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The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Pulte Group’s rezoning application for Lofts at Reston Station II on July 14, replacing three low-rise office buildings at 1810, 1825 and 1850 Samuel Morse Drive in Reston with 158 homes.
The approved development contains 112 condominiums in three buildings of five to six stories and 46 stacked townhouses in one four-story building. Twenty homes would be workforce dwelling units reserved for households earning up to 70%, 80% or 100% of area median income. The plans include publicly accessible park space with a central park and playground.
The original Lofts at Reston Station opened in 2019 with 44 units at Reston Station Boulevard and Michael Faraday Drive.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission supported the application, while the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee recommended denial.
“This is what I would call a split decision,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said.
Residents testifying at the July 14 hearing alleged inadequate parking, no functional dedicated loading space, difficult garage maneuvering, slow snow removal and poor responsiveness from Pulte.
“Pulte has been difficult to work with and does not seem interested in being a community partner,” said Adam Rubinstein, Lofts at Reston Station Condominium Association vice president and treasurer.
Fairfax County waived loading-space requirements when the original project’s plans were approved in 2016. Pulte later striped three existing parking spaces for use as a Lofts I loading area; residents said the resulting area was too small for moving trucks and reduced available parking.
Residents said Pulte had not striped Reston Station Boulevard, leaving a gap in the street’s on-road bicycle lanes.
Condominium association representatives said earlier nearby construction caused substantial dirt and dust accumulation on balconies, window screens and the exterior of the original Lofts building.
“You basically couldn’t open windows because the dust would even get inside, and I think it’s fair and reasonable that Pulte be held to account on this issue,” said Christopher Cummings, Lofts at Reston Station Condominium Association secretary.
Under the proffer agreement, Pulte committed to measures intended to keep dust on the construction site and to contribute $5,000 to the condominium association for power washing the Lofts I building. Residents argued that the dust plan did not cover debris reaching neighboring properties and requested reimbursement of actual cleanup costs up to $10,000 rather than the fixed $5,000 contribution.
Pulte’s representative said the developer would try to keep construction traffic off Easterly Road and direct crews to Samuel Morse Drive.
Pulte and other area developers were still discussing formation of a snow-removal consortium at the time of the hearing. The proffer requires Pulte either to remove snow itself or ensure that a developer consortium removes it within 24 hours after snowfall ends.
“There’s every intention that [the consortium] is the way they’re going to handle it,” said Kelly Posusney, DLA Piper senior land-use planner representing Pulte.
Resident Christina Liesegang asked the board to delay the vote.
“I just ask the board to delay this, not cancel it, but delay it until there’s some more details ironed out by Pulte,” Liesegang said.
Alcorn declined to postpone the vote.
“I wouldn’t say this is a perfect application, but I think the responsiveness of the applicant to the requests has been reasonable,” Alcorn said, acknowledging a need to address parking along Reston Station Boulevard.