Students from Virginia Tech are working on a studio design project for Federal Street, Town Planner and Zoning Administrator David Beniamino told Town Council at its regular meeting on September 8. According to Beniamino, a report is due from the Tech students in December. Town Administrator Martha Semmes noted that one of the students is the daughter of Sheila Wetzel, Middleburg Branch Manager of the Loudoun County Public Library system.

At the same session, Beniamino outlined a request for a special use permit required for further progress on a major renovation of 17 West Federal Street.

Ben Wegdam of LouLou, LouLou II, and Crème de la Crème plans to add a second story to the building there, locate his corporate headquarters on the upper floor, and use the ground level as a warehouse for his expanding retail operations.

Council member Bundles Murdock welcomed the proposal, noting that the building "has had problems for years" and, "needed help".

TWO WAIVERS REQUESTED

One was for deviation from town loading zone requirements. With no room on the property to construct one for his warehouse, Wegdam has agreed to a Middleburg Planning Commission request that only trucks to the size of a UPS or Fed Ex truck be used for pickup and delivery.

The second waiver would allow construction to begin without provisions being made for sidewalk construction.

According to Beniamino, Wegdam has working with his engineers and architects to see if it might be possible to build a sidewalk on the site that would meet Virginia Department of Transportation requirements.

In the meantime, however, Wegdam asked for an outright waiver because there was no master plan requirement for him to build a sidewalk on Federal Street.

VDOT, Beniamino noted, would be responsible for maintaining any new sidewalk if it was located entirely in state-owned right-of-way. Otherwise, the Town would have to maintain it.

As of September 8, the Planning Commission had indicated a desire to discuss the sidewalk waiver request with the Council.

TOWN OWNS REAL ESTATE VALUED AT NEARLY $6 MILLION

Town Administrator Semmes provided Council with an inventory of the real estate owned by the town that, she noted, would be very helpful as the town approached both its ongoing expense and capital budgets.

The town owns 17 parcels of land, according to the report, the first inventory of its kind since 2004. With an assessed value of over $5.7 million, the parcels (which include five rights-of-way) include wells, water treatment plants, shop buildings, parking lots, Town Hall, the Health Center building which houses the town's Police Department, and other sites.

Property owned by the town, Semmes noted, does not produce tax revenue. It is also wise, she said, for the town to periodically review how it was actually using the property it decides to retain.

POLICE: NEW TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Police Chief Bill Klugh reported that his officers were currently participating in training sessions on the proper use of force and that he was purchasing a new Taser "that would be shared" by his officers after all were properly trained in its use. Officer Mike Prince, he noted, was attending a conference "related to his certification as a fire arson investigator" and that all his officers would be learning how to use the town's traffic control laser radar.

Klugh reported that he had received a number of applications for a position on the Middleburg force, that interviews had been scheduled. Assuming successful background checks and the passing of a physical, a new hire was imminent, he said, perhaps as early as October.

Once his new officer is hired and fully oriented, Klugh reported, he will start computer training for the entire force.

Klugh will also be working with the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department on the integration of a newly purchased computer-aided county dispatch and records-management system. His goal, he said, is to integrate Middleburg's current stand-alone system into the larger county framework, enhancing both departments' analysis and response capabilities.

ANTI-MacMANSION ZONING CONSIDERED

At the Council's August 25 work session, Council member Kevin Hazard reported that the Planning Commission had toured the Ridgeview Subdivision "looking at what they thought would and would not be objectionable" with regard to new rules about the size, scale and massing of houses in the area. He was hopeful, he said, that the Commission would have something more concrete to report after their next meeting.

Town Administrator Semmes noted the need for the buildings to respect the rest of the neighborhood.

Noting that private property was, is, and remains "the owner's property," Hazard observed that "it was our town."

Town Planner Beniamino noted that, in his view, only enabling legislation would allow the Town to have architectural controls over construction. In Virginia, however, such controls only applied in a historic district or an entrance corridor overlay district. Thus, Beniamino advised, the Town could not impose regulations in the Ridgeview Subdivision by more than a street or two.

Semmes suggested the issue might be addressed through an amendment of the Town Charter, noting that, in her experience, other communities were empowered to conduct community-wide architectural reviews.

A Town Charter Amendment would have to be submitted to the General Assembly in December, according to the Town Clerk, and a public hearing would be required before it could be submitted to a sponsoring legislator, yet to be found.

At the request of Vice Mayor Kirk, Town Staff will draft a timeline for such a charter amendment and take a look at the language used to accomplish similar goals in Purcellville and Herndon.

LARGER CELL PHONE ANTENNAS

Verizon has asked to double the size of their antennas on the Town's water tank. He explained that they were switching from 3G to 4G coverage; and, needed the larger antennas.

According to minutes of the meeting, Council member Murdock asked why the request was a "big deal".

"Council member Snyder explained that the new antennas made the lease more valuable."

"Council member Shea explained that the new antennas would put more weight on the tower."

Three cell phone companies had antennas attached to the tank.

Town Administrator Semmes reported she and the Town Attorney were working on an amendment to the Verizon lease that would incorporate terms to make maintenance of the water tank easier and raise more money for the town.