The View From Over Here

 The final approval for JBG’s proposed redevelopment of the Fairway Apartment neighborhood along North Shore Drive may not be as in the bag as JBG thinks. 

Here is the bad news, but also some good news.

The Hunter Mill District political appointee on the Fairfax County Planning Commission, Frank de la Fe, recently moved that the Commission recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve the latest JBG proposal to replace 346 nice and affordable Fairways Apartments on North Shore Drive with over 800 high-end units, largely apartment condos.

I am unaware of any redeeming traits in this proposal, but de la Fe pointed out one. De la Fe asserted that the proposal is consistent with founder Robert E. Simon’s seventh principle for Reston — that it be a financial success.  He did not mention that the terrible, ugly-in-every-way JBG proposal would fail to meet the other six principles. But, it is the profit that counts.  This is only part of the bad news.

In scheduling the commission’s review of the proposal,   de la Fe took the unusual step of proceeding in spite of the request of the Reston Design Review Board’s (DRB) written request to postpone commission review until the DRB completed its deliberations on the JBG proposal with which DRB had several issues. 

The normal courtesy by the commissioner would have been to postpone the county review, and hopefully get a better product.  In stiffing the Reston community’s body, de la Fe likely set a disturbing precedent.

It is possible that de la Fe’s action in moving forward the review and obtaining the commission’s rubber stamp approval (the commission rarely if ever denies the request of an originating district commissioner), could undermine the position of the DRB and the Reston Covenants if DRB conducts its review and does not approve the proposal.

Finally, some good news!  There is broad and growing community opposition to this terrible proposal.  The Reston Citizens Association, the Reston 2020 Committee, the Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth, and even RA have spoken against or written against the proposal.

Now, Sustainable Reston, a task group of the Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth headquartered here in Reston, has not only spoken out against the proposal in several forums, but is circulating an online citizens' petition opposing the proposal and targeting both the board of supervisors and the corporate chieftains at JBG.

The petition crisply outlines main failings of the proposal and asks residents to simply sign by clicking on OK or agree.  It is easy to do,  and it is important that your voice be heard on this matter.

Although I have no doubt about the profit which so appeals to Mr. de la Fe, I think the community and the damage this project would do to it are far more important than a few million developer bucks.  You can see and sign the petition at  www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopfairways/ .