and more Front Royal rings in the season - Warren County Report

Page 18 • Warren County Report • Early December, 01 Read all issues in their entirety FREE on www.WarrenCountyReport.com
Town
By Roger Bianchini
Warren County Report
The owner of a residential property
across the street from a vacant and
overgrown residential property on
the 100 block of West 5th Street has
asked the town to take more aggressive
action to clear it. Town crews
were seen clearing some overgrowth
on the property earlier this year.
Robert Crouch told council he understood
the property he is seeking
action against belonged to Forrest
Ann Duncan or possibly another
member of the Duncan family acting
in her interest. Forrest Ann Duncan
is the widow of Howard, the late
brother of former Town Manager
and Councilman Walter Duncan.
Howard was a driving force behind
the forming of the IDA (Industrial
Development Authority), a forerunner
of the modern Front Royal-Warren
County Economic Development
Authority (EDA).
Forrest Ann Duncan brings a distinctive
perspective, some might say
eccentric, to bear on some of her areas
of interest. She once described
the yard surrounding the now-vacant
house on West 5th Street as a preserve
of native Virginia flora, some of
it apparently planted by her late husband.
However, at least one neighbor has
a less favorable view of the property.
“I’m here to ask council to investigate
1 5 West 5th Street as a public
nuisance … The property is a public
health hazard. The yard has been allowed
to grow up in weeds and various
under-brush,” Crouch told council
on Nov. 6.
Crouch said he believed he wasn’t
the first area resident to complain
about the property, adding, “It is
systematically destroying the property
values of the neighborhood just
by its existence. I filed a number of
complaints with the zoning administrator.
I think some action was taken
but I don’t think adequate action was
taken.”
Crouch said he was told he would
have to appear before council to seek
“proper legal action” against the issues
he sees remaining with the property.
He called the lot “a fire hazard in
the summertime” and “a health hazard”
attracting a number of “pests.”
“This has been going on a long
time and these people have basically
thumbed their nose to the town and
to the citizens of the town and I really
think it’s time for it to come to an
end,” Crouch said.
However Crouch indicated a perhaps
extra-legal move that ended, if
not the overgrown flora, at least one
“I asked the town to please exterminate the cats. The town didn’t do anything – they said I was free to take
whatever action I wanted to. And I did, and some of my neighbors did, and the cats disappeared.” – Forrest
Ann Duncan W. 5th St. property neighbor Robert Crouch
Neighbor asks for more action on overgrown Duncan yard
Those darn cats – but they do weed out other pests like mice, rats & …
of the pests he believes inhabited the
lot.
“When I first acquired the property
at 1 6 West 5th Street there
were over a dozen feral cats living
on the property (perhaps they were
attempting to control the other pest
populations Crouch cited on the
property). I asked the town to please
exterminate the cats. The town didn’t
do anything – they said I was free to
take whatever action I wanted to (a
call to WCSO animal control or the
Humane Society might have been
good choices). And I did, and some
of my neighbors did, and the cats disappeared.”
As for the town’s official position
on feral cats, Town Manager Steve
Burke later told us, “The town, working
with Warren County and the
Humane Society, is currently investigating
how to address the feral cat
problem. We are currently seeking
advice from the Attorney General as
to the legality of humane trapping of
feral cats. Until such time as an opinion
is issued, the town can advise
residents to attempt to remove any
food sources for feral animals from
their property to reduce the likelihood
of attracting animals to their
property. We hope to receive the
Attorney General’s opinion soon so
that we can develop a program to ad-
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dress this issue. The Town continues
to request that our citizens contact
the Town with any issues.”
Initial work session discussions
indicate the program being explored
locally would mirror trap-neuterrelease
programs being utilized to
reduce feral cat populations in localities
to our east, including Loudoun
County.
Following Crouch’s comments,
Mayor Tim Darr asked the town manager
to look into the issues raised by
Crouch, noting, “I have spoken with
you before about this. This has been a
nuisance problem for a long time and
I do think we owe those neighbors
some answers.”
The mayor suggested the town
planning and zoning department
look into the situation and bring a report
to council at a future work session.
“We do need to bring some closure
to that, I agree 100 percent it is an issue,”
the mayor concluded, asking for
a council consensus – which he got
– to proceed as suggested.
However, one councilman, Eugene
Tewalt, suggested staff action prior
to council being informed by staff of
any zoning, legal or other parameters
that may be impacting town action
on the property.
“Bob spoke with me about this as
well,” Councilman Tom Sayre added.
“That you have been numerous times
to the town, to the town manager
and different people. So, I am glad
you came here this evening to speak
on the camera and hopefully something
will get done.”
Most recently Mrs. Duncan has
lived in an apartment in downtown
Front Royal near the town center.
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