No Longer Hypothetical

To the Editor:
I would like to clarify some issues raised in your newspapers‚ coverage of a meeting between the Reston Citizens Association (RCA) and three elected officials on Oct. 30.

Before the meeting, the officials unilaterally contacted an unknown number of Reston organizations, giving them until Dec. 15 to vote for or against the draft town Charter. At least one of these organizations, Reston Town Center Association, responded without discussions with RCA to hear RCA’s rationales. On the one hand, perhaps RCA should be grateful to the officials for forcing the issue, because several organizations have seemed reluctant to invest time in a Town issue that they saw as merely hypothetical. On the other hand, it seems unlikely that organizations can make sound decisions when they have not been appropriately informed.

Residents matter most. The membership of these organizations consists of Reston residents, and the organizations exist to represent residents’ interests. Some 3,700 residents who are also members of the organizations have signed RCA’s petition requesting a referendum.

Del. Plum was correct when he said that Town details need to be worked out. RCA has always anticipated negotiated solutions for a great many issues. However, not all of these negotiations need to occur prior to introducing legislation, or even prior to the referendum. In particular, Del. Plum stated that it is not wise to go to the General Assembly before there has been a separate RA assets transfer referendum. However, it seems unlikely that RA will engage in this process without strong assurances that our legislators will introduce Town legislation.

RCA disagrees strongly with Supervisor Hudgins’ characterization of the Planned Residential Community ordinance decided by the Board of Supervisors in March this year. She called the disagreement “technical.” It was far from being a mere technicality. Reston residents said “Don’t increase density until we’ve updated the Reston Master Plan;” the county said “increase density now, we’ll muddle through.” This failure of the county to honor Reston’s interests as a soundly planned community is the strongest reason why 3,700 residents signed a Town referendum petition.

Marion Stillson
Vice-President, RCA