Reston Has Housing Coming — Say No to Paving the Golf Course

Regarding Reston National Golf Course (SSPA CPN-2025-III-HM-028)

This week, I testified along with several other Restonians at the public hearing on the proposed SSPA for Reston National Golf Course. Below is a version of my remarks, along with a map showing 16 already-approved projects within Reston’s Transit-Oriented Development area. All of them include residential housing. View RCA President Lynne Mulston's testimony here.

Add to that ten more Site-Specific Plan Amendments (SSPAs) under consideration — each with residential components. In short: Reston has housing coming. Note the map does not include several residential projects in process or coming outside of the TOD area. [Reston has approximately 11,000 units zoned but not yet built.]

That’s one reason I urged the Planning Commissioners to support staff's recommendation to vote against moving the SSPA for Reston National Golf Course forward.

The owner of Reston National paid nearly $24 million for land that sold for $5 million in 2005—land that was clearly not zoned for development.

At the April 7 Community public meeting, the owner’s attorney told over 400 residents that the ownership has “a right to achieve a financial return and a success with their investment.” That’s not a planning rationale—it’s entitlement. (view it here)

Here is a quick sales history of another property under consideration tonight. The SSPA for 10690 Parkridge Blvd, commonly known as Parkridge IV (CPN-2025-III-HM-033), illustrates the risks of speculation. That office building, once worth nearly $40 million, sold in 2022 for a $24.9 million loss. That’s the nature of real estate investment—sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Do not give in to threats, misrepresentations, or pressure to destroy one of Fairfax County’s largest remaining open spaces.

The end result was the preliminary vote supported staff's recommendation to not move this forward in the SSPA work plan. The final vote by the Planning Commission will be on June 4. Finally, it will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors on June 10.