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Planning board backs conditional zoning, recommends council approve Dunbar School renovation
Summary
The planning board adopted a statement finding the Dunbar School mixed-use renovation consistent with the 2022 land-use plan and voted to recommend a zoning ordinance to city council. Developers propose about 64 apartments, 25,000 sq ft of commercial/recreation space and preservation measures.
The Lexington Planning Board on Oct. 21 adopted a staff-drafted statement of consistency and reasonableness and voted to recommend that the City Council approve conditional zoning for the historic Dunbar School redevelopment at 301 Smith Avenue.
Josh, a city planner, told the board the proposal from Dunbar Bell Rock Ventures LLC would convert the school into a mixed-use project and noted required neighborhood outreach and a developer-submitted traffic study. "This is a historic school here in the city," he said while summarizing the review process and the traffic analysis conducted by Davenport.
Developer Kenneth (Ken) Ryder said the concept envisions roughly 64 residential units and about 25,000 square feet of commercial space that would include city-operated uses such as a theater, gymnasium and other community facilities. Ryder said the team is pursuing federal and state historic tax credits and local landmark designation and that the city would lease and operate the auditorium and gymnasium. "There's a lot of cool space in that building that we're not gonna hide from everybody," he said.
The traffic study presented to staff projected roughly 1,264 site-generated trips if both residential and recreation elements are in simultaneous use, with the consultant allocating about 486 trips to multifamily units and 778 to the recreational component, Josh said.
On a motion to adopt the staff statement of consistency and reasonableness, the board voted in favor by voice. The board then moved, seconded and voted to recommend that the City Council adopt an ordinance establishing the conditional zoning district for the property; staff will supply the ordinance number and forward the record to council for the legislative public hearing.
The planning board's recommendation is advisory to council; council will consider the ordinance, the staff consistency statement and the development agreement previously adopted by council before any zoning map change takes effect. The developer confirmed the property is currently owned by Preservation North Carolina and said the purchaser expects to close once financing is in place.
