Barton Hill Funding Moved Up — Reston Association plans to begin the nearly $851,000 in renovations for the Barton Hill Recreation Area by late 2022. Original plans called for completing the project sometime in 2023. [RA]

Three People Injured in Group Fight — Two people were treated for injuries at a local hospital after a fight between two groups broke out in a business on the 2400 block of Centreville Road on Nov. 6. Police officers found one victim with a gunshot wound and two others with stab wounds when they arrived on the scene shortly before 2 a.m. All of the injuries were not serious. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Missing Terrier Dies at Reston Golf Course — Baby, a 15-year-old Yorkie who went missing on Nov. 1, died Thursday afternoon in a creek at Reston National Golf Course. [Reston Patch]

Vaccine Clinics at Schools Launched — The Fairfax Health District and Fairfax County Public Schools will begin offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 at nine clinics starting tomorrow. Clinics will be held after school hours, evenings and weekends at nine school sites. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

The Reston National Golf Course has launched a new study group to help understand the property’s past and current conditions and future plans for the neighborhood’s natural environment.

Funded by Virginia Investment Partners LLC, which owns the 168-acre golf course, the Reston National Neighborhood Study Group is focusing on six primary categories: open space, amenities, tree canopies, safety, housing costs, and water quality.

The group hosted its first community meeting on May 13 with the Hunters Green community, and at least additional conversations are planned, according to study group leader Greg Hamm.

As founder and president of the real estate planning firm New City Enterprises, Hamm represents the developers Weller Development Cos. and War Horse Cities, which purchased the golf course in 2019.

Hamm says the community conversations are intended to provide transparency for the study group’s work and opportunities for public engagement, particularly with adjacent neighbors like the Hunters Green Cluster, which shares almost six miles of property with the golf course.

“This is a very important piece of property, and it’s a very important topic and issue to many people,” Hamm said. “…It’s a big responsibility on us to really listen, engage and be creative and thoughtful in how we are stewards of this property and this important piece of the community. So, there are going to be lots of ideas, lots of opinions, lots of very important concerns that we have to address.”

The conversations will touch on shared property lines, trees, and the vegetative state of the surrounding property, including how to address invasive plant species, along with other challenges identified by the study group and neighbors.

Other topics include understanding the trail network and engaging in conversation about permanent open spaces, a recurring concern in Reston when it comes to golf courses.

While an effort to update Reston’s comprehensive plan is ongoing, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn has maintained that he would not support amending the plan to allow for development on the area’s two golf courses, though a proposal to build townhomes near the Hidden Creek Country Club course is currently working its way through Fairfax County’s planning process.

Hamm says the Neighborhood Study Group will be guided by the seven founding principles laid out by Reston founder Robert E. Simon.

“We think that keeping in the spirit of Reston and master planning, and community building, there’s some ways we could go about possibly addressing some of these things that could be very positive,” Hamm said.

Hamm added that these conversations will not result in an overnight transformation, but he hopes to encourage an open dialogue so the study group can work with surrounding community members and learn about their concerns or ideas.

“We want to make sure we genuinely thought through and understand the major underpinning issues the community has about our future and their future,” Hamm said. “Part of that is enabling them to understand what’s happening already.”

Photo via Reston National Golf Course/Facebook

Wheelock Communities is still courting ideas for the redevelopment of Hidden Creek Country Club amid community consternation and angst on the future of the 159-acre golf course. 

The developer, which bought the golf course in October 2017, is considering redeveloping the club into a large public park with an unidentified number of residential units. The plan is in its initial stages as Wheelock continues virtual meetings with stakeholders. 

Steve Coniglio, a regional partner for the mid-Atlantic region at Wheelock, says that while he is aware of differing opinions and concerns about the golf course, he welcomes a transparent community discussion.

“Let’s get all of the people who care and let’s get them into a room and let’s figure this out. What’s the right answer for Hidden Creek?”

So far, the develop is considering creating seven neighborhoods with a “broad spectrum” of affordable housing, according to its website. A 100-acre public park will include recreational facilities like an indoor tennis and pickle ball court, senior fitness area, and a playground. The developer also plans to add between two to four miles of public trails, a new trailhead off of Sunset Hill Road connecting to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, and new landscaping and stormwater management features.

Reston’s two golf courses — Hidden Creek and Reston National — have been bought by developers seeking to redevelop a portion or most of the properties into housing. But a grassroots efforts led by Rescue Reston, a grassroots advocacy group, staved off the development proposal at Reston National several years ago.

The community advocacy group is hoping to do the same with Hidden Creek. Recently, the group stepped its advocacy efforts after Wheelock concluded meetings with stakeholders by urging attendees to encourage Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn to support their plan.

The Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan states the golf course should remain a golf course. An amendment to the plan would be required for Wheelock to proceed with any plans.

Alcorn told Reston Now he has no plans to initiate a change to the comprehensive plan to allow development to proceed. 

“I have long and consistently stated – including during last year’s supervisor election, and since – that unless and until communities surrounding the golf course indicate their desire to initiate a change the Comprehensive Plan I will oppose any such change.  It is also not within the scope of the current review of the comprehensive plan for Reston,” Alcorn said.

Rescue Reston has since renewed advocacy to preserve Hidden Creek. Over the weekend, volunteers placed bright yellow flags urging residents to save Reston’s golf courses.

“From its inception, the planned community of Reston was designed to have concentrated open space and concentrated development. It also was based on diversity of socioeconomic households,” wrote Connie Hartke, Rescue Reston’s president, in a statement.

Lynne Mulston, chair of Rescue Reston North Committee, added that Wheelock appears to pitch its public park concept to the community without offering more details on the housing component of the project.

“Wheelock spends more time discussing an additional five miles of pathway

(to add to Reston’s existing 55 miles plus Reston’s existing access to the W&OD trail, the Gerry

Connolly Cross County Trail and nearby paths in Lake Fairfax Park) than time spent focusing on the housing lots they will sell off to individual homebuilders.”

An official proposal with the county has not been filed, nor is it clear when the proposal may be submitted, Coniglio said. 

Coniglio says turning the golf course into a public park with a housing component is a win-win situation. While the number of residential units has not been finalized — up to 1,000 has been pitched — Coniglio says the units will likely vary from single-family homes to duplex units.

“It’s a pretty good trade when you’re looking at transitioning from a private country club with a limited number of services to becoming a public park that’s really for all. That’s really in the spirit of diversity and inclusiveness that is Reston.”

This op-ed was submitted by Walter Alcorn, a former Fairfax County Planning Commissioner who recently won the Democratic Primary for Hunter Mill District Supervisor. 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. 

Recent reports that the Reston National Golf Course has been acquired by two Baltimore area real estate developers, Weller Development and War Horse Cities, have placed many Restonians on alert.  The fate of the golf course has been a hot button issue for the community since 2012 when the previous owner attempted to assert its right to develop the course without an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan.

Weller Development and War Horse have stated that they “are focused on building relationships and working with the communities we serve, and we look forward to being part of the Reston community for years to come.” I’ll take them at their word, but these new owners, and the Reston community, should understand that if elected to the Board of Supervisors whether I would consider even initiating any possible change to the Comprehensive Plan will be guided by two simple principles.

First, any proposed amendment must, as a threshold matter, have the support of the Reston community, and particularly the support of the homeowners and communities adjacent to the golf course. These residents would be most directly affected by any proposed development. They bought their property with the expectation that it would remain a golf course, as called for in the Comprehensive Plan, and those expectations deserve to be respected. In addition, there also must be support from the broader community (e.g., golfers and users of trails through the course).

Second, I don’t believe that the quality of any business decisions made by the property owners are relevant to land use decisions of the Board of Supervisors. If the new owners paid a speculative premium for the property hoping to find a path to development, and if they are unable to secure community support for such development, in my view that is simply the risk of being an entrepreneur in our free market system.

The Reston National Golf Course has been a part of the fabric of Reston since the community was founded in 1964. I understand the concerns of residents in protecting Reston’s open space for recreational, environmental and livability reasons. And with the current Comprehensive Plan designation arrived at unanimously by the task force formed to draft the Plan only a few years ago, I do not support changing the Plan’s designation that this property be a golf course. At some point in the future if the new owners of the golf course can devise a plan which garners clear and broad community backing (including neighboring communities) I would support initiating a process to consider changing the Comprehensive Plan. If not, they should accept the fact that they bought a golf course and look at how to involve more of the community in the lifelong sport of golf.

Photo via Walter Alcorn

This op-ed was submitted by Lynne Mulston, vice president of Reston Citizens Association, chair of Rescue Reston’s North Course Committee, and a member of Hidden Creek Country Club. 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. 

What doesn’t Wheelock understand about the Reston community’s response to their plans to develop Hidden Creek Country Club?

The focus groups that were held last year should have sent a clear message that the majority of the participants want the open space golf course at Hidden Creek to remain as such. One focus group participant said, “You [Wheelock and Swaback] don’t get it. We already have our park and we don’t pay a cent for it.”

The members of Hidden Creek — many of whom are long-term residents of Reston, have chosen to raise their families here, paid their taxes to Fairfax County including the added Small Tax District #5 assessments for the pleasure of living here, joined Hidden Creek for its amenities including swimming, tennis and golf, a sport that you can play well into your retirement years. In fact, there are numerous senior members (70+ years of age) at the Club which also serves as the home course for McLean High School’s golf team.

I was shocked recently when I received photos of a display that Wheelock Communities has set-up in a member event room just off the Tavern Bar and Grill. Every inch of wall space is covered with posters, presentations, and pictures of the plunder of Wheelock’s vision to turn 164-acres of open space that Gulf Reston originally dedicated to the people of Reston.

Here are just a few of the details of Wheelock’s proposal for HCCC’s development:

• 100+ acres and 8-10 tennis courts would be dedicated to Fairfax County Park Authority. That’s right! The open space that the Reston community pays NOTHING to maintain, would go the FCPA which our tax dollars fund. IOW, Restonians would now be tasked to pay so that Wheelock can make a profit by further densifying Reston despite that fact that the Reston Master Plan has always said both Reston golf courses shall remain open space!
• Reston was originally planned with two permanent 18-hole golf courses to offset significant overall community density elsewhere. Now Wheelock wants to reduce the cumulative open space requirements by developing choice portions of the course. 650 homes would be placed on the open space that Robert Simon envisioned. Vehicular traffic on a proposed new road system would significantly add to the congestion we’re already experiencing. Our already overcrowded schools would be further stressed.
• Fairfax County is planning to build a new 4-acre storm water management pond on the southern portion of HCCC to fix past development mistakes which result in flooding north of the Dulles Toll Road. Pursuant to this plan and Wheelock’s inability to develop land in this area due to it being a pipeline and floodplain, plans are to convert a huge part of the present course to other recreational amenities managed by the FCPA. The issue is if this is allowed, we taxpayers will pay in perpetuity for what now is ecologically precious open space.
• Wheelock is promoting a false narrative that when golf course use is eliminated, draining water from Lake Anne will cease. Claims that Hidden Creek takes 150,000 gallons of water per day from Lake Anne are erroneous. At first glance, this sounds like a lot of water but let’s look at the FACTS:
  • The lake covers 27.7653 surface acres with an average depth of 13 feet. This means that the volume of the lake is 117,615,560 gallons.
  • Hidden Creek monitors the pond near Temporary Road and North Shore Drive regularly. Only when needed does Hidden Creek draw water from Lake Anne.
  • At maximum capacity, Hidden Creek’s pump can only pump 179 gpm. They rarely use it at that rate, but if they did, it would take 2.5 days to draw down the lake 1-inch.

It’s clear that Wheelock is betting their $14 million investment could net a return of $250 million; their investors are relying on their success. It’s up to us to show them why Reston was a poor choice for their exploitations. Vote for candidates who clearly state their intent to protect Reston’s golf courses. Save our community!

Photo via Lynne Mulston

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

Local community groups are gearing up to protect Reston National Golf Course from redevelopment once again after the 168-acre property was sold off to a pair of Baltimore developers earlier this month.

Weller Development Cos. and War Horse Cities purchased the property from RN Golf LLC, a partnership of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance and Billy Casper Golf, according to the Washington Business Journal.

So far, the developers have “no set plans for the property at this time,” according to the report. But both companies appear to focus primarily on development.

Weller Development creates “large and small-scale development projects with the potential to transform cities,” according to its website. War Horse Cities is focused on “programming spaces, developing real estate and creating philanthropic initiatives,” according to its website.

Rescue Reston, a group formed in 2012 to protect Reston’s two golf courses and open spaces, has already declared that it is ready for battle.

“You bought a golf course and you own a golf course. Period. The war is on,” the group wrote on Facebook.

The fight to preserve Reston’s golf courses now has two fronts.

The advocacy group has vowed to protect Hidden Creek Country Club, which has been the subject of discussion for redevelopment in recent months after it was sold in 2017. Wheelock Communities, the owner, is considering plans to build 600 to 1,000 residential units and create a public park on the property. No formal plans have been proposed, but the company has discussed ideas with community stakeholders.

Rescue Reston says Reston National’s new owners have yet to contact them about their plans for the site.

“Weller Development Co. and War Horse Cities state in this Washington Business Journal article that they are ‘focused on building relationships’ and  ‘being part of the Reston community.’ Yet they have not reached out to Rescue Reston or any other Reston entity which is in favor of golf and open space in Reston, thus showing their true intentions,” the group wrote in a statement.

Redeveloping the golf course would require a comprehensive plan amendment — a protracted process that Reston National’s previous owners backed off on in 2012.

Although the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals ruled that RN Golf could redevelop the site, the decision was overturned by the Fairfax County Circuit Court. In 2016, RN Golf decided not to take the fight to the Virginia Supreme Court. The golf course was later listed for sale in 2017.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

File photo

Several Reston Now readers inquired Monday afternoon about the Fairfax County Police helicopter circling over Glade Drive and Soapstone Drive.

They were looking for a stolen golf cart, Fairfax County Police said.

Police said a pedestrian on the Reston Association trail near Reston National Golf Course called police about 2:55 p.m. to say a golf cart with two teenage boys and a teenage girl nearly hit him on the path before making a U-turn on Soapstone.

Police said Reston National has experienced a series of stolen golf carts recently and the chopper was dispatched to see if it could help find the stolen cart quickly.

By 3:30 p.m. the chopper was called back. No word yet on whether the suspects had been found.

Photo: Golf carts at Reston National/file photo

Advocacy group Rescue Reston is holding its first golf classic Oct. 5 at Reston National Golf Course.

Rescue Reston was formed three years ago to support keeping Reston National as open and community space. Many of its founders live on homes backing to the golf course, which is also a wildlife habitat.

Rescue Reston’s owners, RN Golf Management, inquired in 2012 whether the land could be developed residential. When Fairfax County said it was community space, the owners took the case to the board of zoning appeals.

The BZA ruled this year that the space could be redeveloped without a comprehensive plan amendment. That leaves open the possibility that residential development could occur at the course at Sunrise Valley Drive and Colts Neck Road. No specific redevelopment plans have been filed.

Redevelopment of the 166-acre course would affect golfers, of course, but also hundreds of homeowners who purchased nearby because of golf course views and nearby open space.

Rescue Reston, along with Reston Association and Fairfax County, and continuing to fight the ruling. There will be a hearing on motions for summary judgment to reverse the decision in the Circuit Court of Fairfax County on Nov. 6.

Meanwhile, there is golf to be played and money to be raised to aid in Rescue Reston’s battle with developers. Here is what you need to know:

• 2 p.m. shotgun start/5 p.m. dinner provided by Glory Days Grill.
• Fees (greens fees, carts, beverages, and dinner): Foursome $240; Individual $60.
• Proceeds help fund Rescue Reston’s litigation costs
• Sponsorships available
• Not a golfer? There will also be a guided nature hike. The hike is free, but a $20 minimum donation will also gain you entry to dinner and clubhouse activities.

For more information and to sign up, visit Rescue Reston.

Reston organizations appealing a recent decision about the future of Reston National Golf Course will have a day in court this fall.

Reston Association, Fairfax County and advocacy group Rescue Reston, all of whom are appealing the 2015 Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) ruling on Reston National, will have a hearing on motions for summary judgment to reverse the decision in the Circuit Court of Fairfax County on Oct. 23.

The BZA ruled in April (following a January hearing) that golf course owner RN Golf Management would not need a zoning change in order to redevelop the 166-acre golf course from open and recreational space to residential.

That leaves open the possibility that residential development could occur at the course at Sunrise Valley Drive and Colts Neck Road. That would affect golfers, of course, but also hundreds of homeowners who purchased nearby because of golf course views and nearby open space.

“We’re very pleased that our evidence will be heard at the Circuit Court level,” said Rescue Reston’s Connie Hartke. “A few weeks ago, RN Golf’s attorney tried to get this dismissed, saying that Reston Association and the petitioners who live around the golf course had no standing.”

“It is time to step up and help financially so that we can send our strongest message ever to the investor-owner, Northwestern Mutual (NWM), that it is time to STOP.”

The future of the golf course has been a matter of community and legal discussion since summer 2012. That’s when Fairfax County’s Zoning, responding to an inquiry from RN Golf, told the golf course owners that the space is recreational and developing it would require a comprehensive plan amendment.

After several years of delays and continuances by RN Golf Management, the company’s appeal was finally heard in a six-hour hearing in January. There has never been a redevelopment plan filed or made public by the golf course owners.

In the BZA’a April decision, board member Paul Hammack’s motion that “we overrule the zoning administrator to the extent she says a comprehensive plan amendment is a precondition [to development]” was unanimously approved.

Rescue Reston board member David Burns said at that time that the BZA ignored the law and rights of thousands of people in Reston.

“We believe the BZA has ignored not only the law and the property rights of the thousands who own property adjacent to the golf course, ” he said. “But also the will of the more than 6,000 supporters of Rescue Reston, and the thousands more members of the Reston Association, who respect the Reston Master Plan and oppose development of the golf course.”

A January county staff report also upheld the 2012 ruling.

Reston Association’s Board voted in May to also appeal the BZA ruling.

“The decision reflects RA’s position that any redevelopment of PRC zoned land within Reston, including the Reston National Golf Course, must be reviewed and compared to the existing zoning development plans, and any proffers or conditions attached to the development plans,” RA said in a statement at the time. Read More

A staff report issued by the Fairfax County Department of Zoning Administration requests that the Board of Zoning Appeals uphold the Zoning Administrator’s determination of June 20, 2012 in next week’s BZA hearing on Reston National Golf Course.

The BZA will consider the appeal of RN Golf, the owners of the 166-acre public course in south Reston, at a hearing on Jan. 21 at 9 a.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center.

RN Golf, a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual Insurance, has been asking the county since 2010 whether the course was considered residential. The county said in 2012 that the course is designated permanent, open recreational space, and to change the designation would require a change to the Reston Master Plan.

RN Golf disagrees and would like to bypass the amendment change process.

According to the Jan. 13 staff report, the zoning staff previously confirmed to RN Golf that the existing zoning is “Planned Residential Community District without any proffered condition, restriction, limitation, or prohibition.”

From the report:

[RN Golf] further asserts that no other conditions, restrictions, limitations, or prohibitions are set forth in the Ordinances and none have been found in the County records that would prohibit, restrict, or proscribe the use of the Subject Property for residential.”

Even prior to locating copies of the approved development plans for RZ C-l35, RZ C-203, and RZ C-281 at the time of response to [attorney] Mark Looney’s inquiry letter of April 20, 2012, it was clear through staff reports, legal notices, and other relevant documentation that the three parcels making up the subject property had been designated on the development plans as golf course and open space only.

The zoning appeal hearing was postponed three times in 2012 and 2013 to give time to locate the original 1971 documents that designate the golf course as open space. The staff report says RN Golf has been notified of the confirmation of the plan, but is proceeding anyway.

Subsequent to the submission of this appeal application the development plan copies were located, and the appellant was provided with copies of these development plans, which occurred prior to the initially scheduled public hearing date(s) in 2012.

Staff has clearly demonstrated through the current (and prior) Zoning Ordinance language how these approved development plans, which designate the property as “South Golf Course Permanent Open Space,” “South Golf Course” and “South Golf Course Permanent Open Space” and “South Golf Course Permanent Open Space,” respectively, are binding to the property irrespective of the absence of proffers or development conditions, and must be amended to propose alternative development from the current use of a golf course or continued use as open space.

Meanwhile. grassroots advocacy group Rescue Reston is trying to rally as many people as possible to attend the hearing to voice their opposition to potential development.

See the entire staff report on the Fairfax County website.

  

This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. She writes twice weekly on Reston Now.

Many consider golfing the perfect sport. I can definitely agree with that on those glorious days when the sun is shining and a light breeze carries the aroma of honeysuckle through the air.

On those days, nothing beats grabbing the clubs and heading over to one of the two amazing Reston golf courses: Hidden Creek Country Club and Reston National Golf Course. Legendary golf architect Ed Ault built both of these beautiful courses.

So, for you golf enthusiasts, here is the lowdown on Reston golf courses.

Hidden Creek Country Club

The Hidden Creek Country Club course is a classic, playable design renowned for its meticulously landscaped tees and greens where beautiful plants and flowers adorn each hole. This PGA-quality course is a favorite for serious golfers.

Reston National Golf Course

Located in South Reston, Reston National Golf Course is Reston’s public golf course. This secluded course is full of shaded fairways that provide a tranquil environment for any kind of golf outing you can imagine. Visit the restaurant or the clubhouse before or after your game to prolong the fun.