UPDATED LOCATION: Please Attend: Citizens’ Input on Reston’s Future, June 8, 7PM, South Lakes High School Lecture Hall

Dear Reston Friends and Neighbors,

This Tuesday evening, June 8, will be the first–and maybe last–major opportunity for you to listen or speak to the Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force that is in the process of re-shaping Reston into an urban community.  The evening’s agenda is devoted to public comment, including comments by Reston’s various civic groups.  Everyone is encouraged to participate and I strongly encourage you to be among those present at this important meeting.

The focus of the open comment session will be to gather community inputs on what should be done in developing the Dulles Corridor area–roughly the area between Sunset Hills and Sunrise Valley drives–and Reston Town Center, especially the under-developed north area from Baron Cameron to Bowman Town Center drives.

The task force has spent months hearing County officials and outside experts about what exists in these areas and the opportunities for transit-oriented development (TOD).  TOD calls for high-density, high-rise, mixed-use (residential, office, retail, & other) development around the coming Metrorail stations.  This is your one opportunity to make a contribution before they move on to deciding what and how much may be built where over the next several decades along the Dulles Corridor and in Reston Town Center.

RCA’s Reston 2020 Committee will be participating as a civic group.  Its five work groups, covering such important issues as urban design and livability, environment, transportation, parks and recreation, and implementation, phasing, & financing, will be making very short presentations based on their months of research on these issues.  The reports these work groups have submitted to the Task Force that back their brief presentations, they will be available on Reston 2020′s blog (Reston 2020:  Citizens Shaping Reston’s Future) by Monday evening.

Reston 2020′s experience has indicated that the Task Force will listen and consider the concerns of the community.  First, the vast majority of the Task Force members are Restonians.  Second, Reston’s civic groups are adequately represented among the Task Force membership, including RA, RCA, ARCH, and the P&Z Committee.  Most importantly, the Task Force has demonstrated an increasing openness to new ideas as it has progressed.  If you have a concern or idea, I think they will listen to and consider your thoughts.

If you are invested in Reston as a place you plan to live for most of the rest of your life–and hope that maybe your children (or future grandchildren!) will live here too–I strongly urge you to attend Tuesday evening’s meeting.  The meeting will be held at the South Lakes High School Lecture Hall and begins at 7PM.  The meeting will give you the opportunity to hear other Restonians’ concerns and ideas as well as give you an opportunity to share your own.  If you wish to speak, be prepared to say what you want in three minutes because we expect many others will wish to speak as well.   Your participation in a huge turnout would be fantastic for the Task Force and the future of Reston.

Reston’s future as a planned community is important.  Please use this unique opportunity to show you care and, if you choose, share your thoughts with the Reston Task Force.  That’s Tuesday, June 8, 7PM, South Lakes High School Lecture Hall.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Regards,
Terry