Traffic Congestion a Concern for Potential Development on Royal Lane at Town Planning Commission Meeting

At a meeting of the Front Royal Planning Commission on Wednesday, January 15, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Warren County Government Center at 220 North Commerce Avenue, the bulk of their time was spent receiving information about and discussing a prospective development on Royal Lane. After hearing from the applicant’s representative, the commission heard several concerned citizens in the public hearing for this agenda item, who highlighted the deleterious effect this development could have on traffic where Royal Lane intersects with John Marshall Highway, not currently governed by any kind of traffic light. In further conversation among the commissioners, it was established that the traffic impact analysis for this item dates to 2014, representing eleven years in which conditions may have changed. The apparent need for up-to-date traffic analysis became a focus of discussion.

Town Planning Commission prepares to conduct a regular meeting on the evening of Wednesday, January 15. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

The application for this development from Pennoni Associates Inc. pertains to a special-use permit to establish a residential use in a commercial district. The property on which the vacant parcel is located is zoned C-1, Community Business District. The development would feature multi-family apartments containing thirty-six units in three separate apartment houses containing twelve units each and an office building off Royal Lane. Staff recommended approval. In the public hearing, one gentleman, Jim North, who is intimately acquainted with an already difficult traffic situation coming off Royal Lane onto John Marshall Highway, expressed that it was the public’s original understanding that the proposed apartments would serve as workforce housing, in which case he would want to be as accommodating as possible. However, it has become clear that the use will be more generic, and the increased traffic annoyance is simply not worthwhile in the case that the apartments are devolving to something like condominium use.

: Deputy Zoning Administrator John Ware presents to the commission the items on their agenda.

After a rebuttal from Mike Artz, Pennoni’s representative, in which he stated that a residential use is far less intrusive than anything that could be built by right and that the applicant is working closely with VDOT, Commissioner Allen Neel sought a point of clarity from Town Attorney George Sonnett on whether the applicant’s departure from a defined purpose of workforce housing, a definition which Artz explained as a mistake in the application, invalidates the application. “The income level of prospective tenants cannot be considered by the approving body,” Sonnett responded. “There’s a specific state statute on that. In other words, I don’t believe it’s relevant.”

Licensed surveyor and engineer Mike Artz addresses the commission on behalf of Pennoni Associates Inc. concerning an application for a special-use permit.

In the discussion that followed, both Commissioner Megan Marrazzo and Commissioner Andrew Brooks agreed that the outdated nature of the traffic analysis merited a recommendation of denial, in order that the applicant might come back with a revised application. While acknowledging that the outdated traffic analysis was troubling, Vice Chairman Allen Neel underlined the helplessness of the applicant to solve that problem independently of VDOT or the Town and considering that similar problems could be generated through a by right development, Neel ultimately favored a recommendation of approval with conditions. Prior to that motion, the commissioners had a tie vote for the motion recommending denial, after which Neel made a motion for recommendation of approval with conditions, namely, that the applicant establish appropriate barriers on the property isolating the development from already existing neighborhoods, that the private driveway be upgraded, and the road extended from the cul-de-sac to the property line. This came after Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke explained that special-use permit applications are not required to submit a traffic analysis and hence, according to Sonnett, it would not be appropriate to make it a condition of the recommendation. Having established that deferring action would not gain them anything, the motion passed, Marrazzo dissenting.

Jim North was one of several concerned citizens who addressed the commission regarding the impact on traffic that the Pennoni project might create.

After a rezoning application and a request for approval of a preliminary plan for a major subdivision, both of which were forwarded to Town Council with recommendations for approval, the meeting proceeded to commission matters in which Brooks made a special point to thank the staff for everything they do, especially in light of how much additional work they are undertaking this year with the same amount of employees as last year. Following the report of the planning director, the meeting adjourned.

Click here to watch the Front Royal Planning Commission Meeting of January 15, 2025.