Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Bluemont Citizens Association
Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Bluemont Citizens Association Meeting Minutes July 6 , 2022
Hybrid Zoom/Dirt Farm Brewery
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In Attendance: (17)
Peter Weeks, John Sullivan, John Constant, Tom and Marilyn Rust, Bill and Barbara Bogard, Gail Kelly, Jen Stone, Cynthia Morris, Janell Zurschmeide, Rachel Wetherill, Charlie Billman, Lindsey Holman, James Kirby, Lisa Seeberger – Mary Marks via Zoom
Meeting called to order: 7:07 PM, Peter Weeks – presiding
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President’s Remarks:
Thank you to Janell Zurschmeide for inviting us to Dirt Farm. A few of us here were at the memorial service for Bob Zurschmeide. It was a beautiful service and very moving hearing from Bob’s family members. It was also reassuring knowing Bob is near Henry Plaster at Ebenezer Cemetery. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to become friends with Bob… perhaps someone else would like to share a few words? (Stories and words of thanks were offered by Janell.) The BCA plans to create a memorial for Bob, as well as something practical – such as a scholarship. We are currently working with the family and no final decision has been made, but we are considering a summertime intern scholarship at an AG school in the area. This would be in Bob’s name and would be given out on an annual basis. The Zurschmeide legacy is deep and long standing in Bluemont and needs to be recognized.
Treasurer’s Report:
Dave Ewald was unable to attend tonight. Things have been relatively stable over the past month, other than the stock market where our investment return is down another 5% since the first of the year. For the fair, we are in the process of applying for liability insurance. It may now be a requirement that every fair vendor show proof they are insured.
Standing Committees:
• Bluemont Fair
The fair details are coming together. The poster has been finalized and the design for glassware is in the works – we are trying to make sure Henry’s barn is incorporated in the design. We will add hats for sale this year, but no coffee mugs.
• Bluemont Heritage
A website link for the historical archive Kevin Hart created will be sent to the community soon. The archive is a permanent collection from Bluemont’s history (over 400 items) that can be added to for years to come. The museum exhibition is ongoing and had a special visitor a few weeks ago – Senator Kaine stopped by while bike riding through the area. Peter was able to speak with him on the attributes of Bluemont and preserving/protecting what we love.
Community Organizations/Events:
- Community Center/Parks & Rec – The June Jammin’ on the Porch concert had increased attendance with free pizza and ice cream. The next event will be Friday, July 15 with the Kevin Johnson Jazz Trio. To improve participation, we are considering sending out a postcard in advance next year with the entire concert series schedule.
- Snickersville Turnpike Association – Now that the Turnpike is on the National Register of Historic Places, there will be a sign installed at either end of the road. One sign will be outside the village of Aldie and the other will be, fittingly, near Henry Plaster’s home.
Old Business:
- Rural Forum in Round Hill – Peter attended the forum with Chair Randall and Supervisor Kershner, as well as about 125 other people. Staff members were present, which meant those doing a majority of the work were listening when people spoke. Peter was able to speak on behalf of the mountains. He highlighted the importance of the mountains and their natural resources, to include the water we drink and trees that convert our CO2 into the oxygen we breath. He also emphasized there is no enforcement on the mountain and people can basically do anything they want by-right. The BCA is workingwith the current Loudoun Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) to make sure inappropriate uses of the mountains are addressed and something is done to protect the area.
Conversation ensued on upcoming changes, such as the recent approval of Rt 15 north of Leesburg to become a four-lane highway (which will greatly affect the historic village of Lucketts). Other upcoming changes will be debated with the ZOR over the next few months. Comments are needed on the ZOR, as the Zoning Committee has only received 391 comments from over 400K Loudoun residents. The Loudoun Historic Village Alliance is working to highlight areas of the ZOR that are pertinent to our community and provide recommended comments for reference.
- Bluemont Farmers Market – The market is ongoing. It has been somewhat of a learning experience this year, as it was previously run by a co-op. We have had some inconsistency with our vendors, but last week was much more encouraging and we continue to work on expanding our offerings.
New Business:
- Bluemont Vineyard/Dirt Farm – Dirt Farm turns seven on Friday, July 8. Happy Birthday Dirt Farm!
- Volunteer Position Openings – An email went out to the community with a list of volunteer openings. Those who have responded are most interested in the Small Area Plan (SAP) being developed for Bluemont. We are looking for a planning committee of seven members who will be making some major decisions in conjunction with other villagers. The group will work to bring everything together and present it to residents. Specifically, we are looking for a cross section of the community that has some expertise in IT and research. All of the villages are charged by the county to present a SAP showing their boundaries and how they want things done. The idea is to give villages a voice at the table, so when VDOT wants to do something – they will need to get the village’s approval. We do have some time to work on this, as the process will go into 2023.
- Jammin’ on the Porch – July 15, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00 PM @ Bluemont Community Center
Marilyn Rust is looking for help with welcome baskets for new Bluemont residents and is interested in finding local businesses that would like to contribute items or business cards to the baskets.
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Adjournment: 8:11 PM
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 3, 2022 @ 7:00 PM
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Notes by: Lisa Seeberger
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