On Wednesday, March 5th, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors “indefinitely deferred” the amendment to raise the population density in Reston’s established residential neighborhoods, which have a unique zoning designation of Planned Residential Community (PRC).
The Supervisors followed the recommendation of their Planning Commission, which voted unanimously on February 13 to recommend AGAINST the density increase and to urge the Supervisors to involve citizens in the 2020 Reston Master Plan review.
In voting unanimously, the Planning Commission cited the depth of concern among Restonians about overbuilding in our community, especially in the Village Centers that are anywhere from 1-3 miles away from a metro station.
These County decisions show that Restonians’ emails, letters, postcards, telephone calls, and visits to County officials and their attendance at County hearings and “town hall” meetings all mattered and paid off!
These County decisions are a victory for all who want to preserve Reston’s green space and lifestyle.
Had the density increase gone through, speculative real estate developers would have sensed that the political winds were blowing in favor of ever-increasing development in Reston’s established neighborhoods, and potentially on our golf courses.
So while the postponement of the PRC density amendment was not about the golf course zoning, it sends a message. It is not open season on Reston’s Open Spaces.