Letter: Steep toll increases aren’t only option, Fairfax Times, August 24, 2012

To follow up on the letter John B. Townsend II, manager of Public and Government Affairs, AAA Mid-Atlantic, wrote in the Aug. 17-20 edition [“MWAA isn’t grasping impact of toll hikes”], I do not think most people understand how little the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is contributing to the Rail to Dulles project.

Under the funding agreement, the Airports Authority only needs to contribute 4.1 percent of the project's cost from "non-DTR (toll road) funds," according to information on its website dated July 2007. So the entity and businesses and people, who will obtain so much benefit, are contributing the least.

Why can't the airlines, the businesses located at the airport — i.e. concessions, airlines, rental car companies, companies such a FedEx, which rent ground space — fund more of the cost . . . .

Click here for the rest of this thoughtful letter to the editor by Bruce Kirschenbaum of Reston.

Reston groups fight to protect golf course, Fairfax Times, August 30, 2012

By Kali Shumitz

The mere suggestion of redeveloping Reston’s only public golf course — one of two courses within its borders — has community organizations arming themselves for a legal battle.

The owners of the Reston National Golf Course are appealing a Fairfax County zoning administrator’s ruling that stated that the golf course cannot be redeveloped without going through a rezoning process. . .

. . . Reston’s two more established civic groups — the Reston Association, which is the homeowners association-like body that manages the community, and the Reston Citizens Association — also have come out in opposition to developing the golf course.

“We’re concerned not just about this development but what it could potentially mean for the future,” RCA President Colin Mills said. “It’s the larger principle about what kind of community we want to be.”

The RCA passed a resolution formally stating the civic group’s opposition to redevelopment at the golf course. . . .

 Click here for the rest of this article.  

Groups criticize proposed Reston tower, August 30, 2012

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors soon will decide the fate of a proposed 23-story tower in Reston Town Center that many residents fear is too tall and too far from the nearest Metro station to be successful. . .

 . . . Colin Mills, president of the Reston Citizens Association, said he is concerned that the more than 1,100 parking spaces that developers say the mixed-use tower's inhabitants would need would worsen traffic in an area already suffering from congestion.

What's more worrisome for Mills, however, is that the tower would be more than half a mile from Reston Town Center's stop on Metro's under-construction Silver Line, which he said would deter people from riding it.

"You just can't ask people to walk more than a half-mile from the Metro," Mills said. "It's too far."

 Click here for the rest of this article. 

Commentary: Reston National Golf Course and Our Community's Future, Colin Mills, RCA President, Reston Patch, August 29, 2012

Those of you who did not attend RCA's monthly Board meeting on Monday missed a heck of a show.  In the space of about two hours, we ratified five documents, set all of our committees on a path for progress and achievement in the coming months, and discussed and debated a wide variety of topics that will impact our community.  August was an unusually busy month in Reston, and it's been a busy month for us at RCA as well.

A lot of the topics we discussed at the meeting will be the subject of my future blog posts.  But this week, I want to discuss a subject that's on the minds of many Restonians: the possible redevelopment of the Reston National golf course into residential units.  I want to talk about why this issue is important to all Restonians, and what we're planning to do about it

At our meeting on Monday, RCA passed a resolution calling for the golf course property to be preserved as open space.  Our resolution follows in the wake of RA's adoption of a similar position last week, and the formation of a group called Rescue Reston, which comprises homeowners located near the golf course.

To catch you up to speed on the issue in case you haven't been following: The owners of Reston National Golf Course (the one in south Reston, near the International Center) asked the County's Department of Planning and Zoning for a clarification on the zoning of their property.  DPZ responded in June, stating that the golf course was zoned as major open space, and that redevelopment of the property into residential units would require a plan amendment.  Backed by several high-powered land-use attorneys, the golf course owners will go to the Board of Zoning Appeals on October 24 to challenge the designation of the golf course as open space.
News of these actions spread through the community in July.  And in the space of less than a month, RCA, RA, and Rescue Reston have all sprung into action.  It's impressive how quickly our community can spring into action when we perceive a threat.

Some of you may be wondering what all the fuss is about.  There's going to be redevelopment in Reston anyway, you may be thinking.  We're going to need to add new housing to accommodate the people who come with the Silver Line.  So why not here?  How essential is the golf course to Reston?  Why should we care if a bunch of homeowners are upset that their property won't border a golf course anymore?

This issue is much larger than whether some homeowners will continue to have a golf course view.  It's a fundamental question of what our community will look like in the future.  If the golf course, which is designated as open space in Reston's Master Plan, is ruled to be developable, what will that mean for the rest of Reston's open space?  If the "open space" designation in our zoning has no meaning, what's to stop the rest of it from being filled up?  Allowing Reston National to be redeveloped sets a dangerous precedent.  Open space and greenery is a key part of what makes Reston special; to allow it to disappear would endanger the longterm vision and plan for our community.

We're not necessarily fixed on having the golf course preserved as a golf course, either.  Our resolution condemns using the land for any purpose "other than open space dedicated to parks, recreation, and/or nature."  If the golf course were to be converted into a community park, that's fine by us, since its essential character as open space would be preserved.  Redeveloping it into condos would not preserve that character.

Also, if we're looking to add housing to support the Silver Line, the golf course property is the wrong place to put it.  The principles of transit-oriented development, endorsed by Fairfax County and by the Reston Master Plan Task Force, call for development to be concentrated within a half-mile of the transit stations, with the most intense development within a quarter-mile, since that's considered to be the limit of how far the average person will walk from the transit station to home, office, or shopping.  Most of Reston National lies outside the half-mile distance; none of it is within a quarter-mile of any Silver Line station.  Building housing here would only worsen Reston's traffic problems, in addition to robbing us of open space.

A variation of the "What's the fuss?" argument comes from our Supervisor, Cathy Hudgins.  She says that the actions by the golf course management are routine and have been done before.  In other words, no cause for alarm.

Perhaps she's right.  Perhaps the Board of Zoning Appeals will uphold the decision that the golf course must be open space unless a plan amendment is filed.  Perhaps the golf course owners will accept this and stand down.  And perhaps we'll all be able to relax and go home.
Maybe.  But this doesn't exactly feel routine to us in the community.  There seem to be a lot of land-use lawyers involved for a routine inquiry.  If the Board of Zoning Appeals upholds the open space designation, the golf course owners might be planning a legal challenge.  (Or at least threatening one as an intimidation maneuver.)  If that's the case, we in the community will need to be ready for that challenge.

Either way, we'd be better off to get geared up for a fight and discover it's a false alarm, rather than assuming that there's no cause for alarm until it's too late to act.

Now that you understand the importance of the issue, you're probably wondering what we're goign to do about it.  Since RCA passed its resolution, I've heard from several Restonians about it.  Their response has been unanimous: they've praised the resolution, and then asked: "Are the organizations who oppose redevelopment going to form a united front?"

I am happy to state that the answer to that question is yes!  If you read my earlier post on the importance of Reston organizations working together, it won't surprise you to know that I've been eager to make this happen.

In recent weeks, RCA has reached out to RA and the Association of Reston Clusters and Homeowners to discuss the possibility of joint efforts.  Our collaboration was inspired by other matters, but once the seriousness and urgency of the golf course issue became clear, we realized that we should join forces on this as well, to protect the integrity of Reston's Master Plan and our vision for the community.

Our joint effort is still in the planning stages, but rest assured you'll be hearing about it very soon.  We'll definitely have a presence at the BZA hearing in October, and we'll be keeping the public informed on this issue as well.  We will also reach out to Rescue Reston, to discuss how we can aid their efforts.

I'm very inspired by this; it's the first time I can remember that our three organizations are joining forces for a common goal.  As I said in my post on working together, we speak much more effectively for Reston when we can speak with one voice.  And I think Restonians will be happy to know that we're putting aside turf battles to stand up for our citizens on this important issue.
Our collaboration will send a clear message: We're here, we're watching, and we're united for the best interests of Reston.

What Makes Reston a Great Place to Live, Reston Connection, August 24, 2012

Adults and children alike groove along to the salsa and Afro-Cuban music at a Reston Town Center Concert. Photo by Monika Shayka

By Ann Schindler

Linda Holloway, a resident of Reston since 1970, calls herself ”a very part-time bookseller and a full-time lover of books,” as she stands in front of the cash register at the Reston Used Book Shop at Lake Anne. It may come as a surprise to longtime residents of Reston, but “many people don’t know where we are,” said Holloway. Even so, “I love the whole Lake Anne area. It’s where it all started…it’s a cool place and I feel like I’ve come home,” said Holloway.

What are your favorite places around Reston?

 Click here for the rest of this article.

RCA Statement for Board of Supervisors on Proposed "Town Center Office Building" Redevelopment, August 27, 2012

RCA Statement Re Wealen TCOB Redevelopment Proposal

RCA Testimony on Tysons Infrastructure Financing, August 27, 2012

RCA Statement Re Tysons Infrastructure Financing

RCA Statement and Press Relase on Sham MWAA "Public Hearings", August 27, 2012

RCA Statement & Press Release Re Sham Public Hearings - Final

RCA Resolution on Reston National Golf Course Zoning Appeal, August 27, 2012

RCA Resolution Re RNGC Re-zoning--Final

Commentary: The View From Over Here: Supervisor MIA, John Lovaas, Reston Patch, August 28, 2012

What is going on with the Reston Master Plan Task Force, the one appointed three years ago by Supervisor Cathy Hudgins as an urgent matter to prepare the roadmap for Reston’ future development with the advent of rail to Dulles?

Their work was to be completed in one year so that a plan for development around three new rail stations in the Dulles Corridor would be in place, permitting thoughtfully planned new growth, before rail arrived.  A second phase was to have followed promptly to set forth plans for future growth in other areas of Reston to proceed on an orderly basis, with community support.

Three years later, the first phase of the Task Force’s work is inexplicably
stalled.  The first rail station is largely complete.  Train service will begin at Wiehle Avenue at the end of next year.  The train is arriving — not so the plan. The Supervisor  seems oblivious to the passage of time and failure to prepare for the growth that most assuredly will come.  Those who stand to profit will make sure it does.

So, what is happening in the absence of a master plan for the growth?  Answer:  The Fairfax County Planning Department is now telling developers that the County is open to proposals for new building in the corridor in advance of any plan! . . .

 Click here for the rest of this column.  

Inteview with Patty Nicoson, Reston Impact,

Here are some of the highlights as host John Lovaas reported them:

I just finished taping a “Reston Impact” program for Comcast Channel 28 with Patty Nicoson, the President of the Dulles Corridor Rail Association (DCRA) and the Chair of Supervisor Hudgins’ struggling Reston Master Plan Task Force.  Patty works hard for our community and is a forthcoming guest.  About DCRA:  DCRA’s Board is about ½ developers, some of whom are also members of the Task Force.  Developers also pay a chunk of the costs of DCRA.

Our conversation touched on both of her roles.

            She defended MWAA, DCRA and Del. Plum for yielding to Gov. McDonnell’s blackmail threat to withhold the State’s minor funds for Phase 2 construction if MWAA didn’t agree to drop the Project Labor Agreement requirement to give workers a fair shake.  She said she thinks it likely the winning contractor/s will adopt one anyway.  We’ll see. 

            As to the possibility of area politicians getting more State or Federal funding that could lighten the heavy burden on toll road users, the only glimmer of hope she saw would be TIFIA guarantees which could lower borrowing costs.  I noted that higher tolls may increase ridership.

            She could not account for Supervisor Hudgins’ Reston Master Plan Task Force’s failure to complete the land-use Master Plan for the corridor.  The Plan was to have been completed nearly two years ago.  As of today, there is still no plan in sight, although the rail station and tracks are visible.  She, too, is clearly frustrated by the county delays, and suggested that perhaps the TF should proceed promptly to Phase 2 planning for the village centers, etc rather than continue to wait for Phase 1 to be completed.

            Then,a surprise!  She said Fred Selden, Fairfax County’s Chief of Planning and Zoning and a Hudgins confidant, is now telling developers to proceed with new development proposals, that the county is receptive to new projects now, without any comprehensive plan.  So, the developers effectively will prepare the framework, and shape the Plan themselves.

            Ms. Nicoson also seemed to share my frustration that the county and state have failed to put in place the infrastructure to support the arrival of rail service and the consequent development which will now be allowed as well.  She noted that there have been discussions about adding four crossings of the toll road/rail line—at South Lakes Drive, Soapstone, Town Center and one other to help accommodate growing traffic.  I pointed out that the last I heard (in remarks made by the Chief of Fairfax County Transportation Department) was that the very first such crossing was tentatively planned around 2030.  She had no later information.

            The only good news is that indeed construction of Phase 1 under MWAA direction is on time, on budget.  The Wiehle Station will be ready next year, about this time. 

John Lovaas

Commentary: County Fumbles Plan for Rail, Reston Future-Part 1, John Lovaas, Reston Connection, August 24, 2012

Next year rail service will finally arrive. It will drive a transformation of our community from suburban to urban, from a population of 60,000 to twice that in twenty years. But neither the infrastructure to support the transformation nor a land-use plan to assure an orderly transition or attractive outcome for residents is in place. Fairfax County and the Virginia Commonwealth are inexplicably unprepared for this transition despite having had many years to plan for it. . .

. . .  (Reston Master Plan) Task force subcommittees have in fact prepared draft plans for the development of the areas around each planned rail station. Those drafts, done two years ago, still await action by the full task force. Why the delay?

 Try this. The station area draft plans call for massive increases in density, especially nearest the stations per the County’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) philosophy. The high densities reflect the pressure of developer interests. While the TOD framework makes sense, many argue that imbalances between residential and commercial building on the one hand, and between high levels of total development proposed and existing plans for roads, bridges and other essential infrastructure on the other, does not. (Staff have a new corridor growth study that suggests re-examining the levels. For now only further delay is assured.) Critics believe as I do, that the imbalances will lead to gridlock, a community that no longer functions. Rather than confront developers by taking the obvious action to resolve the imbalances, i.e., reduce commercial and overall building levels, the County is telling developers on the task force that the County will accept new building proposals without a new master plan.

 Read the rest of Lovaas' article here.  

Developer Plans Mid-Rise by Reston Station, Reston Patch, August 24, 2012

Veatch wants to rezone Reston Mini Storage land into 421 apartments.

• By Karen Goff

A Reston developer has refiled plans for rezoning property next to Metro's Wiehle Station in the hopes of constructing a mid-rise, mixed-use building.

Charles Veatch, one of the original developers of Reston, envisions 421 rental residential units and up to 10,000 square feet of retail space on 3.8 acres at 11417 Sunset Hills Rd., directly adjacent to Reston Station. . . .

Click here for the rest of this timely article.

About a year ago, representatives of Veatch briefed the proposal to a local group.  The proposal showed the construction of stick-built apartments from property line to property line with no regard for the preservation of open space, quality construction standards, or architectural excellence.   It does not appear to be in conformance with the draft master plan for the Wiehle Station area. 

This proposal by one of Reston's founders is not up to Reston standards.  

It's only apparent merit is that it puts housing within easy walking distance of Wiehle Metro station. 

Feasibility Studies Rarely on Target, But Do Investors Know?, Bond Buyer, August 22, 2012

Looking at the second financial failure of the Pocahontas Parkway in a half-dozen years, Kyle Glazier reports in Bond Buyer on the continuing problem with inaccurate traffic and revenue (T&R) feasibility studies.  The article notes that the Pochahontas failures--based on a Wilbur Smith & Associates T&R study (now CDM Smith)--are just the latest in a long line of bad forecasts leading to bad results.  The article provides an excellent overview of the wide variety of causes for these forecasting and performance failures.  Here are some excerpts:

As industry participants know all too well, revenue forecasting, an inexact science at best, can either make or break the toll road and public-private partnership projects that are sprouting up all over the country.

One need look no further than the 8.8- mile Pocahontas Parkway near Richmond, Va., to see how an inaccurate feasibility study wreaked financial havoc upon two private companies and raised questions about the viability of the toll road project. . .  

. . . The story of a traffic and revenue, or T&R, study seemingly viewed through rose-colored glasses has become a familiar one to industry leaders, financial advisors and public advocates keeping an eye on infrastructure finance trends.

Neil Gray, director of government affairs at the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, said the issue is attracting more and more attention.

"A recurring theme over the last couple of years has been why are T&R studies always so wrong?" he said. . .

. . . The firms conducting the studies, toll industry members and credit analysts are all aware of how frequently feasibility studies miss the mark, but most of those projections still show potential issuers what they were hoping to see.

"The problem is exacerbated by the 'confidential' or 'proprietary' nature of the forecasts and methods that are developed for toll roads, and also by 'optimism bias' on the part of the sponsor, local elected officials or other advocates of the proposed toll road," the NCHR report states.

Gray agreed, saying, "Historically, you don't get a lot of negative answers." . . .

. . . "It is important for issuers and investors to understand among other things that, at times, there are no published professional standards applied by the experts and that the experts use assumptions given to them by others without reaching their own professional judgments whether the assumptions are reasonable." Doty said.
Mwalwanda said traffic and revenue estimates should be viewed as a range of possible outcomes and not a concrete forecast.

Meanwhile, critics of toll roads fear that, for some forecasters, the desire to produce favorable revenue estimates will outweigh the necessity to produce accurate estimates.

 Click here for the full Bond Buyer article.  

Paid parking in Reston Town Center's future, Washington Business Journal, August 24, 2012

In an article that requires a subscription to read in its entirety, WBJ reports that Boston Properties is considering charging to park in the several ramps in Reston Town Center.  Here's the article preview:

Suburbanites expect free parking. Urbanites expect to pay for it.

So what to do about Reston Town Center, suburban Fairfax County’s closest thing to the definition of a downtown? It offers more than 7,000 parking spaces in six garages and one surface lot. And all but a couple of hundred, in the Hyatt garage, are free.

Perhaps not for long.

Boston Properties Inc.’s near monopoly on the town center’s ownership, combined with the arrival of Metrorail in Reston, will likely herald the introduction of paid parking in one of the county’s most popular office and shopping destinations. . . .

Subscribers may click through to the article here. 

How Tysons Impacts Our Silver Line Future, Colin Mills, RCA President, Reston Patch, August 22, 2012

Earlier this week, I took my own advice about the importance of working together across organizations for common goals.  In that spirit, I had lunch with Sally Horn, president of the McLean Citizens Association (MCA).  My previous post focused on the importance of Reston organizations working together, but RCA and MCA are also facing a shared issue: the coming of the Silver Line, and how the development around the Metro will change our communities.

Currently, MCA is engaged with the Fairfax County Planning Commission on the infrastructure plan for Tysons Corner. Tysons is undergoing an even more significant redevelopment than Reston will, as the County hopes to use the Silver Line as a spur to transform Tysons from a suburban business and shopping mecca to a mixed-use urban community.

Last week, the Planning Commission's Tysons Committee released its Strawman III document, outlining how the costs of needed transportation infrastructure at Tysons will be paid for.  MCA has been working closely with the Planning Commission on the Strawman document since the first version was issued in June.  Sally asked me if RCA would support MCA's fight to ensure that the infrastructure plan is fair to the residents and taxpayers around Tysons.

Although the Tysons plan does not impact Reston directly, I believe this is an issue worthy of RCA's attention as well.  We wish to support our fellow citizens association on an important issue.  But also, the decisions being made now in Tysons are a preview of similar decisions that will be made in Reston in the near future.  Future development in Reston will also require infrastructure to support it, and that infrastructure will need to be paid for.  The precedents established now will affect us, so we want to make sure they are good precedents.

With the idea of precedent-setting in mind, I see three concerns about the Strawman III document that potentially impact not only the residents near Tysons, but us in Reston as well.
First, the share of investment in Tysons’ infrastructure should be consistent with the expected share of the financial return.  Tysons developers stand to reap virtually all the financial return there, through selling and renting of space in the planned new buildings.  Their clients and customers will willingly pay what the market requires, and likely will be satisfied.

In contrast, the residents of Fairfax County, current and future, will likely see little financial gain from the prospective development in Tysons.  To require the residents to carry the bulk of the infrastructure costs would be unfair and inequitable.

Which brings me to my second point: I agree with the MCA that the contribution of County taxpayers to the required development and construction of Tysons infrastructure should be capped at 25%.  RCA endorsed MCA's position back in March 2011, and the position is still valid today.  This is consistent with the taxpayer share of transportation improvements in the Route 28 corridor, as well as the 25% share that RCA believes should be borne by Dulles Toll Road Users for construction of the Silver Line.

The decisions made regarding funding of infrastructure at Tysons will likely serve as a template for future infrastructure funding plans in Reston.  And as a County taxpayer, I am very concerned about establishing a precedent for potentially unlimited taxpayer financial obligations to construct infrastructure to support Tysons.

Finally, Page 16 (of) the Strawman III document states that “it is likely” that the County’s share of the Tysons infrastructure cost will be financed via the sale of bonds, and that the bonds are “not anticipated to contribute to an increase in the tax rate.”  I wonder whether it will truly be possible to finance the County’s share of the necessary infrastructure in Tysons without raising the tax rate.  If a tax increase will be needed, the document should state this honestly.

And whether or not a tax increase is needed, I'm concerned that using bonds to finance the infrastructure at Tysons will crowd out the possibility of using bonds to finance infrastructure further along the Silver Line, including Reston.  Building infrastructure at Tysons is critical, but the need for additional infrastructure in Reston is equally important. We will need additional road improvements to ensure that Reston’s streets do not become ensnared in permanent gridlock.  If Tysons takes up all of the available bonding capacity, how will we pay for needed improvements in Reston?

I know that we've got a lot of Reston-related Silver Line issues to worry about, like the Toll Road rates and the Master Plan Task Force.  But it's also important for us to pay attention to what's going on in Tysons.  Whatever infrastructure funding deal is worked out in Tysons will likely be similar to the deal we get in Reston.  If the Tysons plan winds up being a bad deal for the citizens there, we'll have a much harder time getting a better deal for ourselves.

Fortunately, RCA is on the case, and we're ready to stand with MCA and stand up for the citizens of Reston.  At next week's RCA Board meeting, we will ratify our position on the Strawman III.  The Tysons Committee will meet to review the latest draft on September 6th; RCA will submit its statement to the committee, and we will plan to deliver our testimony in person at their meeting.

This RCA-MCA alliance is one example of how community organizations can support each other for the common good.  In the coming weeks, I'll describe some examples of how we're coming together in Reston to stand up for the community's future.

Agenda & Synopsis: RCA Board of Directors Meeting, 7:30PM, August 27, 2012, Reston Sheraton, Conf Room TBD

Draft Agenda

RCA Board of Directors Meeting

August 27, 2012

Reston Sheraton Hotel

Item	Time	Topic	Disposition	Presenters
1	7:30 PM	Adopt  Agenda	Action	Colin Mills, RCA Board
2	7:35 PM	Approve July 2012 Minutes	Action	Debra Eastham
3	7:40 PM	Treasurer’s Report	Action	Colin Mills for Diane Lewis
4	7:45 PM	Review of Committee Progress	Discussion	Colin Mills, RCA Board
5	8:20 PM	License Plate: Action Plan	Discussion, Action	John Hanley
6	8:25 PM	Town Center Office Building: RCA/RA/ARCH Joint Action	Discussion, Action	John Hanley, Dick Rogers
7	8:40 PM	Reston National Golf Course	Discussion	RCA Board
8	8:50 PM	MWAA “Public Hearings” – RCA Statement	Discussion, Action	Terry Maynard
9	9:00 PM	Tysons Infrastructure – Support of MCA Position	Discussion, Possible Action	Colin Mills, RCA Board
10	9:10 PM	Task Force Implementation (ARCH)	Discussion	Terry Maynard
11	9:15 PM	Is Reston Ready for Metro?	Discussion	Dick Rogers
12	9:20 PM	Southgate and RAC: Storm Drain	Discussion, Action	Colin Mills, RCA Board
13	9:25 PM	Other Business	Discussion	RCA Board
14	9:30 PM	Location and Time of Next Meeting; Adjourn	Action	RCA Board

In a follow-up e-mail, RCA President Colin Mills provided a synopsis of four documents the Board will consider for action as follows:

 - Town Center Office Building Statement (Agenda Item #6): Thanks to Dick Rogers for drafting this statement.  This reiterates the position we approved in February, and rebuts some of the statements make be Frank de la Fe in the wake of the Planning Commission hearing.  We will send this statement to the Board of Supervisors.

- MWAA "Public Hearings" Statement (Agenda Item #8): Thanks to Terry Maynard for drafting this statement.  This statement attacks MWAA for their so-called "public hearings," which are designed to give the appearance of public input without the substance.  This document consists of the official statement (Page 2), which is what we will be voting on.  The first page is a draft press release that will be issued with the statement; it will not be formally voted on by the Board, but suggestions are welcome.  The document is for release to the media and public.  This is the latest version. 

- Tysons Infrastructure Testimony (Agenda Item #9): I drafted this statement; thanks to Terry for his constructive edits.  This statement supports the McLean Citizens Association in their position on the "Strawman III" infrastructure funding plan produced by the Planning Commission.  This is to be given as testimony (or a written statement) at the Tysons Committee's hearing on the plan, scheduled for September 6th.

- Southgate Storm Drain Letter (Agenda Item #12): I drafted this letter; thanks to John for his edits.  This letter was written at the request of Ken Fredgren.  It urges Supervisor Hudgins to push for installation of a storm drain in the Southgate Community Center parking lot.  This letter will be sent directly to the Supervisor's office.