The Reston Design Review Board on April 15 denied an appeal by the Whisperwood Cluster Association challenging a DRB decision that required replacement plantings for trees removed from common areas.

Sally (Whisperwood Cluster Association president) told the board she and the cluster had received conflicting guidance: cluster staff and published Reston guidelines appeared to say dead trees not shown on a DRB-approved landscape plan are not required to be replaced, while the January decision appeared to require replacements. She asked the board to reduce the number of required replacements and to allow fall planting rather than the June deadline cited in the decision.

DRB members and staff said the replacement quantity was derived from a staff investigation prompted by a complaint from an affected resident (identified in the record as Mrs. Keener). Staff confirmed seven removed trees could be positively identified on site; aerial imagery and the complaint suggested additional removals but did not show stumps for every location. The panel settled on a replacement number of 11 to account for seven confirmed removals plus additional canopy losses that staff concluded were likely based on aerial progression.

The board determined the case did not present new information nor show a misapplication of the design guideline and moved to deny the appeal. The motion to deny the appeal carried on a recorded vote of 4–0–3 (four votes to deny, three ineligible to vote because they had served on the original panel). The board’s decision includes a stipulation that replacements provide “similar canopy coverage” to what was removed rather than mandating exact locations; staff will work with the cluster on a planting plan and the matter will return to a panel review (rather than the full board) to expedite implementation.

Staff noted clusters should document dead-tree removals with an arborist’s statement and that dead-tree removal does not require a DRB application when a replacement is being made under an existing DRB-approved landscaping plan; if replacement will not occur as part of an existing approved plan, a formal application is required. The board also advised the cluster they may request a planting timeline extension to shift planting to fall for better tree establishment.

The board instructed staff to work with the cluster on a replanting plan; staff confirmed the panel would handle the follow-up review.