$300K County Budget Adjustment Considered For Lake Anne Visioning And Development Plan

RESTON, VA — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Budget Committee will discuss an adjustment to the fiscal year 2022 budget Tuesday to set aside $300,000 to develop a long-term sustainable development plan for the Lake Anne Village Center in Reston.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn announced the proposal Monday afternoon in a letter to Lake Anne residents.

The historic Lake Anne Village Center has been undergoing a great deal of scrutiny over the last several years due to its deteriorating infrastructure, which dates back to the 1960s.

Members of the Lake Anne Reston Condominium Association board had requested Alcorn's assistance last year when several significant infrastructure issues within the community came to light. The most notable of these was when the Quayside condominiums went without hot water for several months last winter.

At Alcorn's request, the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and the architectural firm Samaha Associates conducted a cursory conditions assessment during several visits to LARCA-owned property in June and July.

Alcorn hosted a meeting in September where representatives of Samaha and Fairfax County presented a report that identified an estimated $37 million in needed repairs for Lake Anne Plaza.

In November, members of the Fairfax County Architectural Review Board sent a letter to Alcorn and newly elected LARCA President George Hadjikyriakou saying that Samaha had failed to take into consideration Lake Anne Village Center's status as a Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As such, any repairs or improvements would need to adhere to historic preservation guidelines

"Lake Anne’s designation as a (historic district), specifically the relevant standards and guidelines that would aid LACRA in future initiatives to address current conditions in a manner that is responsive to resident needs and preservation of a (historic district)," the letter said.

In addition, the survey did not address which building code was used in identifying compliance issues and proposed fixes.

"This is particularly relevant as the International Existing Building Code accommodations for existing buildings equally apply to historic buildings like Lake Anne," the letter said. "Further, the report does not make recommendations for financial preservation incentives potentially available to National Register properties, such as grants, and critically, Federal and State Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs."

To address the deficiencies in the report, ARB requested a supplemental report be conducted to assess the property through a historic preservation lens. ARB also reached out to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to identify opportunities and incentives to assist LARCA and the county in allaying the costs of future repairs to Lake Anne Village Center.

After Tuesday's discussion, the $300,000 budget adjustment for the Lake Anne visioning and master planning efforts will be considered as part of a public hearing and board matter at the Board of Supervisors's Jan. 25 meeting.