The Reston Planning and Zoning Committee is considering its approach in studying the Reston Master Plan and the Planned Residential Community Ordinance, but discussion about it has led committee members to a larger discussion: its role in the process and the Reston community.
Committee member Feliza Kepler said frustration could be the result of the lack of power Reston P&Z has in land use decisions. "We could be a lot more powerful if we had more support from our constituents, our community," said Kepler. She said the committee should consider what it wants to be in the future, if it wants to gather more power and if it wants to engage in more than just planning zoning issues, such as environment and transportation. As things stand now, Kepler said, the committee is reviewing development proposals too late in the land use process. "We are burdened by the PRC [ordinance] and what it allowed to develop here," said Kepler.
The committee discussed its role in the community, and its approach to studying the plan and ordinance governing Reston’s residential neighborhoods, at its Feb. 4 meeting. Hunter Mill District planning commissioner, Frank de la Fé, a regular attendee at the meetings, said he felt the need to correct Kepler’s understanding of the ordinance. "I’m not burdened by the PRC," said de la Fé. "It is a brilliant piece of writing" that has served the community for more than 40 years, he said.

ARTHUR HILL, Reston P&Z vice chairman, said the guiding principles in place have served the community well in the past. However, he added, "Forty years have passed. Is it still a valid mechanism for this community or should there be some alterations?"
Reston P&Z will create a subcommittee, or subcommittees, to study the plan and ordinance, so that it is better able to communicate with county staff and the community over what changes it may recommend for the documents.
One of the issues that needs examination, said Hill, is how to better protect homeowners in stable residential properties from development and redevelopment around them. One of the concerns he has is that investors could take over cluster boards and sell them to developers. "We can’t specifically prohibit development or redevelopment," said Hill, but there may be a way to incorporate protection for existing homeowners into the ordinance, said Hill.
Committee member Dave Edwards said he is not as concerned with possible cluster redevelopment in the future, as he is with some of today’s proposals — Reston Heights, The Spectrum and nine-acre county property on Wiehle Avenue — and the committee’s lack of control. "We have so little control over what happens," said Edwards. He is hoping the committee could receive a briefing on what commitments have been made to developments in the community, because if it takes the developments longer than anticipated to build, the conditions around the developments may have changed.

IN DE LA Fè’S VIEW, Reston P&Z has the power and makes a significant impact on development decisions in the community. He said the developers that approach Fairfax County for approvals in the community are told to go to the committee first. The message to the developers has been clear. "If it didn’t fly by here, they knew they didn’t have much of a chance to go anywhere," said de la Fé. "You were created to fight the developers and to make sure the dream of the original developer continues."
Committee member Art Murphy, however, said the current Reston P&Z has less influence over the land use decisions than it did when Martha Pennino was Hunter Mill District supervisor. Murphy said former committee chairman Joe Stowers had an arrangement with Pennino that put the power to disapprove developments with the committee. "Unless this committee had blessed it, it wasn’t going anywhere in the county," said Murphy. When Bob Dix came into office, he preferred having more personal control over the land use decisions, according to Murphy. He added that the current committee does not wield as much power as it once did, either. "We carry a big stick, but nothing behind it," said Murphy. Development proposals are presented to the committee at a late stage, after initial designs are completed. "We are sometimes able to tweak it," he said.
Kepler said the committee should help guide the vision for Reston, not be a body that only reacts to development proposals.
"We are a committee with an awful lot of responsibility but no power," said committee chairman David Vanell. He said conducting a self-examination is good for Reston P&Z. It’s important that the committee take a look at itself to make sure we are on the right track," he said.