Glen Lennox Stories: Land Design

The first phase of the Glen Lennox redevelopment has been slowed by the coronavirus, but is expected to be completed in early 2021. It has 215 brand new rental apartments and a commercial office building with four floors, both hiding a parking deck for residents and business tenants.

There is also a one-story clubhouse that will have administrative offices and behind it a large swimming pool for apartment residents and their guests.

The phase on 15-501 North along Fordham Boulevard can be seen through chain-link fencing that borders the construction site. It is becoming easier to imagine what the finished product will look like before developer Grubb Properties moves on to subsequent phases.

Dennis Walls, a senior associate with Land Design in Charlotte, is the lead landscape architect whose 40-year-old firm is largely responsible for the grounds and streetscapes. Walls works in conjunction with Tree Pros of Chapel Hill in trying to replicate the familiar feel of tree-lined Glen Lennox, which was built in the late 1940s and early 1950s to accommodate the post-war growth of Chapel Hill and UNC.

“We had a lot of discussion about the history of Glen Lennox. It’s rare to find a project to work on that is of this significance in my field,” Walls said recently. “It’s an honor to be a part of the team that is redeveloping this iconic property, where people can live and shop and work nearby.

“Working with the entire design team at Grubb Properties, we’re striving to continue the iconic nature of the Glen Lennox planned community, making it a showcase neighborhood of affordable housing, commercial and retail that will allow different modes of transportation with a strong focus on biking; really just a great place to call home.”

The redesign will update the first apartment development in town where residents still live amidst green space in front and backyards and is within walking distance of the Glen Lennox Shopping Center, which will remain with substantial upgrades. Walls’ firm has been charged with executing the plans for having biking lanes along streets and walking paths meandering through the property, including pocket parks with benches where neighbors can gather and mingle.

“It harkens back to post-war development in a phenomenal location with easy access to downtown Chapel Hill and the university, which really makes it a valuable asset,” Walls said. “There are a lot of small little nodes, whether there’s a bench or a couple of swings. Keeping that quality of open space available for all residents in close proximity, I think is important in making them inclusive for everyone. And then just keeping that neighborhood and community feel that’s hard to do in new development. But incorporating some of the historical elements and having a developer like Grubb Properties and the longevity that they’ve had there and kind of the commitment that they have to preserve that character and the neighborhood, the community aspect will thrive and get stronger because of that.”

That, of course, will be more relatable in the existing streetscapes, since phase one was built on open land and began with a multi-level parking deck adjacent to the four-story apartments. However, the inner courtyards and outer perimeter will have natural areas with plantings and shrubbery such as Abelia, Azalea, Hydrangea, Hollies, and Forest Grass.

“This first phase and subsequent phases we want to fit in, whether it’s within Glen Lennox itself or surrounding neighborhoods,” Walls added. “As far as the landscaping goes, the variety of species, the native species, and how that fits, we will design that into this phase, and the next phases as they are redeveloped.

“Obviously, all of the trees can’t be saved, some of them have reached the end of their life cycle or have gotten diseased, but I think where feasible in key locations, saving existing canopy is a unique feature in any redevelopment from an environmental standpoint and as a psychological benefit for residents. So the big goal for us early on was where can we save trees and let’s design around those where we’re not impacting any of the roots below ground.”

Walls and Land Design are following an extensive survey done by Tree Pros that shows which trees can be saved and which must be removed, and how to replace those that must go with other amenities such as rain gardens that both add beauty to the neighborhood but also help with storm water management.

“It’s really a joint effort of knowing where the trees that need to be removed are and staying away from any underground utilities and things like that to not impact trees that are healthy,” Walls said. “The big thing to keep is the neighborhood atmosphere and feel with the tree canopies.”

Biking will mostly be along the established streets, sometimes with dedicated lanes, and walking trails will be more on the interior, both on incoming streets and access roads that will help connect Glen Lennox to adjacent neighborhoods as far down Fordham Boulevard to University Place.

“Speaking of bikes and connectivity, I really think this will be an example in the years to come on how to fully integrate a bicycle network or framework plan into design and future developments,” Walls said. “Grubb is doing a great job at bringing the right people on board to fully integrate biking solutions to the neighborhood and to the project.”

“Glen Lennox Stories” is a series on Chapelboro sponsored by Grubb Properties