Neither the edict nor the urgency of it came as any surprise, but, like most big projects, this one has taken longer and run into more snags than expected. The Board of Supervisors thought the problem was licked last spring, when plans went forward to tear down he Masonic building on Main Street and build an office complex on that site. Fortunately, this week the Board has secured an alternative that is better than the Masonic site in a number of ways. But the grocery store went bankrupt earlier this year, and the property was put up for auction by Grandbank, the Maryland bank holding the note on the parcel. Work could begin by the beginning of October, if all goes well.
Parking is plentiful.
The building is also just across the street from the post office, another plus in terms of both customer and staff convenience. The existing retail space in the center has potential as well. Or, as some supervisors have hinted, the extra room could make a wonderful municipal center, centralizing operations or meeting space for both the county and the Town of Front Royal. But, they continue to search in all the wrong places while the real excellence in the county school system slips away in ever increasing numbers. Contrary to what the superintendent believes, the teachers leaving Warren County cannot be replaced with first year teachers.