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Fairfax County and Inova brief Reston DRB on Town Center North central green, phasing and open‑space commitments
Summary
County and Inova presented an updated master plan for Reston Town Center North, focusing on a central green, streetscape cross‑sections, tree‑save areas and phasing. DRB members asked detailed questions about massing, transit connectivity, stormwater features, and long‑term maintenance.
Fairfax County and Inova presented a comprehensive update on the Reston Town Center North redevelopment, emphasizing the team’s effort to align prior DRB conceptual approvals (2019, 2021) with the 2023 comprehensive plan. Tim Sampson (Inova) and Susan England (landscape design lead) described a central green as the project’s organizing element and outlined a framework for streetscapes, tree save areas, and community amenities.
Susan summarized community outreach: 383 survey respondents (majority Reston residents) prioritized outdoor respite, shade and a mix of large and quiet event spaces. The central green concept includes a large lawn ringed by trees for shade, a plaza sized for a stage, a restroom building, a playground near the future school site and a planted stormwater bioretention feature in the central green’s low corner. The team also identified space for a Capital Bikeshare station on Library Street and cross‑sections showing separated bike lanes on Baron Cameron and shared lanes on internal streets.
During a lengthy board Q&A, DRB members sought more detail on (1) how building massing and step‑downs will affect sunlight and views into the central green, (2) bus service and bus‑stop locations along Library Street, (3) interim and future parking (including ~100 auxiliary spaces tied to the county’s Health & Human Services building), (4) stormwater strategies (bioretention in streetscape and a planted basin on the green), (5) playground programming and school bus/drop‑off logistics for the reserved school block, and (6) ownership/management and maintenance responsibility for the central green. County staff said the central green would be constructed with the first phase of infrastructure when the first northern block develops; more detailed materials, paving, and massing studies will be presented with future block‑level applications.
Reston Association registered as an affected party and asked the DRB to ensure prior DRB recommendations were carried forward, that the MOU’s 10‑acre open‑space commitment be met, and that buffers and Edgewater Park involvement be addressed. The DRB provided numerous design and process comments; the team will return with more detailed plans and block‑level massing for future review.
