Fairfax County’s Reston Comprehensive Plan, the guiding document for land use and development decisions in Reston, has been updated. At its Sept. 12 meeting, the Board of Supervisors adopted a new plan, which includes updates to guidance for topics like affordable housing, open space and community health.

The newly adopted plan is the result of a Reston Comprehensive Plan Amendment, which was authorized by the Board of Supervisors in response to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s Board Matter presented in January 2020. The plan amendment was informed by input from county staff, a community task force and public feedback in more than 50 task force meetings and seven post-task force public meetings.

“The adoption of the Reston Comprehensive Plan Amendment is a momentous achievement for Reston, ushering in a new era that ensures Reston’s continued success. Crafted through an extensive process that included numerous meetings and community outreach, this updated Plan safeguards existing neighborhoods and improves transit. It also sets the stage for the future of Reston, that is both responsive to the core values of Reston’s founder, Bob Simon, and to the valuable position that Reston plays as a major economic development location in the County,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay.

“Since my Board Matter almost four years ago, dedicated community members, Planning Commissioner John Carter and county staff have put in countless hours on creating a new draft Reston Comprehensive Plan. After much deliberation by the Planning Commission and my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, I am proud to say that Reston has an updated comprehensive plan that is much more than a land use document. It is also a blueprint for the next phase of what Reston has always been – an inclusive community that values our green open spaces and a vibrant economy,” said Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn.

Highlights of the new Reston Comprehensive Plan:

• One Reston: encompasses both urban and suburban sections of Reston.
• Community Health: Introduces new language to encourage consideration for the health and well-being of the Reston community with land use and development decisions.
• Equity: Introduces new language to encourage consideration of equity with land use and development decisions.
• Neighborhoods: Preserves Reston’s existing neighborhoods and enhances the transit corridor.
• Affordable Housing: Maintains focus on providing affordable housing in new developments and preserves existing affordable housing in Reston.
• Open Space: Preserves Reston’s forests, lakes and stream valleys, and provides additional open and recreational spaces.

The Reston Comprehensive Plan was last updated in 2015. For additional information about the Reston Comprehensive Plan Amendment, visit the project webpage.