Reston Spring

Reston Spring
Reston Spring

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Opinion: Getting it Right, John Lovaas, Reston Patch, April 21, 2011

Master Planning: Community Deserves Better Phase II. 

Yes, the fate of our fair community still hangs in the balance with the County’s Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force. 
 
Phase I of the two-part Master Plan process is into overtime, but mercifully nearing an end. It will recommend development/redevelopment plans for every square inch of the Dulles Corridor, i.e., the areas around rail stations coming to Wiehle Avenue, Town Center and Herndon- Reston West near Polo Fields.

Phase I  results are a mixed bag at best.  Given the composition of the Task Force, its lack of any clue initially about how it should proceed, and leadership issues, it could have been worse.  For example, consider that the guiding principles and vision for the planning effort were not adopted until AFTER the study’s recommendations were crafted.

We can thank a handful of dedicated Reston resident Task Force members and a citizens group calling themselves Reston 2020 for serving as voices for the community; raising practical matters such as infrastructure and implementation that were overlooked; and for bringing creative thought for character and beauty to a process otherwise focused on maximizing construction per land unit. . . . .
Thanks for the compliment, John.  Most at Reston 2020 think that Phase I has a ways to go to achieve anything like the values Reston aspires to, and we'll keep chipping away at it.

Please click here for the rest of this article.  

No comments:

Post a Comment

Your comments are welcome and encouraged as long as they are relevant, constructive, and decent.