Has merchant support for a one-way East Main St. evaporated?

The downtown businessman who brought forward the proposal for a one-way East Main Street through Front Royal’s Historic Downtown Business District has failed to garner the support he thought he had from other impacted property owners.  However, following November 20 work session discussion the idea remains alive with the Front Royal Town Council.  Staff was directed to seek more public feedback and do a traffic count for East Main and adjacent streets.

Councilman William Sealock introduced Robert MacDougall as spokesman for the proposal at an August 7 council work session.  After MacDougall summarized the idea of an eastbound one-way East Main between Royal Avenue to the west and Chester Street to the east, council sent the proposal to the planning commission for review.

MacDougall did not attend the November 20 council work session.

In August Robert MacDougall asked council to picture a downtown future with a one-way East Main Street. But a majority of area property owners may not share that vision. Photos/Roger Bianchini

However, the staff summary of that review presented to council on November 20 states “MacDougall offered to provide the Planning Commission with information … that would demonstrate the level of public support for the project among downtown property owners.”  However that summary later observes that at the time of an October 18 planning commission work session “Mr. MacDougall informed Town Staff that he has not been able to obtain the information from the downtown property owners to demonstrate the level of support for the project.”

Despite MacDougall’s failure to garner a pro-downtown property owner consensus for the change, the planning commission suggested that if council remained interested it conduct a two-pronged public survey and a VDOT-suggested traffic analysis.  Planning Director Jeremy Camp summarized the planning commission attitude as “let’s not jump into this.”

The price of a VDOT traffic study was cited at around $10,000.  Of the two public surveys, one would focus on the attitude of “downtown property owners” and the other “citizens in general”.  Council didn’t have to go far for one citizen’s opinion, generated from among their own.  John Connolly re-raised a point he made at the August work session, pointing to his own residency on the town’s east side.

“I think it probably would do as much harm as good,” he said of an eastbound, one-way East Main Street.  Connolly said he believed the change would deter him from using the street as a downtown business access way.

“I haven’t seen a compelling reason to commission a $10,000 traffic study,” Connolly added of the estimated price of a VDOT traffic analysis.

Jacob Meza, who supported moving forward toward the potential change, said, “I’m not advocating a VDOT study – what I’d like to know is if we are interested, that we show ways it is possible.”  Meza said he did not believe that just because MacDougall failed to achieve the level of downtown property owner support he anticipated, or that some costs and negatives had become apparent, council should just back away from consideration of the change.

Connolly disputed Meza’s notion their might be an unknown level of support for the change. – “If the public support were there we’d know it.  People are not shy about expressing their opinions,” he reasoned.

Eugene Tewalt expressed concern that East Main Street did not meet VDOT’s suggested minimum width for the suggested changes by 3-feet according to Planning Director Camp.  The planning commission summary also noted that a one-way East Main would provide 22 feet for “a standard lane and loading space” while a minimum of 25 feet is suggested.

A reply from the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission staff noted concerns over diminished safety for bicyclists – pointing to the likelihood they would not adhere to the one-way designation due to the inconvenience of traveling a circular route to go a short distance.

The NSVRC also questioned a need for the additional 18 parking spaces created by angular parking.

“I don’t want to put something out there that’s a safety hazard – we’ll get sued,” Tewalt warned.  The former town public works director noted that between 1974 and 1985 the town had gone back and forth with East Main being one or two ways.  He said that in 1985 it was decided to go back to two way due to inconvenience in accessing the town’s west side from its central historic downtown street.

So, all you “general public” and “historic downtown property owners” keep an eye out on the town website for opinion surveys on what YOU think about a one-way East Main Street between Royal Avenue and Chester Street.

The town government wants YOUR opinion.

If the E. Main Street one-way proposal is approved, this westbound car approaching Town Hall will be going the wrong way.