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"You lost your battle, didn't you?" the man said to me this week outside the Elliston post office. Much to his glee, the state had finally announced that Elliston would be the site for the intermodal rail yard, despite near unanimous opposition from his neighbors and our board of supervisors.

"And if the county spends a million dollars fighting it," he continued, "they're a bunch of sons of b----es!"

That he dropped such a vulgar bomb in front of my almost 3-year-old daughter ... well, you recall the childhood adage involving insults, rubber and glue.

But I did catch a whiff of truth in what he said.

Montgomery County officials have fought the good fight and represented the county's residents well. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the state, which gave unchecked control of the project to Norfolk Southern, even though taxpayers will bear 70 percent -- potentially more than $40 million -- of the cost.

But at what point does our cause become our cross?

As one who has attended all the public meetings, called and written our elected officials and penned numerous columns opposing the Elliston site, I'm the last one who will wave a white flag if there's still a chance for victory.

If Montgomery County chooses to sue to stop the project because it thinks it can win, then I offer my unqualified support. The supervisors' united stance against two of Virginia's biggest forces -- the state and the railroad -- demands our respect and appreciation.

But I don't want to tilt at windmills, either.

If at some point Montgomery County officials determine they've done all they can legally do, then mitigation may be more effective than litigation.

Contain the site:

While the village of Lafayette will be devastated, the intermodal port alone won't wreck eastern Montgomery County.

But pressure to industrialize the rest of the U.S. 460 corridor to Christiansburg and beyond will skyrocket as developers and distribution centers seek to locate near the port, forever ruining the character not only of Shawsville and Elliston but also all of Montgomery County.

The state and NS violated our county's comprehensive plan by putting the port in Elliston, but our supervisors can -- and should -- abide by this comprehensive plan with appropriate zoning regulations in place for future development decisions.

Access to port:

The county should insist that North Fork Road be upgraded to handle the truck traffic going between the port and the Ironto exit off Interstate 81. It's the most direct route to the port and will keep hundreds of trucks a day from rumbling through Elliston and Shawsville.

Ideally, this upgrade would include safe passage from North Fork Road across U.S. 460 to the port so the highway -- in railroad parlance -- doesn't become a blocked crossing.

Coupled with other safety measures along U.S. 460, the upgrade will enhance traffic safety for our citizens.

Ensure public oversight:

Anyone who lives along the railroad knows how much Norfolk Southern values aesthetics and the environment. Discarded timbers, stacks of rusted rails and other debris aren't uncommon sights.

Because NS is to own the intermodal facility, the county and state should make sure the site is built and maintained as "green" as possible. Vegetative berms should be erected to hide the port from the highway. Safeguards should be made to protect the air quality and nearby Roanoke River -- the drinking water for the Roanoke Valley. Lighting and noise controls should be installed.

The site shouldn't become a dump for cargo containers from China.

Return on our 'investment':

More than half the schoolchildren in eastern Montgomery County qualify for free or reduced lunches. One-third of our residents live in mobile homes, are low income and lack a high school education. (Strange how these kinds of projects always land in poor, underserved communities, isn't it?)

Our community obviously has many needs, particularly on the transportation front, where we lack everything from public busing to sidewalks, greenways and trails.

Because the intermodal project is a transportation alternative to highway driving, a state investment here would be fitting.

If in other words, as The Roanoke Times opined, Montgomery County should "suck it up and take one for the team," all the other players shouldn't be a bunch of SOBs.

Michael Hemphill is a former Roanoke Times reporter who lives in Elliston.