County Reviewing Plans For Project
Plans for the reconstruction of the Lexington Golf and Country Club’s golf course are being reviewed by the Rockbridge County Planning Commission. If a special exception permit is granted for the project, work could get underway later this year.
A new clubhouse, event pavilion, golf performance center, pickleball courts and relocation of the swimming pool and driving range are among the improvements/enhancements planned for the golf course. Russ Orrison, civil engineer for Perkins & Orrison and member of the country club’s board of directors, presented the plans to the Planning Commission for a second straight meeting last Wednesday, April 9.
The earlier March 12 presentation was for a preliminary review and last week’s presentation preceded a public hearing on a special exception permit application in which citizens weighed in with their concerns about the major construction project. Concerns were expressed about traffic during construction and after the expanded golf course reopens, lights and noise associated with the pickleball courts, relocated pool and playground, and the use of herbicides and fertilizers in the replacement of the golf course’s grass.
The country club entered into a partnership with Washington and Lee University that’s leading to a considerable investment in expanding and improving the golf course so it will be suitable for NCAA Division III competitions and ensure the country club and golf course’s long-term viability.
The country club’s property consists of 131.894 acres in the county’s general residential (R-1) zoning district and 21.72 acres in Lexington. The golf course pre-dates county zoning and is considered a legal, nonconforming use in the R-1 zoning district. In October of 2020, text amendments to the county’s zoning ordinance were approved that modified the statement of intent of the R-1 district, defined country clubs and allowed golf courses and country clubs as uses by special exception in an R-1 district.
Those changes were made in anticipation of the planned reconstruction of the golf course. The golf course’s renovation has been designed by Lester George of George Golf Design. Course renovations include significant land disturbance and earth moving. The erosion and sediment control plans have been approved by the county.
LG&CC representatives have held meetings to provide details about the plans with Rockbridge Conservation, Friends of Woods Creek and a homeowners association of nearby neighbors, said Orrison.
“We are building everything anew,” he said at the beginning of last Wednesday’s presentation.
The existing clubhouse is to be razed and rebuilt to the right of the existing swimming pool overlooking the ninth green. The new clubhouse is to have an indoor seating capacity of between 80 and 100. A new event pavilion, to be located to the southwest of the new clubhouse, will seat approximately 125. (The current clubhouse has seating for 100 downstairs and 150 to 200 upstairs.)
The driving range, now located across New Cameron Drive from the existing clubhouse, is to be relocated to the middle of the golf course. A new swimming pool, pickleball courts and a playground are to go in the area where the driving range is now. A new golf performance center that will have simulators and indoor driving bays will be built to the north of the golf course near the practice fairway. A decision has yet to be made on whether tennis courts will be included with the renovation plans.
A new maintenance facility will be located at the corner of Ruffner Place and Country Club Drive, in place of the current eighth green. Future golf cottages – not part of the current plans being reviewed – are proposed to be located to the east of the new clubhouse.
Orrison explained that changes to the main pond and dam are to result in more efficient irrigation of the golf course. The embankment of the pond is to be lowered and the primary outlet replaced to provide improved hydraulics. This will result in significantly lower water surface elevations for all rainfall events, including a 100-year flood.
If the special exception permit is granted, removal of the existing turf grasses is to begin this summer and continue into the fall, with significant earthwork to begin in late fall or early winter. Play on the golf course would be discontinued in the fall. The golf course would then be closed for about 18 months, with a target date for its reopening in the spring of 2027. -Nine citizens spoke at last week’s public hearing on the proposed special exception permit. Environmental concerns about the use of chemicals in removing the existing grass and fertilizing the proposed new turf were among the issues raised.
Gretchen Sokow noted that Woods Creek is already impaired and that ground water in the vicinity would be at risk of being polluted. Deborah Woodcock of Ross Road pointed out that there are 16 residences in the vicinity with private wells that would be “extremely vulnerable to contamination” because of the karst topography.
Joe Gosbell, who lives near the 18th hole, said he supports the project and that golf course officials have done “an excellent job in communication” with neighbors, but various issues need to be addressed such as noise, lighting, traffic and use of chemicals.
Tom Contos said he didn’t believe all of the zoning issues the project raises both in the county and city could be addressed in time for work to get underway on the golf course this year. He questioned whether private school activities or athletics are permitted under current zoning rules.
At the conclusion of the public hearing, Commission members said they needed more time to study the various issues raised before they could take action on the special exception permit application. A motion was passed to carry over the agenda item until the Commission’s next meeting on May 14.
In the meantime, Chris Slaydon, the county’s director of community development, is to draft proposed conditions that could be attached to the permit. If the Commission takes action on May 14, the Board of Supervisors would take up the matter at its May 26 meeting.
