The Connection

Developers want to redevelop Tall Oaks Village Center Shopping Center, “with a mix of residential and commercial and office uses.”

“Of the five Village Centers in Reston, Tall Oaks Village Center is the smallest with approximately 18 acres of land. It has been in decline without a stable grocery store anchor tenant since 2007,” according to Mary Ann Tsai, with the county’s Planning Staff. “It is approximately 86 percent vacant.”

The applicant proposes a total of 156 residential units consisting of 44 townhomes, 42 multi-family units that have the exterior appearance of townhouses and 70 multi-family units in two buildings; the applicants also propose 5,809 square feet of office space and 8,584 square feet of retail uses.

According to the Food Marketing institute, the median size of a grocery store in 2013 was more than 46,000 square feet.

The Planning Commission approved the application unanimously (with one abstention) on Thursday, July 21.

The Board of Supervisors was scheduled to hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 26, after The Connection’s presstime.

NOT EVERYONE was impressed.

“I chose to live in Reston because of the sense of community that Robert Simon created. Robert Simon did that through the concept of the Village Center,” said Julie Blitzer, at the Commission’s public hearing on July 14. “What I do not feel was done was determining what was the needs of the community and needs for retail for what the surrounding neighborhoods needed.”

Tammi Petrine, of Reston 20/20, said JAG’s application “is not ready for prime time.”

“The Tall Oaks Village Center plan as presented now is neither a village center in spirit nor design,” she said.

Lynne Mulston, of Reston Citizens Association, said “we feel it is very important to preserve what little is left of retail.”

“We do have to applaud the changes they have made over time but feel there can be continued improvements,” she said.

Susan Beffel, as did many others, raised concern about traffic around all the failing intersections by Tall Oaks.

THERE WAS SUPPORT for the project from Reston Neighbors, including Joan Wain, director of the Lake Anne Nursery and Kindergarten, adjacent to Tall Oaks.

“We are excited to watch the plan evolve,” said Wain.

“We have observed many changes at the center. It always made us sad when we watched these establishments open,” and then close, she said.

“We want to show support for the JAG plan. We are excited about the possibilities,” she said, with hope that the center “will become useful and vibrant again.”

She advocated for improvements to the neighborhood sidewalks and paths to make the pedestrian experience helpful.

Community feedback has been “contradictory” said Mark Looney, attorney for the developer.

“Some said we want more retail. We also had those who were worried that they would fail again,” he said.

“Some expressed desire for a hardscaped plaza like Like Anne, some said they wanted more green space,” he said. “Some thought it was too urban. Some thought it was not urban enough.”

“We had different plans and different iterations,” said Looney.

Petrine was cut off from testifying more than three minutes by the Planning Commission because she did not sign up in advance as a speaker from Reston 20/20. But she had additional feedback ready for the Commission in writing by Tuesday, July 19.

“Very few of us citizens have either the time or the knowledge to protest the enormous development that Fairfax County in general and Reston in specific are undergoing by attending multiple meetings and hearings,” she wrote. “I was encouraged at this hearing to hear good questions coming from some commissioners that signal that perhaps there is a modicum of hope to reign in some of the outrageously poorly designed projects. The Tall Oaks Village Center is such a beast.”

MONEY FOR recreation and for fire and rescue rolled in during the commission hearing.

Reston Association CEO Cate Fulkerson told the county Planning Commission that Tall Oaks Development Company and Tall Oaks Commercial Center LLC had not done enough to contribute to the renovations of the community pool.

“The application before you has come a long way especially in regard to the central plaza and open area,” said Fulkerson.

“However, this application is not ready for your approval,” she said. “Thus far, the applicant hasn’t been willing to contribute to this 40-year old recreational facility.”

Mount Vernon Planning Commissioners Earl Flanagan prompted the developer into action, telling them he viewed recreation as a significant need.

When Looney looked to his colleagues, they nodded their heads. In addition to that $25,000, Lee District Planning Commissioner James Migliaccio urged $25,000 for “fire and rescue preemptives” because of failing intersections in the area.

“You’re next to an assisted living facility,” said Migliaccio. “Don’t you feel an obligation to these fire rescue preemptives at least somewhere down the line.”

Looney didn’t look at his colleagues on that one. “We can do that. We can make that contribution,” he said.