Flashbacks:
The RNGC Caddyshackpocalypse
Bollards!
A Lerner Enterprises Inc. affiliate is suing Fairfax County over the way the county allots density in the area just north of Reston Town Center.Go Nats! Oh, wait, that's the wrong Lerner affiliate. This one wants to raze the Macaroni Grill and much of the other schlocky, big-box retail that should never have been built in the first place for a mixed-use development that, compared to some more recent proposals, seems homey and quaint by comparison. If there was any existing site worth razing and redeveloping in Reston, this would be it, as the current car-centric, big box retail couldn't be any worse in terms of sensible land use, awesome Macaroni Grill breadsticks notwithstanding.
The entity, Reston Spectrum LLP, filed suit in March in Fairfax County Circuit Court, arguing that it should be able to develop its site to the specifications the county approved in a 2006 conceptual plan.
The Lerner site sits between Route 602 and Fountain Drive and includes retailers such as Harris Teeter, Best Buy and Elizabeth Arden. Lerner wants to transform the 24-acre stretch into as many as 562 residential units and up to 406,000 square feet of retail or office use.
It secured county approval of a finalized conceptual site plan in 2008 using extra density from the neighboring Reston Regional Library, which was deemed a park in 1992, allowing it to transfer density to nearby developers.
Anyhoo, things about this project had been quiet since it was approved back in ought-eight, and now we know why. For us, this means we have to move the minute hand on the Macaroni Grill Doomsday Clock (tm) one minute closer to midnight.
Interesting development philosophy: replace existing schlock with more high-priced schlock. Oh, wait. Isn't that what we've got over at the Abomination on the W&OD?
ReplyDeleteThank goodness such craziness is confined to NORTH side of the toll road.
What the heck does this mean? "using extra density from the neighboring Reston Regional Library, which was deemed a park in 1992, allowing it to transfer density to nearby developers"
ReplyDeleteEventually the RRL will be renovated (it really is in the queu to happen someday). The parking is already inadequate.
I do agree that the whole retail section from MacGrill to Harris Teeter needs revamping, but to what? Please, not more overpriced condos with insufficient parking!
If there was any existing site worth razing and redeveloping in Reston, this would be it, as the current car-centric, big box retail couldn't be any worse in terms of sensible land use, awesome Macaroni Grill breadsticks notwithstanding.
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Now there's the height of thoughtlessness. So tear down the existing structures and put in even square footage without extra parking spots. First off, all of the available parking spots will be taken by employees, none of whom will be taking mass transit or walking/biking to their jobs. So, there's going to be fewer places for the outside consumers to park.
Now, admittedly, the proposal is for a mix of retail, office and residential. The question is, will the retail spaces only be catering to the included office and residential? No, of course not. They're going to want to draw from all of Reston. So, how is someone from Staley Rd. supposed to access this except by car? There is no bus service from there or near there, so the only real choice is car. Even from my home, nobody is going to ride the bus the AWOD and then WALK all the way over to that shopping center, especially if the store they want to access is over by Harris Teeter's current location. But do you honestly think that anybody except me and the kids is going to walk from even the closest points in the Gulag to any of these locations? Do you think that anybody in the Gulag would use mass transit to get to these locations if they have access to a car and a reasonable expectation of a parking space once they get there? And if there isn't a reasonable expectation for a parking space -- maybe even a close-in parking space -- do you think that some - many - people might decide that it's just easier to stay home? C'mon. Open your sinuses and smell the carbon monoxide. We're talking about Americans here after all.
Here's the hard fast rule for dealing with lazy, fat-assed Americans: Never allow your entitlement to convenience to be challenged by a bus schedule. If you have to walk more than 50 yards, take the car instead. If there is not likely to be any parking nearby, then it isn't worth the trouble.
Lerner is the least. Remember when a franchised bookstore opened at North Point with Lerner promising there would be no other bookstore for at least five miles before opening the B&N a mile away? I do. Lerner has been screwing the little guy forever and it is for that reason that I wish they fail and that goes for their baseball team as long as they own it.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile a "Turf and Surf" is moving into Hunters Woods right next to the India buffet place. So far they have installed a huge trench and a tractor! Sticking your head in it looked like the third world was poking up through the earth right in the middle of the floor complete with people digging up! Lunch time dinners next door were warned about occasional jackhammering but not to worry. That was the last vacant unit there. I think it was formerly a party goods store which was empty for about two years.
ReplyDeleteHunters Woods redeveloped in a mysterious fashion. First it looked kind of odd. People were said to be afraid to enter and maybe so. We watched as it was redeveloped and wondered what it would look like.
OK Hollywood Vidio needs a new tenant. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. I wonder what will go in there? We were so busy watching Netflicks that we hardly noticed their disappearance.
It's Netflix, Rod. Try to keep up.
ReplyDeleteI hope Spectrum redevelops better then Hunters Woods. I would be for re-redeveloping Hunters woods before redeveloping Spectrum.
ReplyDeleteHunter Woods has already been remodeled once. Let Spectrum have a turn.
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