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. 

Density Decreased on Herndon Metro Area Study, Herndon Patch, January 10, 2012

The newest version of the Herndon Metro Station Area Plan includes only 38 acres that will be considered for redevelopment, down from the previous plan's 110 acres.

• By Leslie Perales 

The scope of the Herndon Metro Area Study has changed once again, and the study area has been decreased from 110 acres to 38 acres, which includes nine properties.
In November it was discovered that there were errors in the Herndon Metro Area Study and consultants Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., went back to rework the plan to correct the mistakes. The new plan was presented to the public for the first time at Monday night’s Planning Commission public hearing. . . .

The new plan for the Herndon-Monroe Station area limits development to the area south of the Herndon Parkway.

 . . . The last version of the Metro Station Area Plan called for an FAR of 4.5 on the land between Herndon Parkway and the Dulles Toll Road. A floor area ratio of 4.5 means the building constructed on the land can be 4.5 times the size of the square footage of the land unit it sits on.

The newest version of the plan calls for the buildings closest to the station to have an FAR of 4.3, while the buildings not adjacent to the station will have an FAR of 3.8.

By decreasing the study area and density, growth of workers and residents in the study area has dropped by about half, Robertson said. Employees traveling in and out of the study area has decreased from 28,122 to 14,849. . .

The area will still require a number of road improvements, including a right turn lane from northbound Van Buren Street to eastbound Herndon Parkway, which is already in the works, Robertson said. She said the cost of road improvements has decreased by about a quarter of a million due to reducing the study area.

The west side of the study area will receive an extension of Worldgate Drive from Van Buren Street to Herndon Parkway. The east side of the study area, near Spring Street will, will require a number of additional turn lanes, and although traffic is improved from the last plan, some intersections are still rated D. . . .

 Click here for the rest of this story. 

Although I'm not sure what the "mistake" was, I'll wager that the Town Council heard loud and clear from the Herndon downtown business owners that they didn't want to see their business sucked away by over-sized development along the toll road. 

More to the point, it's a most pleasant surprise to see a municipal government not cave in to developers seeking huge density increases.  If/when the corridor area develops to near its capacity two ore more decades from now, the Herndon Town Council will have the option of increasing the density and expanding the area of development.  That incremental approach is a far wiser one than is being pursued in Fairfax County at either Tysons or Reston.

Well done Herndon!

Herndon Vote on Metrorail Station Area Re-development Postponed

An article in today's Fairfax Times reports on the decision of the Herndon Town Council to defer a decision on whether to proceed with the planned re-development around the prospective Herndon-Reston West Metro station until December and have an intervening hearing.  The consultant on the project noted three constraints on the proposal:

• limited road access (only two principal access points--east & west)
• a Dominion Virginia Power easement running through the area
• the presence of stable, residential communities along the north side.

According to the report, a number of residents expressed their concern about the impact of the proposed re-development on their neighborhoods, although others supported the plan.

This conceptual drawing presented by the consultant suggests the view Restonians may well see across the toll road at the Herndon-Reston West station, since there is little planning to re-develop the Reston side of the station area in the next 20 years. 

Rendering by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. According to redevelopment plan being considered by the Herndon Town Council, taller buildings would line the Dulles Toll Road nearest the Herndon-Monroe Metro station, and building heights would taper off as they approach residential areas.

Rail responsibilities piling up for Fairfax, Fairfax Times, July 15, 2011

FTA chief asks county to fund Route 28, Herndon rail stations

by Kali Schumitz, Staff Writer

The head of the Federal Transit Administration tried Tuesday to persuade skeptical Fairfax County supervisors to accept a new proposal for financing the second phase of the Dulles Metrorail extension.

A proposal backed by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood would require the county to take on responsibility for building the Route 28 Metrorail station and its parking garage -- as well as the parking garage at the Herndon-Monroe station -- at an estimated cost of $241 million.

Other funding partners wanted to remove the Route 28 station from the project entirely, according to FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. Shifting the cost solely to Fairfax is a suggested compromise.

Click here for the rest of this article.  

This is becoming more and more worrisome.  Rather than cutting costs, FTA's Rogoff appears to believe that the best thing to do is to move the costs from MWAA (and indirectly Dulles Toll Road users) to Fairfax County (and indirectly to county taxpayers via payments on the ensuing debt).  His argument is that FTA will not give MWAA a low-rate TIFIA loan of $1.7 billion because of MWAA's credit rating and the huge size of the loan.  He appears (and it is not certain) more willing to provide such financing to Fairfax at the lower cost of the the two stations. 

But this raises a serious question of why Fairfax should opens its wallet to replace either or all:

• toll road users, many of whom do not live or work in Fairfax County, or 
• the Town of Herndon, which will be the primary beneficiary of the planned station at Herndon-Monroe (and Herndon is well along in its plans while Fairfax is not), or 
• Loudoun County, which will be the principal beneficiary of the station at Rt. 28.  

 Hunter Mill Supervisor may have had the best comment on this situation:

“It’s great to be the most inviting person at the table, but that seems to be the only role we have played on this project,” Supervisor Catherine Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) said.

As it has before, however, I expect the Fairfax BOS will end up agreeing to paying everyone's bills. . . and passing the costs on to County residents in higher property tax bills.  The lust for completing this project among the BOS is so great, I suspect it will overwhelm reason about the county's legitimate role in this project. 

Debating Metro Development Density, Herndon Connection, June 14, 2011

Planning Commission examines density levels for Metro development north of Herndon Parkway.

By Alex McVeigh

The Herndon Planning Commission met Monday night, June 13, to decide if increasing the allowed density for the Metro development north of Herndon Parkway would make development financially feasible. As currently planned, the area just north of the proposed Herndon-Monroe Station is the densest, with Floor Area Ratios (FAR) scaling down farther away from the station.  .  .

. . . "The findings were that development would be feasible for properties that had a 4.5 FAR, it would not be feasible for most of the other properties," (Kay Robertson, senior project planner for the Town of Herndon) said. "Most of the properties in the study area that are south of Herndon Parkway would be incentivized to redevelop. The properties north of Herndon Parkway would not have incentive to redevelop."

As currently planned, the area north of the parkway is set for 2.5 FAR in the land immediately north of the parkway, before scaling back to a zone of 1.5 then 0.7 in the area closest to the residential neighborhoods. . . .

 Click here for the rest of this article.  

Notes on the RTF Meeting, February 22, 2011, Terry Maynard

Notes on the

Reston Task Force Meeting

February 22, 2011

 

See the agenda here.

Public Comment

Marion Stillson, President, RCA, endorsed the Vision and Planning Principles statement prepared by the Vision Committee on behalf of RCA.  She thanked the Steering Committee for its contributions as well.  (See the text of her comments here.)

Rob Whitfield asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of Dave Edwards, long-time Restonian and major contributor to Reston planning.   Chairman Patty Nicoson noted that there would be a memorial service for Dave at the Universalist Unitarian Church on March 12^th.

Administrative Items

Patty Nicoson--

• Noted she had attended a Metrorail meeting looking at some new ideas, but they were costly and there few dollars available.
• Attended the Jan. 31 Herndon planning meeting to discuss development around the Herndon-Monroe station.  Developers discussed the matter in the morning and the Town Council spent the afternoon discussing potential development.  In general, they leaned toward the FAR 4.5 option (vice 2.5) although they considerably narrowed the area for that level of development0.  They expressed concern about a triple left-hand turn into area parking and a number of bad intersections.

Heidi Merkel, DPZ staff, followed up noting that DPZ had met with the Herndon planning staff and chairs of the RTF Herndon-Monroe committee.  She noted that Herndon’s and the RTF’s timeframes were roughly the same for concluding their efforts.  She had no information on Herndon’s view of the station name.

Mike Cooper, RTF member, whose company also has interests in Herndon, noted that Herndon is taking a longer term view for its planning, in part because the area of interest already has a number of 4-5 story buildings. 

Heidi also noted that DPZ is developing an approach for Phase II (Village Centers and Residential Areas) of the RTF.  Staff had met with Supr. Hudgins for her inputs, and she thought the staff would have a preliminary schedule ready for the March 15^th RTF meeting.

Patty Nicoson provided feedback from the Dulles Construction Committee of MWAA’s discussion of air rights over the Dulles Corridor.   An engineering analysis suggested that it was technically feasible to build needed foundations either now or in the future, and that there was insufficient economic return to justify that move now.  (See the analyses and recommendation here.)  It was also noted by MWAA’s legal counsel that MWAA does not have the authority to do work that does serve an “airport purpose,” and would need to seek federal legislative relief to correct that deficiency.  Committee members asked for a revenue perspective from developers on future air rights development.  The Task Force agreed to have the Chairman send MWAA a letter expressing their continuing interest in obtaining air rights for development over the Dulles corridor.

According to Patty, the schedule for Phase II of the Metro line will probably slip, although they have not officially acknowledged that slippage yet.  MWAA is looking at three alternatives for the station at Dulles airport.  She noted that Phase I of the Metro line has been 30% completed.

Patty noted that the Perspectives Group will help facilitate future discussions of the Task Force as it discusses needed decisions regarding Phase I (the TOD areas).

Heidi Merkel gave a presentation on the role of the Steering Committee.  She began by noting that the Task Force’s role was to guide the staff (DPZ) in the drafting of new Comprehensive Plan language.  She walked through its objectives, the use of checklist, etc.  (This is her presentation.)  Task Force member Dick Kennedy urged the Steering Committee to check back in with the Task Force regularly on its activities. 

Patty also summarized the work of the Steering Committee over the last two months.  (See Reston 2020 notes on these meetings on the blog.)

Bob Simon noted that the Village Centers (VCs) were receiving short shrift in the Vision and Planning Principles (V&PP) statement because the task force effort was divided into two parts.   He expressed concern that the V&PP statement mis-stated the importance of greater density in the VCs.   In response to a question from Peter Otteni, Task Force member, about how the Task Force could deal with the VC issue, John Carter (Co-Chair, Vision Committee) noted that it would be addressed in their report.  Heidi also noted that it was being given some consideration in the Steering Committee.  Patty noted that there was a door open to return to the planning principles based on the results of Phase II of the Task Force. 

Dick Kennedy noted that Gerry Volloy’s piece on governance sent to the Task Force was important.  He said he was not sure where it fits, but it needs to be addressed.  It has implications for open space, trails, etc.  He expects addressing the issue will be difficult because of the number of stakeholders, the legal ramifications, etc.  Patty noted the Steering Committee will address implementation mechanics.

Discussion of Draft Vision and Planning Principles (V&PP) Statement

Kohann Williams, co-chair of the Vision Committee, provided the backdrop for the V&PP statement, noting that they reached consensus on what was before the Task Force that evening.  She noted the intent to discuss the draft in detail tonight and vote on it at the March 15^th meeting. 

Robert Goudie raised the concern that the brief statement about residential areas may not be sufficiently strong to meet Restonians needs to protect neighborhoods from encroaching growth.  There was a brief discussion of both protecting the rights of neighborhoods to decide their own futures so long as they did not affect the rights, values, and quality of life of their neighbors. 

John Carter, co-chair of the Vision Committee, followed up by noting the Vision Committee’s plans to wrap up its report. 

There being no additional discussion, Chairman Nicoscon adjourned the meeting about 20 minutes early.  The next meeting of the Task Force will be on March 15. 

Herndon Officials Refine Metrorail Station Area Plan, Reston Patch, January 26, 2011

The plan will now go back to the consultants for further study before coming back to the town

By Leslie Perales

To view the interactive map that goes with this story, click here. 

After some revisions by the Town Council and Planning Commission, Herndon’s Metrorail area station plan will be going back to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin’s consultants for more in-depth study.

On Friday, Jan. 21, the Council and Planning Commission met with landowners and property managers in the study area. Afterward they worked to merge Area Plans 1 and 2, which the town and residents have been discussing, to come up with the next version of the plan.

Kay Robertson, senior planner for the town, said the major thing that happened during the discussion was reducing the size of the study area. . . .

A map of the changes to the Herndon Metrorail Station Area Plan study. To view the interactive map see the link in the story.  Credit Leslie Perales

For the rest of this Herndon Patch article, read it here. 

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RE-SCHEDULED!--Agenda: Reston 2020 Meeting, February 3, 2011

UPDATE 2:  The Reston 2020 meeting has been re-scheduled for February 3, 2011.  

UPDATE:  Tonight's meeting of the Reston 2020 Committee has been postponed until next week due to poor road conditions.  We will update this post with the details of time and place.  Thank you all for your patience.  Terry Maynard, Co-Chair, Reston 2020 Committee.

Agenda

Reston 2020 Committee Meeting

7:30PM-9:30PM, February 3, 2011

Reston Community Center—Lake Anne

1.  Implementing the Comprehensive Plan (Dick Stillson—20 minutes)

Other than one briefing from a County staffer, the RTF has not begun to address the numerous implementation issues that go with creating a new Comprehensive Plan for Reston, especially financing and transportation. 

Action:  Reston 2020 seeks to create an Implementation Working Group to address the topic.  It will ultimately provide a report that discusses the issue and provides recommendations for Reston 2020 to endorse and forward to the Task Force.

For further background, see the following items:

·         Funding Reston’s Infrastructure Improvements, Fairfax County presentation

·         “Planning Without Implementation Is Empty,” Reston 2020 Working Group Report

2.  The RTF Steering Committee (Terry Maynard—20 minutes)

The RTF has created a steering committee (SC) that is supposed to coordinate the vision and several TOD area reports and format them in Comprehensive Plan language.  The SC has been extremely aggressive so far in editing the Vision Committee’s report in ways that may not suit Restonians’ interests.  It is not clear that the SC was given this mandate by the RTF.

Action:  Reston 2020 needs to decide how to respond to the work of the SC to help ensure that the resulting draft Plan properly reflects the needs of Restonians.

For further background, see the following items on the Reston 2020 blog:

·         RTF Vision Committee Report and Massive Edits by RTF Steering Committee

·         Notes from the RTF Steering Committee Meeting, January 11, 2011

·         Notes from the RTF Steering Committee Meeting, January 4, 2011

·         Notes from the RTF Steering Committee Meeting, December 20, 2011

3.  Town of Herndon Planning for Herndon-Monroe Station Area (Paul Damory—20 minutes)

The Town of Herndon is planning to develop a large area office complex north of the Herndon-Monroe station, shifting much of the burden for supporting that complex to the Reston side of the Dulles Corridor and ignoring basic principles for transit-oriented development. 

Action:  R2020 seeks to create a Working Group to address the this emerging situation and propose actions for Reston 2020 in dealing with Herndon and the RTF. 

For further background, see the following items on the Reston 2020 blog:

·         Report on Nov. 17, 2010, Herndon community meeting on Herndon-Monroe planning

·         Report on Jan. 21, 2010, Herndon business community meeting on H-M planning

4.  Reston 2020 Planning and Work for RTF’s Phase II—Village Centers & Residential Areas (Tammi Petrine—20 minutes)

Reston 2020 is beginning the process for planning for Phase II of the RTF effort although the RTF has taken little action so far.   An update on current and planned activities.

Action:  What more should Reston 2020 be doing at this time?

Background:  Hudgins Agrees to Re-constituted RTF for Phase II

5.  Fairway Apartments Redux (Tammi Petrine—10 minutes)

Preliminary information indicates JBG will be presenting a new proposal for re-developing Fairway Apartments at next month’s Reston P&Z meeting.  You may recall that JBG’s last proposal was all but rejected outright by the County planning staff as out of character for the neighborhood. 

Action:  This is an information discussion. 

Background:  DPZ Blasts JBG Fairway Apartments Redevelopment Plan

               

Notes on the Town of Herndon Meeting with Developers on Herndon-Monroe, January 21, 2011, John Lovaas

This morning's meeting of the Herndon Town planning group focused on redevelopment of the Herndon area abutting the Dulles Toll Road, with the Reston West (formerly Herndon-Monroe) station area at the center.  The meeting was set up as a dialogue of Herndon planning staff and redevelopment study consultants with property owners and mostly (or all?) commercial developers and property owners.

Observers, including Herndon Mayor and Town Council members and press were sent to the back of the room--no kidding. There were no observers from the Herndon-Monroe Committee of the Reston Task Force, but there was one developer named Mike ____ who has been frequent participant in H-M meetings.  (Mike participated actively, seemed to have a land interest near the station on the Herndon side and clearly that's where his heart was.)  Patty Nicoson sat in the way back and, like other observers, did not speak. 

 The discussion focused on:

    Summary of preliminary plan----basically two alternatives: Plan 1 calling for F.A.R.s of 2.5 in the main TOD area (rectangle in shape radiating around 1/4 mile out station area, continuing at slightly less beyond that (no number below 2.5 was specified); and,

Plan 2 calling for F.A.R. of 4.5 in TOD core, 2.5-3 in transition area beyond it.

Staff said they were thinking of building heights up to 15 stories--in addition to garage levels--nearest the station entrance area.  Beyond the transition area, there is to be a buffer area with 0.7 F.A.R., buildings not in excess of 4 stories, preference for residential abutting existing single family residential areas north and NW or TOD core.

Staff announced that public comment period on the preliminary plan had been extended to January 28th (from original mid-December date).

    Major Transportation Issues (as defined by Town transportation planner Chris___)--Two main "portals" to the study area are "already congested intersections" at Herndon Pkwy/Spring Street/Fairfax County Pkwy on NE of study area and Herndon Pkwy/Van Buren on NW of study area.  Formidable problems, esp on NE, unlikely to be resolved at above a failed level of service without additional portals on north side---or, the unthinkable, redevelopment intensity at less than 4.5--in order to restrain overall volume in absence of additional access points to study area.

   -One developer suggested that (since lower F.A.R.s not doable!) solution he would opt for  coming from east of Herndon would be to take Fairfax County Parkway to Sunrise Valley, drive west to Monroe and over the bridge to enter Herndon study area from the west!

[It would be OK if more traffic goes thru Reston side--this was only the beginning of this theme!].

    F.A.R.s, density alternatives and adequacy of incentive for landowners to redevelop:

Jim ___ of Lerner led the charge.  2.5 was a joke, certainly insufficient.  4.5 was closer to what was needed, but would be "bare minimum" esp. for parcels in the TOD central area.  One developer said, in fact, some sites might not be able to achieve quite the 4.5, but 2.5 clearly inadequate.  

    Staffer (Kay ___) leading the meeting asked developers what they thought about F.A.R.s in terms of being sufficient incentive for them to redevelop.  Imagine the responses....which came, as did nearly all comments during the 2 and 1/2 hours I was present, from 7 developers, or about 1/3 of those sitting in seats reserved for developers.  Jim ___ of Lerner led the charge.  2.5 was a joke, certainly insufficient.  4.5 was closer to what was needed, but would be "bare minimum" esp. for parcels in the TOD central area.  One developer said, in fact, some sites might not be able to achieve quite the 4.5, but 2.5 clearly inadequate. 

    Access to the station and what area should look like-  While nothing other than a possible plaza is shown near the entrance to station area on north (Herndon) side of the DTR, Staffer Kay noted that the existing town comp plan in fact allows for a "Kiss and Ride" at the entrance.  She said that negotiations are ongoing with WMATA for [unspecified] improvements.  WMATA designs and is responsible for station operations, the staff is currently thinking of a kiss and ride for cars to drop off passengers for rail and a "bus pull-over area".   She allowed that while there were some who wanted Herndon to provide absolutely nothing to facilitate station access, she thought they were in a minority.  Some might like an area to park, but that was definitely not going to happen, but there seemed to be good support for a kiss and ride, she said.

This caused the uproar of the morning--largely among the same 6 or 7, with property nearest station. Mike _____, who is active in Herndon-Monroe Committee of Reston Task Force, kicked it off. He said Kiss and Rides become "bus staging areas, a bus depot".  "I'm alarmed!"  This will change our area for the worse. Kay assured the now upset developer band that the kiss and ride will only be for buses to stop and pick up, let off passengers. She said, " any feeder buses will go to the south side." [via Sunrise Valley Drive].  The Lerner rep and a couple of other developers chimed in:  "You said 'accomodate' buses, not 'encourage'.  That is very different." In a back and forth with Mike and a couple of others, acceptable Kiss and Ride bus activity was defined as buses which come no more often that like every 10-15 minutes and DO NOT WAIT.

Then, one fellow in developer area piped up that there were tradeoffs here--noting that given earlier references to failing intersections and TOD objectives of reducing number of cars, weren't buses something to be encouraged!?  The only voice from the staff/planning side was a muted comment in support from one of the consultants. Jim of Lerner responded, "they've got a big multi-modal transportation facility on the south side, let them use that." Kay tried to calm the angry little group, reminding them that the town will commission a complete transportation study as in fact required by the Commonwealth (528?) to look at all transportation-related questions.

There was a brief discussion of Kay's earlier reference to Herndon's use of "form-based planning" vs. planning based on preferred uses.  Developers seemed mystified by it.  Here we had some common ground!

A break was announced (after 2 and 1/2 hours!).  After hearing that the staff was going to give the group one more opportunity to comment on the overall plan after the break, I decided I had heard all I needed to hear.  I noticed that the Mayor and at least a few of the developers seemed to be leaving as well.

On the way out, I chatted very briefly with Mayor Steve DeBenedittis, asked him how he felt about the last part of the discussion--on facilitating access to the station.  He said something like, "With all the capacity they are going to have on the south side, I don't think we need much if anything on this side."  For me, this was some worrisome stuff. 

I wish that there had been representation from the RTF  Herndon-Monroe Committee.  In my view, there should be continuing contact by those directly interested on the Reston side--that means the H-M Committee, others if they continue to show no interest. 

I was glad to see Richard Lambert from Fairfax County DPZ in attendance, although I did not get a chance to talk with him.

Report on Herndon Metrorail Study Neighborhood Meeting, Dave Edwards, November 17, 2010

Report on Herndon Metrorail Study Neighborhood Meeting--Dave Edwards

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.