Moratorium, Potential Closure of Portion of Church Street to Car Traffic, and Automobile Graveyard at Town Council Work Session

The July 6 work session of the Town Council began with an action item. This administrative task placed a moratorium on the receipt of any applications for data center development for a temporary, 90-day period, in which timeframe the Town Planning Commission will carry out its mission to define “data center” versus “technology” and craft language to prohibit data center development within the town of Front Royal, then putting the ball back in the council’s court to adopt, within that same period, the product of the commissioners’ labor, should it be deemed sufficient.

The Town Council met for a work session on July 6. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh

The task was administrative rather than legislative because, as Town Attorney George Sonnett explained to the council, he does not believe there is any provision in state code for a moratorium to be enacted legislatively by the council. Hence, the action item was handled at a work session as an administrative task. Vice-Mayor Amber Veitenthal sought a point of clarification from staff, asking whether, since the June 22 meeting, when the council gave its direction to the commission, any applications have been received for data center development. The answer was no.

The vice-mayor also prompted the town attorney to reference the relevant state code on a locality’s freedom to prohibit a use within the districts it has classified. Sonnet identified Section 15.2-2280, pointing to the first paragraph: “Any locality may, by ordinance, classify the territory under its jurisdiction or any substantial portion thereof into districts of such number, shape and size as it may deem best suited to carry out the purposes of this article, and in each district it may regulate, restrict, permit, prohibit, and determine the following …” What follows includes, among other things: “The use of land, buildings, structures and other premises for agricultural, business, industrial, residential, flood plain and other specific uses …”

The vote in favor of the moratorium was unanimous, just as it had been on June 22 to deny the text amendment allowing data centers with restrictive ordinances and directing the commission accordingly. The council also considered closing the portion of Church Street between East Main Street and the parking lot behind 201 East Main Street to motor vehicles. This discontinuity would be in keeping with a recommendation from a 2019 parking study, which identified that portion of Church Street as ideal for a pedestrian walkway. The one-way alley has been closed since late 2025 for redevelopment of the former Murphy Theater building, and the Town has received little to no feedback on any traffic impacts.

Mayor Lori Cockrell pointed out that parking space would not be lost, as there is no parking on that narrow segment of Church Street anyway. She also emphasized that the Town is not giving up its right-of-way, and that the space would still be available for any need the Town may have, should a festival or event require it. Councilman Glenn Wood stated that he has spoken with multiple business owners on Main and received confirmation that such a transformation would be fine with them. Nevertheless, Town Manager Joseph Petty hopes to receive feedback before the July 27 regular meeting, at which time the council may choose to keep the hearing open to allow for further feedback and deliberation.

Planning Director Lauren Kopishke presented an application for an automobile graveyard to the council.

Finally, the council considered an application for an automobile graveyard or “junkyard” on a property zoned industrial on Kendrick Lane. Because the use is proposed in a segment of the property that is partially located in the floodplain of the Shenandoah River, staff have strong environmental concerns, specifically the potential for vehicular fluids to leak into the river. While staff cannot regulate every vehicle that daily comes on to the site, the council may, if it chooses, impose strong conditions, such as the establishment of impervious surfaces, landscape buffering, and overall environmental protection.

The need for the Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability (ACES) to weigh in was discussed extensively. Petty conveyed that staff and ACES are currently discussing the procedure for involving the advisory committee in issues such as the one above. Sonnett communicated that although he suspects the mission statement regarding ACES in the code is vague, he needs to review it before offering an opinion. Veitenthal made it clear that she favors a more automatic approach, as it is not appropriate for the governing body to have to solicit input from a committee that was chartered to provide it in the first place. Cockrell nuanced that statement by noting that the council does not require ACES input on every land use item that arises.

With the understanding that staff will continue investigating and that the item will be revisited at the July 13 work session, with a possible trajectory toward a public hearing in August, the council then convened a closed meeting.

Watch the Front Royal Town Council Work Session of July 6, 2026.