Golf Course Proposal To Build 300 Houses Sparks Debate

RESTON, VA — A proposal to redevelop Reston National Golf Course by building 300 houses on the site and upgrading existing facilities could have a significant impact on future development within the district, according to a member of the Reston Association Board of Directors.

“An application has been submitted to redevelop the Reston National Golf Course, to add 300 homes on the golf course,” said John Farrell, during the Feb. 27 meeting of the Reston board. “The applicant has framed the application in such a way that they would ultimately be challenging the (Reston Planned Residential Community District) zoning ordinance.”

Farrell, an attorney and an at-large member of the board, was speaking to inform his fellow directors. His comments were his own and not made on behalf of the association

“The PRC zoning ordinance is the one that governs all of Reston, and if their challenge is successful, the amount of chaos that it would introduce to our community would be substantial,” he said.

Virginia Investment Partners 2019 LLC and NVR, Inc. have submitted a proposal to Fairfax County to redevelop 168 acres across three parcels in Reston, including the Reston National Golf Course.

“The property is developed today with an almost 60-year-old golf course and supporting facilities,” the developers said, in their proposal. “The course, clubhouse, and instructional facilities are significantly outdated and suffer from deteriorated infrastructure that places it at a competitive disadvantage relative to other courses across Metropolitan Washington.”

In order for the golf course to remain viable for another 60 years or more, the proposal says the property needs substantial reinvestment, including expanded instructional facilities and additional state-of-the-art food and beverage facilities and lighting that would allow patrons to play golf into the evening.

"Pursuant to the Zoning Approvals, the property owner has initiated a by-right PRC Plan to modernize the golf course and develop 288 stacked townhomes on the portion of the Property still subject to RZ B-555," according to the application. "Upon approval of the PRC Plan, the property owner will substantially renovate the aging golf course, including the (a) full rerouting of nine (9) holes requiring substantial changes to the Property’s topography, tree canopy and landscaping; (b) establishment of a new lighted, multi-story driving range and clubhouse; (c) incorporation of lighted/gamified training facilities; (d) addition of new food and beverage options (within both the clubhouse and a new “Back 9 Grill”); and (e) construction of other infrastructure improvements to make the golf course competitive among its peers inside and outside Fairfax County.

Currently, a PRC designation is deemed a legislative step, which is what allows the Hunter Mill District supervisor the authority to intervene, according to Farrell. But, if the developer challenges that in court and gets PRC designated as an administrative step, it would take control away from the supervisor.

"It's a matter of significance, and we need to monitor it very carefully and be prepared to intervene," Farrell told the board.

Related:

• Letter: Rescue Reston Questions Land Use Advisory Committee's Decision
• Letter: RA Land Use Committee Meeting Ill Advised
• Letter: Reconsider SSPA Presenatation At Land Use Advisory Meeting

“Plan designation for Reston National Golf Course as a private recreation use/golf course to enable development of the property with the following: (i) over 80 acres of quality open space or park space to serve the current and future residents in Reston’s transit station areas and (ii) important attainable housing across the balance of the property, to include community amenities, trail connections and additional public open spaces,” according to the proposal.

The redevelopment proposal was submitted as a part of the county’s site specific plan amendment process, which allows property owners and developers to submit proposed amendments to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, which governs land use across the county.

This isn’t the first time that a redevelopment proposal was floated for Reston National. In 2021, owners Weller Development Co. and War Horse Cities submitted a plan to add housing to the property.

Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) opposed the earlier redevelopment proposal. He also excluded both Reston National and the Hidden Creek Golf Club properties from the most recent Reston Comprehensive Plan review, which the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved in September 2023.

“The reality is, and this is true for Reston National and it's true for Hidden Creek, there are property owners of both of those properties that paid too much to operate them profitably as a golf course, so neither property owner has given up” Alcorn said, at a Feb. 6 town hall meeting.

Both property owners have talked to Alcorn about different ideas for redeveloping the golf courses, but he has been adamant that the two properties are designated as golf courses in the comprehensive plan.

“I've made it clear and my position has not changed since before I was even elected the first time,” Alcorn said. “Until the communities surrounding the golf course come to me and ask me to change the comprehensive plan, I'm not going to support a change to the comprehensive plan.”

The developers are scheduled to present their plans during the next meeting of the Land Use Advisory Committee, which advises the RA Board on planning and zoning issues. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, at 6:30 p.m., in the conference room at 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston. Join Meeting Via Zoom.

Land Use Advisory Committee Presentation 'Inappropriate'

RA's decision to allow Virginia Investment Partners 2019 LLC and NVR, Inc. to present their plans at the upcoming Land Use Advisory Committee meeting has received criticism from local citizen activists.

In a March 7 letter, Connie Hartke, Rescue Reston’s board president, reminded the RA Board that such presentations were deemed inappropriate, according to RA's Land Use Resolution 6, Golf Course Policy which was dated Dec. 15, 2016.

The resolution came about after Wheelock gave a similar presentation in 2018 about its plans for Hidden Creek Golf Club. Rescue Reston was granted equal time, but the RA Board later decided that it would not be appropriate in the future, according to Hartke.

“The March 11 agenda of the Land Use Committee goes against Land Use Resolution 6 and against the stated platforms of many of you who ran for election in 2023,” she said. ”How did the LUAC specifically decide to hear this developer's presentation over that of the several other SSPAs on the table for Reston?"

Sarah Selvaraj-D'Souza, a former member of the RA Board and one of the founders of Restonstrong and Lynne Mulston, president of the Reston Citizens Association, also submitted letters to the RA Board pointing out the issue with Resolution 6.