Flashbacks:
The RNGC Caddyshackpocalypse
Bollards!
In its resolution, RCA lists the following objections to the proposal:
- The increase from 342 to 804 units, which it argues goes against county staff recommendations and planning principles established for the Reston Master Plan Task Force that would "maintain the character of existing residential/suburban neighborhoods."
- Traffic congestion issues, given that the development isn't within an existing village center and more than a half-mile away from either future Metro station, making it "inconsistent with the adopted Reston planning principle calling for development to be phased in with infrastructure."
- Allocating only 87 units for workforce housing in a development that will replace an existing complex of affordable garden apartments.
- The overall design, including the proposed "500 foot unbroken facade design of the principal residential structure, the 'Texas donut' design of another residential structure, the 50-foot high three story townhouses in a neighborhood of two-story homes, and the overall density of the redevelopment proposal."
Which begs the question: What exactly is a Texas doughnut? In a nutshell, it's a complex that wraps a building around a parking structure -- which looks nice(r) from the outside, but probably isn't the most exciting view in the world if you've got one of the interior courtyard units. Here's an example of such a project in Florida, where they know good architecture or something:
You can read the full text of the RCA resolution, which basically says the same thing with a lot more "whereas"es, here.
And here I thought that a Texas doughnut was a fried batter confection smeared with fresh armadillo roadkill.
ReplyDeleteSave the endangered garden apartments!
They need to leave that complex alone. They can raise the rents when the Metro comes to town.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a prison -- perhaps another connotaion to the term "Texas Doughnut"?
ReplyDeleteIs there a technical difference between "workforce" housing and "affordable" housing? Are those terms of art in the development world?
ReplyDeleteThey're just fancy names for Section 8 housing or better yet, it should be called "freeloader" housing.
ReplyDeleteI for one cant wait to live in one of three story townhomes a short walking distance from RTC and Lake Anne. I will wave at the aging hippies out front protesting progress.
ReplyDeleteI'm not opposed to redevelopment per se, but this plan is way overdoing it. Have any of the people who came up with this plan ever driven on North Shore?
ReplyDeleteHigh density just doesn't belong across the street from an elementary school. The intersection is already dangerous enough without the additional traffic. Reston is supposed to be a walking community, this development does not fit with that. Now, how did this get through the DRB?
ReplyDeleteSounds like more density = more walkable to me.
ReplyDeleteIt would have to be more walkable, 1:39. There will be so many cars on North Shore that it will become gridlocked and you'll have no choice but to walk.
ReplyDeleteI've have lived off of North shore for 10 years. Fears of gridlock are way over exaggerated. We need more higher income residents in close proximity to lake Anne.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:53
ReplyDeleteAgain you spout section 8 without knowing what it means, like some moronic parrot who sees an apartment in Reston that is not $3K/mo and croaks: Section 8 Squak!"
The section 8 housing in Reston is as follows:
Fellowship Houses (damn freeloading medicare recipients!)
Cedar Ridge
Island Walk Cooperative
Stonegate Village.
That's it!!!
FAIRWAY IS NOT SECTION 8 YOU DOLT!
Section 8 vouchers can be used anywhere so I imagine there are many more Section 8 folks in some of the smaller town home communities all over Reston.
ReplyDeleteYes, Section 8 vouchers can be used anywhere. Except where they are not accepted.
DeleteThe county has been buying up condo units and renting them out in their Section 8 program. The county owns about 20% of the units in ParcReston which is across the street from Fairway.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/rha/rentalhousingprograms/fcrp.htm
If I remember, there are two highrise buildings planned at ParcReston.