But what of the Macaroni Grill? Reston's Fake Downtown to continue paying onerous developer fees

As they face less and less demand for their awesome particleboard McMansions with 2-story foyers in soulless subdivisions with names like Pointe Hunte Preserve, Virginia homebuilders have been lobbying heavily in the statehouse to get something called "impact fees," which basically let them all but stop paying for the new schools, roads and flashing red traffic lights needed to serve said wonderful particleboard subdivisions. When that didn't go over so well, they offered up a compromise, making Reston's Fake Downtown and Tysons Tegucigalpa sacrifical lambs.

By exempting Tysons Corner and part of the Reston Town Center from the so-called impact fees, the development industry was trying to placate Fairfax County, which opposes the bill along with Loudoun and Prince William counties. Tysons and Reston, which are slated for urban-style redevelopment projects, would remain under the current system, which would allow county officials to negotiate contributions, called proffers, from developers.

But the change was not sufficient to win over Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D), who called it a last-minute attempt to garner support before the Tuesday deadline.

Swell. But what does all this mean to folks like you and me?

In addition, association officials said, it would stabilize the market and slow the double-digit percentage increases in housing values.

Right. Because we're all concerned about the double-digit increases in our property values right now. Thanks, Selfless Homebuilders!