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Politics & Government

Community Gets a Look at New Police Station Design

Building will be first in new construction in "North Town Center" area.

Fairfax County officials and architects from the firm AECOM presented plans  the new building at a public meeting on Wednesday.

The building will house, as it does now, the Reston District Police Station and the offices for the Hunter Mill District Supervisor. A 2006 bond referendum provided the $18 million funding  for the renovation/expansion of the current police department station (built in 1985) and the government offices.

The design will be submitted to the county this month, with an eye towards approval in September. Pending approval, construction would begin in late fall 2012 and be completed in mid-2014.

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This construction will be the first in the so-called “North Town Center Block,"  considered a prime area for development in Reston.  

Kim Callahan, project manager with Fairfax County Department of Public Works, said the county planners looked at entire block to study how development would impact the area, to determine where the police station could be located with the security it requires, and provide flexibility for future growth in the area.

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The Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force Town Center Subcommittee also weighed in with some requests, including a green area that could connect to a future park, a distinctly urban design and coordination with a grid street system. 

To keep the current police station open and operational during the process, and to make best use of the grade of the land and the requests of the task force, the county chose a site essentially behind the current police complex.

AECOM's Teddy Falloway said the plan is very close to specifications of county and task force and strives to reinforce the positive presence of police in community and be an “approachable, but dignified” office for the supervisor.

The police portion of the building will be recessed somewhat into the ground and made of brick masonry, he said. It serves as an anchor to the supervisor’s portion of the building, which is much lighter, with generous use of glass and metal canopies.

The supervisor’s section of the building will include a larger community room that will open to the green area.  The new building will be approximate 35,000 square feet, which is nearly double the size of the current building.

The project will be seeking a LEED Silver certification by incorporating high-efficiency plumbing and HVAC systems, water efficient landscaping, a “cool roof” with high reflectivity, use of recycled components and low-emitting materials and construction waste management practices.

While the design was generally well-received by the group at this meeting, some citizens had concerns.

Tammi Petrine, member of the Reston 2020 committee, says she is concerned about the location choice and the orientation of the building. She also wonders how the construction of this building would impact the development around the site, considered prime property in Reston.

Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said this location offers what the county needs.

“We wrestled with what would be the most appropriate setting," she said. "This [design] offers us the best option where we can start now, answers security issues and bridges the two organizations: the supervisor’s office and the police."

 “The need for this station is immediate. The county has worked to provide the most amount of flexibility, since there are no set plans for the area yet,“ said Hudgins.

 
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