Town gives final nod to proffer changes for major eastside development

At Dec. 4 work session, Town Planning Director Jeremy Camp, far left, goes over proposed FRLP proffer changes on a 320-residential unit project on town’s eastside. Photos/Roger Bianchini

FRONT ROYAL –On Monday, February 26, the Front Royal Town Council completed its approval process on changes to the Front Royal Limited Partnership proffer package on its initial residential development project on the Town’s east side. William Sealock’s motion on the invitation of the mayor, seconded by Christopher Morrison, in favor of the second reading of the proposal was approved by a unanimous 6-0 vote. There was no council discussion of the project or proffer changes prior to the vote.

Council approved the first reading on February 12, by a 4-0 vote, with Councilmen Morrison and Meza absent. As we explained at the time of the first reading, the proffer package impacted is on FRLP’s proposal for as many as 320 residential units to be constructed on 149 acres. The property lies north of Happy Creek Road and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks and is currently accessible by Mary’s Shady Lane.

The parcel lies adjacent to five other FRLP parcels that are part of another development plan that could see a maximum buildout of 818 residential units with some green space parks and corresponding commercial development on a total of 604 acres of town land. That larger parcel was brought into the town limits in a friendly 2014 annexation process with Warren County. The original proffer package on the 149-acre parcel already in the town limits was negotiated in 2010.

The bulk of the proposed changes, which were recommended for approval by the town planning commission on November 15, remove “dollar for dollar credits” offered to the developer by the Town, in exchange for removal of some cash proffers offered to the Town by the developer.

One major change to the original proposal was the addition of an estimated $400,000 contribution to the $11-million Front Royal Police headquarters construction project. Of the proposed changes as a whole, following a December 4 work session Camp explained, “The existing proffers have some degree of balance between credits the Town pays FRLP and cash proffers paid to the Town by FRLP. Both the credits and cash proffers are proposed to be removed and FRLP would simply build what they are required to by Town Code and pay the County their cash proffer towards schools. Proffers related to impacts on the public school student population are not affected at all.

Specifics
Among changes are: 1/ elimination of cash proffers toward construction of Leach Run Parkway; 2/ widening of a proposed on-site trail; 3/ elimination of Energy Star Certification requirements for the units; 4/ the addition of per-unit cash proffers designated for costs of the new police headquarters (estimated $400,000 contribution).

Among the deleted credits are: tap fee payments over $10,000; land value costs on both right-of-way for the access road to the property and piece of land along Shenandoah Shores Road needed for future road improvements in the vicinity of the development; and on engineering and construction costs associated with Phases 2 to 4 of an East-West connector road running through the property, if the Town follows through on construction of Phase 5 of that road.

The town planning director previously explained to Royal Examiner that that latter road-associated credit could equal or exceed all of FRLP’s proposed cash proffers. He also noted that removal of the tap fee credit locks FRLP into paying the going rate on tap fees, a rate currently in the vicinity of $15,000.

“Under the proposed proffers, FRLP would still be obligated to build and dedicate ROW for the portion of the access road (east-west connector) on their 149 acres. As proposed, the rest of the road would be addressed with development of the future 604 acres,” Camp told Royal Examiner in December.

FRLP principal David Vazzana, yellow shirt, and project consultant Bill Barnett to his right, at the Dec. 4 work session.