After Afton Inn Update Canceled, Town Council Delays Riverside Easement Request Decision Pending ‘Additional Information’

On Monday, November 13, at 7 p.m. in the Front Royal Town Hall at 102 East Main Street, the Front Royal Town Council met for a work session. Although council expected to hear from Alan J. Omar of The Capital Gate Investment Firm about the progress of the Afton Inn project, which his company is involved in developing, the update was canceled at the last minute due to a misunderstanding about the public nature of the work session. Then, under old business, the council heard from Town Manager Joe Waltz about an easement request for which staff had recommended a denial.

The Front Royal Town Council and staff, minus ‘Skip’ Rogers, would not get an anticipated update on the Afton Inn redevelopment project status from involved principal Alan J. Omar. It seemed Omar had anticipated a closed meeting with council, which was not on the advertised agenda. – Royal Examiner Photo Brenden McHugh

According to the summary on the agenda statement, which Waltz quoted, “Staff received a request from William R. Hounshell on August 23, 2023, requesting a 10’ wide access/egress easement to his property located along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.” The roughly five-acre lot is located between the railroad tracks and the river. The only way for the lot to be functional and easily accessible would be in the case that the Town agrees to grant access along Town property, terminating near Duck Street. “The Town property is roughly one thousand feet in length,” the statement reads. Also, the Town has utilities there.

As Town staff investigated, they discovered a quitclaim plat “that showed the 5-acre area north of the RR was deeded along with the 50-acre parcel to the south. The 50-acre parcel was later subdivided,” the staff agenda summary notes. Having lost the access that those parcels offered, Hounshell’s five-acre lot stands in need of an alternative way of reaching the property. Due to problems that may arise from giving third-party access to Town property in that vicinity, property that is otherwise closed to the public, Town staff recommended denial of the easement request to council. In other words, why would the Town grant liberty to one individual to do that which is denied to everyone else in an area where the Town has vested interests, regardless of how the situation arose? Council entertained several potential concerns, including dangers such as trespassing and vandalism due to an anticipated increase in pedestrian traffic. However, each concern was ancillary to staff’s recommendation, which centered around the Town parcel being closed to the public.

Hounshell is apparently seeking an easement from VDOT for the portion of the access that intersects with the railroad. Hounshell is confident he will receive it, but the Town has not yet received verification of such intent from VDOT. In the end, council chose to postpone the issue to a future work session, pending receipt of relevant “additional information”, as Mayor Lori Cockrell termed it. After preparing their consent agenda to be voted upon at the November 27 regular meeting, following a motion from Councilwoman Amber Morris, seconded by Councilman Bruce Rappaport, council went into a closed meeting at 7:45 p.m. to discuss litigation, specifically Town of Front Royal vs. Front Royal Limited Partnership.