{"id":708238,"date":"2026-06-16T21:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T21:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/708238\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T21:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T21:44:14","slug":"ra-seeks-input-on-opposition-to-reston-national-golf-course-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/708238\/","title":{"rendered":"RA seeks input on opposition to Reston National Golf Course development"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"\"<\/a>A person driving a golf cart on Reston National Golf Course (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)<\/p>\n

Reston Association remains opposed to any development on Reston National Golf Course, but the latest proposal<\/a> to add housing has it questioning just how much effort should be devoted to that cause.<\/p>\n

RA launched a survey<\/a> yesterday (Monday) asking community members to share their thoughts on whether its staff should prioritize the issue when determining where to focus their limited time and financial resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Board of Directors is also scheduled to discuss the matter at its regular meeting<\/a> on June 25, where members are invited to provide input,\u201d the homeowners\u2019 association said. \u201cFeedback gathered through both the survey and public comment will help inform how RA allocates its resources in the months ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reston residents and developers have been battling since 2012<\/a> over the future of Reston National<\/a>, an 18-hole, privately owned but publicly accessible golf course that spans 166 acres bounded by Sunrise Valley Drive to the north, Colts Neck Road to the west, South Lakes Drive to the south and Lake Thoreau to the east.<\/p>\n

Located at 11875 Sunrise Valley Drive, the golf course opened in the 1970s and has become valued by many community members as a recreational amenity and open space, a refuge from the more urban development that has emerged over the past couple of decades, particularly in north Reston.<\/p>\n

After the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors closed the door<\/a> on evaluation of a full redevelopment of the site last year, property owner War Horse Cities and home builder NVR submitted zoning applications<\/a> in January proposing to renovate the golf course, while building 306 stacked townhouses on approximately 14 acres of land where they say residential development is already allowed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A conceptual layout for Reston National Golf Course renovations and townhomes shared by property owner War Horse Cities in 2025 (via Urban\/Fairfax County)<\/p>\n

According to the application, the land where Reston National now sits was zoned<\/a> in September 1966 for medium-density residential development, allowing up to 20 units per acre. While most of the area was rezoned for a golf course in 1971 and remains designated as open space in the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, there are 14 acres on the west side of the property still governed by the 1966 development plan.<\/p>\n

As a result, the site doesn\u2019t need to be rezoned to allow housing, War Horse Cities has contended<\/a>. But the developers still need the county planning commission\u2019s approval of a Planned Residential Community<\/a> (PRC) Plan that\u2019s required for most development<\/a> in that zoning district, which can only be found in Reston, Burke and Cardinal Forest.<\/p>\n

The proposed townhouses would include 18 dedicated affordable dwelling units, as required by the county, and be supported by five different amenity areas linked by pedestrian walkways, according to a March 2 statement included in the PRC Plan application.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdjacent parcels are developed with townhomes and are similarly planned generally for medium density residential,\u201d Cooley attorney Amanda Williams wrote in the statement. \u201cThe residential units will match the existing architectural character of the surrounding community and the overall plan will maintain an appropriate amount of the existing open spaces and mature tree canopy across the golf course.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to introducing housing to the site, War Horse Cities is working with golf course manager Kemper Sports to update Reston National with \u201clighted, technology-enhanced\u201d facilities, including a putting course, a training area and a multi-level driving range.<\/p>\n

The 18-hole course would be reconfigured with 12 holes and a new \u201cBack 9 Grill\u201d located between the 12th and 13th holes off Soapstone Drive to provide more concession options to players, who would also have access to an upgraded clubhouse.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Some of the recreational amenity areas proposed for a townhouse development on Reston National Golf Course (via Urban Ltd\/Fairfax County)<\/p>\n

The developer asserts that the renovations are necessary to compete with newer golf facilities, including those offered by the Fairfax County Park Authority, and attract a broader customer base, including families and younger golfers.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the course to continue for another 60+ years, it requires substantial reinvestment to bring it into the modern golf world, including expanded instructional facilities, state-of-the-art food and beverage offerings, and the opportunity for patrons to use the facilities year round through new lighting that extends the golf day into night,\u201d the application statement said.<\/p>\n

Some Reston residents have expressed skepticism<\/a> of both the housing and golf course enhancements proposed by War Horse, with a few suggesting at a community meeting that the property owner was intentionally \u201crunning it into the ground\u201d to justify a redevelopment.<\/p>\n

Reston Association has been among the community groups to consistently oppose any attempts to develop Reston National or the golf course at Hidden Creek Country Club<\/a>, but in light of War Horse\u2019s contention that its proposal is supported by a \u201cdecades-old legal ruling,\u201d the organization says it wanted to take a moment to \u201cevaluate how best to represent\u201d its members\u2019 interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cRA recognizes that the proposal raises a range of considerations for members, particularly those who live adjacent to the course, as well as those who value the property\u2019s open space,\u201d RA said in a press release announcing the survey. \u201cWe continue to advocate for our members by participating in public meetings and amplifying member perspectives as the county evaluates the application.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PRC Plan application is currently scheduled to go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission for a public hearing on Sept. 23.<\/p>\n

This story was updated to clarify that, while Reston National Golf Course is privately owned, it can be used by the general public, not just members.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A person driving a golf cart on Reston National Golf Course (staff photo by Angela Woolsey) Reston Association…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":708239,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[427,99],"class_list":["post-708238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=708238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/708239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=708238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=708238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=708238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}