New Public Hearing Requirements Delay Completion of Reston’s New Comprehensive Plan

One of the country’s most prominent master-planned communities has spent several years working on an a comprehensive plan update. The plan will have to wait a little longer as the Fairfax County, Virginia community adjusts to new state laws.

1 minute read

July 16, 2023, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A pergola with a grill is located in a grassy park, across the street from single-family housing in a suburban style.

kosoff / Adobe Stock

Reston, Virginia, one of the most historically significant master planned communities in the United States, has encountered another setback as it updates its comprehensive plan.  

According to an article by Fatimah Waseem, the community’s new comprehensive plan, already in the works for several years, will be further delayed by new state laws changing public notice and hearing requirements.

“New rules adopted by the Virginia General Assembly require notices of ordinance amendments or land use applications to be published no more than 14 days before the items are intended to be adopted or passed,” according to Waseem.

As for details of the comprehensive plan, Waseem reports the following: “Underway since 2020, the Reston Comprehensive Plan update lays out the county’s vision for the 6,750-acre area’s development, touching on everything from transportation to density recommendations for the transit station areas and village centers.”

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