Lynchburg Planning Commission unanimously approves rezoning to convert two warehouses at 609 Dunbar Drive into about 28 apartments

The Lynchburg Planning Commission on March 11 approved a petition from 609 Dunbar LLC to amend the city’s Future Land Use Map from "neighborhood commercial" to "downtown" and to rezone roughly 0.21 acres at 609 Dunbar Drive and 612 12th Street from B-5 General Business District to B-4 Urban Commercial District so the owner can convert two existing warehouses into apartments.

"My name is Casey Service. I'll be the architect on this project," the applicant's architect said, adding that the plan is "to put around 28 apartment units in there." Planning staff told the commission the city’s technical review committee reviewed the petition on Feb. 18, that comments were minor and "the planning division recommends approval of the petition." The commission voted to approve the petition by voice vote; the chair declared the motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: the rezoning removes the B-5 requirement for at least 50% commercial space on these small, triangular lots and allows the adaptive reuse of long-vacant historic warehouse buildings constructed in 1845. The applicant said the buildings would be rehabilitated with preserved exterior brick, exposed structural elements and salvaged wood floors where possible. The project will pursue historic tax credits, which the applicant said means the units will be rental apartments for at least five years.

Project details and safeguards: the properties include a 4-story, about 8,500-square-foot warehouse at 612 12th Street and a 4-story, about 11,500-square-foot warehouse at 609 Dunbar Drive. The applicant said parking will be provided at the 612 Dunbar Drive lot across Dunbar, with an intended roughly 1:1 parking ratio. Commissioners pressed the team on lighting and safety; the architect said site-plan requirements and Lynchburg code will guide lighting upgrades. The owner, Danny George, said access-control key fobs and perimeter security cameras will be used and that footage can be pulled and shared with police if needed.

Market and use: the applicant said the project will be marketed as market-rate rentals, targeting younger professionals and some empty nesters rather than primarily undergraduate students. The team said there are no immediate plans for retail on the ground floor because current sidewalk and frontage conditions on 12th Street are not conducive, though the applicant said they are coordinating with the 12th Street Corridor study and would consider retail if circumstances change.

Next steps and context: staff said the commission has asked planning staff to draft a ground-floor retail requirement for certain core downtown streets, but that requirement would not apply to this site under current draft language. Staff also noted continued work sessions and upcoming public hearings later in the year related to code updates. The commission adjourned after the vote.