The View From Over Here: RCA Community Forum Brings Back No-Birds

(Part 1 of 2) 

 Last Wednesday evening, the Reston Citizens Association (RCA) hosted another in a series of open forums on the Reston Community Center’s (RCC) proposed partnership with Fairfax County Park Authority to bring an indoor recreation facility to Baron Cameron Park on land recently transferred to the Authority by Fairfax County.  This same land, previously owned by Fairfax
County Public Schools, was once slated to be the site of Reston’s second high
school. 

 However, the dream of a second Reston high school allowing all Reston kids to attend secondary school in our community was never realized.  According to a forum participant, Browns Chapel area residents raised such a hue and cry against having a high school in their neighborhood that the County shelved the proposal.  Thus, Herndon High became the future school for pupils from North Point.

That was the first of several victories for what became Reston’s leading NIMBY corps.  In 2008/9, the neighbors successfully fought the creation of a joint Reston
Association and Reston Community Center indoor recreation center near Browns Chapel—on the grounds that it was too large for that site.  Last year, the same NIMBYs squelched a small indoor community tennis facility nearby, a facility which they had earlier sworn they would support in lieu of  the larger rec center. 

 Wednesday evening, RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon presented the joint RCC/Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) proposal to the 60 or so folks in attendance.  She noted the substantial cost savings resulting from building on land already owned by FCPA and stressed the need for a major swimming venue, including a 50-meter pool.  Initially she made no mention of important other uses.

 Only when people in the audience pressed for more information on the need for a new facility did Ms. Gordon add that indeed RCC and FCPA proposed to include exercise facilities and meeting and multipurpose rooms in the new 70,000 square foot facility.

This was important for many of us, because the latter already are in short supply.  Combined with the community swim clubs’ desire for better space for competitive events and South Lakes High needs for the same, there is a compelling rationale for a new facility for a population planners expect to double in the future.

Now, the Browns Chapel veterans, making up half or more of the audience, became more insistent.  They questioned the information being presented to them, suggested that decisions had already been made—a tactic they used to great advantage in earlier battles.  Ms. Gordon reminded them that the RCA forum was just one of many public input meetings.  And, in fact, if RCC and the FCPA were to conclude that a facility indeed is needed and is financially feasible (this should be a no-brainer given the projected growth of the Reston tax base), there would first be a public referendum of taxpayers in small tax district five.  Yep, a vote!

The RCA forum was an opportunity for those of us who came to actually learn firsthand what was being proposed and what might be justified.  In that respect, the forum was excellent.  But, the Browns Chapel vets seemed to focus only on location, and on protecting their perfect score in opposing community projects.