Council asks city manager to probe interest from Washington and Lee, VMI on town‑gown collaboration

Lexington City Council on May 1 directed the city manager and mayor to contact Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute to ask whether the institutions would be willing to engage in discussions with the city about shared topics such as housing, parking, public safety (including interpersonal violence), workforce and other items raised in a staff memo.

The motion followed a lengthy, wide-ranging discussion among council members and staff about whether a formal town‑gown process (for example, a work session, charrette, or memorandum of understanding) would add value beyond existing staff‑level communications. City Manager Tom Carroll told council he had heard “spirited conversations” in the community about conditional use permits and institutional expansion in downtown and presented examples and options drawn from other college towns.

Councilmembers debated the scope and purpose of additional meetings. Some members said improved, ongoing communication would be helpful; others cautioned against spending staff and council time without a focused problem to solve. Several members pointed to existing channels — staff contacts, planning commission review, and public hearings — as effective means for managing land‑use proposals. A motion directing the city manager and mayor to reach out to the institutions passed on a roll call vote with one recorded no vote (see actions). The motion did not set a firm timeline for further work; council asked staff to report back as interest from the institutions is identified and to pursue work that fits the council work plan.

City Manager Carroll and multiple council members referenced work other jurisdictions have done (for example, Lincoln Land Institute studies and models from Blacksburg and Charlottesville) and cited prior local efforts: the council packet noted a history of informal and formal joint efforts in Lexington including an earlier 1980s group called “We’re All In This Together.” Councilmembers suggested narrower initiatives such as updating the downtown enhancement plan or staging a charrette on housing if council wants a targeted strategy.

The directive is exploratory: staff will approach the institutions to see whether they want to engage and on what topics, and will return to council with results or suggested next steps. Several councilors said any formal proposals (zoning, CUPs, or development agreements) would continue to follow the city’s established public processes, including planning commission and architectural review board review where applicable.