By Rescue Reston Board of Directors
Vigilance Required as RNGM Next Steps Remain Murky
Last week we reported that RN Golf Management LLC, owner of the Reston National Golf Course, requested an indefinite deferral of its hearing before the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals. The hearing regards RN Golf Management’s (RNGM) appeal of the Fairfax County Zoning Administrator’s decision that the golf course cannot be developed without an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. This week we learned that RNGM’s request for an indefinite deferral of the hearing has been granted, basically putting their appeal on hold for now. This latest action comes after three prior postponements of the hearing, all of which were at the request of RNGM.
We see this latest deferral as further indication that RNGM, which is controlled by Northwestern Mutual, realizes the weakness of its claim that it has the right to develop the golf course without an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. We can only speculate as to what Northwestern Mutual’s next move may be. They may wait to revisit this matter at some point in the future. They may try to sell the golf course property. Or they may try to persuade the Board of Supervisors to amend the Comprehensive Plan in a way that permits development.
It is this last possibility, an attempt to amend the Comprehensive Plan, that is the most troubling. Rescue Reston Board members have been meeting with members of the Board of Supervisors to brief them on the issues surrounding these attempts to develop the golf course. While we currently are unaware of any efforts to promote such an amendment, we need to remain vigilant and prepared to oppose any further efforts to develop the golf course which may emerge. If you have not done so already, please sign the petition on this website to indicate your opposition to any attempts to permit development of this open space resource for our community.