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Board adopts four-step Recreation Facilities Investment Process to bring community input before contract approvals
Summary
Reston Association directors endorsed a new four-step process (Initiate, Engage, Evaluate, Execute) to guide recreation and facilities investments, including a three-tiered community engagement guide. The board directed staff to apply the process to 2024-funded playground work and to use it for larger items like the Lake Newport tennis project.
The Reston Association Board on Feb. 13 endorsed a revised Recreation Facilities Investment Process designed to ensure community engagement occurs before the board is asked to approve construction contracts.
What the board did: The board endorsed a four-step workflow staff labeled Initiate, Engage, Evaluate and Execute. The process replaces a prior internal "key decision point" approach and spells out three tiers of public involvement: - Communicate: for maintenance-level projects (staff updates to membership) - Consult: limited engagement such as targeted surveys (recommended for mid-level investments like playground replacements) - Involve: iterative, on-site workshops or charrettes for major investments (staff suggested 3-5 events for large projects like Lake Newport tennis)
Why it matters: The change is intended to reduce surprises at the contract stage by ensuring the Board hears clear, documented community feedback before a contract is presented for approval. That means by the time a construction contract reaches the board the expectation is that approval would be routine, not the start of a new debate.
Examples staff will use: Staff presented two case studies: 2024-funded playground replacements (consult level engagement) and the Lake Newport tennis facility (involve level and a $1.5 million-plus project that will require public meetings and county approvals). PRAC (the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee) had reviewed and endorsed the revised process before the board vote.
Board discussion: Directors across the board praised the emphasis on community engagement. Director Farrell described the process as "our defense against excessive intrusion" by external government reviewers when the association has already engaged its community.
Next steps: Staff will apply the process to the three 2024 playground projects and brief the board at the March meeting with consultation outputs. Staff will also begin the involve-level engagement sequence for Lake Newport tennis planning and return findings to the board prior to contract approval.
Speakers (article-specific)
- Peter Lusk, Chief Operating Officer, Reston Association (presented the new process) - Julie (PRAC representative; PRAC endorsed the process) - Director Farrell (spoke in support)
Provenance
- topicintro: transcript block ~6803.28 (COO presentation begins) - topfinish: transcript block ~12551.22 (board vote and unanimous endorsement)
Clarifying details
- Engagement tiers: Communicate / Consult / Involve (defined in staff slide deck) - Example budgets: Lake Newport tennis planning referenced at $1.5M+ in staff materials; playgrounds funded in 2024 will proceed under the consult track.
Community relevance
- Geographies: All Reston recreation facilities; specific early focus: playgrounds and Lake Newport tennis. - Impact groups: recreation users, neighbors to facilities, PRAC and committees.
Implementation risk: medium (requires staff time and predictable community engagement to prevent delays)
Searchable tags: recreation, PRAC, Lake Newport, playgrounds, community engagement
