Inside WinterWinter FunFun && EntertainmentEntertainment RestonReston Community Outlook 2017 Page 3 Fairfax County Department of Transportation Classifieds, Page 10 Classifieds, Director Tom Biesiadny answers questions ❖ from the audience during a public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 19. The Department is seeking permission from the Board of Super- visors to establish a 40-year road fund and a special service district to raise $350 million from people who own residential and com- mercial property near metrorail stations. Entertainment, Page 7 ❖ RoadRoad FundFund andand Opinion, Page 4 ServiceService DistrictDistrict ProposedProposed CommunityCommunity Outlook,Outlook, PagePage 66 Restonians Join March on Washington News, Page 5 South Lakes Secures Narrow Win Over Langley Sports, Page 12 Photo by Fallon Forbush/The Connection www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJanuary 25-31, 2017 online at www.connectionnewspapers.comReston Connection ❖ January 25-31, 2017 ❖ 1 News Photo courtesy of the Fairfax County Department of Fire and Rescue Firefighters used a ladder to get a fire hose to the second-floor attic to extinguish the fire. Fire Displaces Herndon Family family of six in the town of Herndon attic of the two-story home. They quickly Awas displaced after a fire damaged extinguished the fire and contained it to the their home on Friday, Jan. 20. attic. There were smoke alarms present in The four adults and two children were the home, however, they had no batteries. inside the home at the time of the fire, but Thankfully, a passerby noticed smoke com- there were no reported injuries because they ing from the roof and alerted the occupants. evacuated before firefighters arrived, ac- Fire Investigators determined that the fire cording to the Fairfax County Department was accidental in nature and was caused of Fire and Rescue. by electrical wiring. Damages have been es- Around 4 p.m. firefighters arrived at the timated to be $68,750. home on the 700 block of Van Buren Street The family was provided assistance from where they saw smoke coming from the the Red Cross. 2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ January 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Community Outlook 2017 Photo courtesy of the Lake Anne at Reston Condominium Association Photo courtesy of the Reston Soccer Association LARCA presented this rendering to the Reston Association last fall. The This rendering was presented to the Reston Association Board of Direc- RA Board of Directors will be discussing these recommendations this tors in October. The board will continue discussions about the proposal week. in March. Revitalization Efforts In The Works Reston Association hires new director to oversee capital projects. By Fallon Forbush “We’re looking at what ing months to discuss the im- Melissa Romano, resident and owner of The Connection changes will need to be made provements and will be work- the Lake Anne Brew House located in the in our facilities to keep up with ing with community members plaza right off the lake, agrees. he Reston Association hired the rest of the development in to gather feedback. “When you come here to the plaza there Garrett Skinner as director of Reston,” says Larry Butler, RA’s is really only space for maybe two pontoon T its new Capital Improvement senior director of Parks, Recre- 2) Lake Anne Dock Revital- boats to tie up here at the bottom of the Planning and Projects Depart- ation and Community Re- ization concrete steps, and anyone who tries to tie ment this month. He began work on Mon- sources. The Lake Anne Dock is lo- up their boat along the wooden dock any- day, Jan. 9. The new department, which Butler and Skinner identified cated within a historical dis- where finds that they’re 4 feet below sea includes three current RA employees, is re- these major revitalization ef- trict of the Lake Anne Village level and they have to poll volt out of their sponsible for the oversight of the forts that are in the works right Garrett Skinner, Center. In August 2015, the boat, which is nearly impossible,” she says. association’s capital projects. now. RA’s new director Fairfax County Office of Com- LARCA would like to add dock fingers that Skinner and his new department comes of its new Capital munity Revitalization and the extend from the main dock so more boats after the association’s highly-criticized han- 1) Hook Road Recreation Improvement Lake Anne at Reston Condo- can access the plaza. LARCA would also like dling of the Lake House, a property that Revitalization Planning and minium Association (LARCA) to add water-level steps to facilitate canoe went over budget and yielded revenue Reston Association’s Reserve Projects Depart- produced a design charrette to and kayak docking, which would also help shortfalls ever since it was purchased in July Study forecasted more than ment. explore ideas and strategies to bring the dock into compliance with fed- 2015 for $2.6 million. $122,000 in expenditures for redevelop the Lake Anne Vil- eral American with Disabilities Act require- While the association still works on hir- the Hook Road Ball Fields between 2016 lage Center. This included revitalizing Lake ments. Floating extensions of the dock for ing an independent organization to conduct and 2020. This includes repairs to the park’s Anne Plaza and increasing access to the lake seating and tables are also desired. a review of the Lake House’s acquisition and baseball, basketball and soccer fields and by replacing and redesigning the dock, “If we were to go in and just replace our renovation, Skinner’s immediate goal is to tennis courts. which RA owns. dock, like-for-like, we would plan on start- develop a stronger project management The study is conducted every five years ing that in October,” says Butler. process. to identify which RA facilities need main- Meanwhile, funding for the replacement However, since the dock is located in an “We need to ensure the money that is tenance and allocates funding. of the Lake Anne Dock was approved by RA’s historic district, proposed changes not only being spent on these projects are done “Most of our facilities have not been up- Board of Directors in November 2015. have to go through Reston’s design and re- wisely and that we are able to effectively dated since the developer gave them to us, In 2016, RA staff began planning and view process, but also through the Fairfax track the progress of projects and that we in some cases back in the 60s,” Butler says. scoping for the project, which included the County Architectural Review Board. can avoid any risks associated with those Groups that frequently use the facilities removal of approximately 500 cubic yards “There’s no question that adding those projects that may have been experienced have approached RA staff to urge them to of sediment that accumulated beneath the elements would complicate the process in the past,” he said on his fourth day on make changes, including adding dugouts, dock. LARCA and the Lake Anne Merchants some,” Butler says. “Then there’s the ques- the job. storage areas and a permanent bathroom Association (LAMA) approached RA staff to tion of funding. Who would pay for those “As I start to get a handle on what projects facility, and other upgrades for safety and discuss combining their efforts. additional elements?” are active and what’s planned, my first or- playability. “The lake is a great asset, but it’s RA has budgeted to replace the dock and der of business is to make sure that the Instead of making repairs, a landscape underutilized in terms of how the public can remove sediment, but that’s just a mainte- projects that are scheduled and funded are architect will be hired to draw up some enjoy it,” says LARCA President and resi- nance activity, according to Butler. making the progress they should make and ideas to revitalize the park, according to dent Rick Thompson. He is also the hus- Both Romano and Thompson emphasized are meeting the expectations of the board Butler. band of RA Board Secretary and At-Large the value that the plaza brings to the com- and residents of Reston,” he added. “I make no predictions on where it will Director Eve Thompson. Together, they own munity, including the many events that uti- The ongoing construction of new Silver end up,” he says. “It could end up that there the Lake Anne Coffee House and Wine Bar lize the site. Line metrorail stations in Reston will is very little change or there could be a located in the Lake Anne Village Center. The Reston Community Center hosts its incentivize redevelopment around the sta- wholesale change.” “You can walk down the dock, but you’re weekly “Take A Break Concert” series dur- tions and Reston Association wants to make Butler will be working with RA’s Parks and about 4 feet above the water and there’s ing the summer at the plaza. The plaza is sure it keeps up with development. Recreation Advisory Committee in the com- nowhere to tie up your boat,” he says. See Facelift, Page 11 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Reston Connection ❖ January 25-31, 2017 ❖ 3 Opinion Reston www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Not Helping the Local Economy @RestonConnect An independent, locally owned weekly newspaper delivered Federal hiring freeze “Past hiring freezes in both Republican and Democrat to homes and businesses. Published by will have rippling effect. administrations have cost the federal government money Local Media Connection LLC 1606 King Street he hiring freeze announced earlier in the long-run because of staffing problems, or problems Alexandria, Virginia 22314 this week, will not help the local in recruiting or disruption of key government operations Free digital edition delivered to economy which has struggled in T your email box.