LEXINGTON — The village of Lexington may soon be acquiring a vacant Main Street lot.
Lexington council voted 6-0 Monday night to allow Mayor Bob Jarvis to negotiate a purchase price and execute a purchase agreement on the village’s behalf for several lots owned by Lexington Plaza Properties LLC.
Those properties include vacant lots on Main Street immediately west of Nickel and Bean, which formerly housed the Lexington Plaza. The village may also purchase the office building on Plymouth Street last occupied by Scott Sharrock, an insurance agent who passed away earlier this year.
“We want to work out an agreement with the property owner, Mr. (Andy) Meade, to purchase that property. We’ve been reaching out to him this year and it looks like there could be a positive response,” Jarvis said.
“If we can come to an agreement, then council will have to pass another ordinance that will detail out the actual purchase price and costs associated with that.”
Jarvis said if a purchase is made, the goal is to beautify the vacant lots, possibly by converting them to green space.
He said the village would look into leasing the office space.
“We’d probably need to take a look at it. It’s been unoccupied for four years,” he said. “I talked recently to Scott Sharrock’s property manager.
“She said Scott always did a great job of keeping that building up and repairing things.”
In September 2021, Meade worked with a developer to pitch a proposal for a gas station and convenience store on the former Lexington Plaza lot to the village planning commission.
Following outcry from village residents and a formal hearing, both the commission and council voted against the project.
Council’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Nov. 18.
Council also voted to fill vacancies left by former councilmen Adam Gongwer and Aaron Hoptry.
Micheal Benson will fill Hoptry’s seat. Rodney Earick will fill Gongwer’s seat. Both will serve through Dec. 31, 2025.
