Community Volunteers Working For Your Interest
Hunter Mill Defense League
The Hunter Mill Defense League (HMDL) is a non-profit civic association that promotes the welfare of residents in one of Fairfax County, Virginia’s most livable communities. It is the trusted source for information about land use, transportation, corridor history and environmental issue and activities that specifically impact the 5,000 people who live along the historic 7.2 mile Hunter Mill Road.
Brief History of HMDL
The Hunter Mill Defense League began in 1985. It organized more than 25 homeowner associations to squelch plans to commercialize a large residential area east of Reston. This was the first time that the neighborhoods along Hunter Mill Road had spoken with a unified, powerful voice before local decision makers.
For the next 15 years most of the League’s activities focused on the never ending barrage of high-density development proposals, and on traffic related issues. The county’s master plan denotes this area as being part of a low-density residential buffer between the concentrated densities of Reston and Tysons Corner, a design feature aimed at avoiding sprawl and its side effects. Most League actions were designed to preserve this plan, as it was and is largley responsible for the character of the area.
In 2001, the League worked with the community to develop a vision statement. League activities expanded as a result of that articulation of purpose. Activities of the League expanded well beyond the work on land use and transportation to include an Environment Committee to stay abreast of issues related to parks, trails, streams etc…, and a History Committee to take on the task of researching and sharing the history of the corridor, work which now accounts for about half of the volunteer hours donated. The focus of the work will continue to evolve as land use issues surrounding a few large parcels in the corridor are settled.
HMDL has empowered local residents with information and action alerts, and an awareness of the corridor’s rich history. It has monitored government policies, publicized issues, and alerted the community to participate in critical public hearings, and in history and environmental events. HMDL’s fundamental goal has been to preserve and protect the scenic and historic character of the distinctive Hunter Mill Road Corridor.