Middleburg Town Council met twice in February, moving forward quietly and unanimously on legislation critical to the completion of the Salamander Inn and Spa on a 342-acre site, 88 of which lie within the town limits.

In July, 2005, after more than a year of contentious debate, the Town agreed to a "memorandum of understanding" with Salamander by a narrow, one-vote margin. That agreement, among other things, committed Salamander Development to build a badly needed new water treatment plant for the town, and to work closely with the town and county in the design and planning of the Spa. In January, the Council passed a resolution approving in principal a major design change and moving the resort and spa closer to the town, saving a large stand of trees from the bulldozers, and moving the main entrance of the Spa away from unhappy neighbors to its north.

The changes required further extensive amendments to the Town's comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances, and highly detailed technical co-ordination with similar County rules and regulations. On February 9, at its regular Thursday meeting, the Council, had little choice but to table the issue until those critical complexities had been discussed, reviewed and resolved. Without objection, the Council put the problem into the hands of the Town's Land Use Committee, chaired by Mark Snyder, with instructions to report back at a special full meeting of the Council, called for one week later, February 9.

During the week that followed Snyder's committee and the town's professional staff, Town Attorney, Elizabeth Whiting, Town Administrator, Mike Casey, Town Planner Marchand Schneider, and Milt Herd, a planning consultant continued an ongoing series of work sessions with Prem Devadas and the staff of Salamander Hospitality to draft new language, including elimination of "golf course" as "a use permitted anywhere in the town."

Given recent litigation that, among other things, led the Virginia Supreme Court to sweep away key county zoning ordinances, Snyder expressed his particular concern to "make sure the thing was done right" and that the interests of all parties were fully protected both now and in the future.

A week later, at a special meeting of on Thursday, February 16, the Town Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the work of Land Use Committee and directing the town's professional staff "to develop amendments to the Town Plan and Zoning Ordinance" and referring "same to the Planning Commission for their recommendation to Town Council."

The updated drafts are expected to be presented to the Planning Commission by February 27.

Mark Snyder reiterated his fear that weakly worded regulations could well make it "too easy to upgrade the scale of the project" at some point in the future, though, he noted that it would be both inappropriate, if not impossible, "to tie the hands of any future Town Council."

Prem Devadas, the President of Salamander Hospitality expressed his appreciation for everyone's hard work, and reiterated his personal conviction that any and all outstanding issues could be addressed in a "communal spirit" for the "common good." Barring heretofore unseen impediments grading on the site could begin, according to Devadas, "before next winter hits."

In other Council business, the Council approved, on February 2, amendments to the Town's parking regulations, including rate increases designed to promote parking space turnover in the Main Street shopping area. The changes, along with granting of permits facilitating the opening of the new Middleburg Bank parking lot at 105 West Federal Street, attracted little comment until Town Attorney Elizabeth Whiting, noted that she had taken advantage of the opportunity to rationalize, simplify and update the parking rules. When asked why she had dropped certain rules governing taxi stands and bus stops, she noted that there hadn't been a need for either in the town of Middleburg for well over a decade. Council Member Margaret New's question about a provision for free parking in any metered space for cars bearing handicapped license plates was responded to by Chief of Police Webber with the assurance that the provision was also a matter of State law.