Parental Responsibility Emphasized Over Big Brother Governmental Measure at Town Council Work Session

At the Monday, May 12 work session of the Town Council, up for ongoing consideration was an application for a special-use permit from Divinum Auxilium Academy to operate a private school for boys at 16 North Royal Avenue, the location of the old Town Hall. One of the greatest concerns facing the council is drop-off and pick-up and the safety of children at those times. One possible condition for the SUP would be the employment of a crossing guard on Union Street at the times children are dropped off and picked up. To Vice Mayor Amber Veitenthal, such a condition smacks too greatly of Big Brother. In her contribution to the discussion, she emphasized the responsibility of parents to ensure their children safely make it into the building, pointing to her own practice of only driving away once she has seen her children successfully walk through the doors.

The Town Council sits in readiness for a work session on the evening of Monday, May 12. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

The Town has recently had great success with speed cameras in school zones, bringing in some $400,000 in fines, encouraging drivers to abide by the limit by imposing a consequence and thereby assisting the Front Royal Police Department in enforcing the law. One of the ideas floated in the academy discussion was the possibility of installing a speed camera on Union Street if it becomes the site of a school. Veitenthal’s point was that the applicant should not be held responsible for a concern that is jointly a matter of law enforcement and parental responsibility. However the applicant solves the parking problem which would be a problem for anyone developing the location even commercially by right, it seems that the safety of children can be secured in other ways than by imposing the condition of a crossing guard on the applicant. Mayor Lori Cockrell did in closing the discussion express a feeling of responsibility for the safety of children as it is common knowledge that speeding in school zones is an issue.

Director of Community Development and Tourism Lizi Lewis addresses the council concerning an incoming donation that will offset much-needed acquisitions for the Festival of Leaves.

Director of Public Works Robbie Boyer presents to the council the costs associated with trash drop-off at the Manassas Avenue location.

Water barricades will likely be purchased by means of a $2250 donation from the Front Royal Independent Business Alliance on behalf of the Festival of Leaves Committee. These traffic control devices, supplementing the current supply and replacing broken ones, will safely secure public event access at the festival. Should the council approve this proposed budget amendment to accept the donation, the money will be awarded to public works and the streets team. Following this segment, the mayor opened a discussion of waste disposal services located on Manassas Avenue from which in many cases county residents are benefiting without paying what town residents must pay. Also considered at the work session were amendments to the Town code to bring it into alignment with recent changes to the state code, specifically relating to vehicular laws and the penalties for violations that could be written, citing those laws, if they are incorporated into the Town code. Having discussed an easement followed by the private school discussion, Town Manager Joseph Petty led a discussion of an out-of-town water and septic service request for industrial use in the 522 corridor. As the proposed use is a warehouse, a concern was raised by Councilwoman Melissa DeDomenico-Payne about any exigency in which the use could be flipped to accommodate a data center, a use that is known for taxing resources. Petty explained that there are obstacles to that, chiefly in the application such an entity would need to make to secure their needs.

Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke presents to the council information associated with a proposed private school at the old Town Hall location on North Royal Avenue.

Legal representative Nicholas Cumings stands to the far left while, respectively, (L) to (R), Antelo Denar and Thomas Murray, representing the applicant, stand with Cumings as he presents to the council a case for out-of-town water and septic service for industrial use in the 522 corridor.

Having no closed meeting to transact, the work session was adjourned.

Watch the Front Royal Town Council Work Session of May 12, 2025.