Approved Materials - Reston Community Center

March 25, 2013 Long Range Planning Committee Meeting Report
Other comments from the community during the Focus Group included:
Leila Gordon, RCC Executive Director, responded to questions regarding the financial scope and size
of a potential facility. Leila reiterated that building any facility will involve a bond referendum. The amount
is not something that can be determined today. We are at the beginning of a process and if the Board
decides to move forward with this opportunity, the end of the process will result in a vote for Small Tax
District 5 residents only. Regarding size, she said Oak Marr proves we have similar facilities in the area
(built by the Park Authority) that are not outrageous and are standard pools for a community. We’re just
talking about doing it the Reston way.
Roger Lowen, Reston resident, said he is an RCC Board member, but is speaking as a 25-year
resident and citizen of Reston. He said in the late 1960s, Bob Simon founded Reston - on the basis of
community - with the slogan of “live, work and play.” Roger said that the proposed recreation center
would be designed for all those who live and work in Reston and would serve all ages -from pre-teen to
teens and senior citizens – as well all income levels. He said this is not a new departure, but continues
Reston’s tradition of community. Regarding recreation center amenities, Roger believes fitness and
health should be included as a very strong part of the facility. He referred to pages 33 and 36 of the 2009
Brailsford & Dunlavey report, in which data indicated that fitness received very heavy utilization. He
referenced Fairfax County’s South Run Recreation Center as an example of the demand for fitness in the
area. The facility has just decided to increase its size from 1,100 to 7,000 square feet. He said there is
significant demand for cross training and fitness in the Reston area and a recreation center that housed
such amenities would be attractive to bikers, runners, swimmers, triathlon participants, kids triathlon
participants, marathon runners and the community in general.
Lisa Ehrhardt, RCC Board member, reminded the group that all meetings were advertised through all
RCC channels, as well as the media. She said she has lived in Reston for a long time and there is
always give and take in Reston. She hopes the community will remember that and be open to this
discussion. She said the Board wants to hear all voices and will carefully consider the entire community
before making any decision. She said the RCC is holding multiple meetings over the course of five
months to ensure that there is ample time to hear everyone’s input, before a decision is made by the
Board.
Suzi Jones, Reston resident, commended Leila for the process that she has implemented for a potential
center. She said it could be painful at times, but it’s very good and it involves the entire community. She
said that it’s evident that people want a facility, but are concerned with the location and costs.
The Focus Group ended at 9:15 p.m. concluding the Long Range Planning Committee meeting.
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