Reston Association Sticks With Paddleboard Go-Ahead

Reston Association's Board of Directors decided on Thursday to stick with its July 11 decision to allow a local paddleboard company to offer lessons at the Lake Audubon boat ramp.

The board unanimously voted earlier this month to allow Surf Reston Standup Paddleboard Adventures to do business at the all-residential lake.

But many Lake Audubon residents complained they were not advised RA was thinking about doing this and that allowing the business to serve non-RA members could create many problems for the lake.
Among the potential problems: an increase in garbage, interference with pontoon boats and wildlife.

That's when South Lakes Director Richard Chew made the motion for the board to reconsider.

"The more we open it up to non members and say 'Hey, this is a great place to come,' the more this becomes a de facto public lake," Lake Audubon resident David Burns told the board at Thursday's meeting.

The agreement with Surf Reston has not yet been finalized, but under the terms of the original decision, the operation would be allowed to operate from later this summer through October of 2014.

Many directors said they thought the limited term would allow the board to determine (and hear from residents) whether there was any negative impact.

Several directors pointed out a similar agreement with a private kayak company has been offering lessons at the same boat ramp for nearly a decade. Members were not alerted before the board allowed the company to open and there have been no problems reported, said RA Parks and Recreation Director Larry Butler. 

Butler also said Surf Reston would operate with only a handful of boards and would be at the ramp only about once a week.

"We are talking about six paddleboards," said at-large director Donna Rostant. "I feel like we are making a mountain out of molehill. We are not talking about something being open 24/7 with neon lights. I am not sure where this concept came from, that all of a sudden people from Oakton are going to come rushing in. I trust the owner [of Surf Reston] and the RA staff."

The motion was defeated 7-1, with only Chew voting for his proposal.