Flashbacks:
The RNGC Caddyshackpocalypse
Bollards!
for its right to party to take the lead on developing recreational amenities for the influx of new residents to the area. So maybe we will get a fun glassed-in rollerdrome arena/juice bar, or maybe at least a couple of indoor tennis courts, after all!
In a letter to Fairfax County Supervisor Catherine Hudgins sent last week, the RA Board requested that all recreational "proffers," essentially piles of cash pledged by developers to help the county develop recreational facilities, be given to the RA instead of the county or its park authority, writing:
It is RA's facilities and infrastructure that will be directly impacted by the increased demand that will come with new development. Further, it is RA's facilities and infrastructure that will required increased maintenance and capacity; developer proffers would make these improvements possible.The RA Board's hesitation on moving forward with a referendum on the proposed indoor tennis facility at Lake Newport makes a lot more sense in this light. It'll be a lot easier for folks to vote for big capital projects if they know that a big chunk of the cost will be funded by proffers instead of increases in their annual assessments.
Credit where credit is due: The RA Board previously pushed hard to make sure that new residents in the commercial areas adjoining the Toll Road -- which formerly were barred from residential development -- would become members of the RA. That apparently will be the case with the residential components of the Reston Station development. Given that, the RA should also get its share of the proffers from developers; here's hoping that the county agrees.
Can't wait for a proffer-funded Orange Julius!
ReplyDeleteWe do hope the county agrees, especially after Heidi Merkel told the community meeting last week to expect up to 35,000 additional people living in the Dulles Corridor in the next 20 years. Except for a basketball court on the roof and a swimming pool, there are no outdoor recreational facilities provided in the Reston Station development plan (Wiehle Ave). Comstock paid a sum of money to the county to offset the lack of 1.3 acres of parkland. Reston Association should get that money.
ReplyDeleteIf the rest of the corridor is redeveloped with limited recreational amenities in the manner of Reston Station, all those folks will be on our pathways and in our parks.
Oh, and 35,000 doesn't include the numbers Reston may grow by if you add in redeveloped neighborhoods such as Fairway Apts, all the old clusters, and additional residential units added to redeveloped/redesigned village centers.
We're going to need all that money.
You are so naive, Anonymous. Why would any self-serving politician give up even the first dollar when they can spend it? I would indeed be surprised if Fairfax County handed over all of that cash to RA.
ReplyDeleteAnd if the county does that, we should be howling at RA to write a check to each household in the community. Frankly, I can spend the money on my own recreation better than RA can. Hello, Bahamas!
So, we are to assume that the developers will hand over bushels of cash to Fairfax County, who will then hand it over to RA, who will spend it on indoor tennis courts, which will provide recreation for 35,00+ people?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, how many of these 35,000 warm bodies will be paying the RA annual assessment? The last I heard, the "newbies" would be given a choice as to whether or not they want to "contribute" to RA.
Convict is correct, Fairfax County is not about to turn loose of a penny, unless there are serious strings attached -- and it is to their advantage.
the better question is what took the RA Board so long?
ReplyDeleteThey already lost out on the $600,000+ recreation proffer money from the Comstock deal!
Let's hope its not too late to get a piece of the Fairways recreational proffer money.
How can so many allegedly smart people be totally asleep at the switch?
"Public-private partnership" = "public pays all costs, profits go to a private pocket".
ReplyDeleteAlways. Like a clock.