Officials Outline Library, Shelter Timeline As Reston Town Center North Plan Advances

RESTON, VA — Fairfax County and Inova officials told Reston residents Tuesday night that a proposed rezoning for Reston Town Center North is meant to establish the framework for future redevelopment, not approve the final design of individual buildings.

The town hall, held at the North County Governmental Center, focused on the county and Inova’s joint redevelopment proposal for the 47-acre site near Reston Town Center. The site is bounded by Baron Cameron Drive, Fountain Drive, Town Center Parkway and New Dominion Parkway.

Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) said the proposal was “one more step” toward replacing several county facilities, beginning with the Reston Regional Library and the Embry Rucker Shelter. “We have to go through this process in order to redevelop those two critical county facilities,” Alcorn said.

Public Facilities Would Move First

Alcorn said the library and shelter are funded and would be among the first county projects to move forward once required approvals are in place.

The proposed rezoning would create nine development blocks, a new street grid, streetscape improvements and a central green. Future zoning applications would still be required for individual blocks, including the library, shelter and other public facilities.

Tim Sampson, a commercial real estate attorney representing Inova, said Fairfax County and Inova have jointly owned land at the site for about 50 years. He said the current ownership pattern is scattered across the property, and the rezoning would allow the county and Inova to exchange land so each could move forward with future development on more orderly blocks.

“What we’re doing now is really a very simple next step,” Sampson said, describing the rezoning as a way to create the spaces where future applications would come back for additional review.

Under the plan, county-controlled blocks would include a future elementary school site, a new Reston Regional Library, a replacement shelter, a relocated Health and Human Services building, a future athletic field and a future recreation center. Inova-controled blocks on the east side of the site would allow mixed-use development, including up to 1,000 housing units and up to 150,000 square feet of nonresidential space, such as medical, retail or office uses.

Sampson said affordable and workforce housing requirements would apply to the residential portion of the project. He said the number of affordable or workforce units would depend on what kinds of units are ultimately proposed.

Central Green, Streets And Traffic Discussed

Stephanie Pankiewicz, a landscape architect with LandDesign, said the latest plans include updates to the central green, pedestrian network and streetscapes.

The central green is planned as a 3.6-acre public park with a large lawn, shaded areas, pathways, seating, public art, a playground, restrooms and spaces for community events. Pankiewicz said the central lawn would be about 200 feet by 200 feet, large enough to fit a youth soccer field, though the athletic field itself is planned for a separate block.

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Because the redevelopment would take place over multiple years, Pankiewicz said the county and Inova have also outlined an interim version of the central green. That version would include paths, seating, lawn areas and landscaping before all surrounding blocks are fully built out.

Pankiewicz said the project team has strengthened the pedestrian and bicycle network, including wider sidewalks, shared-use paths, bike lanes and potential enhanced crossings. She said the plans also include Reston-specific streetscape features, including wider planting areas, more tree canopy and native plantings.

Residents at the meeting asked questions about parking, traffic, pedestrian safety, building height, tree preservation and the future school site.

Project representatives said the plan calls for on-street parking around the central green and a future parking structure on Block 5. County representatives also said parking would be free.

Will Johnson, a transportation engineer with Galloway, said Library Street would connect to Baron Cameron Drive, but the access would be right-in, right-out only. He said project traffic forecasts do not currently show that a new signal would be warranted there.

Residents also raised concerns about existing crashes and pedestrian safety at nearby intersections, including Baron Cameron Drive and Town Center Parkway. Johnson said intersections and crosswalks would be upgraded to meet current Virginia Department of Transportation standards as surrounding blocks are redeveloped.

Asked whether the speed limit on Baron Cameron Drive could be lowered, Johnson said it was possible but would require further review by VDOT.

The school site is being reserved for a future elementary school, but there is no immediate plan to build one there, according to Alcorn. He said Fairfax County Public Schools has identified a likely future need for additional elementary school capacity somewhere in Reston.

Sampson said the project team has identified high-quality tree preservation areas on the site, including areas in Blocks 3 and 4. Additional tree preservation would be reviewed as individual block plans come forward.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the rezoning application July 22. The Board of Supervisors is expected to hold its public hearing Sept. 15.