Boundary Issue Bounces Rostant From Reston Association Board

Reston Association at-large director Donna Rostant left the Board of Directors Thursday when her request for adding her home to the association was denied. Under RA rules, a director must be an RA member, and Rostant moved out of RA boundaries last spring.

The board voted 4-2 Thursday for adding  Rostant's home at 11101 Chessington, which is not in the Reston Association. Rostant abstained from the vote. However, under RA by-laws, a two-thirds majority of directors present are needed for passage. Directors Ken Knueven and Michael Sanio voted against Rostant's request.

Rostant was elected to the three-year board term in 2012, when she was living in a home that was in Reston Association boundaries.  

She and her husband purchased the home on Chessington last spring, and Rostant asked that the home be added to RA, which is allowed under RA by-laws.

A home can be added to RA with the written consent of the homeowner and any holder of a deed of trust and a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors during a meeting in which a quorum is present.

Rostant had asked for a limited term to be a part of the association, with a clause that she can leave the association in two years when her term expired.

After the vote, Rostant thanked the directors for their discussion on this issue over the last few months. She then packed up and left the meeting.

"I will still be around Reston." she said.

Said Acting CEO Cate Fulkerson: "I have great admiration for Donna. She put herself out there. She knew what the risk was."

Fulkerson said the board will seek to fill the spot immediately. 

"We have to fill a hole there," she said. "We have to do it sooner rather than later.  This is unprecedented. We have never had to replace two board members in less than five months."

Cheryl Beamer resigned from the Hunters Woods/Dogwood Director spot last spring. Ellen Graves was chosen by the RA board to fill the rest of the Beamer's term.