Master Plan Study Kicks Off, Reston Connection, December 8, 2009

Details on citizen advisory groups remain vague, but public participation is encouraged.

By Mike DiCicco

Just before the meeting that kicked off the Reston Master Plan Special Study on Tuesday, Dec. 1, Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) said she thought county staff would work with the Reston Association to set up citizen advisory groups to help guide the review of the community’s plan, although it was not yet clear what role such groups would have. She said she recognized that input from residents would result in useful suggestions and better community buy-in on the resulting plan changes.

Most the members of the task force that will lead the project have been appointed, but at a meeting in October, the RA’s executive board had lobbied Hudgins for the creation of advisory groups to involve more citizens, many of whom attended the "land use college" that the supervisor staged over the prior couple of months. Hudgins said she would be amenable to the idea but wanted to make sure the project stayed on course to be completed by the end of 2011.

The task force also includes a number of community representatives, and public workshops will be conducted to gather input and keep the public informed.

Click here for the rest of the article.