Site Overview

Magnificent stands of heritage oak trees.  Dramatic elevation changes.  The Lindsey Hill site has incredible natural features that will be preserved and celebrated.  Those features are the focal and control points around which the entire project has been organized.  They are irreplacable assets to be preserved, celebrated, and shared.  They encourage a design solution that says, "build up, not out, and invite in."

Complementing a Diverse In-Town Neighborhood

Apartment buildings.  Townhomes.  Restaurants and businesses.  Health care facilities.  Fraternities and sororities.  Duplexes, triplexes, and four-plexes.  Churches and schools.  Single family residences.  Lindsey Hill is surrounded by a variety of uses in an already diverse in-town neighborhood where the majority of surrounding properties are not single-family homes, and are permitted to be redeveloped for more intense use.   

Preservation of Heritage Trees

The easier (and less costly) path in redevelopment?  Scrape a site completely and start all over.  The more sensitive path in redevelopment?  Identify signature assets and then showcase and share them.  Lindsey Hill's extraordinary stands of old growth trees (depicted by the green circles below) are the starting point around which the entire project has been organized.  They strongly influence the developer's "build up, not out, and invite in" strategy.  

A Design that Embraces Existing Topography

The Lindsey Hill site features dramatic elevation changes.  These are respected and integrated into the project's design, which harmoniously blends into the existing landscape without re-grading large portions of the property.    

Front-Line Neighbors

Lindsey Hill was designed with particular sensitivity to Lindsey Hill's front-line neighbors--especially our residential neighbors across Burleson.  Those neighbors at and near the intersection of Blanco and Burleson Streets will have existing light conditions preserved and will enjoy a substantially improved visual environment.  To preserve light, existing buildings will be repurposed and heights will gently step-up as you move away from the Blanco/Burleson intersection.  Instead of viewing a tired, concrete block structure (the former gymnasium), our neighbors will look out to see a fresh facade with live plant elements, and a new row of apartment residences that harmonizes with and enhances the residential aspects of the neighborhood.  

Adjoining Streets

Lindsey Hill is surrounded by one major thoroughfare, one important arterial, and two city streets.  Based on traffic engineering studies, the existing roadway network is easily capable of handling the existing demand plus the project's needs without disruption to traffic flows.  

Permitted Uses and Heights

The majority of properties surrounding Lindsey Hill currently permit redevelopment for a variety of uses at heights of four stories or greater.

Condition of Existing Buildings

Antiquated HVAC systems.  Old roofs.  Structural problems.  Lack of insulation.  ADA (handicapped accessibility) deficiencies.  Inefficient design.  

SMCISD understood that the existing buildings were beyond their useful life and functionally obsolete.  That is one of the reasons they elected to sell the Lamar facility.  It simply does not make economic sense to try to reuse most of the buildings at the property.

Because most buildings have absolutely no architectural significance or unique design attributes, saving the existing buildings does not provide long-term value for the community.