Council considered a city‑initiated zoning map amendment that would change the former Washington Lee School parcel (185 Washington Lee Drive) from single‑family designations to R‑3 moderate‑density residential to permit conversion of the school building to multifamily rental housing.

Planning staff described the project as part of a broader effort to reuse community opportunity sites and noted the parcel is being sold to private purchasers Clyde Stacy and Jim Bunn. The staff report said the proposal would convert the school into roughly "28 to 32 apartments" and that initial rents were expected in the range of "$2,000 to $2,200 per month" as rental units at project start.

Staff also summarized technical reviews: traffic pattern changes relative to school use, no significant natural‑resource impacts identified, comments from emergency services and the building official (which indicated a full set of stamped architectural plans and likely installation of a full sprinkler system would be required under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code), and potential use of historic‑tax credits to assist financing. The planning commission recommended approval and offered non‑binding suggestions that the council consider directing the city attorney to review restrictive covenants and to direct staff to implement light‑pollution and landscaping mitigation measures; council asked staff to incorporate those recommendations into the second-reading ordinance where practicable.

Council approved the ordinance on first reading (by caption) and will consider second reading at a future meeting.