Lexington Town Council approved the first reading of a rezoning request that could bring a 50-unit townhome development to 201 Old Chapin Road, not far from downtown Lexington.

The request seeks to rezone 9.23 acres for high-density residential and limited commercial use.

The request was submitted by locally owned Connelly Development LLC, which would be the developer of the potential project, Woodland Townes.

The site, located near the intersection of Snelgrove Road and Old Chapin Road, includes plans for 50 townhomes and 0.80 acres of commercial office space.

According to developer documents, the project would include 33 two-bedroom units and 17 three-bedroom units, along with parking. Woodland Townes also includes plans for “neighborhood-scale” commercial space, featuring a 3,000-square-foot building with 10 designated parking spaces.

The project site would also include the redevelopment of two existing properties currently occupied by a 30-unit apartment complex and the former Jaycee Hut, which is unoccupied.

Connelly Development said the project would require the removal of the existing structures and redevelopment of the site into a combination of residential townhomes and limited commercial office space.

Council members noted previous concerns about added traffic congestion on Old Chapin Road. The current proposal includes about half the number of townhome units that were originally proposed for the site by another developer. A previous plan included 104 residential units and 16 garage structures but ultimately fell through.

At Monday night’s council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Todd Carnes acknowledged ongoing development along Old Chapin Road, including two projects in close proximity, and said traffic “does not flow great right now.”

“This is our one chance to get it right,” he said.

The 50-unit townhome development would be located near the previously-approved 31-unit luxury townhome project known as Sandpiper Square, which broke ground earlier this year by Purty Projects LLC.

Second reading will likely be during the next Lexington Town Council meeting on May 4.