Is a Secret Town Center North Park Deal in the Making?

The minutes from the last Fairfax County Park Authority Board meeting show that the Board went into closed session and, upon coming out of that closed session, unanimously approved a resolution to pursue a rezoning or other actions pertaining to its five acres of undeveloped property in Reston Town Center North. 

Here is the pertinent extract from last month's draft minutes:




"Parcel 14D" is on the west side of Fountain Drive, south of the INOVA Emergency Care facility and east of Cameron Glen Rehabilitation Center.  IT is the undeveloped five-acre plot owned by the FCPA.

Given the importance of the extremely short supply of park property--and open space generally--to serve the 20,000-plus prospective residents of Reston Town Center, including Town Center North, we view with utmost concern and skepticism ANY effort by the Fairfax County government or its agencies to deal in secret without the participation of Reston residents.  Historically, the County's secret dealings have consistently turned out poorly for Reston (and county) residents.  See, for example, the public-private partnership (PPP) to build the Metro parking garage at Wiehle Avenue and another PPP that proposed construction of dozens of affordable housing unit in the South Reston Park & Ride lot that was abandoned in the face of an outraged Reston/Fox Mill citizenry once the proposal became public. 

It is not too late to contact Supervisor Hudgins and FCPA Board Chair Bill Bouie (a Reston resident) and express your concern about the absence of public outreach on this FCPA initiative.