Town Council Weighs Benefits of Proposed Change to Ordinance and Gives Green Light to Special-Use Permit for Drug Recovery Home

On January 22 at 7 p.m. in the Warren County Government Center, the Front Royal Town Council met for a regular meeting that always remained under the mayor’s control, although many speakers in the public hearing portion spoke passionately in favor of their concerns.

Town Council meets for regular meetings at Warren County Government Center on January 22. Below, after leading the gathering in the pledge of allegiance, Mia Perea receives a gift certificate from the mayor. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

Among other items of business, two concerns demanded most of the council’s time. They were a proposed text amendment to the Town Zoning Ordinance regarding the minimum acreage requirement in Planned Neighborhood Development districts (PND) and a Special Use Permit request from the Warren Coalition for a drug recovery lodging house at 501 South Royal Avenue. Those two items generated much of the comment at the agenda’s four scheduled public hearings.

But prior to getting down to that business, the Council acknowledged the retirement of FRPD Major Jason Ryman, and Town Police Chief Kahle Magalis presented departmental promotions to the council.

FRPD Major Jason Ryman’s retirement is acknowledged, as were town police department promotions presented by Chief Magalis, far left, below.

The PND zoning text amendment was driven by a request from Magdalen Capital, LLLP, and two representatives of Magdalen were present for the public hearing. They were General Partner Jon Fidero and Partner Alex Stieb, the latter of whom gave a presentation to the council on what the organization hopes to see happen in the community if the text amendment is adopted. The amendment would reduce the acreage required for Planned Neighborhood Development (PND) from twenty and fifty-acre requirements down to only two.

Speaking before Stieb, Planning Director, and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke explained to the council the finer points of this request. She noted that under this amendment to the ordinance, these smaller units would not suddenly become PND-zoned parcels but rather would be required to go through a process of the individual review of the application to acquire that status.

Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke explains to the council the finer points of a proposed text amendment to the Town ordinance.

Speaking later, Fidero and Stieb both emphasized the value of preserving the region’s natural charm and making it an inviting place to raise families, while at the same time pursuing growth in a responsible way, providing flexible options for affordable housing.

Alex Stieb makes a presentation to the council on behalf of Magdalen Capital, LLLP, on the benefits of their proposed text amendment to the Town’s zoning ordinances as his business partner Jon Fidero sits behind him.

In the public hearing for this issue, Melanie Salins forcefully opposed the proposed text amendment and stood up to present to the council. She presented a negative portrait of her vision of what may happen to Warren County by approval, comparing the consequences to the type of growth experienced in Loudoun County and other points east. By reducing the acreage requirement so dramatically, Salins envisioned a dystopia in which Warren, like Loudoun, is overwhelmed by developers rushing in. How would council like to see not just one Heptad but many, she asked, questioning whether once the mistake was made, it would be reversible.

Melanie Salins speaks against the proposed zoning text amendment. Below, Connie Marshner speaks in favor of it.

On the other end of the spectrum, Connie Marshner took the podium to argue before the council that the developments concerned here would merely be a duplication of Main Street on a different side of town. Yes, be responsible, she said, and protect the region with certain requirements for any growth, but do not completely shoot down the idea. In the interest of not completely shooting it down, it bears noting that this proposition was originally heard by the planning commission, which recommended to the council a lot requirement of five acres as opposed to two. In reference to the planning commission, one speaker mentioned the potential danger of a councilman – Glenn Wood – simultaneously serving on the planning commission, which he does and will until August of this year. Later in the evening, his remarks on this subject were brief and simply emphasized his intention to graciously fulfill his obligation as a commissioner while simultaneously sitting on the council. Town Attorney George Sonnett confirmed that this scenario is appropriate.

After a motion from Councilman Sealock followed by a substitute motion from Councilman Ingram and discussion among council members about the pluses and minuses of responsible growth versus unmitigated development, every council member except Wood voted in favor of denying the requested text amendment to the Town ordinance. This no doubt pleased most of the people who spoke during the public hearing on this agenda item. Multiple council members affirmed their desire to see this issue developed in future work sessions.

Executive Director of the Warren Coalition, Christa Shifflett, in connection with a request from the Warren Coalition for a special-use permit to operate a recovery house for drug addicts at 501 South Royal Avenue, spoke with emotion about her desire to see members of addiction in this community treated with love and presented with options for healing. Many spoke before her, testifying to their recovery, ongoing and otherwise, from drug addiction. They testified to feeling empty and being completely without hope before they took their first step on a path to healing. “I have been promising for eight years,” Shifflett declared, “that I would do something to help the people in this community because they go back to nothing; that hopelessness is real. You breathe it in when you walk into that jail. We have an opportunity to make a difference to people, to say, ‘We see you, Warren County!’ And not just the people who are good enough to be seen!” Reiterating that this lodging house is meant for drug recovery, Shifflett emphasized that she has no interest in worsening the problem of drug trafficking in the neighborhood; people who come into the house will be drug tested, she explained, and went on further to say that her vision extends to eventually providing this service for females as well.

Executive Director of Warren Coalition Christa Shifflett speaks on behalf of her organization’s vision and the vital necessity it represents to the community.

After the council voted unanimously in favor of granting the special-use permit, reports were heard from the mayor and several council members, followed by the unanimous passing of the consent agenda and then a brief discussion of funds to be appropriated for the revitalized Youth Center, the appropriation of which council voted unanimously in favor. The Raymond E. Santmyers Student Union and Activity Center will receive $25,000 from the Town in an appropriation that is purely voluntary on the Town’s part and may be repeated at their pleasure in the future but will not be obligatory.

At 10:15 p.m., the council went into closed session to receive legal counsel pertaining to First Bank and Trust, as well as Town of Front Royal v. Front Royal Limited Partnership

Click here to watch the Front Royal Town Council Meeting of January 22, 2024.