Below is a Reston Citizens Association (RCA)
Board of Directors-approved letter President Colin Mills today sent to
Patty Nicoson, Chairman of the Reston Master Plan Special Study Task
Force, supporting the County's latest draft Reston TOD area planning
scenario--"Scenario G.". The letter responds to two letters sent to Ms.
Nicoson by attorney Andrew A. Painter of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley,
Emrich, & Walsh PC criticizing Scenario G as restricting the
development opportunities of two of his clients with properties in the
Wiehle Avenue TOD area.
RCA
has endorsed urban mixed-use
transit-oriented development in the coming Metro station areas since
the task force was established, noting that we favor development in the
right densities of the right mix in the the right places. The County's Department of Transportation demonstrated through a detailed engineering analysis
that development in 2030 under the previous baseline planning
scenario--"Scenario E"--would bring key area intersections to a virtual
standstill--three and four minute traffic light delays at peak use being
the norm--even in the unlikely event that the County upgraded all the
critical intersections to the maximum extent possible, e.g.--new turn
lanes, adjusting traffic light timing, etc. Scenario G rolled back some of
the permitted densities and adjusted the mix of uses to a slightly more residential orientation.
As
the letter states, "No development project, no matter how innovative or
attractive, can be 'great' if it comes at the cost of Restonians'
quality of life." RCA, supported by its Reston 2020 community planning
committee, will continue to advocate for sustaining, if not improving,
the quality of life in Reston through "win-win" development planning and
implementation, including meeting vital infrastructure and amenities
needs, throughout the Reston master planning
process.
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