Herndon Planning at Herndon-Monroe Metro Station: Local Reporting on the Monday Community Meeting

On Monday evening, November 8, Herndon held a community workshop to present some preliminary options for developing the Herndon side of the Herndon-Monroe Metro station transit-oriented development (TOD) area.

As reported back to the Reston Task Force on Tuesday evening by members who had attended, the Herndon consultant had done a good job in developing two alternative proposals.  One note several task force members picked up on was that neither of the plans actually dealt well with commuter access to to the station, whether that was adequate parking (all seemed to be for new office buildings), kiss n' ride drop-off, bus terminal, or pedestrian and bicycle access. 

Two local papers sent reporters to the meeting who provided some good coverage on what happened.

In an article entitled "Residents OK with Density, Wary of Traffic," by Leslie Perales, the Herndon Patch reported:

During Monday night's Herndon Metro community workshop the majority of those in attendance said they found the presented plan with higher density was attractive to them but had concerns about area traffic.

VHB Senior Urban Designer Geoffrey Morrison-Logan opened the workshop by talking about what had been done in the past and what types of information the town officials and consultants were seeking from the public. He then went over both area plans (click for a copy of the slideshow from the workshop). Neither include a kiss-and-ride facility or bus loop for the station. . . .

In a different perspective, Fairfax Times reporter Gregg MacDonald wrote in an article titled "Community divided over plans for Metro station":

Proposed development in Herndon has split one local neighborhood into two factions.

On Monday night, the Town of Herndon conducted a community workshop to discuss a "study area" where development is being planned to accompany the implementation of the Herndon-Monroe Metro station, which is slated to open in 2016.

The station will be built in the median of the Dulles Toll Road, with a pedestrian bridge that will connect the station to Herndon.

According to consulting firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin -- the firm selected by the town to oversee the Metro area project -- the study area focuses on a land area within Herndon, north of the planned Metrorail station.

The consultant's presentation that laid out the options is available here.  This is a very large file:  11MB. 

Agenda: RTF Wiehle Subcommittee Meeting, Nov. 10, 2010

Agenda

Wiehle Subcommittee Meeting

November 10, 2010

(7:30 – 9:30 a.m.  Reston Association Conference Room)

1.      Introductions

2.      Public comments                                                                                                    (10  Minutes)

3.      Discussion                                                                                                             (110 Minutes)

a.       Mix of use recommendations  – office, residential, other   (See previously distributed strawman (attached))

b.      Density recommendations by area   (See current Comprehensive Plan densities by sub-unit as background)

c.       Incentives

d.      Clarification of setback language in interim report

e.      Other areas

                                                               i.      Fannie Mae

                                                             ii.      F-3

f.        Station name (“Reston East / Wiehle Ave.”?)

g.       Other ?

Draft Agenda, Reston Task Force Meeting, November 9, 2010, RCC--Lake Anne

DRAFT
RESTON MASTER PLAN SPECIAL STUDY
TASK FORCE

November 9, 2010
Task Force Meeting
Reston Community Center at Lake Anne

AGENDA
7:00 p.m. Public Comment Period

7:15 p.m. Administrative Items – Patty Nicoson, Task Force Chair
     •  Station Names
     •  Recap of Town of Herndon Planning Study meeting (Mon. 11/8)

7:30 p.m. Overview of Scenario Building process and relevant data
Heidi Merkel, Dept. of Planning & Zoning

9:25 p.m. Adjourn – Patty Nicoson

Agenda for RCA's Reston 2020 Committee Meeting, November 2, 2010

Agenda for RCA’s Reston 2020, Nov. 2, 2010

1.   Welcome  (Tammi)

2.   Phase 1:  TOD Reports & Reston 2020  (Terry – 40 min.)

·        The Official TF Reports: updates on status and key messages in them

·        Discuss/Approve R2020 responses:  Why and who is authoring?  (Terry – 2 min.)

                     1.   TC alternative draft (Terry--20 minutes)
                     2.   Key Messages in responding to H-M report (Dick R–10 min.)
                     3.   Key messages in responding to Wiehle report (10 min.)

·        Phase 1 2020 responses: call for help if deemed necessary by authors.

    3.  Phase 2:  Reston 2020 Planning (John B – 20 min.)

·        Discussion of scope of Phase 2  (John B – 5 min.)

·        Report of mtg. with C. Hudgens 11.01.10: (Marion – 10 min.)

·        Next steps:  (20 min.)

1.   Creation of Memo to CH  (ID authors and follow-up time frame)

2.   How to get implementation committee on Phase 2 TF: (Dick S – 10 min.)

3.   Should we form our own Implementation Work Group to provide plan before the TF puts one we deem less than wonderful out?  (John B)

    4.  Other Business:  (Tammi – 5 min.)

·        Update on other development applications:

1.   Fairways

2.   Excelsior

·        Other business?

·         Setting time/date for next meeting of full 2020 Committee

DRAFT Alternative Reston Center TOD Area Development Plan, November 2, 2010

This draft will be discussed at this evening's meeting of the Reston 2020 Committee, 7:30 PM, Reston Community Center, Lake Anne. 

DRAFT Alternative Reston Center TOD Area Development Plan

Wiehle Sub-Committee Meeting Notes, October 27, 2010, Dick Rogers

Process: The sub-committee will meet next Wed morning at the COMSTOCK conference room on Sunset Hills near Wiehle (address on county website). Coffee will be served! All courtesy of COMSTOCK's Maggie Parker.

    Among other things the sub-committee will discuss Fannie Mae/old distillery property on SH.

    (Note and comment: This was the first Wiehle mtg since 9/22.  Although the chairs hoped to get through with only one more meeting, that sounds optimistic to me.)

 

    Plaza America:  Adam Schulman of Atlantic Realty and Jared Wilcox, architect, came to present preliminary AR plans re Plaza America.  They are thinking of adding, in phases, 5 stories of residential (with underground garage) to PA over the existing retail. They would keep the existing retail parking. 410-430 residential units; wood frame construction, pool outside/internal gym.  In response to questions it was clear they had not thought how this might fit into Wiehle-RTC redevelopment. Sub-com members brought up an extension of Wiehle Station Drive into PA and walkway links to Metro. However, AR appeared flexible.(Comment: It was not clear to me if this represents existing CP/zoning or whether they wanted more.)

 

    Station name: The sub-committee will join the station name change discussion. Reston East/Wiehle was one suggestion.

 

    Balance/Density: To stimulate more thought on balance and density, a series of 8 tables were passed out showing different residential and office balance ratios at different FARs. For example, with FARs at the high end (up to 3.5) and a more than 1 to 1 residential vs commercial mix , there would be 23,000 residents and 53,000 workers. This would be an increase from 0 residents and the current 26.400 jobs.

 

    (Comment:  The tables for various reasons were hard for most to follow. I suggest "numbers guys," like Terry Maynard and Fred Costello, eyeball them on the county website.)

 

    The tables triggered a somewhat meandering discussion on density and balance.  there was some support on the sub-com for no more than a 1 to 1 sq foot balance.  There was a lot of discussion about how to phase in development to encourage building near the station rather than cherry picking of sites.

 

    There was also discussion about how to fit long term development into a 20 year time frame.  As someone noted, buildings going up soon will last for 50 years so you need to get it right at the beginning rather than counting on periodic adjustments in the plan.

 

    The 26 Oct RMPTF presentation on transportation had had an impact on several who were concerned about Wiehle gridlock. Mike Corrigan pointed out that under the current plan standards--no traffic degradation--redevelopment would be a non-starter. As he has done before, Mark Looney made the point that TOD development to him implies an acceptance of increased congestion and slower travel in urban neighborhoods. One member said let us realize traffic will not get better; our job is to prevent it from getting a lot worse.

Reston Planning and Zonning Committee Seeks Members, Reston Patch, October 30, 2010

Karen Goff, Editor, Reston Patch, posted this call for volunteers for Reston's P&Z Committee.  The work of this committee is important for the community, and we strongly urge interested residents to apply.  

Terry Maynard, 
Administrator

• Organization: Reston Association 

• Causes: Civic
• Contact person: Arthur Hill
• Email: ArthurHill82@verizon.net
• Website: www.​reston.​org

The Reston Planning and Zoning Committee is seeking to fill five vacancies for a three-year terms and three vacancies associate members to fill one-year terms.

All terms start on Jan. 1, 2011.

The Planning and Zoning Committee provides a vehicle so the community can ensure the development of Reston as a planned residential community that follows its founding principles.

The committee is made up of 15 members and three associate members. Meetings are geld the first Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Reston Association headquarters.

Applications are due by Dec. 9. Applications are available at Reston Community Center locations at Lake Anne and Hunters Woods, at Reston Association or online at RA's website.