| Politicians
Downplay Town Plan |
| RCA
Still Confident Incorporating is Best Measure |
By Sabrina Enayatulla
Observer Staff Writer |
| The president of the Reston Citizens Association said this
week he was confident that incorporating Reston into a town
is the best thing for the community, even after Reston's three
leading politicians were not as optimistic about the plan
at a meeting Nov. 2. |
| Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) hosted a public
meeting, along with Del. Ken Plum (D-36th) and Sen. Janet
Howell (D-32nd), at South Lakes High School Nov. 2 to address
the RCA-backed campaign to incorporate Reston. |
| But the three leaders each suggested there are substantial
roadblocks to making Reston a town. Plum said getting approval
from the state legislature for Reston to hold a referendum
or become a town could be difficult because supporters have
shown no clear reason for having a town, such as the need
for an independent police force or better water or sewage
facilities. |
| "Reston needs to be a town because …" said Plum, leaving
it up to the RCA and others supporting the idea of incorporation
to fill in the blank. "When you can fill in that sentence,
it needs to stand alone." |
| Plum said those in favor of turning Reston into a town would
need to be prepared to answer the question, "Why?" |
| But Mike Corrigan, president of RCA, said there wasn't just
one reason for incorporation. |
| "It's not just a sound bite," Corrigan said. "There are
about a thousand reasons, but we'll try to come as close as
we can." |
| Corrigan said there were a few core issues facing Reston
that make town status one of great importance. "Giving Reston
one official voice, looking at the efficiency of services
and new services, these are all major issues," he said. |
| Plum and Howell expressed concern over the role other organizations,
such as Reston Association, the Greater Reston Chamber of
Commerce and the Reston Community Center, would play in incorporating
Reston, and what role they would play in the new town of Reston.
They encouraged dialogue between those groups and RCA. |
| But Corrigan said he didn't feel it was necessary to have
other organizations on board with RCA's plan to move forward.
"I don't think it's important to have RA and the chamber come
out positive for town status," Corrigan said. "Institutions
don't vote. We have 622 people that think we should go to
referendum." |
| Howell said she hoped RCA and citizens in favor of the new
town were aware of what it takes in Virginia to become a town.
After a two-year study in 1988, there was still no consensus
on whether members of the community wanted a town. "This is
a very complicated process," she said. |
| Virginia code requirements for creating a town state that
"the population density of the county in which such community
is located does not exceed 200 persons per square mile according
to the last preceding United States census, or other census
directed by the court…" "We cannot meet these standards,"
Hudgins said. Current figures show 2,455 people per square
mile in Reston. |
| Hudgins also said laws governing the urban county executive
form of government, which includes Fairfax County, say that
once a town is incorporated, no other town or city can come
into existence within the confines of the same county. |
| But Corrigan said he had no reason to feel pessimistic about
the future of Reston. A 1980 charter that hoped to incorporate
Reston into a town made it to referendum and Corrigan said
he felt confident that can happen again. "We're hoping we
can get co-sponsors from other members of the House and Senate,"
Corrigan said. "It was done in 1980, so it's not impossible.
And I believe this is a non-partisan issue." |
| But there were others who didn't feel the same way. Leila
Gordon, performing and fine arts director for the CenterStage
and the Reston Community Center said her comments did not
reflect the views of anyone but her own and said she didn't
agree with giving Reston town status. "I love Reston, just
the way it is," Gordon said. "It's the best place I've ever
lived without the need for a city or town council, more bureaucrats
and taxes. If it were up to me, I'd make Northern Virginia
its own state and Reston would be the capital." |
| Corrigan said that the county came to the Nov. 2 meeting
prepared to discuss a version of RCA's plan that had been
modified substantially over the past five months, and officials
had not been updated on the latest details. He also said RCA
was not able to respond to the county's concerns because they
were presented at the Nov. 2 meeting and not before. |
| "We've revised our document, so most of the things they're
concerned with aren't even applicable anymore," Corrigan said.
"We're not asking them to be enthusiastic, we just don't want
them to oppose it." |
| On Friday, Nov. 4, Supervisor Hudgins attended a legislative
subcommittee meeting with other board members where she gave
her colleagues a copy of the letter from RCA given to her
along with Del. Plum and Sen. Howell. A draft bill from RCA
was also included as an attachment. Hudgins said she and her
colleagues did not discuss RCA's proposal at Friday's meeting. |
| According to the handout on Fairfax County's response to
RCA's proposal, RCA proposes to use the existing boundaries
of Small District No. 5, the special tax district that supports
the activities of the Reston Community Center, as the boundaries
of a new town. |
| The proposed town would use the structure and powers typically
available by charter to Virginia town governments, and they
recommend using the charter of the Town of Clinchco, Va.,
as a model for the charter of the new Reston. |
| RCA also proposed that a referendum be conducted in Small
District No. 5 on whether to adopt a new town government.
If the new town were established, then a new town government
would assume the facilities and functions of Small District
No. 5, including any outstanding credits and debts, and the
maintenance of various areas now owned and maintained by various
associations of private property owners. |
| The proponents also assume that Fairfax County would continue
to provide full county services to the new town, including
fire and rescue services, libraries, police and schools, issue
building permits and inspect buildings and review site plans
and subdivision plats and provide staff support for some aspects
of planning and zoning that may be done by the county under
contract. |
| RCA also proposes that the new town use revenues from various
sources to provide supplemental programs and to maintain the
common areas that are now maintained by private associations
of homeowners. |
| As a benefit, RCA has said after the formation of the new
town and after the town's assumption for responsibility for
maintaining common areas, homeowners' association dues would
be largely replaced by property tax payments for similar maintenance
and that such tax payments would then by deductible on federal
and state income tax returns. |
| Fairfax County's legislative package will become public
on Nov. 16 and the only public hearing about it will be held
after the Board of Supervisors meeting on Nov. 21. Any changes
that need to be made to the legislative package will be made
on Dec. 5, and it is to be presented to the Fairfax County
delegation to the General Assembly on Dec. 7. |
| Two-thirds of the House of Delegates and Senate will need
to be in favor of the proposed charter to take it to referendum. |
