Planning staff report approvals for LongHorn, Wawa, New Story School and upcoming rezoning request

City planning staff summarized several project approvals and pending applications at the April 8, 2025 Lynchburg Planning and Development Commission meeting, including commercial and school developments and an upcoming rezoning request for a residential subdivision.

Tom Martin, a city planning staff member, said plans have been approved for a LongHorn Steakhouse in the former O'Charley's building at 4042 Wardrobe. Martin said a land-disturbance permit has been approved for a Wawa at 2731 Woods Road near the mall entrance, and that ground activity for that site is underway. He also reported that plans have been approved for a new K–12 facility, New Story School, at 742 Leesville Road; Martin said council previously approved a conditional use permit for that project.

Martin told the commission that a rezoning request for a 58-townhome development at 665 Leesville Road will be submitted for a business-item briefing on May 13 and is expected to come to a public hearing in June. The request would rezone the property from R-1 to R-4, Martin said. No final action on the rezoning occurred at the April 8 meeting; staff provided a schedule and timeline for future review.

Commission members asked follow-up questions during the briefing; no formal votes were recorded on the items during the April 8 meeting. Staff said the items are proceeding through normal plan review and permitting processes and noted the expected public hearing schedule for the rezoning application.