Mission accomplished

Barring an unprecedented emergency that would require the supervisors to gather again before their regular, scheduled meeting in January, Ray Graham and Terry Nyhous have completed their tenures on the board.

As they were often on opposing sides when it came to deciding issues that came before the board, it would not be possible for all of us to applaud each and every vote that these two gentlemen cast.

But we all can — and should — be grateful for the service that they provided for the residents of Cedar Run District, for the residents of Center District, for the residents of the county as a whole.

They leave their successors, Lee Sherbeyn and Chris Granger, with some difficult decisions that will have to be made fairly soon. The winery ordinance, for one, an issue so contentious that Mr. Graham and Mr. Nyhous and their colleagues kicked it down the road for this board to deal with.

Mintbrook for another, another Bealeton development which will put the spotlight on Mr. Granger in Center District, Mr. Sherbeyn having already indicated how he likely will vote.

Frankly, while we have voiced our reservations about more wrong-size houses in wrong locations in this space with some frequency in recent months, we have all but lost interest in Mintbrook.

For the life of us, we cannot fathom how a 475-home development so far removed from jobs, amenities, recreation and services is going to get traction in this market.

Build it and they will come? That might have been the case once upon a time. It is no longer. If Mintbrook does proceed in the face of every indication that its row will present hoeing difficulties of considerable magnitude, all we can say is good luck.

There are these decisions facing the new board, to say nothing of a budget process that will start up almost immediately.

Thank you, Mr. Graham and Mr. Nyhous for your hard work and dedication.