Reston Accessibility Committee Looks Toward Future Improvements

The Reston Accessibility Committee, a working group of the Reston Citizens Association, has released its annual report. 

In 2013, they were successful in completing three separate projects, which included ramps, additional accessible parking spaces and crosswalks at South Lakes Village Center and parking space re-alignment at the BB&T at North Point Village Center. 

They were also successful in adding accessible parking spaces, curb ramps, curb cuts, crosswalks, detectable warnings and accessible parking signs at Reston Hospital Center. 

The committee also presented Reston Hospital Center with its Universal Access Leadership Award in August. 

Below is a list of projects currently in progress, per their annual report. 

12007 Sunrise Valley Drive in the Reston Corner office campus. Chris Hembree, vice president at Cassidy Turley, has included substantial accessible parking space (APS) and accessible route expenses in the 2014 budget he has submitted to the owner. This is a long-standing RAC project, but new ownership and new management took control of the property in 2013, and we are hopeful of seeing improvements in 2014.

Hidden Creek Country Club.  Victor Rodarte, General Manager, has promised to improve the five existing non-compliant parking spaces for members and guests with mobility disabilities by the end of 2013, and to add two APSs to complete ADA compliance.  The existing spaces have no access aisles and the signs are not compliant with Fairfax County requirements.  Ken Plum and Cathy Hudgins both sent letters to Mr. Rodarte asking him to follow RAC's guidance in updating accessibility.  

Sunrise Valley Center.  There are 92 parking spaces and only two are designated as APSs. There should be four, per ADA and Virginia requirements.  We are hoping that Bill Lauer of Tetra Partnerships, owner of the Center, will respond positively to RAC's suggested accessibility improvements.

Hartke Building, Sunrise Valley Dr at Reston Pkwy.  The 54-space parking lot needs three APSs near the main entrance in order to meet ADA requirements.  At present there are none.  The building is owned by Paul and Keith Hartke.

Hunters Woods Village Center. Subsequent to the renovation by the new owner, Edens, about a year ago, Development Manager Reynolds Allen committed to add two APSs at the Ledo's to Dairy Queen side of the parking lot.  The current four APSs are consistently occupied, and Mr. Allen is aware of that.
  
Carrabba's Italian Grill, Sunset Hills Rd. Both local management and national management have understood the need for additional APSs, but Carrabba's doesn't own the property. They did immediately replace non-compliant accessible parking signs with compliant signs.  National management wrote a letter to the property owners on Nov. 12, asking them to add at least one APS (required by law), and possibly two (RAC's suggestion).  

A complete list of their projects can be found here, as well as on their main site.

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