Middleburg's month-long experiment with two-hour free parking ended Monday, June 15. Parking meters are back, sans their prominent white "two-hour-free-parking" bags, until Town Staff and Police Chief A.J. Panebianco can evaluate the results of the Town's month-long "free parking" experiment.

At this month's June 11 regular meeting of Town Council, Chief Panebianco delivered a preliminary review of his current sense of how the "free parking" trial had been received by those who park and those who depend on parkers.

Feedback from business owners, Panebianco reported, was generally positive. "They liked the idea that parking was free" and several had noted, with some pleasure, that "people who tended to park their vehicles at the meters for the entire day were now starting to move them."

Negative feedback was relatively rare, he said. Some business people reported that visitors had told them that two hours "wasn't really enough time to shop." Some said they felt "rushed to move their cars."

Weekends were also problematic. When all the parking spaces are full, Panebianco noted, "people don't want to move their cars," ...fearing that they won't be able to find another space.

During the month-long trial Middleburg officers wrote fifty-nine "warning tickets" compared to an average of thirty-four "real" tickets per month when the spaces were metered.

Some of the warnings, Panebianco noted pointedly, "were to the same individuals," totaling no more than four or five repeat offenders.

Part of the increase in the total number of tickets issued, Panebianco speculated, was because his department no doubt devoted more time to parking enforcement during the test period.

During the test, for example, officers marked tires twice a day with chalk, then returned after at least two hours had passed to warn violators.

Given their normal police duties, Panebianco continued, Middlburg's officers could not possibly continue to chalk and check tires in this way every day. But, should the Town decide to permanently adopt the two-hour-free-parking system, digital equipment was available to reduce the time required for appropriate enforcement.

Enforcement Before and After: During the trial, Middleburg police officers issued "warning tickets," both as a courtesy and because the Town's metered spaces, strictly speaking, have not been formally and legally designated as enforceable "two-hour parking zones."

In any case, Panebianco noted, the experiment was not conducted to generate revenue. Indeed, the primary goal of the Town's parking space regulations, whether based on meters or time-limited "free parking" was to make it possible for as many people as possible to park as conveniently and safely as possible while shopping, dining or sightseeing in Middleburg.

"In order to allow motorists to get used to the meters again," the Chief reported, Middleburg Police planned to "take it easy" on parking enforcement for at least the first week.

The Town will continue to seek and evaluate input from business owners and shoppers in the weeks ahead, Panebianco continued. All those who contributed feedback, positive or negative, he promised, would remain anonymous.

A full and formal report, with recommendations for approaches to enforcement, the Chief promised, would be forthcoming "soon."

Salamander: Town Planner Will Moore reported on June 11 that the preliminary plat has been formally filed for the new forty-nine-lot residential subdivision at Salamander and is now in the process of review by the appropriate Town, County, and State authorities.

The Town Planning Commission public hearing on the matter, he said, is scheduled for June 22nd.

Moore noted that even though the submission was a conceptual layout, in his view "the plat was in substantial conformance with the plan the Council recently adopted as part of the proffer revisions."

Moore reiterated, however, that the review was ongoing and that the Virginia Department of Transportation's input was crucial. Town Staff, he said, "was eagerly awaiting their comments."

Water Protection: Town Council unanimously approved resolutions of appreciation for Former Middleburg Town Council Member Lisa Patterson and American Water Resources Association Technical Director Richard Engberg for their services on the town's Wellhead Protection Advisory Committee.

Working closely with Town staff and Town Council liaison Mark Snyder, the committee provides invaluable advice and counsel on the protection of the Town of Middleburg's water supply.

Scouts Honored: In a related ceremony, Town Council also passed unanimously, a Resolution of Appreciation for the work of Middleburg's Boy Scout Troop 2950 for their help in protecting both the Town's drinking water and the larger Potomac watershed.

Scouts Thomas Hess, Ryan Bradshaw, Patrick Carter, Austin McGhee, and Ian McGuiness were singled out for their work, under the direction of Troop Leader Teri Domanski, in installing "Only Rain Should Go Down the Storm Drain" medallions on the town's drains.

Vice Mayor Kirk read the resolution aloud and presented signed copies to Paul Davies, Troop 2950's Scout Master.

The Troop 2950 meets every Monday evening at The American Legion hall on the Plains Road at 6.45 pm to 8.30 pm and welcomes new Scouts.

Go Green and the Arts Council Recognized: On a night devoted to well-deserved special recognition four citizen volunteers were recognized for their work in protecting the environment and fostering the arts in Middleburg.

Council unanimously approved and formally presented Resolutions of Appreciation to Jilann Brunett and Patricia Zielinski for their work on the Town's "Go Green" Committee.

Wendy Roseberry, Suzi Molak and Amanda Scheps were formally recognized for their work on the Middleburg Arts Council.

Bicycles: Town Councilmember Kathy Jo Shea reported to Council that she has recently experienced "near collisions with bicycles . . . .twice."

Asked whether the Town's Police Department offered a bicycle safety program, Chief Panebianco confirmed it offered just such a program during National Night Out and that Officer Heather Fadely had worked tirelessly to make sure appropriate helmets have been given to most of the children in town.

When Shea asked whether bikers who violate the law were required to undergo any "special instruction," Panebianco replied that cyclists "must follow the same traffic rules as motorists, except that they could pass on the left or right and could ride two abreast."

As a general rule, the Chief continued, if a Middleburg officer encounters a juvenile biking violation, they first try to correct the behavior verbally, and if it continues, contact the under-age offender's parents. More serious offenses, of course, are treated more seriously.

Happily, Panebianco reported, his department "had not seen much of this here; therefore, they have not had to do much enforcement."