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Health & Fitness

Land Swap--A Bad Deal

 

          We live on Lake Anne and love it here.  We moved into our little townhouse on a snowy day 12 years ago, very recently compared to many of our neighbors and the merchants on Washington Plaza.  Since arriving, we have engaged in making Lake Anne even better and being good customers of the businesses here.                                                                             Lake Anne is the historic heart of Reston.  Its Plaza is largely mixed residential/commercial condominium, an eclectic mix:  good restaurants, a used bookstore (now the ONLY bookstore in Reston), a classic pharmacy complete with post office, great snack bar and an American original pharmacist who knows all the medical histories and all the gossip, 3 barber shops and more.  The businesses do OK in the spring and summer, but traffic and revenue drop way off in winter.                                                               So, excitement has grown since a quality developer, Republic Land/Lake Anne Development Partners, put on the table a creative, even exciting Lake Anne redevelopment concept.  The plan retains Lake Anne charm and character, while adding major density in a way that complements, rather than detracting from, the historic Plaza.  The plan also calls for 32% of new homes to be affordable or “workforce” housing, fulfilling Simon’s goal of homes for all income levels.  The LADP plan surpasses--by far--anything I’ve seen for Lake Anne to date.                  It is an all-around winner once we get over a hurdle imposed by a proposed swap of an acre of wooded community (Reston Association) land to be leveled for a 120-car parking lot serving the Plaza.  This deal, involving an unusable strip of swampy gully next to Baron Cameron in exchange, was quietly okayed by RA’s outgoing CEO over 5 months ago, according to a senior RA official. The swap idea, known to only a small circle, came to light quite by chance only 2 weeks ago when RA staff looking into a complaint about landscaping refuse dumping in the RA woods were told it (the dumping) didn’t matter because the plot would soon be a parking lot!                             This deal was conceived without the knowledge of, or input from RA environmental staff, its Environmental Advisory Committee (which exists to advise RA on such matters), and even some Association Board members.  It is a bad deal for the community.  And, it is unnecessary.  Here’s why:                                                             Those promoting the deal propose to accept an unusable plot of ground in exchange for old an growth, wooded lot which wreathes the historic Plaza as you look at it from the Lake--check it out yourself.  Rather than having it cut down and paved over, RA could enhance it to serve as a park, with educational interpretive material use by children of residents in the bordering new development.  Wouldn’t this be a better community contribution?  Also, the swap runs directly counter to RA policy to protect and expand our tree canopy, and counter to the new comprehensive plan policy for this very land unit.                         Promoters of the swap point out that the developer is also offering cash, including up to $200,000 for Lake dredging.  This is irrelevant. If there were no land swap at all, such contributions would be typical proffers for such a project.                   The swap is UNNECESSARY.                     There are alternatives very near for Plaza parking.  For example, the Condo Association owns a large, expandable parking lot by the other end of the Plaza. According to a knowledgeable landscape architect, this lot meets the parking need equally well. While it might be reasonable for RA to offer to enhance (& save) our community land for park use, why shouldn’t the Condo provide its parcel to serve parking needs of its own member Plaza merchants?  There are a couple of other non-destructive alternatives within the same proximity.                                          The proposed development at Lake Anne can certainly proceed without giving away community patrimony and destroying irreplaceable trees.  LADP has shown both remarkable creativity and sensitivity to what is good for the community.  I’m confident that an RA Board majority can show the same and resolve this issue.     

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