| No
Surprise in Reston Heights Development |
| My commute, which takes far longer than the seven miles
from my home to the office would indicate, takes me along
Sunrise Valley Drive and past the property now known as "Reston
Heights," where JBG Companies have proposed building a large
retail, commercial and high-density housing development. |
| The land surrounds the Reston International Center, which
for years was the tallest buildings along the Dulles Toll
Road and because of its location on one of the highest points
of land was a great place to put a radio or cell phone tower. |
| JBG's proposal is to basically upgrade the property, taking
advantage of the growth in real estate values over the past
couple of decades to replace the large, and almost always
empty, paved parking lots with more than one million square
feet of building space. |
| There is little surprising about JBG's proposal. Anyone
who drives through the area can see that land situated right
next to the Toll Road, directly across from a planned rail
station and only about a mile from Reston Town Center, must
have greater value than just being a parking lot. It was inevitable
that someone would come along to take advantage of this under-used
property. |
| This does, however, complicate the commute of those of us
who live nearby. Unfortunately, traffic planning in Virginia
usually involves only the installation of more and more traffic
lights, and each new light brings with it more minutes spent
in our cars. |
| Fairfax County planners and the developer need to work hard
to create the most efficient access points for Reston Heights,
while keeping Sunrise Valley Drive passable for all traffic
by using "right in, right out" intersections, by timing traffic
lights well and by spacing lights far enough apart. |
| The Reston Heights development is in line with what has
been planned on the property for decades, but the property
has substantial limitations on it because access directly
to Reston Parkway may not be an option, and direct access
to the Dulles Toll Road is altogether out. |
| That will put immense pressure on Sunrise Valley Drive and
its intersection with Reston Parkway and Colts Neck Road.
Balancing access to Reston Heights and the affect of traffic
and nearby residents will be the biggest challenge. |
