Amateur Night at the Circus

“Your pal, Knuevan, and his buds are at it again,”

I’d just put the shirts for the dry cleaner in the ULEV when good neighbor Bob’s sonorous baritone came over my shoulder.  “What now?” I inquired with disquiet.

“Did you see where Hudgins is going to approve Buzzuto’s 400 unit apartment high rise next to the Wiehle station on Tuesday?” asked Bob.  “Yeah, there’s supposed to be high-rise residential in the TOD district.” I replied in puzzlement.

“Did you see where the proffers DON’T require the units to be part of RA?” said Bob.

“No, I didn’t.  That’s strange because Comstock’s units right next door are going to be in RA.” said I.

“You’re the zoning maven, how’d you let that happen?” snarked Bob with a grin.

“Did Reston P&Z recommend approval?” I inquired.

“Yup and all the recreation proffer money, almost a million dollars, is going to FCPA with no requirement that it be spent in Reston like for the turf fields and lights at SLHS, or the 50 meter indoor pool or the indoor tennis facility!”

“Frank de la Fe must have fixed it at Planning Commission?” I pled.

“Nope, sailed straight through.” deadpanned Bob.

“Well, I’m sure the RA Board is on the case and has written a letter to Cathy Hudgins asking her to fix it?” I assured him.

“Nope.  Saw where Cate Fulkerson wrote a condescending dismissive e-mail saying they were talking to the developer - but the proffers haven’t changed.” reported Bob.

“But RA hired their own zoning attorney to review these cases, have they been tasked to do anything?”  I begged.

“Nope”

“Is there any recreational proffer money from the office building like they do in Tysons?” I asked with a grimace, fearing the worst.

“You’re kidding, right?  Of course, they didn’t.  But Cathy Hudgins wants us RCC taxpayers to take on $50 to $100 million in debt to fund Bouie’s and Lelia’s monument to their own egos replacing the soccer fields at Baron Cameron.”

I was speechless (a truly rare event) as Bob sauntered away shaking his head.

He turned and asked, “Can anyone at RA play this game?  McLean Citizens Association is so much more effective at this stuff.  They get recreatioinal proffers from office buildings and they don’t collect assessments or have a staff or attorneys or have their own building.”

He continued, “RA got no proffer money for the 50 meter pool or indoor tennis from Fairways, or Parc Reston, or the 23 story office tower that replaces the Reston Times building or from Spectrum or Reston Heights.  But Reston Soccer has to borrow $150,000 for the turf fields?  And so does the SLHS Boosters?”

“Nothing here makes any sense.”

“All the institutions that are supposed to be taking care of Restonians’ recreational needs, whether its RA, RCC, Reston P&Z, the Hunter Mill Planning Commissioner, the Hunter Mill Parks guy or our Supervisor, they have all abandoned us.”

I had no rejoinder.