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Lynchburg Planning Commission narrowly approved Liberty University’s expansion plans Wednesday after making numerous changes to the proposal.
“I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this,” Chairwoman Laura Hamilton said just before the vote. “But I think the compromise we’ve come to is one that’s positive for the city.”
A dozen or so revisions were made to the LU package that afternoon to satisfy concerns from both city and school officials.
LU is seeking approval of a new master plan that prepares it to reach 15,000 students within five years. Officials expect to be at 11,000 by the start of next fall’s semester.
The plan they brought forward calls for building out along the base of Candlers Mountain. Lynchburg leaders are being asked to rezone 237 acres there to accommodate the expansion.
The planning commission passed both the master plan and the rezoning on a 3-2 vote with two members absent. Their recommendation will be forwarded to City Council, which has final say over the matter.
Commissioners Rick Barnes and Gerry Swienton dissented, saying the proposal wasn’t crafted according to sound planning philosophy.
Barnes had expressed concern early in the process about plans to build dorms along Candlers Mountain away from the main campus and all the academic buildings.
“There are a lot of things I can support in this plan,” he said Wednesday. “But, overall, I don’t think it reflects the best principles of campus planning.”
Swienton echoed those sentiments, tacking on further concerns about traffic and environmental impact.
“I really feel we’re making this decision, not on best planning principles, but on a fall enrollment deadline, and that concerns me,” he said.
Commissioners Ted Hannon and Sharon Oglesby joined Hamilton in approving the expansion plans.
LU officials said afterward they were pleased with the decision and felt a mutually beneficial plan had been arrived at.
“At the end of the day, we came up with a plan that’s good for the city and good for the university,” said director of auxiliary services Lee Beaumont. “… We compromised and worked together.”
LU objected to some of the original conditions proposed by city planning staffers. The biggest sticking point was a suggestion that the school be required to offset any waterway damage inflicted during construction by making equivalent improvements somewhere within the same watershed.
That caveat was changed Wednesday from a requirement to a recommendation. LU officials said they’ll make improvements locally whenever possible and added their preliminary plans have been positively reviewed by state environmental officials.
Lynchburg did not have the authority to compel the university to comply with its request.
Other alterations made to the terms attached to LU’s plans include:
- Changing the timetable on all traffic improvements at LU’s request so projects are tied to specific enrollment targets rather than calendar dates.
- Making it clear the city will partner with the school to construct three pedestrian crossings once it hits 12,000 students, which will likely be around fall 2009. City officials sought that change following some discussion on who would foot the bill.
- Adding a provision that requires new traffic lights and a turn lane to be installed at the crossing of Wards Road and Harvard Street once LU builds its planned vehicular tunnels there.
- Allowing LU to clear up to seven acres of trees beyond what has been specifically designated within the master plan. University officials requested that revision as a means of preserving some flexibility in their future development options.
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Reader Reactions
I am not sure about the exact timeframe, but circa the 1860s Lynchburg was one of the wealthiest cities per capita in the nation and was a major connection for rail shipping.
As for no major stores…JC Penny’s in Lynchburg predates the mall. As does I believe Sears. I would not consider Bob Evans or Golden Corral major restaurants either. And we had Golden Corral once before, where Rubs is now. And I am not sure how you can possibly link LU with Lynchburg’s posessing High Speed Internet.
Granted, the students put a lot of $$ into the economy. And personally I am thankful for the school and its students (though not so much for those who don’t know how to drive properly). But crediting LU for building Lynchburg is a bit much.
I think those who have a problem with LU have forgotten about what the town was like before it arrived. No major stores outside the mall such as Best Buy or Kohl’s. A lack of major restaurants such as Bob Evans or Golden Corral. Go back even further… when the only road through town was 460 Business (Timberlake). The city was a small town with a big field before Falwell came. Now it has developed into a modern society with things such as High Speed Internet. Everyone should feel blessed that Lynchburg has a connection with a solid Christian University like Liberty who is on the map now for playing against other big schools such as Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, or William and Mary. Yes, there will be more traffic, but the city is soon going to be opening the Lynchburg Expressway and adding more roads. Liberty is opening a tunnel to help route its traffic as well. As far as the local economy goes… LU Students put a ton of money into it. The local Little Caesars and Walmart are the highest grossing on the east coast. The Supercuts on Ward’s Road will tell you that the store is dead during the Summer when students aren’t around. The school and its students are a good thing for this city. We should all feel blessed that Liberty has the best interests of Lynchburg at heart.
Obviously those people treat God’s Creation just like they treat God’s Word, with selfish arrogance, not a thought about others, anger and disdain for those who don’t blindly adhere to their dogma, and a total lack of self-accountability.
damalama,
Have you taken the time to actually ride your scooter-chair up to the monogram? That mountain is covered with scrub trees, hardly big enough for firewood, not the “pristine forest” that all the haters would like to make it out to be. They covered it with ROCKS. A mountain is made of ROCKS. The only crime LU did was to replace GREY ROCKS with WHITE and RED ROCKS.
Please. Get a life. The view up there is wonderful! But you are to high up to see the ignorance and bigotry of downtown Lunchbag.
Why fight it? LU is allowed by the City of Lynchburg to flaunt rules and regulations to which other citizens and businesses must adhere. Live with it—if you can. The vehicular and pedestrian traffic being created by LU students is horrendous, now. Just imagine what it will be like as these plans come about. Maybe you can say a prayer before driving along Candlers Mountain or Wards Roads, if you don’t already.
I understand two commissioners left before the vote. Who were they and why did they leave?
what’s the point of even commenting, please stop reporting on the destruction of lynchburg by lu, it will lower my blood pressure. what great destruction of a once beautiful mountain view lynchburg used to have does lu have in plan. i can only pray that i win the mega millions jackpot and buy back the mountain, and destory that garbage on the moutain side. lord knows all i would have to do is wave money under the falwell’s nose it’s mine.
Why is it that there are always this “group” who serve in a professional capacity, that always allow their hatred of LU and the Falwells to prevent them from supporting something positive for Lynchburg? LU is one of a small group of employers that almost always serves Lynchburg and it’s community well. Are these detractors the same ones who plan things like Wards Road, or these box malls, or the traffic lanes through the neighborhoods? If they are, they have no business telling anyone how to build something. Why don’t they go back to work on “planning” another downtown for the 1,000th time?
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