Warren County Report

Passed unanimously by council on Dec. 17 were first, funding of a joint town-county Wayfarer Sign project designed to consolidate and beautify directional signage throughout the community; and second, approval of a resolution calling for a joint work session with the county to discuss the future direction of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority.

The initial contribution of both the town and county to the sign project is an even split of $6,425.31, or $3,212.66 each (wonder who picks up the odd penny?); the cost of establishing a consensus with the county and the EDA over future economic and community planning – priceless!

With some of the Wayfarer Sign project signs pointing toward the WCGC and the Royal Phoenix site it seemed logical that following approval of the sign funding the next item of business was passage of the joint work session resolution involving the county and EDA. The EDA’s office complex now housing several tenants including The Wayside Theater in the old American Viscose-FMC-Avtex Administration Building was the first tangible economic redevelopment at Royal Phoenix.

In explaining his call for the resolution directing the joint work session, Bret Hrbek said he thought with the EDA in a time of transition the timing was opportune to meet to establish whether the dog has been wagging the tail or the tail has, in fact, been wagging the dog in the EDA’s recent relationship with the municipalities that fund it.

EDA Executive Director Paul Carroll resigned suddenly by letter on Nov. 30. Then EDA Board Chairman Mike South resigned his volunteer position to take over Carroll’s position on what is projected to be a four-month interim basis.

Relations between the town and EDA soured earlier this year when South sent a letter to the mayor declining a second work session requested by council to discuss the extension and funding of a contract with planning consultant SRI International.

Council responded to the perceived slight by declining to contribute its $14,000 share of the $130,000 annual contract to begin implementation of SRI’s “Community Roadmap to the Future.” The EDA, county and chamber of commerce went forward with the SRI contract and project without the town’s direct involvement, though SRI officials and other stakeholders have constantly called for the town to reinitiate more direct involvement in the project. The current SRI contract runs out at the end of March, coincidentally perhaps, the timeframe the EDA has put on naming a new Executive Director.

“We need to reassert who is directing who and not have an agenda pushed on us,” Hrbek stated. “There are two elected bodies and one that is appointed by them. I think the EDA should be accountable to those who fund it, rather than vice versa.”

“I think we need more cooperation with the EDA but I hope we’re not at the point where we’re saying the EDA is not doing its job,” Gene Tewalt replied to Hrbek. “There may be some glitches but I feel personally they are doing a good job.”

Eileen Grady agreed with Tewalt that the EDA has been performing its primary function of guiding the community’s economic development well.

Stan Brooks agreed with Hrbek that it is the town and county’s responsibility to oversee EDA operations. Brooks also agreeed that now was an appropriate time for the county and town to meet to determine the EDA’s role as a quasi-governmental entity appointed and funded by the two municipalities.

Which way?

The $6,425.31 of Wayfaring Sign Project money – the county approved its half the following day – will pay for design, peripheral material and the signs themselves. A staff report said a total of 19 locations have been determined for the signs. The signs posted at all major entrances to the community and key locations in town are designed to “welcome, orient and guide” citizens and visitors to major points of interest throughout the community – and look good while doing so. It is hoped the project will eliminate redundancy and cluttered signage at cross-purposes in the town and county.

Destinations include obvious ones like Shenandoah National Park, the Skyline Drive, Skyline Caverns, Historic Downtown Front Royal and the Visitors’ Center and Warren County Courthouse situated in that downtown. Other destinations will include the new Warren County and Skyline High Schools, Bing Crosby Stadium, the Skyline Soccerplex, the Royal Phoenix site, Randolph-Macon Academy, Christendom College, the Northern Virginia 4-H Center, Front Royal-Warren County Airport, Samuels Library, the Happy Creek Technology Park and finally the two municipal seats – the Front Royal Town Hall and the Warren County Government Center. There is also a reserved blank space, one might assume for the Wayside Theater if a final deal is struck to keep a satellite location of the landmark regional playhouse at Royal Phoenix after Wayside’s Middletown home base theater reopens next year.
With all those directions maybe the town and county can find some love on the road to rational and cooperative governance … it’s possible, really … isn’t it?

Rude BAR?

Early in the meeting Hrbek expressed distress at the recent actions of the Board of Architectural Review citing the new owners of the old East Main Street Boston Store building for unapproved renovations to the exterior front façade.

“As a property rights individual I am distressed [the owners] should have to go through all this rigmarole after investing a lot of money into fixing that building up,” Hrbek said. He suggested council explore the repeal of Historic District restrictions downtown and consider disbanding the BAR.

Brooks said he was unfamiliar with the meeting tape Hrbek referred to in calling the BAR hearing “rude and embarrassing.” However, he suggested council not leap into a blanket repeal of existing policies designed to maintain the historic and architectural integrity of its downtown, a major tourist attraction.

I-81, traffic & lights

Several councilmen and the town manager acknowledged the local traffic impacts of the Dec. 14 accident on I-81 near Mt. Jackson. The overturned tanker that spilled fuel into Cedar Creek created havoc on state and local roads all over the Northern Valley.

Graham said the town got calls from citizens thinking the town’s traffic lights had created the huge traffic backups that at times extended from Strasburg Road and I-66 to beyond the Commerce Avenue-North Royal Avenue intersection. Actuall Graham pointed out that 10 of the town 13 traffic lights now were operated by camera censors that adjusted timing to traffic flow. Unfortunately, Graham added, the three lights not yet outfitted with the new technology are the Main Street, South Street and Jackson Street intersections with North Royal Avenue – or “why are we stopped?” row as it is affectionately known.

Graham also pointed that VDOT, not the town controlled the lights at the often-congested Riverton intersection approaching the North Fork Bridge work.