Lake Anne | FFXnow

Lake Anne residents still awaiting clarity after cooling service shuts down

Published October 27, 2025 at 1:45PM

The fountain at Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo)

Two weeks after Reston RELAC announced it will cease operations, Lake Anne residents who have relied on the cooling service for decades are still looking for clearer guidance on how to prepare for next summer.

After informing customers, the owners of the utility, known formally as the Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning Corporation, sent a letter to Reston Association Chief Operating Officer Peter Lusk earlier this month stating that they “will no longer provide chilled water service,” co-owner Mark Waddell said in an Oct. 19 update.

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Future of Lake Anne AC services in question after cooling utility folds

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 13, 2025 at 8:45AM

Waterfront homes along Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston RELAC is dead again, and this time, a resurrection might not be on the table.

Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning, the utility that provides cooling services for most Lake Anne residents, discontinued operations last Thursday (Oct. 9) following a trying summer where mechanical issues led to reported temperatures of 85 degrees and higher in some homes.

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Reston artist to cultivate ‘Weeds and Seeds’ exhibit at Lake Anne gallery

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 19, 2025 at 3:45PM

Artist Jennifer Duncan works on a painting for her new Reston Art Gallery and Studios exhibit "Weeds and Seeds" (courtesy Jennifer Duncan)

Reston Art Gallery and Studios will be overtaken by weeds next month — an intrusion that, in this case, will be enthusiastically welcomed.

The gallery at Lake Anne Plaza (11400 Washington Plaza West) announced today (Tuesday) that it will host a new exhibit titled “Weeds & Seeds: Observed Motifs” from local visual artist Jennifer Duncan from Sept. 6-28.

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Reston Cardboard Boat Regatta set for Lake Anne return this weekend

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 7, 2025 at 2:45PM

A team sets out from the Lake Anne Plaza dock for the 2024 Cardboard Boat Regatta (courtesy Reston Museum)

Reston’s annual cardboard boat race is set to make a splash this weekend.

The Cardboard Boat Regatta will return to the waters of Lake Anne on Saturday (Aug. 9) for a friendly competition to raise money for the Reston Museum, the nonprofit that organizes the event.

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Lake Anne cooling system falters again amid summer heat

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 30, 2025 at 1:45PM | Updated July 30, 2025 at 2:32PM

Homes overlook Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Residents of Lake Anne in Reston are once again enduring a heat dome with limited relief after a crucial component of their cooling system failed.

A temporary rental pump installed in late June after residents reported experiencing temperatures of 85 degrees or higher during a heat wave has failed, Reston RELAC President Mark Waddell told customers in an email on Monday (July 28).

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Some of Reston’s earliest rental housing takes another step on road to redevelopment

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 17, 2025 at 10:00AM

Crescent Apartments in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Plans to redevelop the Crescent Apartments, which trace their lineage nearly back to Reston’s founding, took a key procedural step forward on Tuesday (July 16).

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 9-0 to transfer the 16.5-acre site to the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, enabling the agency to work on finding a private partner for the redevelopment project.

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Lake Anne Brew House plans expansion of Reston tap room

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 11, 2025 at 1:45PM

Patrons sit on the patio outside Lake Anne Brew House in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Lake Anne Brew House is getting a bigger space.

The Reston establishment announced on Wednesday (July 9) that, as of July 1, it has officially leased the neighboring storefront at 11426 Washington Plaza West, which has been empty since Chesapeake Chocolates closed its doors at the end of September 2024.

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Lake Anne residents ‘suffering’ after cooling system fails during heat wave

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 26, 2025 at 8:30AM

The Vantage Hill Condominiums in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston residents are becoming increasingly frustrated by the cooling system that serves properties around Lake Anne, saying equipment issues and unresponsive management have forced them to endure intense heat this summer without relief.

Residents who shared their experiences with FFXnow say temperatures in their homes have climbed up to 85 degrees or higher this week after one of the chillers that Reston RELAC uses to cool water from Lake Anne shut down last Friday (June 20).

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Lake Anne getting new signage and possibly new, less suggestive logo

By Vernon Miles

Published May 28, 2025 at 2:45PM

A gateway sign for Lake Anne Village Center in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Visitors to Lake Anne in Reston should find it a little easier to get around soon with new wayfinding signage.

After wrapping up a Lake Anne Economic Visioning Study last fall, Fairfax County is working on a project to bring more signage to Lake Anne and direct visitors, shoppers and residents around the area.

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Reston art gallery pieces together collaborative collage exhibit

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 5, 2025 at 1:45PM

Collaborative collages from Reston Art Gallery and Studio's new "Texture" exhibit (courtesy Reston Art Gallery and Studios)

Visitors to Reston Art Gallery and Studios can now watch the artistic process play out in real time as part of a newly unveiled exhibit.

A collaborative effort involving nearly a dozen different artists, the exhibit “TEXTURE: Paper & Paint / Quilts & Collage / Metal & More” opened at the gallery in Lake Anne Plaza (11400 Washington Plaza West) this past Saturday (May 3).