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Reston Association is seeking community input on a proposed replacement observation platform at Lake Thoreau and renovated tennis courts at Lake Newport. Separately, staff are considering a possible expansion of dedicated pickleball space at Autumnwood.
The concepts remain proposals. The Lake Thoreau design still requires approval from the association’s Design Review Board, while feedback was still being collected on the plans for Lake Newport.
A more elevated platform at Lake Thoreau
The proposed Lake Thoreau project would replace the existing observation dock near the swimming pool at 2040 Upper Lakes Drive. The concept depicts a more elevated platform with benches and a metal railing around its perimeter.
“The proposed improvements will replace the existing observation dock and enhance the lakeside experience for residents and visitors,” Reston Association said.
The association developed the concept using comments gathered at a public meeting in summer 2025 and through an online survey. Peter Lusk, the association’s current CEO and former chief operating officer, said the dock had been scheduled for replacement for years but that staffing changes delayed the project.
Lusk’s account of the delay has not been independently corroborated by another source included in the supplied material.
Six tennis-only courts proposed at Lake Newport
A separate proposal prepared by Rinker Design Associates would renovate the six lighted courts at the Lake Newport facility, 11452 Baron Cameron Avenue. Reston Association wants to return all six courts to tennis-only use, which would include removing the lines used for pickleball.
The association was accepting feedback online and scheduled an in-person feedback meeting for 6 p.m. Aug. 5 at the courts. The proposal follows community input collected about the Lake Newport courts in spring 2025.
Removing pickleball markings from Lake Newport is connected to the association’s consideration of additional dedicated pickleball space at Autumnwood.
Autumnwood could become pickleball-only
Autumnwood, located at 11950 Walnut Branch Road, currently has four lighted pickleball courts and two tennis courts. Reston Association staff are considering replacing the tennis courts to create a total of eight dedicated pickleball courts at the facility.
Staff estimated that making the change from mixed tennis and pickleball use to permanent pickleball-only use would require approximately $75,000. The proposed work would also include fencing improvements, more shade and a water-bottle filling station.
“While funding isn’t needed to remove the tennis programming at Autumnwood, in order to make a permanent change, staff estimate approximately $75,000 is required to permanently convert the Autumnwood courts from tennis to pickleball use,” association staff wrote.
The Reston Association Board of Directors was reportedly expected to consider the Autumnwood conversion in September, along with broader criteria for identifying potential pickleball locations. That anticipated schedule was attributed secondhand to Patch in the supplied material and was not directly confirmed by Reston Association.
Together, the proposals would establish distinct uses at the two court facilities: six tennis-only courts at Lake Newport and eight pickleball-only courts at Autumnwood. Neither outcome should be considered final based on the available information, as the association was still collecting feedback on Lake Newport and the Autumnwood proposal awaited board consideration.