Post: Commercial Development at Dulles Airport May Impede Herndon’s Metro Station Area Plan, Dave Webster, Herndon Patch, February 19, 2013

On January 16, 2013, the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (“MWAA”) Board of Directors passed a resolution proposing to amend its lease with the US Department of Transportation to allow commercial development on Dulles Airport property. (See resolution attached to article.)  At the present time, MWAA is only allowed to use the 3,000 acres surrounding the airport for aviation-related purposes.  Because this land is federally owned, it is exempt from the payment of federal and state income taxes and county real estate and business taxes, although apparently MWAA does make some type of payments in lieu of taxes on developed property.  The Town of Herndon would have a difficult time attracting new businesses here when a business owner could simply travel a couple of miles up the road to undeveloped, essentially tax-free property. . .

What to do?  The lease amendment is presently sitting unsigned on the desk of Ray LaHood, the US Secretary of Transportation.  However, LaHood is leaving office soon.  Who knows whether he will sign the lease amendment before he leaves office or leave the matter to his successor.  In any event, I propose that either Herndon residents, or the Town of Herndon in an official capacity, contact the Secretary to ask that the amendment not be signed until all concerned parties weigh in.  The Reston Citizens Association has already done this.

Click here to see the full Herndon Patch post.  As Mr. Webster mentions, Herndon's concerns are very much the same as those of Reston Citizens Association (RCA).  Beyond the competitiveness issues, RCA also expressed its concerned that MWAA was proposing a new revenue stream for itself without any contribution to relieve the huge $17 billion cost faced by Dulles Toll Road users, not to mention its "funding partners" in Loudoun and Fairfax County.

The RCA letter is posted here on this blog.   RCA President Colin Mills also wrote a blog post on Reston Patch calling on MWAA to share the wealth from its commercial development with Dulles Toll Road users.  Click here to read Colin's post.