RCC Outlines Process, FAQs for New Facility

Reston Community Center has organized a Frequently Asked Questions brief to advise residents on the new community center proposed for Baron Cameron Park.

RCC announced two weeks ago that it is looking into building a new facility on Fairfax County Park Authority land at Baron Cameron and Reston Parkway. The RCC  Board - along with the Park Authority - is gathering public input for the project.

RCC officials say they will spend five months gathering data and feedback before deciding whether to build a new rec center in partnership with the Park Authority, and if so, what it will feature.

To see the outline and FAQs from RCC, click here.

RCC officials say the sports fields, dog park, and community gardens at Baron Cameron Park are also being considered in the planning.

At the first public meeting on Feb. 11, citizens representing many teams and leagues gave consultants from Brailsford & Dunlavey their thoughts on what they would like to see. 

Top among the requests - a 50-meter indoor pool. Representatives from Reston Swim Team Association, Reston Masters Swim Team, and South Lakes High School, among others, urged RCC to build a regulation pool so SLHS swim team would be able to host home meets and RSTA swimmers would be able to participate in year-round training.

RCC has a smaller indoor pool at its  but demand for use is high and space and time are tight.

The facility would be built with money from Fairfax County Small Tax District 5, which operates the current Reston Community Center. Most residents of Reston pay this additional tax already (47 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value).

There will be a series of opportunities for public feedback from March to June. To see a complete schedule, click here.

To read a white paper from Reston Citizens Association's Dick Rogers on possible drawbacks to the Baron Cameron location and ideas for alternative locations, click here.

Do you think RCC should build a new facility? Tell us in the comments.