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June 11, 2025
Neighbors,
At yesterday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, we proclaimed June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month in Fairfax County.
I co-sponsored this proclamation that we presented to the NoVA Prism Center and LGBTQ+ community members. The Board has proudly recognized this month every year since 2013.
Our action wasn’t simply a ceremonial recognition — it’s an affirmation of our commitment to inclusion, diversity and acceptance. Our community is a better and stronger place, thanks to the diversity of our residents’ gender identities, sexual orientations, races, religions and cultures.
I’m also proud to say that the county’s commitment has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. We’ve achieved a perfect score for the past four years, and this index ranks more than 500 local governments nationwide on how inclusive their laws, policies and services are for LGBTQ+ people.
While the Reston Pride Festival occurred two weeks ago and WorldPride events in D.C. concluded this week, there are still ways to recognize and celebrate this month, including:
Regards,
Walter
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- In the Community
- Board of Supervisor Update
- Upcoming Land Use Meetings
- What's News in Vienna
- Events and Activities
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Last week, I joined an annual food distribution for families in need sponsored by Starkist, Feed the Children and Cornerstones at Floris United Methodist Church. I was there along with my colleagues Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman and Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw.
This fourth annual Summer Food and Resource Rally provided hunger relief for 400 families. Volunteers gave out kits to support a family of four, including shelf-stable food and hygiene products. Community led efforts like this one are more important than ever as the federal government cuts aid to food banks and needy families.
A big thanks to Starkist — which is headquartered in Reston — for continuing to fight hunger, along with our local nonprofits and churches like Cornerstones and Floris United.
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This past weekend, I was also honored to present Fellowship Square with a proclamation honoring their 65th anniversary. They provide vital affordable housing for seniors who live on extremely limited, fixed incomes. In Reston, they first opened the Lake Anne Fellowship House in Reston in 1971, followed by their second Lake Anne building five years later, and culminating with the Hunters Woods Fellowship House in 1979. More recently, the county helped to fund the new, modern 240-unit Lake Anne House that opened three years ago.
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I also joined Herndon Reston Youth Baseball for their closing day celebration and championship games last Saturday. Called HRYB Day, this event brings together their entire league — from their youngest players who are just starting preschool to their majors who are entering middle school to their Buddy Ball players. Congratulations to HRYB, HRYB President Chris Callen, Machine Pitch Commissioner Michelle Kimmel, all the HRYB board members and volunteers, the Optimist Club of Herndon — and of course, this season’s 250 players and their parents!
(Photo: with Elijah Shepard, a player in the HRYB Majors League.)
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Despite the rain this past Saturday, I also enjoyed a nature and history walk on the W&OD Trail sponsored by the environmental nonprofit Sustainability Matters. We learned about native and invasive plants. During our stroll, we also got a history lesson about the former Village of Wiehle and Old Reston, thanks to Liz Cohan, a Restonian, historian and certified master naturalist. (Incidentally, Sustainability Matters planted the first native meadow along the trail this spring in Vienna. The group will be planting more native wildflower meadows to support pollinators along the 45-mile trail. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved in these future plantings.)
| | | For those of you who didn’t attend Petpalooza at Reston Town Center this past weekend, here’s what you missed. There were lots of tail wags and fun, and plenty of animals looking to be adopted. | | Board of Supervisors Update | | |
The Board of Supervisors met yesterday June 10. You can watch the meeting and review the agenda and package.
Paying Tribute to Cathy Hudgins
At the start of our meeting, we honored former Supervisor Cathy Hudgins with a moving tribute video (see above). While many of my colleagues and I attended her funeral this past Friday, yesterday was an opportunity for our entire Board to honor her. As the first African American to serve on the Board of Supervisors, she was a trailblazer, and in many ways, I find myself striving to live up to her legacy as the Hunter Mill Supervisor. Watch my full remarks.
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Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program Approved. Reston National Golf Course Not Included.
What happened: We adopted the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program, a document that lists all authorized plan amendments for future consideration and planning studies. Notably, the proposal to redevelop the Reston National Golf Course was not included in our work program.
Background: This work program includes nominations from this year’s Site-Specific Plan Amendment Process or SSPA for short. The SSPA gives property owners a way to propose land use changes to the Comprehensive Plan for a specific site or collection of parcels.
There were 11 SSPA nominations for Hunter Mill District, and only nine were accepted into the 2025 work program. Of the original 11 nominations, the golf course was not included, and the nomination to develop up to 100 homes on a 67-acre site at Hunter Mill and Sunset Hills Roads was withdrawn by the applicant.
What’s in the program: The following nine Hunter Mill District SSPA nominations were accepted in the 2025 work program for study and/or possible future consideration:
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1851 Alexander Bell Drive (Staff Summary): This site is currently developed with two, four-story office buildings that are largely vacant. The nomination calls for an option for residential use of up to 20 dwelling units per acre, or 1.5 floor-area ratio (FAR), consisting of 86 townhouses and 46 stacked townhouses.
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10690 Parkridge Boulevard (Staff Summary): This nomination is for three parcels that are part of the Parkridge Center, and the site contains a nearly vacant office building, surface parking and a portion of a stormwater management pond. The nomination calls for developing the property with residential uses, including options such as repurposing the existing office building into an apartment or senior housing, developing a new apartment building, developing townhomes, or a combination of these uses.
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10800 Parkridge Boulevard (Staff Summary): It is developed with a two-story office building that's occupied by the Social Security Administration, plus a surface parking lot. The nomination calls for the addition of a residential neighborhood featuring townhomes and/or stacked townhomes.
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10701 Parkridge Boulevard (Staff Summary): This site that’s part of the Parkridge Center is currently developed with a three story office building. The nomination calls for adding an option for residential uses up to a maximum 1.35 FAR, consisting of townhouses (113 units) or a mix of townhouses and multi-family units (47 townhomes and 250 apartments.)
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11600 Sunrise Valley Drive (Staff Summary): This almost 10-acre site is developed with a suburban office building, and the property is located within the Association Drive Residential Mixed-Use Sub-District. Currently, the Comprehensive Plan recommends a mix of 75% residential uses and 25% non-residential uses. The nomination calls for changing the mix for this property to 100% residential uses.
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11600 American Dream Way (Staff Summary): This property is the site for the former Fannie Mae office building that’s been vacant for more than five years. The nomination calls for allowing residential development on the property.
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1841 Explorer Street (Staff Summary): This site is currently developed with a two-story childcare center, and the nomination calls for increasing the residential density currently permitted on this property from 125 to 350 residential units, as well as change the units from for-sale to rental.
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Colvin Woods (Staff Summary): This property is currently developed with Haven Reston, an affordable apartment complex with 259 units. The nomination calls for allowing up to 85 new residential units on the northern portion of the property, consisting of townhouses or stacked townhouses.
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Wiehle TOD North District (Staff Summary): This nomination proposes consolidating the Comprehensive Plan’s existing Wiehle North Transit Station Mixed-Use and Residential Mixed-Use subdistricts into a new single subdistrict. The nomination calls for a mix of residential (50%) and non-residential (50%) uses up to 2.5 – 5.0 FAR.
What’s next: The county’s planning staff will begin to work on these adopted plan amendments and studies during the next few years. The work program prioritizes these amendments using a tiering system. Tier 1 amendments are categorized as the top priority. Tier 2 amendments are usually reviewed with the submission of a development application while Tier 3 amendments are considered following the completion of other studies and planning efforts.
Of the nine Hunter Mill District amendments: these are their assigned tiers:
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Tier 1: The Alexander Bell Drive, Parkridge Boulevard and Sunrise Valley Drive amendments will be consolidated into a larger planning study of the Reston Transit Station areas.
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Tier 2: 11600 American Dream Way
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Tier 3: 1841 Explorer Street, Colvin Woods and Wiehle TOD North District
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Next Step in Redeveloping the Crescent Apartments
What happened: In an important step forward in redeveloping and rebuilding the Board-owned Cresent Apartments, we approved advertising a July 15 public hearing to transfer the property to the county’s Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA).
What it means: In January, I introduced the board matter to initiate the process to redevelop the property, including transferring it to the FCRHA. This project will provide existing residents with improved affordable housing since the existing 181 units are nearly 60 years old, requiring renovations or replacement. We have an opportunity to provide not only new replacement units but also expanded affordable and market-rate units at this roughly 16-acre site at Lake Anne Village Center, all consistent with the adopted Comprehensive Plan.
Not only will the redevelopment advance the Board’s goal (and mine) to create 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2034, but also it supports Lake Anne’s economic revitalization.
What’s next: To accomplish the redevelopment, the Housing Authority is considering partnering with a private developer. Any proposed redevelopment plan will follow the county’s usual land use and zoning review processes. This means there will be opportunities for public engagement and involvement, including public hearings by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
There will be more news about this project as it evolves over the next few years, but yesterday’s action allows the Housing Authority to begin pursuing its next steps.
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Resident Curator Lease for Historic Ashgrove House
What happened: The Board approved advertising a July 15 public hearing on leasing the historic Ash Grove House to Sheila Consaul through the county’s Resident Curator Program.
Under this program, curators live in publicly owned historic properties rent-free in exchange for rehabilitating them.
Last year, the Fairfax County Park Authority selected Consaul as the resident curator. She’s an experienced preservationist and former Reston resident who completed a 12-year restoration of the Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse in Ohio.
Why it matters: Located at 8881 Ashgrove House Lane, the home is one of the few standing 18th century Virginia houses, and it was built by the Fairfax family. Thomas Fairfax built the original portion of the house in 1790.
What’s next: If the almost eight-year lease is granted, Consaul will undertake renovations detailed in a workplan that’s been approved by the Park Authority. These include a full renovation of the kitchen, upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems and repairs to the interior walls, ceilings and woodwork.
While the property is owned by the Fairfax County Park Authority, state law requires that the Board of Supervisors serve as the landlord under the lease.
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Vienna-Carter Library Funding Agreement Updated
What happened: Due to anticipated higher construction costs, the Town of Vienna recently agreed to a $590,000 increase in its contribution to build the shared parking garage for the new Vienna-Carter Library.
Yesterday, the Board approved this update to the funding agreement with the town. Under the agreement, the town will pay for 19% of the total construction costs — or $4.7 million — for the 209-space garage. It will offer parking spaces for library patrons and staff with 84 public parking spaces reserved for town residents and commuters.
What’s next: The county will evaluate construction bids for the entire library project this month, and construction on this newest branch for the library system is anticipated to take two years. Until it’s completed, however, visit the temporary branch that will open later this month at the Cedar Park Shopping Center.
| | Upcoming Land Use Meetings | | |
Reston Planning & Zoning June 16
Use this link to attend and participate in the virtual meeting on Monday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. To join by phone, call 571-429-5982 and use conference ID 619 651 309#
Hunter Mill Land Use Committee Meeting Canceled
The June 17 meeting has been *canceled* because there are no items on the agenda. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be July 15.
For more information, email Mark Goldberg-Foss, call 703-478-5123, or visit the Hunter Mill District Land Use and Zoning webpage.
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Celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday
Join me in celebrating Juneteenth and the Liberty Amendments Month parade and festival this Saturday, June 14. The parade steps off at 10 a.m. at the Vienna Town Green and it continues up Maple Avenue to Nutley Street, ending at First Baptist Church for the Juneteenth Celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (My office will also have a table at the celebration.) Enjoy live music, kids entertainment, food trucks, craft vendors, a children's book giveaway, and more.
Summer on the Green Concert on Friday
Enjoy a free performance by blues band The Ashcats this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Vienna Town Green. Bring your own blanket or lawn chair for the approximately 90-minute Summer on the Green concert. Because there’s a possibility of rain on Friday, the town may cancel the concert, and this decision is usually made between 4 and 5 p.m. on the day of the event. For updates, call the town's weather line at 703-255-7842.
| | Stay Informed and In Touch | |
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn
703-478-0283, TTY 711
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