Condo controversy
Buildings proposed near Maury
River raise concerns
By PAT MCGLONE
Proposed luxury condominiums for the Maury River palisades will need to be tailored to the area’s natural look.
The bluff area is one of the most scenic stretches of the river, where the Maury bends back upon itself.
Prefabricated condominiums towering over this area have some worried.
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The height of the building is a concern, the visual impact on the river and the Chessie Trail, and the people who live and build houses on the other side of the river would have to look back and see this building looming on top of this cliff,” said Commission member David Coffey.
The condos would be built on a piece of property off of Campbell Lane, the road that intersects with 11 North as it comes over the 11 South bypass. The condos would be seven stories tall.
Lexington Planning Commission Chair Taylor Sanders said the Commission has not made any decision, as there has been no official submission by the developer, but there are already concerns.
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I do think a lot of us think that it’s just too tall,” Sanders said of the Commission. “The visual impact would be major.”The Commission reviews and makes recommendations to the City Council on topics of land use and area development.
The developer had used balloon experiments to demonstrate the height of the condos.
The hope is that the proposal by developer Jeff Green from South Carolina will be adjusted to fit the area, which Sanders described as “beautiful.”
The concern over the look of the condos came with the presentation to the Commission by the developer in January. The plan showed condominiums that resembled multiple other projects on the developer’s website.
The developer specializes in weekend retreat homes for college alumni to visit for sporting events. A common theme of the condominiums is a view of owner’s alma mater football field. In this case the condos will be targeted to VMI alums.
No decision has been made yet. The developer is still working on the site plan, so nothing official has yet been proposed to the Commission.
While there are not any expected environmental concerns, the Commission will factor the environmental impact on the surrounding area into its decision if the developer continues in the process with a formal proposal.
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That’s a major concern for every project, particularly on the various watersheds,” Sanders said.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd