Fairfax Co. backs away from Hunter Mill report

Fairfax County (Map, News) - Fairfax County officials distanced themselves this week from a report that urged them to disregard the “whimpers” of those who want to preserve Hunter Mill Road.

Angry residents turned out in force at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Reston Metrorail Access Group, a little-known task force charged with studying transportation improvements around two planned rail stops in Reston.

At issue was a document, written by a subcommittee within the task force and posted on the group’s Fairfaxcounty.gov Web site, that dealt with a series of potential road upgrades in the area — including the intersection of the Dulles Toll Road and Hunter Mill Road.

To fix the interchange, the report said, the task force must “ignore the whimpers of some Hunter Mill Road residents who insist this should really be kept as a bucolic scenic byway for the use of horses."

The county added a disclaimer on the document after The Examiner first reported on the controversy last week. Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins on Tuesday called the comment “unfortunate” and said it was an opinion piece by one member, echoing prior comments from the group’s chairman.

But anger lingered among residents along the road, who clapped after community activist Bruce Bennett blasted the group at Tuesday’s meeting.

Some worried the language was an indicator of a prevailing mindset on the task force, which members deny.

“My concern is there are people in this group who feel that way,” said Tom Wisnewski, of Tamarack Valley.

wflook@dcexaminer.com

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