Thanks to a grant from the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments' TLC Program Middleburng now has "down on paper" a number of initiatives that, as Town Administrator Martha Semmes noted, "we have been discussing for years."

At its July 11 meeting Council responded positively to a presentation outlining positive steps that could be taken to both maintain and improve the special character of Washington Street, including caring for its trees, improved signage, brick sidewalk repairs, better parking meter technology, dark-sky-friendly lights, and more.

According to Semmes, the "most important reason to have this in one plan is now we can pursue funding for these improvements, both from the public and private sectors. You need a plan before you can ask for money to do anything."

The Town will begin to submit a grant application for streetscape improvements through the State Transportation Enhancement Program, she noted, in the very next grant cycle. The Town has also have "started working with a lighting professional to create a detailed streetlight plan that can be appended to this plan and provided to the Piedmont Community Foundation to encourage more contributions to their Dark Sky Initiative Fund."

Funds the Town raised in that way can be either be used "for directly funding new street lights," she noted, "or can help provide the 20% local match required for the State TE Program grants."