Citizens demonstrate, speak against water policy change in North Corridor

Citizens gather outside WCGC to protest Town water policy change in N. Corridor. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini. Video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

Public opposition to a request for a radical change in the Town’s water utility extension policy beyond its municipal boundary to facilitate residential development as a main priority, rather than an offshoot of commercial expansion in the Route 522 North Commercial Corridor came to the Front Royal Town Council on Monday, September 23.

At 6 p.m., an hour before the council meeting’s start about 15 people gathered with placards opposing private developer Crooked Run West’s request for Town water-sewer utilities for a residential project where commercial expansion of the Crooked Run Shopping Center had been planned.

The demonstration was organized by the grassroots Warren Coalition movement.

I guess those signs make it clear what a vast majority of town citizens appear to think at this point in the process.

Then at the council meeting 11 people spoke to the Crooked Run-North Corridor water issue during Public Comments near the meeting’s start. Only the final speaker, Crooked Run West principal owner Tom Mercuro spoke in favor of the request. Mercuro offered that more information on the evolving plan might serve to ease some of the public concern and opposition. But it seemed the public wasn’t buying what Mercuro was selling.

Crooked Run West principal Tom Mercuro tries to ease public opposition, and perhaps more specifically, council opposition.

However whether it might be a different reception from council in the long run remains to be seen, despite a council majority of four responding to the show of opposition by stating they currently do not favor the water extension request.

Gary Kushner leads off ‘Public Comments’ against the Crooked Run West residential water-sewer utility request.

Watch this Royal Examiner video for demonstration interviews, meeting public comments and council discussion of the issue: