The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on Monday, Jan. 28, to approve a JBG Companies plan to develop 498 multi-family units, 428,225 square feet of office space and 145,000 square feet of minor commercial use. The 10-acre site is located on Sunrise Valley Drive by the intersection with Reston Parkway and surrounds Reston International Center.
Supervisor Catherine Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) said the JBG plan was the first significant plan to follow the new guidelines in the Planned Residential Community Ordinance, as implemented with the board’s density decision last year. "Had the PRC process not changed, this would have been a by-right development," said Hudgins. She said the objective of the plan is to create transit-oriented uses — the site is about a quarter of a mile from the proposed Reston Parkway station — in place of auto-oriented uses that exist at the site today. Hudgins added that the plan would serve to bring significant improvements to the site while reducing traffic in the area.
Hudgins also said she was aware of concerns some members of the community might have for this project, especially as they relate to the possibility that the lack of federal funds for the metro extension to Dulles may cancel the plans for the nearby metro station. Hudgins said that the board’s viewpoint is that rail will serve Reston and the JBG development would serve as a transit-oriented site. "The community input has been valuable, and I hope the community recognizes that," said Hudgins.
In an exchange with Board Chairman Gerry Connolly, Hudgins confirmed that the developer is committed to environment-savvy practices, including having all new buildings be LEED silver certified. The developer, affirmed Hudgins, is also committed to performing the necessary traffic studies in order to mitigate its impacts on the surroundings.