Wresting control of Reston 's growth (opinion of Reston resident James P. Hubbard in Reston Times May 2006)
responding to: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/huntermill/columns/growthinrestonmay06.html 


Supervisor Cathy Hudgins' recent commentary on future changes in Reston made two important points. Her first point, one she undoubtedly intended to make, is that the Reston community can expect construction of many more offices and residences. The second point, one that I suspect Hudgins did not intend to make, is that the Reston community will have little or no control over any of the new construction.

Hudgins went to great lengths to mention all the "community input" into current planning and development ­advisory committees, task forces, com­munity stakeholders and the like. Nevertheless, the reality is that Hudgins, as a member of the county Board of Supervisors, is the only Restonian empowered to make decisions about future development. The Reston Master Plan has never been Reston 's plan. It has always been Fairfax County 's plan for Reston . Regardless of what you think of today's Reston, it is the work of the county board and various developers, not the Reston community. Certainly various residents have had "input" into the pro­cess over the years.

Some of this "community participa­tion" was window dressing. Some of it improved and refined various planning proposals. At the same time, there is a world of difference between a few resi­dents making suggestions behind the scenes and the community as a whole considering and debating its future. There is also a world of difference between someone who offers "input" or advice and someone who is, to use the president's phrase, "the decider."

The issue is not more or less con­struction, or even good construction ver­sus bad construction. The issue is simply democratic community control. Rather than continue the current elected monar­chy, in which only the county supervisor makes decisions about planning and zon­ing, it is about time that the 70,000 people who live in this world-class planned community took responsibility for their own future.

If folks are concerned about Hudgins' message-that more construction is in the works regardless of what the Reston community thinks-persuading the Reston Citizens Association to refocus its town status proposal might be a good first step. More than a traditional town council, Reston needs an elected plan­ning board, empowered to maintain and enforce the Reston Master Plan and to review and approve all new construction within the Master Plan boundaries.

Focusing on planning and zoning, and not on municipal services, might persuade a majority of Restonians to support a proposal for greater communi­ty control and, more important, pave the i way for the Reston community to gain the power to shape its own future.