DRAFT Alternative Reston Center TOD Area Development Plan

8/8/2019 DRAFT Alternative Reston Center TOD Area Development Plan

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Reston Center TODAreaDevelopment:

The Community·s Alternative

VisionDraft

The Reston 2020 Committee

Reston Citizens Association

November __, 2010



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HighlightsRCA¶s Reston 2020 Committee proposes changes in the Comprehensive Plan for the Reston

Center study area that would enable it, as part of a broader Reston community, to achieve the

growth in density balanced with the development of a vibrant public infrastructure and

amenities consistent with Reston¶s goal of being a world-class planned community. It would:

y Permit more than doubling the current level development from17 million gross square

feet (GSF) to more than 37 millionGSF by raising the existing FAR from 0.6 to 1.2

overall.This is slightly less development than was recently approved by the County

Board for Tysons Corner (40 million GSF), an area two and one-half times as large,

over the same timeframe.

y Allow about half of total development space (gross floor allocation²GFA) to be

residential, a quarter to be office, and the remaining quarter devoted to other uses²

hotels, retail, industrial, and institutional. In contrast, there is currently about three

times as much office space and residential space in Reston Center.

y Create space for approximately 31,000 residents and 43,000 jobs.

y Require 25% of the land area²about 175 acres²be devoted to functional open space,

including publicly accessible parks, recreational fields, malls, plazas, and natural areas atground level.

y Require the construction of at least one elementary school in the study area and possibly

significant expansions at Reston¶s middle and high schools.

y Create a substantial mall running from New Dominion to Baron Cameron west of

Fountain Drive, incorporating a cascading water park in the current FCPA property.

y Call for the building of a major fine and performing arts center in the area directly south

of the Metrorail station on a mall/sculpture garden extending to Sunrise Valley Drive .

y Call for the construction of a larger library and transfer of the North County Government

Center to the current Fannie Mae property.

y Call for the construction of a tunnel under the Dulles Corridor extending Town CenterDrive to Edmund Halley Drive and a pedestrian/bicycle bridge south across the Dulles

Corridor linking Plaza America with land sub-unit (LSU) F-3.

y Provide FAR incentives for providing open space in excess of 25%, building to LEED

Gold standard, incorporating universal design, providing more than 12% workforce

housing, and earning national or international awards for design.



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Foreword The RCA Reston 2020 Committee, representing a significant cross-section of Reston residents,

has reviewed the final report of the Reston Task Force¶s Town Center Sub-committee and found

its recommendations extremely inappropriate. Rather than arguing the proposals in that report,

the Committee thought it would be more useful to develop an alternative proposal for the

Reston Center study area for consideration by the Task Force.

This alternative proposal, guided by Reston¶s planning principles, TOD principles, and County

TOD policy, aims to provide a more realistic proposal for the size and nature of development

that can be absorbed in the Reston Center area over the next two decades. In general, it differs

from the sub-committee report in the following key ways:

y It sets a much lower limit on development density potential overall, lowering the FAR

4.0 average permitted in the sub-committee report to an average FAR of 1.4. This limit

would still allow more than a doubling of current gross floor area (GFA).

y It attemptsto achieve a balance in workforce and residential populations in the study

area as a means of reducing congestion growth and optimizing Metrorail use. The sub-committee report would permit up to twice as many workers (140,000) as residents

(70,000) in the study area. This alternative report reduces that imbalance to

about1.4:1²43,727 workers to 30,866 residents.

y It strongly recommends the development of major transportation infrastructure

improvements, especially the construction of an underpass extending Town Center

Drive to Edmund Halley Drive and a pedestrian/bicyclist bridge linking Plaza America

across the Dulles Corridor.

y It requires that 25% of the total Reston Center land area be devoted to functional open

space²parks, plazas, malls, sports fields, playgrounds, and natural areas accessible at

ground level. It identifies some significant areas that may developed to serve thispurpose.

y It includes incentivization that would permit up to a 20% increase in development

density based on meeting specific criteria rather than, as the sub-committee report

suggests, forcing the community and county to show that a development proposal does

not meet unstated criteria. The areas of incentivization include: workforce housing,

environmental excellence, open space in excess of requirements, and world-class

architecture and design.

y It includes specific provisions for the construction of key public infrastructure elements,

specifically an elementary school, a new library, and an expanded North County

Government Center within the study area.



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The Study Area Today

The Reston Center study area today comprises slightly more than one square mile that is the

core of Reston¶s economic and governmental presence. The current Comprehensive Plan

generally authorizes development no more dense that FAR 0.95, but provisions in the

Comprehensive Plan have allowed property owners to build to more than a FAR 3.1 in the TownCenter Core (LSU D-2) over the last two decades by transferring density allocations from other

portions of the Town Center area (study area north of the Dulles Corridor).1 Partially as a result,

development in North Town (LSU D-1 north of New Dominion Parkway) has been suppressed.

Development south of the Dulles Corridor has been even less dense except in the area around

the International Center.

Overall, the Reston Center study area includes some 17 million gross floor area (GFA) of

development, generating a FAR approaching 0.6 that is dominated by office construction.

Using estimative techniques developed in the Reston Task Force process, this suggests that the

Reston Center study area currently includes about 4,500 residents and a workforce of some

35,000 people. Not counted in the GFA is the County¶s police station and government center inthe North Town area or the headquarters for USGS, which are not among the County¶s taxable

properties.

In the development process described above, little attention has been paid to advancing Reston¶s

planning principlesin the study area, especially those focused on world-class architecture anda

robust public infrastructure. Approximately five acres of undeveloped County parkland in

North Town, the plaza area and Reston Square in Town Center Core, and undeveloped natural

areas around the USGS headquarters are the significant potentially functional open spaces2 in

the study area. The public library has long been acknowledged as inadequate for Reston¶s needs

and FCPD is anxious to replace its small and outdated Reston station. There are no schools or

fire and rescue facilities in the study area. Both county and local (RIBS) bus services provideadequate service for the study area under current circumstances. FCDOT has reported that key

intersections around Dulles Corridor ³fail,´ generating ³gridlock´ in the terms of the grading

scale, now during peak periods.

In short, the Reston Center study area includes a significant level of urban development,

although a lack of attention to transit-oriented design (TOD) and Reston planning principles has

resulted in an area that has over-developed office space. Moreover, little heed has been paid to

the complementary development of essential public facilities and services. Moving forward to a

more urban TOD model over the next 20 years requires a re-balancing of planning priorities to

enable all Restonians²residents, property owners, businessmen, workers, and visitors²to

realize the benefits that this world-class planned community should offer.

1 P. 45, Reston-Herndon Suburban Center and Transit Station Areas, Upper Potomac Planning District, FairfaxCounty Comprehensive Plan, 2007 Edition (amended through 7-13-2009).2 ³Functional open space´ includes publicly usable ground-level open spaces. It may include natural areas, parks,recreational fields, and plazas that the public may use.



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Vision RCA¶s Reston 2020 Committee envisions the development of the Reston Center TOD area into

the business, residential, business, cultural, and entertainment center of Reston in a balanced

way that preserves and enhances Reston¶s substantial amenities over the next 20 years as

essential to the continuing success of the Reston planned community. Throughout this process,

development (and potential re-development) decisions must consider business, community,transportation, and environmental needs and values to assure Reston Center¶s success.

Consistent with transit-oriented development (TOD) principles and County TOD policy, we

envision Reston Center development as most dense in the area immediately around the

Metrorail station and the current Town Center Core, and tapering off to lesser density at the ½

mile fringe of the TOD area and beyond. Throughout, Reston Center area development must

include a robust mix of uses, robust and diverse transportation opportunities, substantial open

space for recreation activities and visual relief, protection and enhancement of the environment,

and a public infrastructure²schools, police, fire, & emergency, libraries, etc., adequate to

support its residential and worker population.

The burdens of creating and sustaining a more urban Reston Center must not be placed on the

rest of the Reston community.

Urban Design RCA¶s Reston 2020 Committee views the emergence of a more urban form in Reston Center,

anchored by the Metrorail station and consistent with Reston¶s planning principles and

community values, with enthusiasm. A vibrant Reston ³downtown,´ properly implemented, will

offer new business, cultural, residential, recreational, entertainment, and other opportunities

that will enhance the entirety of Reston in many ways. At the heart of this development is

creating additional density in a multiplicity of uses while sustaining Reston¶s historic values of attention to architecture and design, preservation and creation of open space, preservation and

enhancement of the environment, and diversity of residents. Reston Center offers a perfect

opportunity to move forward on all fronts.

Reston Center is the TOD area surrounding the currently named Reston Parkway Metrorail

Station. Roughly, it extends west-east from Fairfax County Parkway to the Plaza America and

north-south from New Dominion Parkway to just south of Sunrise Valley Drive. It does not

include the northern portion of Reston Town Center, called North Town here, which is well

beyond the ½-mile perimeter for TOD areas and isolated from the TOD area by a wide parkway

and massive parking garages. Indeed, the Reston Town Center construct, envisioned five

decades ago, pre-dated the development of TOD and its principles for transportation, balance,

and density that are used in this alternative vision of this area¶s development.

For purposes of this description, the Reston Center study area is divided into several elements

based largely on their distance from the Metrorail station.



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y Metro Central includes that area the immediate vicinity on both sides of the Metrorail

station. It includes LSUs D-3 to D-5 and E-3 to E-5. (FAR 1.5, existing LSUdevelopment

at FAR 0.3-1.0)

y T own Center Core includes the area that has emerged as the focal point for Reston¶s

downtown over the last two decades. (FAR 3.5, existing at 3.1)

y The Metro Edge includes those portions of the study area substantially within the ¼ -½-mile TOD perimeter. (FAR 1.25, existing at 0.4-1.3)

y N orth T own is not in the TOD area, but has special community needs and

opportunities. It includes the area north of New Dominion Parkway and south of Baron

Cameron. It comprises the northern portion of LSU D-1. (FAR 1.0, existing conditions

at 0.4)

y The N on-TODArea, excluding North Town, includes D-7, E-1, E-2, and F-3 that largely

lie beyond the half-mile TOD perimeter. (FAR 1.0-1.25, existing range from 0.3-0.6)

Metro Central

The area within roughly a quarter mile of the Metrorail station should be most intensely

developed with commercial, residential, retail, and cultural uses to help assure the area becomes

a 24-hour destination for Restonians and visitors to Reston. As the first point of contact with

central Reston for most visitors, the area must exemplify the high architectural, diverse uses,

environmental excellence, and TOD concepts that are among Reston¶s core principles. This area

comprises LSUs D-3, D-4, and D-5 on the north side of the Metrorail for this area will provide

abundant opportunity for the diverse development we envision possible here in the next 20

years.

We also believe it is vital for the County, maybe even the state, to begin now discussions with

MWAA and others to garner air rightsover the Dulles Corridor in the Metro Central area

at least. At present, the corridor presents a 400¶ moat that isolates north from south Reston,

even at this vital hub where only a single pedestrian crossing will exist, and it will not be open

24/7. The rights will no doubt be costly, but their cost will almost certainly go up over time;

time is of the essence. Although the construction of a platform over the corridor may not

actually begin in the next 20 years, the creation of even more intense urban mixed-use

development over the corridor would truly make Reston Center urban.

Metro Central³North (D-3, D-4, D-5)

On the north side of the Metrorail station, we envision Reston¶s most robust office, residential,

and retail community. People living or visiting there should be able to walk to work, essential

shopping, or the Metrorail with little effort. It should be characterized by relatively intense

high-rise residential and office building development with ground-level retail. We envision a

GFA mix of 60% residential, 30% office, and 10% retail space at a FAR of 1.5 plus incentives with

buildings not to exceed 300¶.

Because of its role as an access point to Metrorail, it will also need especially robust pedestrian,

bike, and road connections within and beyond the area. Some specifics include:



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y Buildings here should possess world-class design; indeed, developers would be

incentivized by additional FAR for earning national or international architectural or

design awards while meeting Reston and County standards.

y Retail establishments would focus on meeting the immediate needs of residents and

workers, including dining, grocery, pharmacy, and clothing establishmentsthat may

preclude the need for shoppers to own or use a vehicle to go elsewhere.y Specific transportation requirements include:

o A four-lane or wider underpass across the Dulles Corridor extending Town

Center Drive to Edmund Halley Drive in Metro Central-South. This north-south

connectivity is vital to preventing even worse congestion on Reston Parkway.

o A bus transit stop at the Metrorail station for local and arriving Metrorail

commuters. Among other bus transit requirements, a Reston Center circulator

bus will originate and terminate at the station.

o Three handicapped-accessible pedestrian and bicycle bridges (one already exists)

across the W&OD Trail park to Town Center¶s three north-south streets.

o Bicycle/pedestrian overpasses on the south side of Sunset Hills across Reston

Parkway and Sunset Hills to enable safe and speedy access to/from the Metrorail

station area.

o A similar bicycle/pedestrian overpass extending connectivity from the Metrorail

station across Sunset Hills with a pathway to the trans-W&OD bridge to Town

Center.

In LSU D-4²the touch down point for the Metrorail station²we envision Metro riders will

arrive at a large open plaza (bounded east and west by large office and/or residential buildings

with first floor retail) that offers an open mall that visually extends to the W&OD Trail and Town

Center Core. A grade-separated handicap-accessible pedestrian/bicyclist overpass and a bridge3

over the W&OD Trail to Explorer Street will facilitate easy, safe mobility to Reston¶s core

shopping and office area.

Metro Central³South (E-3, E-4, E-5)

RCA Reston 2020 Committee envisions the area immediately south of the Metrorail station as

comprising the cultural and entertainment center of Reston, including a substantial

County/regional performing and fine arts center. Aside from the area devoted to the arts center,

we believe this area should also be developed to a FAR 1.5, a 60/30/10 residential/office/retail

mix, with buildings rising up to 300¶ like the north side of Metro Central.

We envision the Reston performing and fine arts center sitting directly south of the Metrorail

exit, enabling ready theater access. The center would comprise a substantial performance hall,a

second small (possibly ³in the round´) theater, and a fine arts museum and studios for artists onthe south (sunny) side. The center would sit in a park-like open space setting (possibly with a

sculpture garden) extending to Sunrise Valley Drive, and bounded by a one-way street serving

the center, a bus stop at the Metrorail station, the Metrorail kiss µn ride, and nearby street-facing

3 At the bridge, there should also be a handicap-accessible ramp to the W&OD trail for those seeking a recreationalopportunity.



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retail businesses on the east and west. It could include an underground parking garage beneath

the park area that would serve commuters and arts center audiences alike.

The area surrounding the arts center would include a robust mix of office, residential, and retail

space, the latter focused on serving those attending arts center events²restaurants, nightclubs,

boutiques, and coffee shops.

As with Metro Central²North, this area will serve as a focal point for Metrorail and other

commuters requiring important transportation improvements. In addition to those noted

above, these include:

y A pedestrian/bicyclist overpass near the Reston Parkway toll ramps and pathway to the

Metrorail station.

y Pedestrian/bicyclist overpasses from the southwest corner of Reston Parkway and

Sunrise Valley Drive north and east to serve commuters and others from beyond this

area.

y A wide pedestrian/bicyclist trail along the north side of Sunrise Valley Drive that is part

of a similar pathway extending to the other two Reston TOD areas and beyond.

y Widening of Reston Parkway to six lanes plus a bicycle lane south from South Lakes

Drive to Lawyers Road. The outside traffic lane would be bus only during peak morning

and evening traffic periods, allowing a smooth flow of commuters to the Metrorail

station or Town Center Core.

A particular issue in achieving this vision is the relatively new high-rise office development that

has been built in this area. Although the owners of these properties may not plan to re-

development in the next 20 years, the opportunity to create a more profitable urban TOD

environment there may be attractive. Whether or not this is accomplished in 20 years, we

strongly recommend that this area be reserved for development of a major cult ural and entertainment center for Reston as described above.

Town Center Core (D-2)This area is the core of the current Reston Town Center and, with nearly 3 million square feet of

development and an overall floor area ratio (FAR) of 3.1, is much more developed than the other

areas covered in this study. There are few areas available for additional development.4In short,

the Town Center Core is largely built out and, because the construction is relatively recent,

unlikely to be redeveloped within the next two decades. As a result, we envision few changes in

its development or mix of uses.

Nonetheless, because the imbalance in existing development there has generated a workforce

that is 80% larger than the resident population (approximately 9,000 vs. 5,000 per MWCOG

7.2Adata), we strongly recommend that any f urther development in T own Center

Core be limited excl usively to high-rise, high-density, multi-family residential

4 There are currently two substantial undeveloped parcels in the Town Center Core. One, south of theReston Square Park, is planned for high-rise condominium development. The other is the parking lot atthe northeast corner of Town Center.



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constr uction with a strong workforce housing element.The overall density of Town

Center Core should not exceed FAR 3.5, excluding incentives, and building heights should not

exceed 300¶.

In the process of examining any new development elsewhere in the Reston Town Center area,

we strongly recommend that the Reston T ask Force and the County take a

detailed current census of the development rights that have been traded to enable

development in the T own Center Core that more than triples the nominal FAR

0.95 to ensure that new development elsewhere is curtailed by the amount

transferred to T own Center Core.Those swap ³debts´ should be offset against any larger

development potential garnered in the new Comprehensive Plan. Gaming the development

system by first allowing these density trade-offs and then wiping clean the ³debt´ created by the

swap with new planning or zoning authorizations will undermine the County¶s and the

community¶s ability to create a Reston Center consistent with their principles, policies, and

plans.

Despite a relative absence of development, Town Center Core will need new transportation

capabilities to link it effectively with the balance of the study area²which will be growing²and

the remainder of Reston. Among the key elements of these improved transportation capabilities

will be:

y A high-frequency, all-day circulator bus system linking Town Center Core to the

Metrorail station and to North Town Center to enable timely Metro, shopping, dining,

commuter, and residential access.

y A ³road diet´ that narrows New Dominion Parkway and Bluemont Way between Reston

Parkway and Town Center Drive to one traffic lane plusa bicycle lane in each direction.

y Move the bus transfer station from Bluemont Way to Fountain Drive on what is now the

west side of a parking lot.y A grade-separated crossing over/under Reston Parkway at Market Street.

We recommend that the parking lot on Fountain Drive at the northeast of the Town Center Core

be converted into a park, excluding the western edge devoted to a new bus transfer station.This

would add some much-needed open space in the core and offer a buffer to Spectrum re-

development across the street in the North Town area. We would also encourage the closure of

Market Street to vehicles from St. Francis St. to Presidents St and its conversion to a handicap-

accessible walking boulevard. (We would note that Market Street is often closed to traffic on

weekends for major events, so a permanent closure²as more residents, workers, and shoppers

arrive²should not be a major issue.)

Metro Edge (D-1West [south of New Dominion], D-6, F-1, and F-2)The Metro TOD periphery generally includes those LSUs other than Town Center Core that lie

largely within a ¼ - ½ mile band from the Metrorail station. In general, TOD principles and

experience in several major urban areas suggest that these peripheral areas extend to the limit

the distance commuter rail users will walk to/from their residences, places of work, or shopping

and other area uses. This area should be less densely developed than Metro Central, but retain



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or establish a residential and office population balance over time. This combination has proven

to maximize Metrorail use,limit additional congestion, and enable the building of a

neighborhood community.

Like the Town Center Core, the Metro TOD periphery has been substantially built out with a mix

dominated by office space, but also including residential and a smattering of retail. Office

development is most intense in the Oracle campus (LSU D-6), residential is most extensive to

the west of Town Center Core (LSU D-1), and the International Center (LSU F-1) is the most

significant retail area. In general, we recommend increasing residential development and

enhancing open spaces in these areaswith FARs set 1.5, except D-1 at 1.25 over half of which is

outside the TOD area.

D-1 West³Opportunities for Park Area South of the W&OD Trail

Development in this area north of the W&OD Trail is exclusive townhomes and multi-family

mid-rise buildings, condominiums and apartments, of recent construction. Office buildings, a

small retail area (including the YMCA), and RA¶s storage and maintenance facility comprise the

southern portion of this area. While we do not envision major changes in the nature of theresidential area in the next twenty years, there are opportunities to enhance the southern

portion.

y The undeveloped balance of the area on the south side of the W&OD Trail (behind the

YMCA, hotel, and retail shops) should be protected as a natural area or park with a few

paved trails. It includes a small pond that should be preserved or enhanced.

y Consideration should be given (by Reston Association) to converting the RA storage and

maintenance facility area for redevelopment as a park with recreational fields

contiguous the natural area mentioned above. This could include selling the property to

FCPA for that purpose and using the proceeds to buy comparable property beyond

Reston Center.

Overall, we believe development in this area²less than half of which is in the TOD area²should

not exceed FAR 1.25 and the residential:officeGFA ratio should be2:1with a 200¶ height limit

and some opportunities for local retail (Target, etc.).

D-6³The Oracle Campus, Excelsior Condominiums, and Little Else

The D-6 LSU, sitting on the southeast corner of the intersection of Sunset Hills and Reston

Parkway, is highlighted by the Oracle campus. An additional parcel is highlighted for residential

development that is currently in the County review process. Beyond an acceptable high-rise

residential facility here that conforms to community and county standards and provides

substantial open space, we anticipate little further development over the next 20 years. We

envision this area with an overall FAR 1.5, a 2:1 residential:office GFA, and a 300¶ height limit.

F-1 and F-2³Revitalizing Local Retail and Improving Reston Center Access

On the east side of Reston Parkway next to the Dulles Corridor, these two land sub-units have

are at a disadvantage for access to the Metrorail station and the shopping available north of the

Dulles Corridor. At the same time, they have the International Center, which has limited retail

availability, but the potential to become at least a neighborhood retail center. At the southern



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end of F-1 is an office condominium development, which might reasonably be replaced in the

next two decades, subject to the agreement of its multiple owners. On the other hand, the new

residential development there and the remodeling of the Sheraton hotel may decrease the

likelihood or need for development there.

We recommend that new development in these LSUs focus on adding high-rise residential and

increasing the robustness of the retail in the International Center. Each of these LSUs warrants

a FAR 1.5 with building heights limited to 200¶. We recommend a 2:1 residential:office GFA

ratio in both areas with a strong retail component in F-1 (15% of GFA) and the continued strong

presence of Sheraton in F-2 (40% of GFA).

The most critical issue for these two LSUs will be pedestrian and bicyclist access to the balance

of the Reston Center area to the west and north across to major roadways. We recommend:

y A pedestrian/bicyclist grade-separated crossing from the northwest corner of F-1 to E-4

with a pathway continuing to the Metrorail entrance. The pathway should also link to F-

2 and the Reston-wide pathway extending along the north side of Sunrise Valley Dr.

y A pathway on the east side of Reston Parkway from Sunrise Valley Drive across the

Dulles Corridor to Sunset Hills.

Beyond TODThe areas predominately beyond the half-mile ring that represents the maximum distance

almost all residents and commuters will walk to Metrorail as beyond the limits of transit-

oriented development (TOD). These include the following areas:

y LSU D-1 north of New Dominion Parkway, the area called ³North Town Center´ in the

Reston Task Force¶s Town Center Sub-Committee report. Its future development

presents both unique opportunities and challenges.

y LSU D-7 along Sunset Hills, although its ³bridging´ function makes at least part of it

similar to a peripheral TOD area.

y LSUs E-1, E2, and F-3 on the south side of the Dulles Corridor.

In general, we envision these LSUs as having overall FARs of 1.0 (except D-7) with a diverse

mixture of uses.

D-1 North³NorthTown as an Urban Park Surrounded by High-End Development

This area is currently highlighted by the Spectrum development, soon to be redeveloped, to the

east and the Reston Hospital Center complex on the west. It currently includes the North

County Government Center, Reston District police station, Reston Regional public library, and

the Embry Rucker shelter, as well as other government-related facilities. In particular, the area

north of Bowman Town Drive and between Town Center and Fountain drives is aging low-

density office and medical facilities.

Aside from the re-development of the Spectrum Center, the major transition feature of this area

will be a large mall-style park with various features, including a wooded area with cascading



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stream, playgrounds, recreational fields, and general park facilities. It will be bounded on the

east by Fountain Drive and the west by a new road starting at the south end of Cameron Glen

and extending to Baron Cameron at Hampton Avenue. This new road will roughly parallel

Fountain Drive to the east, creating approximately 20 acres of open space. Cameron Glen will

connect east-west to this street from Town Center Driveon a new route to Reston Parkway

through the park and Spectrum Center in a pedestrian friendly manner. This will allow theconstruction of the new police station largely as planned by FCPD. W e recommend that the

police station areanot incl ude a f ueling station, however , whichshould not be

located in a central urban area creating an added danger (despite stringent

safety precautions) and greater congestion.

The redeveloped Spectrum Center should emphasize high-end retail and dining along Fountain

Drive, including a broad sidewalk an opportunities for uncrowded open air dining. As proposed,

it should include a moderately dense mix of office and residential space above the first floor, and

include large open plazas with retail serving Reston Center needs (including a supermarket,

pharmacy, dry cleaning, fast food, etc.) in the center areas with robust pedestrian links north to

south.

Because the Spectrum Center area is beyond the TOD boundaries, we expect a major growth in

traffic along Reston Parkway. To accommodate that traffic, we recommend widening Reston

Parkway to three lanes from New Dominion to Baron Cameron Avenue.

The library and shelter will be moved to LSU D-7, creating space for the elementary school

needed to serve the growing student community in the Reston Center area. Our estimate, based

on FC Public School planning factors for multi-family dwellings, is that some 650 elementary

school-aged children will live in the Reston Center area. This is substantially larger than the

average FCPS school size (about 550 children) and will require new school construction.

On the west of Reston¶s central park, east of Town Center Drive, and north of the small

government complex south of Cameron Glen, we envision the construction of mid-rise office

(possibly medical professional) and residential buildings with views over the park to the east.

Given the location, preference should be given to residential housing for active seniors who

would have easy access to nearby medical facilities and shopping opportunities in Spectrum

Center.

D-7³The New North County Government Center and Much More

This LSU is effectively two, and maybe three, LSUs; at least there are three distinct areas of

different styles of development.

y One area to the south of Sunset Hills is highly commercial, featuring both high-rise officedevelopment and Plaza America retail center. We would encourage a mid-rise office and

residential development above the retail center with a parking garage (preferably

partially underground) to enable the creation of more open space. At the boundary of

two TOD areas, we believe this portion of the LSU could be developed at FAR 2.0 with a

roughly equal mix of existing office and new residential development complemented

with 10% retail.



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y The second area is the Fannie Mae (ex-Sallie Mae) property to the north of Sunset Hills,

which would be an excellent location for relocating the North County Government

Center, probably in the existing building.

o If feasible, an expanded regional public library and the Embry Rucker shelter

should be included in the first two floors; if not, they could be built in the area to

the immediate west of the current parking lot.o The parking lot should be replaced by a multi-level parking garage to

accommodate the larger number of employees and visitors.

o The balance of the property should be preserved as open space, including some

mix of park, playground, playing fields, and natural area as space and habitat

permit.

y The northwest corner block of this LSU comprises the historic Bowman House and the

____??____ condominiums. We recommend that little redevelopment of this area be

undertaken other than improving Old Reston Avenue, including a grade-separated

crossing at the W&OD Trail, and adding full access to Sallie Mae Drive. If the retail areas

on Sunset Hills are redeveloped, we recommend that they should be high-rise residential

space not to exceed FAR 1.0 on those parcels.

Overall, we envision LSU D-7 to include about equal GFAs of residential and office space with

substantial institutional space for the NCGC/library and some added retail in the plaza area

totaling a FAR 1.25 and a 150¶ height limit.

E-1 and F-3³Bridges between TOD Areas

Both of the land sub-units are predominantly outside the Reston Center TOD area, but they also

abut the TOD areas east and west of Reston Center. As such, they may warrant slightly more

development than would otherwise be the case.

y If any development is pursued in E-1, it ought only be in the eastern-most parcel andshould be high-rise residential space. The balance of the LSU has recently been leased

to the Defense Department for an extended period and we doubt that these relatively

new structures will be²nor should be²redeveloped in the next two decades.

y F-3 is only moderately developed with office buildings and has a significant storm water

pond on its eastern edge. Subject to a differing view from those making

recommendations on the Wiehle TOD area, we believe any additional development

there should be residential.

We believe these LSUs should be developable to a FAR 1.0 with a 150¶ height limit.

E-2³The USGS, An Elementary School, and Natural AreasE-2 is a large, significantly under-developed land sub-unit with an industrial park at its west

edge and office developments on its east edge, but dominated by the USGS on federal land in

between. Significant portions of the USGS parcel and a vacant parcel to its east remain in a

natural woodland state, a situation we recommend be largely preserved. At present, there is no

residential space in this LSU.

There are three key recommendations we would make for this area:



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y All additional GFA development in the area be devoted to mid-rise residential structures

to help even the workforce and residential populations that might use Metrorail. (Note:

This construction could be in addition to that which is there or, more likely, replacing the

current office buildings at their current GFA and concurrently build double that GFA for

residential space on these parcels.)

y Preserve the natural state of the vacant parcel east of USGS while acquiring the right to build an elementary school there in the future. We do not expect that school to be

required in the next 20 years.

y Either the County or RA should negotiate an agreement with USGS (or GSA) for the

continued indefinite preservation of the wooded area on the USGS property. It is a

valuable relief to the high density development north of it and a great view for those

visiting the new arts center.

Development Factors

Infrastructure We strongly believe that the development within the Reston Center area must be self-sustaining

and consistent with TOD and Reston principles and County policies, and not a burden on the

rest of the Reston community. Much of the effort put into the RCA Reston 2020 papers this

spring was aimed at identifying the community needs for new infrastructure to accommodate

the massive development proposed here. In the absence of details here, these Reston 2020

working group papers provide excellent additional guidance to planners and elected officials on

what Reston needs to achieve robust and balanced sustainable development as it moves into a

more urban environment.

One example of a vital infrastructure need is schools for the some 1,400 school-aged students

this report expects as Reston Center expands in the next two decades.5 Over half of thesechildren will probably elementary school age, requiring the construction of at least one FCPS

average-sized school. In addition, other elementary, middle, and high schools may have to take

on a 20% addition to their enrollment. Combined with the growth in other school populations

as a result of additional density Reston-wide, this may be a very conservative estimate of school

investment needs²and additional schools may be required in the Reston Center area.

Adequate transportation investment and service are another vital infrastructure requirement.

Reston¶s roads²especially those near the Metrorail stations²are already clogged during peak

periods and the recent FCDOT projection to 2030 suggested those conditions would be

substantially worse even (a) with County¶s planned investment and (b) without the magnitude of

growth projected in this report. Every effort must be made to improve roads around Reston¶sMetrorail stations (especially the Reston Center station), new road, pedestrian, and bicyclist

connectivity must be established across the Dulles divide, and robust new bus transit service

5 The estimated number of school-aged students is based on FCPS planning factors of .0783 school-agedchildren per multi-family household. With a projected 17,000 dwelling units over the next two decadesthat generate 1,356 school-aged kids, over 700 will be in K-6 elementary schools. The average FCPSelementary school now has about 550 students.



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must be provided to prevent even greater gridlock. The key priorities for the Reston Center

area over the next 20 years, as detailed in the Reston 2020 transportation report, include:

y Tunnel connectivity from Town Center to Edmund Halley Drive under the Dulles

Corridor.

y Grade-separate pedestrian/bicyclist crossings at the following intersections:

o Crossing Reston Parkway on the south side of its intersection with Sunset Hills

o Crossing Sunset Hills on the east side of its intersection with Reston Parkway

o Crossing Reston Parkway at Market Street

o Crossing Reston Parkway on the south side of the Dulles Corridor from the

International Center to the Metrorail station

o Crossing Reston Parkway on the south side of the intersection with Sunrise Valley

Drive

o Crossing Sunrise Valley Drive on the west side of the intersection of Reston

Parkway

o Crossing Sunset Hills at the Metrorail station with a pathway and bridge to

Library Street.y Adding additional lanes to Reston Parkway from South Lakes south to Lawyers Road and

north from New Dominion to Baron Cameron, lanes that will be used as bus lanes during

peak traffic periods.

y Convert Sunrise Valley and Sunset Hills into ³urban boulevards´ with convenient and

protected pedestrian crossings. Include a robust pedestrian/bicycle pathway along the

station side of each of these major streets across Reston.

y Adding bike lanes on New Dominion and imposing a ³traffic diet´ on the street.

y Building two additional foot/bike bridges across the W&OD trail that link Library and

Explorer streets in Reston Center Core with Sunset Hills.

y Building a parking garage at the South Reston Park n¶ Ride for shuttle bus links toMetrorail.

y Build or improve a large number of pedestrian and bike pathways and lanes as detailed

in the RMAG and Reston 2020 reports.

y Improve bus service as detailed in the Reston 2020 report.

Open Space

Beyond the need for infrastructure, Reston has a strong need for the development of functional

open space for the 31,000 residents and 43,000 workers who will be in Reston Center each day.

Reston has a history of providing excellent access to open space and it is a fundamental element

of Restonians¶ quality of life, whether suburban or urban. W e strongly recommend that

25% of all land area beside aside for f unctional open space, that is, space that isground-leveland publicly accessible for usessuch as a park, playing field , nat ural

area, or malls. We have attempted to identify some of the major opportunities for meeting

this requirement in the preceding, but Reston will need to require each property owner to set

aside a significant portion of each parcel as functional open space to fulfill the area-wide

requirement beyond the large open space areas identified above.



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Environment

Sustainability has always been an important element of Reston planning principles (and a

central program of Reston Citizens Association), and it will need to be an even more important

element in the future as the potential for environmental damage rises with more intense

development. Moving people out of their cars over time by making it easy for them to walk,

bike, or take a bus as described above is an important step in preventing global warming andlocal smog as well as limiting additional congestion. Building with re-cycled and green

materials, installing efficient heating, cooling, and even power generating systems, and

implementing a variety of other environmentally-friendly measures as detailed in LEED and

comparable standards is essential to advancing this core Reston value. In fact, we

recommend that all building in Reston Center (and all of Reston) meet at least the

LEE D Silver standard , a standard that is becoming the national norm.

Accessibility

Along with sustainability, accessibility has long been a core Reston value as part of its principle

of creating diversity. This accessibility may help those who are handicapped or those who are

aging. W e strongly recommend encouraging the application of universal designstandards in all residential development and recommend requiring the

application of visitability standards for new residential development.

Workforce Housing

Reston has long valued diversity in its community and has been a strong advocate of making

housing affordable for more people. It was among the first community¶s to integrate housing

and it has developed housing for all ages and most income groups. Yet, affordable housing is

threatened in Reston by the planned re-development of affordable housing property in the Lake

Anne area. The creation of TOD areas with easy access to transit, essential shopping, and the

availability of high-density housing provides a renewed opportunity to fulfill that goal. W e

strongly recommend that at least 12% of all residential development in RestonCenter comprise workforce housing as detailed in the County¶s housing policies.

World-Class Architecture

Creating buildings and environments in Reston with world-class architecture has been among

the less well achieved goals of Reston¶s planning principles. Yet, it will be even more important

as Reston Center becomes populated with larger buildings. At worst, we want to avoid the

fortress look of much of Crystal City¶s 1970s era development, yet the recently approved

Comstock conceptual plan promises the same cubic block look. One way to achieve this is

through a strengthened Reston design review process. An additional way is to recognize design

and architecture that receives national or international recognition for excellence. However

accomplished, the goal is to create places²singly and in a context²that excite the imaginationas well as provide places to live, work, shop, dine, and so on.

Incentivization

We recognize that the proposals and recommendations suggested above will not come about

automatically and that a combination of incentives and requirements will be essential to achieve

these goals. Our recommendations outline minimum expectations for future development



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unless otherwise stated, but we would encourage rewarding exceptional performance that

exceeds the requirements outlined above. In particular, we recommend that:

y Developers earn two percent additional FAR for each percent of additional open space

that set aside above the 25% requirement up to six percentage points.

y Developers earn one percent additional FAR for each percent of additional workforcedwelling units they build up to five percentage points.

y Developers earn ten percent additional FAR for achieving LEED ³Gold´ standard in

either residential or office construction.

y Developers earn up to ten percent additional FAR for achieving national or international

recognition for architectural design by a major architectural professional association,

and also meets community and County standards.

y Developers earn five percent additional FAR for meeting universal design standards

throughout a residential project.

Overall, a developer may earn up to 20% in additional FAR by complying with any combination

of the preceding incentives, none of which are cumulative.

Conclusion

We believe that the arrival of Metrorail in Reston is an important event and an

opportunity to build a better, more urban community. Yet, that development must be

within the context of Reston¶s planning principles, TOD principles (including County

policies), and Restonians¶ longstanding community values. We believe our report

provides an ambitious, yet balanced, outline of what a more dense Reston Center should

achieve in the next twenty years. In assembling this report, we have tried to keep in

mind the interests of property owners, businesspeople, residents, employees, andothers. We believe, working together, we can improve Reston and achieve the ambitious

development goals laid out in the planning principles of this premier planned

community.

DRAFT Alternative Reston Center TOD Area Development Plan

Documents

Transcript of DRAFT Alternative Reston Center TOD Area Development Plan