Lynchburg OKs sale of vacant land

Lynchburg City Council has approved the sale of six acres of public land to a private developer who plans to build a mix of single-family homes and duplexes.

The land — located on Fulton Street and Rainbow Circle off Old Forest Road — is currently vacant. The city is selling it in order to bring new development to the community and increase the tax rolls.

Long Meadow Inc., the same company behind the New Towne development off McConville Road, plans to purchase the property for $70,000 or about half its assessed value. The company’s proposed development, which will result in 47 new residential units, is expected to generate $71,500 a year in real estate taxes when completed.

Council authorized the sale during a meeting Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the property might actually change hands.

In other news from Tuesday’s meeting:

w Council rezoned a small piece of property for a project connected to the new Wal-Mart slated for Old Forest Road.

The former owners of the Wal-Mart site, brothers George “Buster” Walker and Billy Walker, plan to build a small shopping center adjacent to the new superstore. The family recently acquired a neighboring parcel and sought a rezoning to give it the same designation as the remaining land.

The outlined shopping center plans call for three buildings with a total combined space of about 29,000 square feet. Billy Walker said the project will be built in concert with the new Wal-Mart. Construction crews are tentatively scheduled to begin demolition work early this summer.

No one spoke during a public hearing on the rezoning. Council unanimously approved the request.

- Council adopted a new ordinance that requires owners of abandoned, abused or dangerous dogs to pay for their pet’s boarding after it has been seized by the city. Animal Warden Louis Faust estimated only a small handful of cases each year would be affected by the new law. Charges will only be levied in cases where the owner is facing and ultimately convicted of criminal charges. At the moment, the city absorbs the full cost of caring for abused dogs while their cases are pending in court.

- Council rescinded $1.3 million in capital improvements for city schools. The projects, including paving and roof work, are being postponed due to a lack of funds following the discovery of a $440,000 deficit in the school system’s 2007-08 budget. The deficit is the subject of ongoing discussion at the city level and is expected to be broached again during the next meeting of council’s finance committee April 28.

- Council declined to sign a letter of support for a new housing complex for low-income seniors. The project developer, North Carolina-based John H. Wellons Foundation Inc., sought the city’s support in its pursuit of federal funding for the housing project.

Council voted 5-2 to deny the request, citing neighborhood opposition and a failure on the part of the developer to demonstrate a clear need in the community for the type of housing proposed.

Dissenting were Vice Mayor Bert Dodson and Councilman Ceasor Johnson of Ward II. Both argued the community had a clear need for affordable senior housing and said the city was losing a valuable opportunity.

City staff said the project would not qualify for its desired federal aid without the support of the local government. Officials said foundation representatives have indicated they will look for alternate sites within Lynchburg, as well as attempt to work with concerned neighbors near the site they proposed Tuesday on Old Graves Mill Road, near the intersection with Timberlake Road.

- Council canceled a budget work session scheduled for April 21 due to expected absences among members. Officials are nearing the end of their budget debate and felt it was important to have the full council present for the remaining deliberations. The session was rescheduled for 1 p.m. April 28.

Council had been expected to pick up its ongoing discussion of the big-box ordinance that day. That issue was bumped to make room for the budget deliberations.