Council approves Grand Building conditional-use permit for university administrative use after heated public comment

Lexington — The Lexington City Council voted unanimously March 20 to approve a conditional-use permit allowing portions of the Grand (formerly Grama) Building at 1–9 South Main Street to be used for administrative facilities related to an educational facility, college or university use, with conditions recommended by staff and the Planning Commission.

The applicant, John Adamson, explained the proposal involves basement-level space below Main Street storefronts and a space behind the storefronts and above a prospective Washington Street storefront. Adamson said the work will update and modernize storefronts along Main and add a new retail storefront on Washington Street while using rear and below-grade spaces for administrative or support functions. "We are updating storefront spaces in the former Grama Building, appropriately sized with all new modern life safety, fully sprinkled, fully accessible," Adamson said.

The two staff-recommended conditions restrict the administrative use to specific areas (basement level below Main Street storefronts and the portion behind Main Street storefronts above Washington Street storefront) and exclude the Main and Washington Street storefronts from the CUP. The Planning Commission added a third recommended condition: the CUP shall remain in effect only as long as the property remains on the tax rolls.

The public hearing drew multiple speakers. Resident Michael Perry criticized council members’ participation and argued renting space to a nonprofit university reduced taxable activity. "That's a bunch of malarkey," Perry said in reference to the council's stance on recusals and conflicts of interest. Resident Will Mackie urged the council to “focus on the use and not the user,” saying the ordinance requires the body to evaluate impacts of a college-university use; he argued the specific uses proposed — a copy center in the basement and administrative offices in rear upper spaces — could be acceptable under the zoning criteria.

Dr. Patrick Ramey, a resident, pointed to the comprehensive plan language that directs the city to avoid removal of viable commercial activities from downtown and said rental of sizable commercial floorspace to an institution effectively removes that commercial capacity whether the university buys or leases.

Council discussion addressed parking concerns, building access and the cumulative impact of university uses downtown. Adamson said Washington and Lee University had indicated it would encourage employees to use campus parking rather than downtown spaces and that the basement-level copy center would not be a high-parking-demand use; he described the proposed retail spaces as a downtown benefit. Council members said the city and the applicant had discussed the availability of campus parking and that parking management measures would be available if issues arise.

After discussion the council approved the CUP with the two staff conditions and the planning commission’s additional condition. Roll-call recorded ayes from Mr. Ziegler, Mr. Driscoll, Mr. Betts, Mr. Smith, Miss Strawn and Miss Alexander; the motion carried unanimously.

Ending: The council approved the permit for specific below- and behind-storefront administrative uses while excluding street-level storefronts and adding a tax-roll conditionality; several speakers urged the council to address town–gown planning and cumulative institutional impacts in future policy work.