Politics & Government

Fairfax Supervisors Approve Reston Pkwy Tower

Twenty-three story building will replace five-story one at 1760 Reston Parkway.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the proposed 23-story tower that developer RTC Partnership wants to build at 1760 Reston Pkwy.

"This bid will stand as a stark example of what world-class design is called for in the principles of Reston," said Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins. "We will not have to remain in the sameness of heights and density as a measure of world-class design."

Height and density were two issues as this project navigated the Fairfax County and Reston over the last two years. Critics of the project (including Alliance of Reston Clusters and Homeowners and Fairfax County Planning Commission staff) said the building was out of scale with its surroundings.

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A height of 330 feet (295 feet plus an additional 35 feet of mechanical space on the roof) makes the building 125 feet taller than the closest proposed building.

Also a point of contention - a location of one half-mile from the future Reston Parkway Metro station, (set to open after 2016) and 1,150 parking spaces, the building would create a traffic nightmare.

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"I am concerned about the proximity to mass transit and the size of this project," resident Donna Miller Rostant said at the public hearing portion Tuesday. Miller Rostant is a member of the Reston Assocation Board of Directors, but was speaking as a citizen.

"I welcome jobs and development," she said. "I do not welcome their cars. The location of the building means more vehicle traffic. Studies show 3,000 car trips in the mornings and evenings will be added to our already crowded roads. It does not serve our community. It serves developers."

However, Andrew Painter, land use lawyer representing RTC Partnership, pointed out that the parcel currently home to the five-story "Reston Times" office building, was zoned PRC in 1978 - and is under no height restrictions. He also says that the proposed density (4.08 Floor-Area Ratio) on the 2.36-acre property is actually less than several surrounding buildings or proposed buildings.

The project – which will have 18 levels of offices as well as street-level retail – also comes with some building conditions, Painter said. The building will seek LEED Silver certification; will have a mechanically ventilated parking garage, a commitment to public art; and transportation-friendly additions such as bike lockers and bus shelters. The developers will also reduce the number of parking spots and the savings "will be dedicated to mass transit."

Painter also said the walk from the future Metro station will be 14 minutes. Tammi Petrine, representing the Reston Citizens Association, told the supervisors one could only walk that fast if they were "part cheetah and part marathoner."

Petrine, along with RA President Ken Knueven and longtime Reston resident  Joe Stowers, were among the half-dozen speakers asking the supervisors to vote no.

There was an equal number there to speak in favor of it. Among them: CEO and President Mark Ingrao; Christian Deschauer of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce; and Reston founder Robert E. Simon.

"The question is 'is this is good location?'" said Simon. "It is a perfect location. Town Center starts at and goes to This building will be right in the center and will be appropriate."

Both Hudgins and Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova also said the tall building will be central in a new Hudgins pointed out that development at the Spectrum Center nearby will also call for greater density, height and residential development.

"I think it is going to be beautiful, based on the artists' renderings and photos we have seen," said Bulova. "It is going to be a real signature and an asset to Reston."

To read related stories about the proposed tower, click here.

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