Reston Association remains opposed to any development on Reston National Golf Course, but the latest proposal to add housing has it questioning just how much effort should be devoted to that cause.
RA launched a survey yesterday (Monday) asking community members to share their thoughts on whether its staff should prioritize the issue when determining where to focus their limited time and financial resources.
“The Board of Directors is also scheduled to discuss the matter at its regular meeting on June 25, where members are invited to provide input,” the homeowners’ association said. “Feedback gathered through both the survey and public comment will help inform how RA allocates its resources in the months ahead.”
Reston residents and developers have been battling since 2012 over the future of Reston National, an 18-hole private golf course that spans 166 acres bounded by Sunrise Valley Drive to the north, Colts Neck Road to the west, South Lakes Drive to the south and Lake Thoreau to the east.
Located at 11875 Sunrise Valley Drive, the golf course opened in the 1970s and has become valued by many community members as a recreational amenity and open space, a refuge from the more urban development that has emerged over the past couple of decades, particularly in north Reston.
After the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors closed the door on evaluation of a full redevelopment of the site last year, property owner War Horse Cities and home builder NVR submitted zoning applications in January proposing to renovate the golf course, while building 306 stacked townhouses on approximately 14 acres of land where they say residential development is already allowed.
According to the application, the land where Reston National now sits was zoned in September 1966 for medium-density residential development, allowing up to 20 units per acre. While most of the area was rezoned for a golf course in 1971 and remains designated as open space in the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, there are 14 acres on the west side of the property still governed by the 1966 development plan.
As a result, the site doesn’t need to be rezoned to allow housing, War Horse Cities has contended. But the developers still need the county planning commission’s approval of a Planned Residential Community (PRC) Plan that’s required for most development in that zoning district, which can only be found in Reston, Burke and Cardinal Forest.
The proposed townhouses would include 18 dedicated affordable dwelling units, as required by the county, and be supported by five different amenity areas linked by pedestrian walkways, according to a March 2 statement included in the PRC Plan application.
“Adjacent parcels are developed with townhomes and are similarly planned generally for medium density residential,” Cooley attorney Amanda Williams wrote in the statement. “The residential units will match the existing architectural character of the surrounding community and the overall plan will maintain an appropriate amount of the existing open spaces and mature tree canopy across the golf course.”
In addition to introducing housing to the site, War Horse Cities is working with golf course manager Kemper Sports to update Reston National with “lighted, technology-enhanced” facilities, including a putting course, a training area and a multi-level driving range.
The 18-hole course would be reconfigured with 12 holes and a new “Back 9 Grill” located between the 12th and 13th holes off Soapstone Drive to provide more concession options to players, who would also have access to an upgraded clubhouse.
The developer asserts that the renovations are necessary to compete with newer golf facilities, including those offered by the Fairfax County Park Authority, and attract a broader customer base, including families and younger golfers.
“For the course to continue for another 60+ years, it requires substantial reinvestment to bring it into the modern golf world, including expanded instructional facilities, state-of-the-art food and beverage offerings, and the opportunity for patrons to use the facilities year round through new lighting that extends the golf day into night,” the application statement said.
Some Reston residents have expressed skepticism of both the housing and golf course enhancements proposed by War Horse, with a few suggesting at a community meeting that the property owner was intentionally “running it into the ground” to justify a redevelopment.
Reston Association has been among the community groups to consistently oppose any attempts to develop Reston National or the golf course at Hidden Creek Country Club, but in light of War Horse’s contention that its proposal is supported by a “decades-old legal ruling,” the organization says it wanted to take a moment to “evaluate how best to represent” its members’ interests.
“RA recognizes that the proposal raises a range of considerations for members, particularly those who live adjacent to the course, as well as those who value the property’s open space,” RA said in a press release announcing the survey. “We continue to advocate for our members by participating in public meetings and amplifying member perspectives as the county evaluates the application.”
Along with filling out the survey and providing input at next week’s board of directors meeting, community members have an upcoming chance to speak directly to golf course designer Todd Quitno, who has been retained by War Horse Cities to assist with the course overhaul.
Reston National (11875 Sunrise Valley Drive) will host an open house on the “modernization” effort this Friday (June 19) from 4-7 p.m. The happy hour event will include free food, drinks, live music, a raffle and giveaways.
“Please bring us your best ideas to modernize our golf facilities and the plan for new housing that complements the surrounding golf course communities,” the event flyer says.
The PRC Plan application is currently scheduled to go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission for a public hearing on Sept. 23.
