Business people, residents, friends and visitors to Middleburg continue to bear up and soldier on as the Virginia Department of Transportation completes construction on the Middleburg portion its "Route 50 Streetscape Project" and the Town improves its water distribution system.

During a work session discussion Council member Shea noted pointedly that "the Town needed to make sure it was doing all it could to help the businesses." Last year, she noted, when work was being done on Liberty Street, the sidewalk was closed for weeks. "Something like that could make or break a business," she noted.

In the midst of what all appear to agree is a mess worth suffering through in the long run, there have been points of light.

Restaurants, Water, and Dishes

As businesses are connected to the Town's new water lines, for example, water becomes unavailable for hours. Council-member Kevin Hazard and Town Administrator Semmes reported pleas from the Red Horse Tavern and the Red Fox Inn requesting that, if possible their water be turned off later than the currently scheduled 9:00 p.m. cut-off times so they could get their dishes washed in time to open the next day.

Semmes explained that the water project contractor had already decided to maker water connection changes for restaurants at night in an effort to have as little impact as possible, and would work with the owners to begin work as late as possible. They had managed the Trotters Perk Bistro connection, she noted on the day they were closed.

Parking

Police Chief A. J. Panebianco also credited project manager Jovi Alves, whom he described as "an asset to the community," for doing "some significant behind-the-scenes work to make sure there was parking on the streets"

Though the community was being heavily impacted by the project, Panebianco continued, "it would be worse without Mr. Alves," who, in his view, clearly "cared about the community and has told him that he wanted the project to have as little impact as possible, while still getting the work done."

Salamander Development

Town Planner Moore reported that Salamander presented its first draft of the design guidelines to the Historic District Review Committee for the new homes planned for their already-zoned residential development.

Council member Trowbridge Littleton reported that, in his view, "the models looked nice."

Town Planner Moore noted that the HDRC "was taking this very seriously as they understood the large effect of this development on the community" confirming that " they would look at the guidelines in detail."