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Reston Association board declares Relac service unenforceable, urges members to plan for alternate cooling
Summary
After months of uncertainty, the RA board declared that Relac LLC has placed the central cooling system at risk of abandonment and that the deed provision requiring use of the system is no longer enforceable; the board directed staff to notify Dominion Power and produce FAQs for affected members.
The Reston Association Board of Directors voted unanimously on Dec. 11 to declare that, because Reston Relac LLC has notified the board of intent to cease operations and no credible operator has come forward, certain deed provisions requiring use of the central cooling system can no longer be enforced as impossible.
The decision frees affected homeowners to pursue individual cooling solutions and starts a coordinated information effort by the association. Director Jordan Flashman, who made the motion, said the move follows unsuccessful efforts to identify an operator able and willing to keep Relac running: “There is no one who has come forward; there is no one who has the authority other than the present owners,” he said during the debate.
Why it matters: Tens to hundreds of households that rely on the central system could lose service next cooling season if no operator resumes plant operations. Several members who spoke during public comment warned that immediate planning is required to avoid health and safety risks on hot days.
Members pressed the board to delay action while the state regulator, developers and the landowner negotiated a solution. Kristen Euler McKeown, a nearby resident and customer of Relac, urged the board to seek further cooperative remedies and to not allow closure without what she described as proper notice under Virginia procedures: “If we allow closure without action, we lose far more than cooling… it has very significant meaning as a turning point for the community,” she told directors.
Board response: Directors emphasized the need for members who will lose service to plan now for replacements and exemptions. Director Margaret Perry, who supported the declaration, said delaying a decision risks leaving medically vulnerable residents without cooling during heat events: “When we hit days that are 80 degrees, 90 degrees… we are putting people at risk,” she said.
Follow-up actions: The board also voted unanimously to instruct the CEO to direct staff to notify Dominion Power of the change so that utility planning (for transformers and service points) can proceed, and to prepare an FAQ and communications package for members explaining options and permitting pathways. President Johnson said RA staff will coordinate permits, cluster and condominium procedures, and county contacts to help members navigate installation of individual systems.
What the board did not do: The vote did not preclude Relac from resuming operations if an operator emerges; several directors noted the declaration can be reversed if the plant is revived. The board also did not adopt a specific replacement program, instead directing staff to provide information and to help coordinate technical and permitting questions.
Next steps: Staff will publish FAQs and member-facing guidance, and RA will advise clusters and condominium associations about technical and electrical questions that may affect transformer placement and permitting. The board asked staff to update the membership promptly so households can plan before the 2026 cooling season.
