News and notes from Reston (tm).

Friday, September 14, 2012

Caddyshackpocalypse Now: Everyone Officially Lawyered Up

caddyshack-07.jpeg
At a standing-room-only meeting last night, the Reston Association reiterated its opposition to any proposed redevelopment of Reston National Golf Course. More importantly, the RA put its our money where its mouth is, hiring legal counsel to fight a zoning appeal filed by the property's owners as what they've called "the next step in redevelopment".
The board, which called a special meeting on Aug. 22 to organize its position, announced it has hired Odin, Feldman, Pittleman PC to represent RA in the golf course matter.

The law firm will advise and provide counsel - and litigate if necessary - to the Board of Directors with respect to RN Golf Management appeal before the [Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals] and advocate on behalf of the RA and its Board of Directors in opposition to any proposed or suggested development or re-development of the golf course.

The board will also establish a special committee comprised of President Ken Knueven; Directors Donna Miller Rostant, Mike Sanio, Andy Sigle; and CEO Milton Matthews to work with staff and special counsel on the matter.
Good on them.

Rescue Reston also announced this week that it has retained its own legal counsel to fight the property owner's appeal before the BZA.
The organization has retained the land use law firm of Greehan, Taves, Pandak and Stoner, PLLC. Pinkman confirmed that the search contacted seven law firms who specialize in land use matters. Led by former land use attorney Dave Stroh and David Burns, Esq., the Rescue Reston internal legal committee conducted a thorough and detailed interview process.

Mr. Burns will continue to interface with the firm as Rescue Reston prepares to assist Fairfax County, Reston Association, and the Reston Community Association to prevent redevelopment of Reston National Golf Course into medium density housing (townhouses). The Board of Zoning Appeal will meet during day time business hours October 24 to consider an appeal from the owners of the Golf Course who “by right” believe they can redevelop the 166 acres of the golf course open space in Reston. The Fairfax County Zoning Administrator has ruled against the Golf Course owners, holding that any such redevelopment would require an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan.
Rescue Reston.jpgRescue Reston is also readying these awesome high-contrast lawn signs, although they "have been hung up in a size discussion with RA," the organization says. Oh, RA, you never fail to not surprise us!

Meanwhile, opponents of the redevelopment presumably did a little Google searching, discovered that RN Golf Management received a $6,700 fine from the EPA earlier this year as part of a consent decree involving an underground storage tank on the golf course property, and forwarded PDFs of the agreement to the media (and this web log). So, um, there's that.

So this is the part where you're expecting to see another hilarious clip from that classic land-use documentary, Caddyshack. Given all the lawyering up that's going on, somehow this seems more appropriate:


AWESOME.

(Full Restonian Action McNews i-Report Team On Your Side coverage here.)


11 comments:

  1. Wait, the RA is more concerned about the size of the signs and not that they aren't DRB-approved colors?

    Has the 2012 apocalypse come earlier than the Mayans predicted?

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1.) Certain anti-development Reston members will bitch, moan, whine and cry about the redevelopment of the Reston National Golf Course.

    2.) The RA will spend a ton of RA members' dues hiring an impotent attorney that will 'wage war' against the owner of RNGC.

    3.) The laughable 'United Front' of the RA, RCA and ARCH will bitch, moan, whine and cry about the RNGC being redeveloped and will probably even schedule a meeting with Cathy Hudgins.

    4.) Cathy Hudgins will meet with the United Front and smile politely at them while playing Angry Birds on her iPhone held under her desk.

    5.) The United Front will continue playing along with Cathy Hudgins' Reston Master Plan Study Group, or whatever the hell it's called.

    6.) The United Front will march into the Board of Supervisors' meeting that will decide the fate of the RNGC armed with a plethora of county staff reports that basically say the whole concept of redeveloping the golf course sucks balls.

    7.) Members of the United Front will bitch, moan, whine and cry before the BoS at a level that hasn't been seen Leave Britney Spears Alone!.

    8.) Cathy Hudgins will vote in favor of redeveloping RNGC.

    9.) The United Front will issue empty threats against Cathy Hudgins, threaten the legitimacy of the Reston Master Plan Study Group, or whatever the hell it is called, and hunker down (again) to plot the incorporation of Reston as a town.

    Just like a Michael Bay film, all things Reston are so predictable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Why, Mean Daddy D!

    Who knew you could be such a cynic? LOL

    Restonians: Consider the possibility that the only viable alternative candidate against Hudgins in the next election cycle might just be a pro-business republican who won't even bother to go thru the motions--if you can call it that---that Cathy Hudgins claims to go thru when dealing with her constituents! All development proposals would be "done deals", just like that!

    Gives me the heebie jeebies just thinkin' about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is anyone running against Cathy Hudgins?

      Delete
  4. Yabut, who cares about a golf course?

    I want to know:
    1) who was that guy with the awesome hair introducing Warren Zevon
    2) How can I get hair like that?
    3) did Warren want him to play that crazy sax solo in the middle of his classic rock classic?
    4) how much cocaine did Warren and the band do before this particular performance of LG&$?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1) David Sanborn.
      2) Lots of hairspray and driving fast in a convertible along the Dulles Toll Road. Also magic.
      3) Nah, but that's okay, we cool.
      4) Three. Three cocaine.

      Delete
  5. I'm trying to envision how (much) long(er) it will take to make a left or right turn from Colts Neck onto Sunrise Valley if the golf course becomes another high rise community in Reston with a few thousand more cars added to the roads.

    Sunrise at Reston Parkway is so backed up now that its next to impossible to get into the Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoons after work.

    But then, I'm an old time Restonian who moved here 30 years ago when a traffic jam was 7 cars backed up at traffic light.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anyone remember Bob Dix? He had alienated so many people with his brusgue and abrupt personal style that his constituents replaced him with--Cathy Hudgins-- who now displays some of the same disdain for Reston residents that made ole' Bob such a pleasure to deal with! Cathy is likely not finished feathering her nest for the days when she will step down from the Bd.of S. What other explanation can there be for her refusal to move forward with her "master plan" for Reston? Something stinks here and its time that Hudgins was held accountable.

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  7. RESTON - Really Extra Slow Traffic Often Never-ending

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  8. Well, if anyone wants more tidbits, Hudgins is trying now to meddle with some HOAs where the county has an ownership interest. Look it up... this is for real...

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