreach by property owner representatives continues, and I look forward to hearing more from surrounding community members.”

Development at both golf courses requires a change to Reston’s comprehensive plan.

Weller Development Cos. And War Horse Cities purchased the property from RN Golf LLC, a partnership between Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance and Billy Casper Golf, in 2019.

The Plank Family Foundation donated $20,000 to Cornerstones 50 to aid with safety-net and human services programs for families and individuals affected by COVID-19.

Scott Plank, an impact investor and philanthropist, celebrated the donation made by he and his family in June at a recent employee gathering at Reston National Golf Course, according to a press release by Cornerstones. 

The donation will benefit many local families across Northern Virginia who have been struggling to keep a roof over their heads, feed their families and afford quality medical care. 

“For 50 years, Cornerstones has worked with valuable community advocates, like Scott Plank and his family, to empower people living in crisis today with resources to rebuild their stability and resiliency for living healthy, connected lives,” said Kerrie Wilson, the CEO of Cornerstones.

The celebration at the golf course kicked off their latest employee service day through assembling critically needed PPE kits from Cornerstones’ Thanksgiving Food and Gifts for Kids seasonal drives and community food distribution events.

The Plank Family Foundation also hosted a summertime “Stuff the Bus Campaign” at the golf course to collect donations for a Back-to-School backpack and PPE drive and donation from the golf club members. Donations from this event supported Cornerstones’ distribution of 110 PPE kits, almost 900 boxes of produce and 1,000 gas and grocery gift cards in August, which helped support 844 local households, according to the release. 

“My family and I are thankful to have the opportunity to support a community that is so full of life!” said Plank. “Cornerstones provides an excellent opportunity for short-term assistance, which turns into long-term success for individuals and their community.”

Photo courtesy of Cornerstones 50

Cornerstones is officially collecting school supplies for its annual Back-To-School Drive. 

The organization is working in collaboration with Fairfax County Public School officials to provide backpacks and essential supplies to students, despite the continuance of digital learning this fall. 

In addition to backpacks and school supplies for kids grades K-12, they are also collecting financial contributions. Donations can be made online or via mailed check made payable to Cornerstones and sent to 11150 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 210, Reston, VA 20190. 

Those with backpacks and supplies can make a contactless donation at Reston National Golf Course (11875 Sunrise Valley Drive) every Saturday in August from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Cornerstones has a donation drop-off tent set up next to their Laurel Learning Center Bus in the parking lot of the golf course. 

Questions can be directed to Nate King, the Donations and Drives Coordinator, at 571-323-9569. 

Photo courtesy of Cornerstones

(Updated 10:07 a.m.) Reston National Golf Course officially has a new manager: KemperSports, a national golf course management company.

KemperSports states that they are seeking to make the golf course a “must-play in the region,” according to Steve Skinner, the CEO of the company. 

In the past, the golf course has faced controversy around new ownership.

Rescue Reston, a group that formed in 2012 to protect Reston’s open space and golf courses, has been fighting off developers for years. They declared a “war” to save Reston National after it was purchased by Baltimore developers in 2019. However, the developers stated that they had “no set plans” to do anything with the property at the time, according to Club and Resort Business. 

Reston National has been a staple of the area since 1970. The course overlooks the Chesapeake Bay watershed and spans more 6,800 yards. There are several amenities including a grill room, practice facility, driving range and a covered pavilion. 

Reston National is also a certified Audobon International Cooperative Sanctuary.

KemperSports did not return Reston Now’s requests to comment.

Corrects description of the overlook

Photo by Bill Burton

After closures promoted by COVID-19, golf courses around Reston and Herndon are starting to open back up with precautions.

The Herndon Centennial Golf Course, which has been closed since March, announced via press release that it will reopen today (May 27).

People looking to book a timeslot should reserve and pay online, the press release said, adding that only credit cards will be accepted and people may not use rain checks, gift cards or discounts at this time.

Due to social distancing suggestions, “the clubhouse, restrooms and Egg Karne Café will remain closed until further notice,” according to the press release.

The Reston National Golf Course remains open for guests but with altered requirements, according to the website.

Changes include face shields and new cleaning protocols for staff, removal of indoor seating, discounts for those who walk the course rather than use a golf cart, elimination of cash payment and elimination of walk-up reservations, the website said.

For members wishing to play at Hidden Creek Country Club, both the golf courses and tennis courts are open, the website said. But, the clubhouse will remain closed until further notice with the exception of take-out food.

Photo via Reston National Golf Course/Facebook

The recent sale of Reston National Golf Course to a pair of Baltimore developers has piqued concerns about the possible redevelopment of the 164-acre property. Weller Development Cos. and War Horse Cities told Reston Now the companies have no information to share about possible redevelopment.

If the 18-hole golf course’s redevelopment goes before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the plan could be a tough sell for the future Hunter Mill District Supervisor.

All five candidates running for the seat vacated by Cathy Hudgins said they do not support an amendment to Reston’s comprehensive plan to allow redevelopment of the site. In statements to Reston Now, each candidate took strikingly similar stances on the potential redevelopment of the golf course.

The comprehensive plan states that Reston National and Hidden Creek Country Club — the community’s two golf courses — are “planned for private recreational use, more specifically to remain as golf courses.”

Laurie Dodd — who said she was the only candidate who testified to protect the golf course in 2015 — said she will be a “strong advocate for the residents of the district, who have already made it clear that nothing should be built on either Reston golf course.” The Reston-based lawyer noted that lost open space can never be recovered.

Calling himself a “progressive candidate with a proven record of giving a voice to citizens and whose livelihood is independent of the development industry,” Walter Alcorn, a former Fairfax County planning commissioner, said he is committed to ensuring Reston’s comprehensive plan is respected.

“It does not matter who owns the golf course because the comprehensive plan calls for that property to be a golf course, and that prevents its development,” Alcorn said.

Maggie Parker, an executive with Comstock Companies, said she will advocate for green and open spaces in the community as well.

“While I personally view the sales as unfortunate, I must practically view them as sales of private property with development restrictions that should not change. I will continue to work with the community to protect what makes Reston the place we call home,” Parker said.

Parker Messick, a recent Roanoke College graduate, said he will “do everything in his power to utilize the power of the comprehensive plan and the zoning powers that supervisors have to make sure Reston National is never developed upon.”

“If development is allowed on Reston National, we will lose one of our previous green spaces that cannot so easily be replaced,” he said.

Shyamali Hauth, a U.S. Air Fore veteran and community advocate, also stated that she will stand with Rescue Reston — a community advocacy organization that formed in response to the threat of Reston National’s redevelopment several years ago — to oppose redevelopment.

“I stand firmly with Rescue Reston, where I have been an active member since 2015, and am committed to preventing any comprehensive plan amendment to allow development that does not keep them in their current open space capacity. Open green spaces are essential in terms of environmental sustainability as well as quality of life,” Hauth said.

She said she is deeply concerned the golf course was purchased by developer.

“There has been no outreach to the surrounding community or Rescue Reston prior to this sale. I hope that the new owners will come out and state clearly that they plan to keep Reston National a public golf course,” she said.

File photo

This op-ed was submitted by John Farrell, who is a Reston resident. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now. We publish article and opinion contributions of specific interest to the Reston community. Contributions may be edited for length or content.

With the announcement that Cathy Hudgins will not seek re-election and the entry of at least four (and maybe more) people in the June 11 primary to succeed her, it seems appropriate to propose an agenda for the candidates to address over the coming weeks as they knock on our doors and ask for our support.

The Hunter Mill District hasn’t had a primary for supervisor in many decades. And given Hunter Mill’s voting history, it’s reasonable to expect that whoever wins the June Democratic primary will be the next Hunter Mill Supervisor.

What follows is offered as a start of that conversation. Happy to see others add their questions.

1.  Should the Hunter Mill Supervisor lift the PRC ordinance’s 80,000 person population cap on Reston to 100,000 or higher?

The Planning Commission held a five hour hearing on raising the cap last Wednesday (Jan. 23). Few of the 30 some odd speakers spoke in favor of raising the cap.

2.  Should the Hunter Mill Supervisor use the county’s zoning power to end or reduce paid parking at Reston Town Center?

3.  Should Reston National Golf Course or Hidden Creek Golf Course be redeveloped for housing or preserved as a central part of Reston’s open space plan?

It’s been quiet on the RNGC front lately, but the owners of Hidden Creek have been holding focus groups trying to find any community support for redevelopment of that property and adjacent projects that it has recently acquired.

4. Should high-rise housing be allowed to replace North Point or Hunters Woods shopping centers?

The Reston Master Plan allows 50 units per acre as a redevelopment option for those shopping centers. The pending PRC amendment would raise that number to 70. Should this high-rise option be preserved or eliminated?

5. Which recreational facilities are maintained better: County Park Authority facilities or Reston Association’s facilities?

There are only four Fairfax Park Authority facilities in Reston, but they are badly in need of maintenance or improvement.  Neither South Lakes Drive Park nor North Point Park has water to keep the grass ball fields alive in the summer or provide in-door sanitation facilities.  Yet over the last decade, millions of proffer dollars have been promised to the Park Authority. What should that money be used for in Reston?

6. The Tysons Master Plan calls for office developers to make proffer donations for recreational facilities. Should the same be expected of commercial developers in Reston?

The tenants and guests of the commercial developers will use Reston Association’s trails and other amenities. Should they contribute to their renovation?

7. Should proffer donations by developers for recreation facilities go exclusively to the Park Authority to be used anywhere in the county or go to Reston Association for use in Reston?

Developers’ attorneys report to me that even when they write proffers to give recreational proffer money to RA, the current supervisor’s staff directs them to rewrite the proffer for the money to go to the Park Authority with no strings requiring the money to be used in Reston.

8. Should Reston Association have a prominent voice in land use decisions in Hunter Mill?

The turn-out for RA elections will approach the turn-out in the June Democratic primary in Reston. Isn’t RA as legitimate a voice of our community as the McLean Citizen Association is in McLean? MCA is entirely voluntary and yet has virtual veto power over McLean land use application with the Dranesville Supervisor.

What would RA’s Design Review Board have had to say about the Blue Monster next to Plaza America or the Azkaban Apartments at the corner of New Dominion and Reston Parkways? They were never asked.

9. Should four-lane roads be reduced to two-lane roads, and the closed lane devoted to the exclusive use of bicyclists?

South Lakes Drive is getting horrible reviews from locals and the suicide lanes on Lawyers, Soapstone and Colts Neck are inviting head-on collisions and traffic jams when folks try to make overlapping left turns.

No doubt there are other questions that these candidates should answer. So let’s hear them but keep it to issues they can do something about.

— John Farrell

Photo via Len Spoden Photography

The “road from nowhere” is a household term among Restonians who are abreast of the day-to-day happenings in local development and land use. The conceptual road, which runs from the Isaac Newton Square property to American Dream Way, cuts straight through an open space resource that local grassroots groups are trying to protect from development: Hidden Creek Country Club.

There are no plans on the books to build the road. But the presence of the line in Reston’s Comprehensive Plan has some scratching there heads: Where did this road come from? And what does it mean for the golf course?

County officials say the road is entirely conceptual in nature, but could possibly be needed to improve connectivity if planned redevelopment happens in the Isaac Newtown Square area. The road could also relieve congestion at the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue by serving as an alternative route to Sunset Hills Road, according to Robin Geiger of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

Geiger stressed the road has not been designed and if it is — whether through private development or through a public project — the community will have multiple opportunities to provide their feedback. The county will also work through the potential impacts to the golf course or environmentally-sensitive land in the area.

No development applications have been submitted for the Isaac Newton property to date. In May 2016, however, an application to develop a nearby three-acre site at 11480 Sunset Hills Road into an apartment building was indefinitely deferred.

But grassroots groups like Rescue Reston, which actively led efforts to stop the redevelopment of Reston National Golf Course and pledge to do the same for Hidden Creek Country Club, want the planned road connection removed from the comprehensive plan’s map. Its presence suggests the disruption of the golf course, which is one of two in Reston that the plan intends to protect.

In February, then-Reston Association CEO Cate Fulkerson requested that the county remove the line from the Reston Master Plan. Similar requests from community members surfaced again in recent workgroup sessions with county officials this month.

But county staff have remained reluctant to remove the road, noting that the conceptual road shows the intention of connecting the grid of streets with American Dream Way.

“As with any new roadway design, the county will work to minimize negative impacts on existing uses and the environment. In staff’s view, the planned road being shown as part of the conceptual street network does not negatively affect the viability of the Hidden Creek Golf Course,” Geiger said.

Despite assurances, some concerns remain, especially as Wheelock Communities engages with community stakeholders to determine the future of the golf course. No redevelopment plans have been formally proposed yet.

Photo via Google Earth

In early discussions about the future of Hidden Creek Country Club, members of the Reston Association’s Board of Directors and community advocates stood firm against the redevelopment of the golf course as its new owner, Wheelock Communities, contemplates future redevelopment options.

Since purchasing the golf course in October last year, Wheelock has held three work group sessions with community groups and nearby residents to discuss plans for the site. At its last meeting, the real estate developer of master planned communities pitched four options, including a no-build alternative. Discussions are preliminary.

Concerns about future redevelopment intensified when Wheelock Street Capital, an affiliated company, purchased Charter Oak Apartments in partnership with local investment firm Canandaigua & Pratt Holdings in February. The apartment is next to the golf course.

At an RA board meeting Thursday night, members reiterated that Reston is a two-golf course community. Reston’s Master Plan emphasizes the importance of preserving Reston’s golf courses for private recreational use and an RA resolution commits to ensuring Reston is a golf course community and opposes any attempts to create a roadway between American Dream Way and Isaac Newtown Square through the property.

Sherri Hebert, an RA board member, said Wheelock has pitched ways redevelopment could improve public accessibility through additional walking paths and make it more environmentally friendly. Hebert said the club is already “a community diamond” and that the future of golf is strong.

“They’ve even used Bob Simon and his vision to take about this is to be envisioned as something different, which I personally find insulting,” Hebert said.

The discussion harkens back to Rescue Reston’s defense of Reston National Golf Course, which was threatened by development plans several years. Connie Hartke, president of Rescue Reston, a grassroots group formed in 2012 in response to threats against the golf course, said the group is prepared to step up opposition against future development plans.

“This is not the time to concede an inch of open space,” Hartke said, noting that more planned development is on the horizon.

RA’s board plans to discuss the issue with representatives from Wheelock at a board operations committee meeting in September and a later board meeting that month as well. RA board president Andy Sigle described Thursday’s discussion as preliminary.

Sridhar Ganesan, an RA board member, said Wheelock has stated the cost of making improvements to the golf course raises questions about the future viability of the site. Ganesan said he hopes to see an analysis by Wheelock to determine how that conclusion was reached.

Wheelock issued the following statement late Friday afternoon:

When Wheelock Communities purchased Hidden Creek Country Club in October
2017, we immediately recognized the special character of Reston and the need to
include the community in exploring all the possibilities for the future of the golf
course. With that idea and Bob Simon’s Founding Principles of Reston in mind, Wheelock
engaged the community by establishing a Focus Group to gain the perspective
from a broad-based group of approximately 20 Reston residents. The Focus
Group, which has not yet concluded its work, began without preconceived
notions about the future of the property.

This story was updated on Monday (July 30) to include Wheelock’s response.

Handout via Reston Association

Rescue Reston, a grassroots organization that successfully helped prevent the redevelopment of Reston National Golf Course several years ago, is vowing to defend Hidden Creek Country Club after it changed ownership in late October.

In response to overwhelming requests from citizens for advice and support, the group has pledged to defend recreational open space at Hidden Creek Country Club by amending its mission statement.

Community advocates have long feared both Hidden Creek and Reston National Golf Course will transform into residential development as Reston expands.

“Rescue Reston and its supporters are standing between the green space and the developers who want to reduce, repurpose or eliminate green space for yet even more housing. There is precious little green recreational space in Reston to support the greatly increasing density that is already planned for all of Reston,” the group wrote in the statement.

Wheelock Communities purchased the club earlier this week from its previous owner, Fore Golf Partners, which will continue to manage the club.

In an October email announcing $300,000 in upgrades to the club, Wheelock, which owns properties in Texas and across the East Coast has listed several potential options for development, including additional public amenities, environmental benefits and new housing choices.

Golf Fundraiser Pays Legal Fees in Open Space Fight — Rescue Reston’s recent event at Reston National Golf Course raised money to go toward paying off the $153,000 in legal fees the group has incurred fighting its battle to protect the course from development. [Connection Newspapers]

County Celebrates High-Rise Construction Safety — “The cranes in Reston and Tysons are the most dramatic sign that parts of our county are changing into a more urban environment. Before these new high-rise buildings are built, years of planning go into making sure they are safe for the occupants and the community.” [Fairfax County]

Firefighters Support Breast Cancer Awareness — In an effort to heighten awareness in the fight against breast cancer, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department employees have been authorized to wear FRD-issued pink T-shirts while on duty from Oct. 9-23. The shirts are worn as a symbol of support and recognition for all those who have been touched by breast cancer. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Preparedness Event Slated for Saturday — The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management is partnering with numerous county agencies and other partners, such as the American Red Cross, to host a Preparedness Awareness Weekend (PAW) event Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Providence Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax). [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Digital-Media Company Moves Into New Town Center Home — Intermarkets, a Reston-based digital-media company whose portfolio includes The Drudge Report and The Political Insider, is now headquartered on the 11th floor of Reston Town Center’s One Freedom Square. [Virginia Business]

This letter was submitted by Reston resident John Pinkman, a member of the Rescue Reston board of directors. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now. We publish article and opinion contributions of specific interest to the Reston community. Contributions may be edited for length or content.

On Monday, Oct. 2, Rescue Reston will hold its third annual golf fundraiser on the course that Northwestern Mutual would like to turn into thousands of housing units. All fundraisers are directed toward the legal defense. Will NWM stay in town and make a commitment to our community, as did Mobil? I don’t think so; if there were a door, you would hear NWM slam on their way out! See ya!

Through my work with Rescue Reston, I have criticized myself for the inability to create a sense of loss throughout the community that we would experience if we lost the open space the golf course provides. I was hard on myself — until I learned how few Restonians voted in the Reston Association Board elections. Way less than 10 percent, I’m told.

I understand apathy; I expect it. However, Reston was not built on apathy. Thousands of people have worked hard to create the community we thrive in today. It costs more to live here because of the discipline of the way we choose to live. As a result, we have succeeded. The manner in which we built this town has yielded consistent national recognition. It’s a special place.

When I was young, I lived in Houston. They exuded pride in having no zoning regulations. The out-of-control pace of development stretched the city’s boundaries in Texas-size growth. That is, until the housing bust plummeted values and the recent rains came. You could build a million dollar home and see a 7-Eleven store spring up on one side and an oil rig on the other. I don’t remember even a neighborhood in Houston, let alone a sense of community.

When I first saw Reston in the late ’60s, I instantly felt a sense of community. When I returned in 1978, I walked into the Reston Festival at Lake Anne and instantly decided — this is home. There is not a day I walk through the plaza without recalling that celebration of Reston in ’78.

We have lived here for 40 years, 25 in a home on the golf course. We have worked so hard to buy our home and invest in Reston as we raised our three kids and now seven grandkids. As have thousands of others, we have contributed to our neighborhood and community. The beat goes on; our children and their spouses are all teachers making an impact.

Let me be clear; our family is far from unusual. Other families also have a long legacy and have done much to make Reston what it is. Why do 90 percent of people who live here care so little about its future as to ignore their right to choose the leaders who guide that future? Are they too busy? Got to get the kids to soccer? “All I care about is driving on these nice roads, seeing the trees and kicking back. I’ll let someone else take care of the future.” Apathy.

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Rescue Reston is continuing its effort to ensure any future action at Reston National Golf Course maintains its status as nearly 170 acres of open space.

The grassroots organization has been working for more than five years to preserve the golf course. Its efforts to block a sale of the property for residential development resulted in a temporary victory in 2016. However, the property’s owners continue to show interest in what they view as “by-right residential development” on the site.

In a letter emailed today to representatives of property owners Northwestern Mutual and investment advisory firm ARA Newmark, as well as delivered by hand to RN Golf Management LLC, Rescue Reston urges them to remember the desires of the community.

More than 100 turned out for a planned rally at the Reston National Golf Course Sunday against the development of the 166 acres which has long been kept as natural open space.

The group, which calls itself “Rescue Reston,” says the acreage is “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Golf,” and that its designation as open space dates back to Reston founder Bob Simon’s vision for the community.

“We’re going to send a message to the majority owner of the golf course — Northwestern Mutual — and potential bidders that Reston will not stop defending the 166 acres across Sunrise Valley Drive from the Northwestern Mutual offices,” said Connie Hartke, president of Rescue Reston. “Restonians have the power when the zoning is already on our side.”

“[Our] message to speculators regarding the sale of Reston National Golf Course is: buy a golf course if you wish, but know that recreational open space is all you will have,” Hartke continued.

News of this latest potential sale and development of Reston National Golf Course emerged earlier this year when ARA Newmark began distributing information that implies the acreage is “coming soon” for interested parties. The memorandum indicates it was prepared “solely for the use of prospective buyers of the real property commonly known as Reston National Golf Course.”

Rescue Reston members have been consulting with attorneys in preparation of fighting any potential rezoning, sale or development of the property, the organization’s website states.

Reston National Golf Course has been advertised for potential redevelopment, but a lot would need to happen for that to take place, Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins is reminding constituents.

In a statement to media Monday morning, Hudgins said an interpretation of the property’s status made by Fairfax County’s Department of Planning and Zoning is “clear and concise.”

“According to the interpretation, the process is clear and concise and must be followed in order for development other than a golf course or open space to be considered for the property,” Hudgins said.

The interpretation of the golf course property by Fairfax County Planning and Zoning reads:

“Based on the previous approvals, the redevelopment of the property from a golf course to residential uses would first require an amendment to the Reston Master Plan which is part of the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, as well as obtaining both Development Plan Amendment approval and Planned Residential Community Plan approval from the Board of Supervisors.”

According to Hudgins’ office, the supervisor made the statement Monday in response to the recent advertisement of the property by developer ARA Newmark as well as a recent article on real-estate news site GlobeSt, which quoted specific rumored sale prices and development values for the property. Hudgins believes the characterization of the property as a “by-right, mixed-use development opportunity” could be misleading to some residents, who may believe its redevelopment to be “a done deal,” her office stated.

Activist group Rescue Reston, which fought against a previous attempt to redevelop the property, has stated it will “mobilize [its] allies and supporters as necessary to oppose any attempt to amend the Comprehensive Plan that would threaten our open space.”