Salamander Development LLC's Prem Devadas closed Thursday night's Town Council meeting with a detailed presentation of the corporation's latest plans for the buildings and grounds of the hotly debated Salamander Inn and Spa, including a suggestion for a new site.

Mayor Tim Dimos introduced the Salamander Inn presentation session by recognizing and thanking Dr. Sheila Johnson for her "graciousness" for "being such a wonderful partner to work with" during the lengthy approval process to date. He also expressed his pride in, and personal gratitude to, the Town Council for their hard work. "I am grateful to Jim Burton and the prior Board of Supervisors for having the vision to enact a comprehensive plan and an AR-2 zoning ordinance that this all to happen," he continued with a certain restrained irony, "and I'm grateful to the current Board of Supervisors for working closely with the Town of Middleburg to help make this happen."

The New Site Plan

Prem Devadas, speaking for Salamander, noted that the Board of Supervisors had, indeed, approved on Tuesday morning, by a vote of 8 to 1, "our right to build a 120-room resort" on a 340-acre tract and that the Board's approval cleared the way for the Town and Salamander, working under the terms of their Memorandum of Understanding, to move forward, not only with boundary line revisions and the construction of the Inn and Spa, but the building of the Town's new waste water treatment plant.

But Salamander has a new and better idea. "One of the main reasons we want to discuss this tonight," Devadas began, "is because the County has approved our 120-room resort in a particular location... in a forested area completely outside the current boundaries of Middleburg, in the County. Salamander wants Council to consider approving a new site which moves the Inn closer to Middleburg, but leaves the forest intact, requires less earth moving and soil disruption, moves the main entrance road farther away from the Inn and Spa's neighbors to the north, lowers the above-sea-level height of the Inn as a whole, and makes it easier for guests at the Inn to get to town without using their cars, either by walking or biking.

Though Salamander could go ahead and build using the old already-approved site plan, Devadas requested that the Council and the public give thoughtful consideration to the new one, and inform Salamander of their preferences as soon as possible.

Virginia Stone Exteriors

Salamander's design team has also suggested extensive changes to the outside appearance of the Inn. Gone is any notion of a French/Tuscan villa design. The new look is Virginia Countryside, with all the major buildings faced with natural stone in the style of the Red Fox Inn, stone chimneys reminiscent of the German stone farm houses that dot the county, natural slate roofs, gravel and stone walkways. The "feel" is to be that of an ancient Virginia manor house that has been added to by succeeding generations until it reached it's current configuration as an Inn and Spa. The proposed new location will also allow buildings to be fitted into the lower contours of the property, preserving the highest ground on the property for forest land.

Reception Areas, Restaurants and Conference

Guests will enter the Inn through a courtyard, reached via a long shaded drive. After entering a spacious reception area, guests will be registered in a private library-like room. At the other end of the reception area will a wine bar, open to the public, serving casual lunches and dinners and afternoon teas. Next to that a room for billiards and TV is planned.

The main restaurant will seat 110, including a private dining area. About 135 guests could also be served on outside patios with views overlooking the Bull Run Mountains in the distance. Open to the public, the restaurant will feature a combination of Virginia and continental cuisine, at moderate prices.

The stuccoed conference facility will seat 300 comfortably and include a 5,000 square foot ball room. Roughly half the Inn's business is expected to be based on conferences.

Guest Rooms

The main lodging house will contain 44 rooms. They're large, 600 square feet, and each features a foyer, a small dining area, a working gas fireplace, LCD television sets in bedroom and bath.

The Spa will add another eight rooms, designed to allow in-room treatment. In addition to world class Spa facilities, the area will also include facilities for a cooking school.

Nine private cottages, three of them with four bedrooms each, are also planned for the grounds.

The rest of the rooms are contained in a conference living facility, which the proposed new site will allow to be built as a three-story facility that appears to be only two stories high.