Five Minutes With: Del. Ken Plum

Ken Plum, a resident of Reston since 1974, has represented Virginia's 36th District in the Virginia House of Delegates for 30 years. He has been recognized for his work concerning schools (he was a Fairfax County educator for 30 years), bringing the Metro to Dulles, and social service and community groups around Reston.

Reston Patch spent a few minutes with Del. Plum, a Democrat, recently.

Q: What is the biggest change you have seen in Reston during your time here:

A: There has certainly been an acceleration of development. The area around Reston Town Center became such an immediate success. In some regards, it put Reston on the map for the region.

Q: Will the Metro coming to Reston in 2013 have a similar impact?

A: That's the next big boost. We are on track for it to open in 2013. It is just phenomenal how fast progress has moved on the construction. The Metro to Dulles is an issue I have worked on my whole career. Fourteen years ago, out of exasperation, I organized the Dulles Citizens Rail Association and mobilized to get elected officials on board.

What slowed us was the negotiations with federal authorities and getting funding together with no significant funding from the state at first. But the construction is now happening faster than anyone envisioned.

Q: How will having Metro here change Reston?

A: If you look at the development in Arlington/Ballston/Rosslyn, you see what happened there. They have Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). It has been purposely developed to take advantage of mass transit.

We are the only national capital around the world that lacks a rail link with the main airport.

In Reston, we will have more Class A office space when Metro gets here.  We will have cultural opportunities tied in to the larger D.C. area. I will be able to walk to the Metro stop, take the train, and take advantage of all D.C. has to offer.

We will see an acceleration of home values when Reston is Metro accessible. That becomes a point of advertising for home sellers.

Traffic is not going to be worse when Metro gets here - it is going to be better. Our community is going to be able to grow without adding to traffic. In Arlington in recent years, the population has increased, but the number of cars has declined. What we do need here is an effective circulator bus route so people do not have to drive to the train.

Q: What do you think citizens like best about Reston?

A: I think people are pleased with the quality of schools. We have made significant progress with with South Lakes High School and the changes principal Bruce Butler has made. I think people are generally pleased with the quality of life here. We are a safe community.

Reston has done a good job with the preservation of open space. I walk the trails every day. That is a feature of living here that is not easily duplicated. You see diversity here. There is housing for seniors. I know people who go from apartment to townhouse to single family house to retirement all here in Reston.

Q: What are your favorite places in Reston?

A: I love the Town Center. It has classic architecture. It is very inviting and pedestrian friendly. I like that there is the pavilion with skating in winter and entertainment in summer. It's a delightful place, and I could see myself eventually living there.

My second favorite is the restored streams -Snakeden and Glade. The projects were controversial, but they have done a really good job of returning them to condition.

My third favorite would be Lake Anne Plaza, for historic reasons.