Observer Online | Viewpoints

Posted Dec. 21, 2007

ResTOWN Project Thrown Off Track

Over the course of the past year, as the movement to incorporate Reston as a town has been discussed and debated publicly, people who support the community becoming a town have been critical of Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D), Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston) and State Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd) for not championing the proposal.

But this week, as a number of groups responded to Del. Plum's invitation for comment and feedback on the Reston Citizens' Association proposal to incorporate Reston, we saw the true weakness of the plan.

It remains entirely unclear what the benefit would be of Reston becoming a town, and the various community groups, which together make up the defacto leadership of the community, this week told Del. Plum that they either lacked the details to take a position on the plan or they outright opposed it.

Supporters of the town proposal need to have our state legislators carry the plan to the General Assembly, which would vote on allowing Reston to incorporate. But from the responses of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Reston Association, the Alliance for Reston Clusters and Homeowners and the Reston Town Center Association, it seems clear that there is little support for the idea.

A petition circulated by supporters over the summer collected only about 3,600 signatures in a community of about 60,000 people, and more recently Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin wrote that "The Board of Supervisors does not appear disposed toward Balkanizing the County" and that efforts to propose incorporation in 2008 could jeopardize the Metrorail project.

But most discouraging is the clear indication that the disparate groups that serve the commercial and residential members of Reston have not been brought in to support the plan. The reality is that without the support of these essential groups, no proposal will, or should, move forward.