Hudgins Defends Reston Zone Density Increase

RESTON, VA -- Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins is not backing down from a controversial proposal to boost the density limit in Reston in a letter to the Coalition for a Planned Reston, a local activist group vehemently opposed to the measure.

The Fairfax County's Comprehensive Plan for Reston calls for the maximum persons per acre limit in the Reston Planned Residential Community (PRC) area be boosted from 13 to 16, a move that opponents say would cause out-of-control development in an area without the infrastructure to support it.

In the letter, Hudgins defends the proposal, arguing that the plan was "specifically written to protect the existing stable residential communities and reinforce the preservation of Reston's two golf courses," she wrote.

Specifically, the potential growth areas include the Village Centers, the St. Johns Wood apartments, the retail area north of Baron Carmeon, Reston Town Center North, portions of the Reston Town Center, and other PRC parcels.

"At the February 13th meeting, several issues were discussed," she continued. "In particular, both Reston Association (RA) and the Coalition for a Planned Reston (CPR) requested a response from Fairfax County’s planning staff to the specific recommendations contained in letters from both groups. I will acknowledge that the response was slow in coming; but a commitment was made to respond and the planning staff did so in a detailed and thoughtful manner. It is unfortunate that CPR and RA declined to meet on April 2 nd to discuss the staff’s response and to outline next steps and the process going forward."

Hudgins urged CPR to meet "as soon as possible" to set up a meeting schedule and talk about the issues in depth.

"As was evident again this year at the Founder’s Day celebration, Reston is a special place that we all love and I am confident that we can all work together to resolve the issue of the maximum density allowed in the PRC zoned area and the concerns of the community regarding the Reston Master Plan," Hudgins wrote.

Image via Fairfax County