COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT 2020-III-UP1 ADDITONS TO PREVIOUS AUTHORIZATION 
RESTON STUDY

BACKGROUND:
Mr. Chairman, on January 14, 2020, the Board of Supervisors authorized a Comprehensive Plan amendment for Reston to review how the Plan for Reston has been evolving since the adoption of Plan Amendments for the Reston Transit Station Areas in 2014 and for the remainder of the Reston area in 2015.

For the Study, I appointed and convened a 31-member Task Force comprised of community members, representatives of community groups, and members of the development industry. The Task Force met frequently and virtually through the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic from May 2020 through August of 2022 and discussed a variety of topics related to Reston’s future growth. In addition to full meetings of the Task Force, several topic sub-groups held meetings and worked collaboratively with county staff from the Department of Planning and Development, Department of Transportation, Park Authority, Housing and Community Development, Health Department, and others. In all, 58 full Task Force meetings were held. Please refer to Attachment A for the current working project timeline.
The result of these conversations and collaborative efforts was a new draft Comprehensive Plan guidance for Reston. The draft was shared with the Board at the October 4, 2022 Land Use Policy Committee meeting, with the Planning Commission for their workshop on this topic on September 29, 2022, and with the public beginning on September 7, 2022, to solicit community feedback.

The Task Force’s recommendations addressed issues such as Equity, Community Health, Economic Development, and Heritage Resources that were not included in the scope of the original authorization.
Additionally, in the course of their work, the Task Force considered changes to the adopted land use and intensity recommendations of the Plan for specific areas such as the Reston Village Centers and Reston Town Center North, and for parcels where development interests advocated changes.

Note that input from Board members articulated at last October’s committee meeting is incorporated into this motion, particularly in light of Board support for adding equity and community health to the countywide Comprehensive Plan Policy Plan.

Staff from the Department of Planning and Development is also preparing their recommendations for updated Comprehensive Plan text for Reston, and in order for the range of recommendations to be considered the goal is to now formally expand the scope of the Plan Amendment to include these topic areas for consideration as part of the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment.

MOTION:
Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board add the following topics for consideration for the amendment to the Comprehensive Plan for Reston in addition to those included in the January 14, 2020, authorization (Attachment B). Specifically, the proposed Plan Amendment should also consider:
•    The application of equity elements, consistent with the OneFairfax Policy, for Reston’s future planning and development
•    The application of community health strategies specific to the future growth of Reston
•    Workforce development and the application of workforce development strategies critical to Reston’s future
•    Revised guidance, as appropriate, related to heritage resources
•    Revised guidance, as appropriate, related to the application of economic development strategies in Reston
•    The appropriate land use and density of the Village Centers
•    The appropriate land use and intensity of the redevelopment of Reston Town Center North
•    The appropriate land use and intensity of parcels associated with 1810,
1825, and 1850 Samuel Morse Drive and 11111 Sunset Hills Road.
•    The appropriate land use mix for the Roland Clarke Place Residential Mixed-Use Section within the Wiehle Station Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) District’s South Subdistrict.

 
ATTACHMENT A 

Reston Comprehensive Plan Study: Current 2023 Working Timeline

Jan. 26: Planning Commission Workshop
•    Staff variations from Task Force recommendations discussed
•    Work sessions scheduled if needed
Mid-Feb: Staff report 
March 30: Planning Commission Public Hearing
April 26: Planning Commission recommendation
May 9 or 23: BOS public hearing and vote

 
ATTACHMENT B

Jan. 14, 2020 Board Matter
Supervisor Walter Alcorn
Initiating a Public Participation Process and Authorizing an
Amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan for Reston

On February 11, 2014, the Board adopted an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan for the Transit Station Areas in Reston. This act was the culmination of a multi-year effort that included a Task Force and other forms of citizen outreach and engagement.
Following that, on June 2, 2015, the Reston Phase II Plan amendment (for Village Centers and Residential areas) was adopted by the Board. That second Plan Amendment sought to align the recommendations in the Comprehensive Plan with the existing development in Reston.
Since that time, more than 30 rezonings have been approved including millions of square feet of development in Reston’s transit station areas. And there has been a lot of discussion in the community about how Reston is changing, and how Reston should and should not change in the future. In reviewing the existing Comprehensive Plan, I believe that there are a few areas that would benefit from additional study and community input.

As such, I move that the Board authorize a Plan amendment for Reston that focuses on the following areas:
•    Projected population thresholds for Reston, and how to ensure that population, infrastructure and the environment are all in balance
•    Land use in the village centers (Hunters Woods, South Lakes and North Point) – including clarification of what type of future redevelopment proposals might require an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan
•    The adequacy of existing plan language to generate additional affordable housing, and improvements to plan language to encourage preservation and enhancement of existing communities that now provide affordable housing
•    The adequacy of existing and planned pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure for accessing Silver Line stations
•    The adequacy of existing Comprehensive Plan guidance to facilitate urban-scale mobility and development design in the TSAs while protecting the stability of nearby neighborhoods
•    Existing Comprehensive Plan transportation improvements to ensure that they are aligned with planned development
•    How the Comprehensive Plan could better facilitate enhancement of Reston’s natural environment, encourage energy efficiency and support sustainable green neighborhoods
•    How the Comprehensive Plan could address concerns about monopolization of ownership in Reston, and ways to encourage diverse ownership and/or management over the long term
•    Whether the historic practice of promoting privately-owned and managed open space sufficiently addresses public needs during the next 50 years of Reston

I further move that staff work closely with me to develop an approach and timeline for the Plan Amendment.