Brown's Chapel Rec Center: Same Song, Different Verse

Now that it looks like the Reston Association won't be buying a shiny new headquarters building anytime soon, we can all relax and not worry about anyone trying to build an awesome massive new $65 million rec center right next to one of the few historic buildings in Reston, right?

Maybe the folks at the Reston Community Center don't read the newspaper, because that's exactly what they're planning, right down to the fun referendum process that's required since the facility would be paid for by that Small Tax District we Restonians are fortunate enough to be part of.

RCC and RA are working to form conceptual plans for a possible indoor recreation facility to be built at Brown's Chapel Park. Leila Gordon, executive director of RCC, said a joint task force is considering a building that would be between 125,000 and 170,000 square feet with costs ranging from $45 million to $65 million. The building may include up to eight indoor tennis courts, a 50-meter pool, classrooms and a full-size gym.

Gordon said the task force has been looking at the Brown's Chapel Park as a possible site for the building because RA owns the property and it is zoned to support the use. After the study is finished information will be presented to the community for feedback, she said. "We believe most of the community will want this and it can be supported," Gordon said. The project would be supported by a capital bond and would require a referendum, she said.

Here we go again! Anyhoo, the folks who live in a nearby cluster are all up in arms for some crazy reason, saying the process "seems secretive," all because no one said anything about it to them or anyone else. You know how people can overreact!

Michael Rierson, president of the Newport Shores Cluster Association said the cluster board met Tuesday to discuss its position on the facility. He said a top concern is that conceptual plans are being worked on and his cluster was not notified of the process even though their homes are in close proximity. Rierson said not being notified made the process seem secretive.

Rierson said when he began to hear rumors a few weeks ago he wanted to make sure his neighbors were getting the correct information. He said he was told that RCC and RA are in the early part of the process but was alarmed when a neighbor sent him copies of conceptual plans. He said they showed what he considered to be beyond conceptual drawings and felt betrayed. "It's a large structure and the closest home in the cluster is 86 feet away," he said.

The editor of the Observer actually did something that newspapers should do more often, instead of leaving the dirty work to filthy vagrant "web-loggers" who use the word "awesome" too much -- he took both groups to the woodshed.

Leila Gordon, executive director of RCC, said no decisions have been made about the project yet, but she's wrong. A decision was made that the land near Brown's Chapel would be a suitable location for such a project. Decisions were made to reach a concept of what the proposed building would look like and how big it would be. A decision was made to hire a consulting firm to advise the planners on what could and should be built. A task force has been meeting for some months on the project, although those meetings have been conducted out of the public eye.

People are right to be upset. All residents of Reston may be interested to learn that RCC, which is funded by Small Tax District #5 made up primarily of Reston residents, is contemplating spending as much as $65 million on a very large new recreational facility.

It seems like RA and RCC have privately reached agreement on what the community needs and where it should be built, and they were waiting to consult with the public until they had most of the important decisions already made. A better approach is to involve everyone from the beginning in determining what future needs will be and how they should be addressed.

Oh, snap! Anyhoo, now a bunch of public meetings have been scheduled, what with the cat out of the bag and all.

A May 18 meeting has been scheduled at RCC Lake Anne at 7:30 p.m. for the residents of the Newport Shores Cluster Association. A meeting with the boards of RCC and RA and the joint task force will be held June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at RCC Hunters Woods. On June 15 RCC will hold its annual hearing for programs and budget at 7 p.m. at RCC Hunters Woods.

On the bright side, if this facility does get built, there's probably room for the RA to put its extra filing cabinets in the basement or locker room or whatnot.