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Reston Residents Outline Fairway Flaws To County Planning Commission
Staff report supports it, but residents who spoke at public hearing generally do not.
The Fairfax County planning commission will decide July 20 whether to approve developer JBG's latest proposal for redevelopment of Reston's Fairway Apartments.
On Thursday night, the planning commission reviewed a staff report recommending approval for JBG's proposal. A staff report last July - when the redevelopment was to be 951 high-rise units - did not recommend moving forward.
But JBG has made many modifications since then lowering densities with a campus that include 804 units in several five-story buildings, 131 townhouses and 38 percent open space.
"The changes made to the plan, along with the proposed development conditions result in a development which is now in character and scale to the surrounding development," the report read. It also asked for some small modifications.
The report said even though the density will be higher than the current medium-density neighborhood, the current application now conforms to the comprehensive plan guidelines and zoning ordinances.
But that doesn't mean it pleases the neighbors. Eight Reston residents stayed at Thursday's public hearing past midnight to gave their thoughts to the planning commission.
Most support the idea of redevelopment and agree the aging Fairway development needs something, but they are not sure the latest proposal is it.
"We welcome the arrival of rail in 2013 and the opportunity to develop a true Transit Oriented Development," said Diane Blust, president of the Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth. "Fairway is not a TOD development. This runs counter to the comprehensive plan. It will increase traffic, disrupt a stable neighborhood and create a loss of relatively affordable housing."
Tammi Petrine, co-chair of the Reston Citizen Association's Reston2020 group, also decried the reduction in affordable housing.
"Reston values its diversity," she said. "The loss of 348 affordable units would be devastating."
She urged JBG to rethink the development as one of the elderly and handicapped, as there "is a huge need for that."
The commission also heard from Barbara Byron, chair of the Reston Association's Design Review Board.
She outlined all the concerns the DRB has with the design of the plan. Ultimately, the DRB has final say in the future of the project, even if it is approved by the county planning commission and the board of supervisors.
"We are universally opposed to components of design that do not respond well to surrounding buildings," said Byron.
Among the DRB's concerns: 50-foot townhouse heights; flat townhouse facades; little greenspace; five-story buildings that are really seven-stories in order to accommodate underground parking; the "Texas Donut" style that wraps a building around parking; and the increased density.
RCA president Marion Stillson says Fairway is extremely important because it will set a precedent for about two dozen other neighborhoods that may next be in line for redevelopment.
"Why is Fairway so dangerous?" she said. "Because it breaks the rules at a time and in a manner that could spoil Reston. Fairway is the first residential neighborhood in Reston to seek development. If it gets the greenlight for this, what will stop the others?
"This proposal is dense in scale, urban in design and does not belong next to a golf course," she said. "It is unacceptable and violates Reston's values. Please reject it."
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Private Person
9:20 am on Saturday, July 9, 2011
"...could spoil Reston." Please! Let's open our two eyes and ears more often and keep out mouths shut a bit more often. That neighborhood is already spoiled --- what with aging apartments, hideous non native plantings, littered streets and sidewalks impassible because of overgrowth of lovely things like poison ivy, dilapidated bus shelters, and an school yard full of trailers.
There is too much "affordable" housing in Reston. It's time to let the market, not a bunch of of idealists who cling to failed ideals and design models, decide what is best for the community.
And we find the idea of counting underground spaces, especially a garage, as a story are absurd. No single-family house with a full finished basement is counted as one more storey than it is, so why here?
Carolyn Lawson Low
9:32 am on Saturday, July 9, 2011
I value Marion Stillson's point of view on this topic. She is not someone I would encourage to "keep her mouth shut".
And for the record... the trailers at Lake Anne Elementary are temporary. The renovation project at the school is at the halfway mark and should be finished in the next year.
Private Person
9:56 am on Saturday, July 9, 2011
Temporary or not, the trailers are ugly and quite incredible to see in a county that claims it's students are so well educated (in hundreds, if not thou0sands, of trailers) and spends hundreds of millions annually on endless renovations. In any case, the trailers certainly do not conform to DRB design guidelines and improve one's property values.
It's too bad that DRB is more worried about what's under ground than sitting on top of it and blighting the views for all.
I am not allowed to park a camper in my driveway, even for a short while, but the "temporary" trailers are allowed to be there for years? Shame!
If the DRB is not worried about the presence of trailers in Reston, we are in trouble.
I never said Marion Stillson should keep her mouth shut -- please don't put words in my mouth. Regardless of her advocacy for cheap housing, the neighborhood is already "spoiled."
She's entitled to HER opinion, not mine. In this case, I could not disagree more with her, but that's what civil discourse is for and about.
Carolyn Lawson Low
10:18 am on Saturday, July 9, 2011
The article quoted Ms. Stillson:" in a manner that could spoil Reston"
Your comment began with "...could spoil Reston." and continued to say "keep out mouths shut a bit more often " (assuming "out" was mean to be "our")
I don't believe I put words in your mouth. I do believe I am done with this "civil discourse" .
Off to enjoy a beautiful day in Reston.
Private Person
10:24 am on Saturday, July 9, 2011
You did put words in my mouth (including your editorial correction); please stop.
The BSD Guy
1:49 pm on Saturday, July 9, 2011
"This proposal is dense in scale, urban in design and does not belong next to a golf course," she said. "It is unacceptable and violates Reston's values. Please reject it."
.....Dear, dear, don't be silly. The golf courses are a target for long term, high density development too.
Ahhhhh the joy of it! Traffic jams on North Shore drive, backups at the corner of temporary road, backups at North Shore and Baron Cameron, backups at North Shore and Weihle Add another 20-30 minutes to your commute times kids...you'll need it. This'll be great!!!! And of course the school will be overloaded. They should really STOP any work they're doing on the school now because it will need to be even bigger.
Fortunately, Fairfax County residents have infinite wealth. Money falls out of the skies to accommodate all the repairs, modification, and upgrades needed locally just so this very, very special developer may have his way. And of course this is just one of their well thought out projects. There are many more to come, and all county residents will need to pry open their wallets to cover the costs induced by over development.
Personally I think it's time residents request a formal investigation of some of these "boards" and "staffs" by the FBI and/or IRS. These people ALWAYS side with developers regardless of how much damage they do to an area. They've GOT to be getting paid off.