Front Royal seeks state support for blighted property enforcement

Frustration was expressed by Front Royal Town Council members concerning a lack of enforcement authority the Town faces concerning deteriorating or “at-risk” structures.  That frustration came after an update on such structures by Town Manager Joe Waltz at a June 19 work session.

And at the point of that frustration – as it has been for nearly a decade now – is the once regal, now boarded-up Afton Inn at the head of Front Royal’s Historic Downtown Business District.  The fact that the long-derelict three-story brick building is directly across Crescent Street from the new Front Royal Town Hall is a glaring reminder to staff and council of their frustration.

The Afton Inn is hard to forget if you enter Town Hall to the right, very often. File Photo/Roger Bianchini

Vice-Mayor Eugene Tewalt suggested trying to get the newest of Warren County’s three state House delegates, 29^th District Representative Chris Collins, on board to take the enforcement issue to the General Assembly.

Tewalt was scathing in his appraisal of the county’s other two delegates, the 15^th District’s Todd Gilbert and the 18^th’s Michael Webert – “We can’t get a reply from them; they won’t even take it to committee … All we need is (the authority) the cities have,” the vice mayor observed, adding, “We need to get somebody on our side – if not him (Collins) then we should approach Obenshain or Vogel,” Tewalt said of the 26^th and 27^th District state senators, the latter a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.

As a starting point to force the issue, Town Attorney Doug Napier suggested changing the Town Charter to indicate that the Town of Front Royal has “all the rights of a city.”

Town Manager Waltz suggested reaching out to other Virginia town governments with the same problem.  Tewalt commented that past contacts indicated other towns were in the same boat, and that a group initiative might give the issue some impetus at the state level.

A total of 16 structures made the list and two – 24 W. Stonewall Ave. and the old North Royal Avenue extended lot where the VFW headquarters was destroyed by fire – were removed this year.

Several prominent local business people, including Fork District Supervisor Archie Fox (A Fox LLC), Laura Gilliam (Mrs. Daniel Pond II), and of course in the case of the Afton Inn, the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority (listed as the Industrial Development Authority of Town of Front Royal) own parcels on the list.  The EDA is still marketing the historic Afton Inn for sale and redevelopment.  One promising recent proposal involving locals fell through when a financing option did not happen.

Above, the historic warehouse owned by Archie Fox destroyed by fire on April 29; below, Fox’s other North Royal Avenue extended parcel on the at-risk list is where a residential house burned last year. Photos/Roger Bianchini

In Fox’s case his two derelict properties at the end of North Royal Avenue, like the nearby VFW building, were destroyed by fire, including the historic old stone warehouse that burned April 29.

Gilliam’s property is an old residence near the intersection of North Commerce Avenue and Sixth Street (202 E. Sixth Street) that her late father, Ronnie Gilliam, kept available as an affordable housing rental for years.  The staff summary of that property listed it as currently “vacant” and “blighted”, but “secure”.

Laura Gilliam’s property at 202 E. Sixth St.

Also prominent on the list were several properties owned by Don Simonpetri, including the old Simonpetri’s Pawn Shop taking up much of the northeastern portion of the 500 block of South Royal Avenue.  The business has been shut down since Simonpetri was convicted on federal charges related to weapons sales.  His strip of properties were among those looked at for re-development of a town entranceway as a public-private partnership between the Town and KRATOS, a development group in which former Town Manager Michael Graham was involved about five years ago.  For some reason, the sitting council did not pursue the proposal and the property has remained vacant since, also carrying a “blighted” designation.

Two Simonpetri properties on 500 block of South Royal Avenue, at the southern entranceway into town off the Skyline Drive – “Mile 0” indeed.

A number of properties appear to have been included for a failure to maintain yards – “high grass” was listed as a primary reason for inclusion on seven properties.

A full listing of the properties with photos is available on the Town of Front Royal website under meeting agendas – June 19 council work session.