A Night of Unanimous Votes for Town Council Shows Strong Community and Universal Consensus on Key Issues

Uplifting at its beginning and standing in solidarity at its end, the February 23 meeting of the Town Council covered ground that at times presented complications, yet in every case, a full consensus was reached. Opening with the mayor’s tradition of inviting a young person to lead the gathering in the pledge of allegiance, the agenda then moved to recognitions, several for officers in the Front Royal Police Department and one for a gentleman who has obtained a Class A lineman certification. Members of the council, the mayor, and the town manager stepped down from the dais to photograph with these community assets. They keep us safe in so many ways, whether responding to distress calls or braving cold weather to do critical work that keeps our lights on. They will always have a job.

The Town Council holds a regular meeting on February 23. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

And that is because there will always be a need. The pledge of allegiance itself corresponds to a need, as recent commentary in the Royal Examiner by Mike McCool explained. Like the network of roots beneath a tree, the community is interconnected and could seem fragile if it were not so resilient. Our departments, our rituals, bring us together in ways that often escape the eye. On the evening of the 23, the network was at least partially visible.

JonLuca Winder-Hike stands with the mayor as she thanks him for his patriotism in leading the gathering in the pledge of allegiance.

As the last patches of snow melt from a round of brutal winter weather, as the sun shines on quiet neighborhoods, everyone continues to do their jobs, and perhaps that is what makes the pledge so believable: that Front Royal is indivisible, with liberty, justice, and work for all. The commission, the council, and the round of issues on a carousel of time that somehow describes a circle while moving in a linear direction, all of these are members of the passion to be reflected upon as Easter approaches.

Police recognitions in order with Chief of Police Brian Whited to the far right, new police officer Cooper Blake, fourth from right, and MADD award recipients, officers Carrie Gibson and Brooke Duvall, seventh from right and fifth from right, respectively.

Delving into the evening’s public hearings, the council voted to approve the expansion of an auto shop located at the intersection of 14^th Street and extended North Royal Avenue. Staff recommended closing the entrance off 14th Street due to ongoing potential for accidents, but the final motion allowed the exit to remain right-only, prohibiting the dangerous left turn across traffic. The mayor sought clarity from staff, establishing that this opening could still be used as an entrance. Otherwise, it would only be with difficulty that a larger vehicle, having entered from extended North Royal, could maneuver in the parking area to negotiate the building and arrive at the other side. The applicant declared that this would be a hardship but described the right-only exit as a feasible solution.

Mark Snyder, fifth from right, is recognized for his achievement in obtaining the class A lineman certification. Director of Energy Services Carey Saffelle stands on the far right.

Another public hearing featured the shopping plaza on South Street, which includes Rural King, wherein the council voted to approve a special-use permit for the plaza’s continued operation. The council had the opportunity to express its universal appreciation for Rural King as its legal representative presented the plan to purchase the plaza from the Boisseau family and bring it into compliance with the Town code. Over several decades, the plaza has developed without conforming to certain aspects of the ordinance. Part of conformity will be the removal of a billboard that has stood on the property, under a lease, for many years, even though it is not appropriate where it is located. The council also sought clarity from staff about the appropriateness of storage in areas that are ostensibly part of the parking lot. It was established that the nursery and other features remain appropriate uses.

Viewers were appointed for two alley vacation requests, thus ending the public hearings. Reports were handled swiftly, the consent agenda passed, and then two business items were transacted before the council moved into a closed meeting. The first of the two business items featured a request for a sidewalk waiver from the Squirrel Hill development, to which the council responded no; the developer will be required to build the appropriate sidewalks, or the taxpayer would foot the bill for the Town to install them. All the usual reasons that a developer would use to justify a sidewalk waiver were determined not to apply. Thus, the staff’s recommendation for denial was upheld. Finally, the council voted to withdraw from a revenue-sharing project with VDOT to improve lighting on Shenandoah Avenue, which, thanks to pole lights and the arrival of Sheetz, is better equipped than might be expected.

Click here to watch the Front Royal Town Council Meeting of February 23, 2026.