Several people who spoke at Thursday night’s public meeting with Reston’s state representatives, Del. Kenneth Plum (D-36) and Sen. Janet Howell (D-32), urged the legislators to consider a proposal from the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations (FCFCA) to continue to study the possibility of Reston incorporating into a town.
At its December meeting, FCFCA adopted a proposal from its Reston Referendum Ad Hoc Committee that a task force be convened within the current legislative term comprised of affected interests. Those interests could include persons from the state legislature, county government and referendum stakeholders. Representatives from state legislature, county government and Reston Citizens Association (RCA) should co-chair the task force.
"It seems to the RCA that such a task force deals with the issues you have highlighted, communication and participation," said RCA vice president Marion Stillson, addressing the legislators at the Thursday night, Jan. 3, meeting. She said RCA suggests that either Plum or Howell represent the state legislature on the task force and that Fairfax County Supervisor Catherine Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) or her designee represents Fairfax County. Stillson said she first heard of Reston as a university student in England, where she learned how difficult it is to form a planned community that works. Reston was a success story. However, she said, the planned aspects of Reston may be in danger as more development comes into the community. "We need control of our own planning and zoning," said Stillson. "We need local control of how, where and when" the inevitable additional density would develop in Reston.
Reston resident and past November’s candidate for the Hunter Mill representative on the county board, Marie Huhtala, also testified on behalf of the FCFCA recommendation. "This strikes me as an excellent way to proceed," said Huhtala at the Jan. 3 meeting. "It is clear that there remain many unanswered questions about what the Town proposal actually means, and indeed it may be susceptible to further improvement." She added that forming a task force is an excellent way of promoting respect for the voters, "especially the 3,700 who are on record as requesting a referendum. I hope you will give this very careful consideration," she said.
Todd Harbour, another Reston resident, pressed Plum why he introduced legislation in the General Assembly to revoke the Town Charter for the Town of Wiehle in 1990, which stood in Reston’s place at the turn of the 20th century. "The Wiehle Charter was repealed because Town of Wiehle had not existed for 85 years" when that action was taken in the General Assembly, said Plum.