Reston Citizen

Good Shepard Lutheran Church has sold it’s old building, and as the Washington Post reports, they’ve found a purchaser:

The Tzu Chi Foundation, a [Buddhist] religious organization that performs charitable work worldwide, scooped up Good Shepherd’s facility for $4.2 million and will move in after the church settles into its new building, under construction farther north in Reston.

Sometime in the Winter of 2008 the Tzu Chi Foundation will move to 1516 Moorings Dr, near Lake Anne Plaza. The facilitie’s sanctuary holds  224 seats and 8 classrooms, and according to spokesman Clara Cheng it was a hard find, “There’s not many churches on the market. To find the right size, the right location, was not an easy job.”

Previously Tzu Chi operated out of a Rockville office park. Good Shepard will move to a facility with more than double it’s current capacity at a lot near Reston Avenue and Route 7.

Anyone who’s ever tried to cross Village Road and Baron Cameron Avenue knows the “look both ways” rule doesn’t apply here. Pedestrian vision is limited by a bend in the road on both sides of the intersection, and on top of that cars routinely speed through.

To correct this VDOT has installed some new safety features. A one way stop sign for Village Road will be joined by two new stop signs for North Shore Drive. Crosswalks will be added when the weather is better, and there is a possibility of rumble strips. Other additions include signage to alert drivers of the crossing.

An accident last July involving an 87 year old pedestrian who was injured crossing that same street prompted the additions. Rumors initially identified the man as Robert Simon, Reston’s founder. These where false and the injured man was released from the hospital.

Anyone who’s been to the Reston Historical Museum will probably notice it mostly contains pictures and text. But that could change in the next few months when grants from Fairfax County are expected to fund a renovation.

The Washington Post is reporting the museum has a lot of collections and interactive exhibits they’d like to display:

“We have a lot of stuff that we don’t have room to display,” said Victoria Wingert, president of the museum’s parent organization, Reston Historic Trust. “We have oral histories on videos and would like to make the museum more interactive than it is today.”

The museums upgrade will hopefully draw more people to Lake Anne. The Reston Museum receives about 12,000 visitors a year, but those working to revitalize Lake Anne realize that every additional person in the center, particularly in the colder months, helps to improve the center until more people can brought in by the construction of more condo and office space.

Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin has dismissed the idea of incorporating Reston. The ResTOWN project has been making gains in getting various legal hurdles met. To the dismay of town supporters, Fairfax County recently rejected sending a proposal to the Virginia Assembly to lift the ban on town incorporation in “urban” counties.

The DC Examiner reports Anthony Griffin said:

“Why should the unincorporated sections of other districts, many of which predate Reston by scores of years, not be able to become towns?” Griffin asked in the memo, rhetorically. “If Reston, then why not incorporate McLean, Centreville, Burke, Springfield, Annandale, Mount Vernon, Franconia and Merrifield, to name a few.

A vocal group of citizens felt proposals for such projects as a town center project at the Wiehle Avenue Park & Ride lot, and a density increase of 3000 people ignored the will of Restonians. Supporters of incorporation argue that if Reston where a town they’d have more power in such legislation. Opponents of the idea cite higher taxes, no increased governmental power, and a duplication of services.

Currently the Reston Community Center provides recreation services, the Reston Association provides park creation and maintenance, and also enforces zoning codes. The Reston Association is forbidden to transfer it’s land, so unless a private institution was granted the town charter, a the so called “Town of Reston” would not control park maintenance and zoning.

Local blog BeyondDC even highlights more issues with such a proposal:

Mr. Griffin is absolutely correct. NIMBY-based [Not In My Back Yard] local government is bad for the region. It exacerbates sprawl, congestion, the affordable housing problem… It makes just about all the regional problems we’ve got that much worse. Good on you, Fairfax County, for doing the right thing and making a stand likely to be unpopular with the voters.

Map provided by the Reston Citizens Association illustrating the wide support for the “Town of Reston,” by mapping the location of petition signers.

The Reston Citizens Association (who where behind the ResTown petition) is working to make sure legislation in the Virginia Assembly gets approved that grants permission for Reston to become a town. Currently a town can not incorporate if it lies within a county under the urban-executive form of government.

One of the important steps toward Reston becoming a town is having organizations like the Reston Community Center, Reston Association, and the Reston Town Center Association sign on. If any one of these organizations refused to join it would severely limit the “Town of Reston” from providing services. If they did provide the services they’d have to double charge constituents for services that were already offered, which would certainly be unpopular.

The association is asking people to send letters to local newspapers, state representatives, and people in various community organizations. On December 3rd RCC and RA will be meeting to determine if they would potentially dissolve themselves to become part of a future town.

If you’d like to publish an opinion on Reston as a town then contact us.

The Reston Association has approved a $46 assessment hike. The current annual rate is $437 and will rise in two years to $475 and then $483.

There was only one vote against the proposed rate increase. The tax hike is seen as necessary for RA to continue its operations and leave money in a bank for a rainy day fund. According to the newly approved budget $12.8 million will be raised in taxes for 2008, and $12.1 million will be spent. In 2009 they will bring in $13.1 million and spend $12.3 million.

The $1.5 million surplus will be used for the repair and replacement funds, which funds facilities upkeep. Two referendums are contained in the budget, including funding a new indoor facility which might contain tennis courts.

PRA International, headquartered near the Target store, is moving it’s headquarters to Raleigh, North Carolina. The medical research company employees 500 at it’s Reston headquarters.

North Carolina lured the company with over seven million in benefits. PRA is moving “To be closer to it’s clients.” It also sites the large labor pool. The median income at PRA International is $75,000, versus the $35,000 for Wake County. The announcement follows AOLs decision to leave the Dulles Technology Corridor for New York City.

The opening of Reston’s first emergency care center in 1977 was more than just our town receiving it’s first hospital. It marked the first 24/7 emergency room center in America. This week the ACCESSible Emergency Care Center (kown now as Inova)  celebrates 30 years of operation.

In 1977 the closet hospital was 15 miles away in the City of Fairfax. The new center was an immiedate success, with twenty five pateints on its first day. It has continued to grow along with Reston, and now serves about 75 patients a day.

Inova Emergency Care is located in a one story building nestled between Baron Cameron and Fountain Drive.

From the Reston Connection 

A small, historic church in Reston was recently billed $6138 for sewage covering ten years. As reported in the Reston Times, the church discovered the bill when applying for a day care center expansion. Fairfax County requires all bills be payed before new permits can be granted.

The church was founded in 1863, and is now facing declining membership. Official membership is 70, but according to Cartersville Baptist Church attendance on Sundays is about 40. The daycare center would provide the church with more money and members.
Being a small church, they don’t have money to pay $6000 in a lump sum. But Fairfax Water, the agency that handles sewer bills, is considering letting the church pay in instalments. The Board of Supervisors might also wave the requirement of having zero bills before a new construction permit is issued, but only for this specific circumstance.

The Northern Virginia Technology Council will be hosting Rudolph Giuliani on the morning of Friday, September 21st. NVTC has hosted a series of presidential candidates making presentations. The event is geared to technology company executives but is open to the general public.

The program is a breakfast to be held at the Hyatt Regency at the Reston Town Center. Registration and networking is 7:00-7:45am, with the program at 8:00-9:15am. Cost for non-members is $105. You can visit the NVTC website for more information.