Reston design board reopens Waterview patio decision after neighbor appeal over fully enclosed fence

The Reston Design Review Board reopened review of a Waterview patio application on Feb. 18, 2025, after an affected-party appeal argued the patio was being treated without addressing an existing full‑height privacy fence that the cluster's patio standard says patios "may include low stone or brick walls" but "may not be completely enclosed." The board agreed to rehear the matter de novo and then approved the patio replacement while adding language that the existing fence does not meet current cluster standards and must come into compliance if replaced or upon property transfer.

Why it matters: Waterview cluster members and covenant officers argued the panel's original decision did not mention the fence and therefore set a precedent that could allow fully enclosed patios in places the cluster standard forbids. The case raised a recurring compliance question: when an owner makes a limited exterior change, at what point must older, preexisting elements be brought up to current cluster standards?

At a Feb. 18 hearing, Neil (covenants officer, Waterview cluster) told the board he was appealing because the original panel did not address…