Our town of Middleburg has been suffering the devastating effects of the poor upkeep of rental housing, blight, the diminishing of small businesses, and now an agenda to expand more industrial parking lots in the town square area.  The previous M&T bank location building was bought and is being renovated as an office space for our county commissioners.  The area adjacent to the building, where the M&T drive-through was located, is being slated to be made into a commercial parking lot for the county commissioners' office building.

When the property was for sale, various proposals of how Middleburg might redevelop the empty drive-through lot were presented to the county commissioners.  Borough officials and members of community organizations were assured that the county would work together with the town to create a multi-functional green space, or plaza area, that would accommodate the needs and desires of its citizens.  Since then, these plans have been abandoned, and our pleas to have a voice during development process have been ignored.      

The center of a town is the heart of a community.  It should be a place which encourages and promotes fellowship and a point of assembly. The town square of Middleburg was once a vibrant and appealing central location where many people gathered in designated areas and a sense of community was established and sustained.  At the present time, there are efforts and projects underway to revitalize and give new hope and rebirth to our town of Middleburg. 

We, the undersigned, are presenting this petition to request that our county commissioners cancel their plans to further devastate our community image, space and appeal with the construction of an unsightly parking lot in the town center.  We wish for this space to serve as a community area to hold events and gatherings, a place to reconnect with neighbors and friends, and to also aide in the movement to revitalize our town.

HELP US MAKE MIDDLEBURG PROUD!