Highfield part next

 

Latest version of HIghfield (Tuckahoe Bridge 2 at bottom)

On April 30, Markel Eagle held a second community meeting to present an undated version of a proposed development, Highfield, on approximately 138 acres located on Rockville Road, just south of the I64 overpass. Concerned citizens filled the meeting room at St. Mathew’s Church to listen as Natalie Croft, Director of Land Planning for Eagle, explained changes made to Highfield using input from a similar meeting in January. Also in attendance were David Owen, who represents the 57^th District in the House of Delegates, Jonathan Lyle, 5^th District Supervisor, Dwain Cosby 5^th District Planning Commissioner, Amanda Kowalski 2nd District Planning Commissioner, and Curt Pituck 4^th District Planning Commissioner. The property under discussion is in District 4.

The current proposal reduced the number of homes from 199 to 138, the density recommended for the area in the Goochland Comprehensive Land Use plan (https://www.goochlandva.us/250/2035-Comprehensive-Plan), which mirrors the density for section 2 of Tuckahoe Bridge (TB2), which adjoins the subject property to the south.

At the edge of the Centerville Village, a growth area, the parcel is part of the Tuckahoe Creek Service District, whose public utilities make smaller lots feasible.

As a significant portion of the proposed Highfield property is wetland, the 138 homes, as shown in the conceptual plan, are clustered on lots smaller than one acre. Three different sized lots are proposed, Parke lots, 9-11 k square feet; Estate lots 15k+ square foot lots; and West lots from 1-3 acres in size. Gross acreage is used to determine the number, not the size of individual lots, said Croft. Several attendees contended that there is nothing rural about the small lots.

The latest version of Highfield includes a spine road to encourage traffic to flow from the back of the subdivision to the main entrance on Rockville Road.  No homes have access to the spine road.

Traffic safety was the prime topic. Rockville Road, where crosses mark fatal crash sites, is one of the most dangerous routes in Goochland. A serious traffic crash at the TB2 entrance that afternoon was mentioned. Should Rockville Road be blocked south of I64, emergency vehicles would need to approach from the north, increasing response time.

Croft went into great detail about improvements to the Highfield frontage on Rockville Road, including removal of trees well back form the roadway to improve line of sight, turn lanes, widening, and shoulders.  

Off-site traffic safety matters, including an already failing Ashland Road intersections with Rockville Road and Plaza Drive, were mentioned in passing. Croft contended that conditions at either intersection were bad enough to trigger VDOT—the state agency whose motto is “oops!”—warrant thresholds for signalization. She cited the county major thoroughfare plan that includes possible improvements to these areas that do not include a timeline or funding.

 

As presented, Highfield has one direct access point with Rockville Road and a second connecting to a stub road in TB2, what could be called “daisy chaining”.

Croft contended that the road configuration complies with the county requirement for a second access point for subdivisions with more than 49 lots. TB2 has 49 lots, one per acre. Adding even half of the 138 lots in Highfield would result in the potential for vehicles from 118 lots using the TB2 access point, more than double the 49-lot requirement for access points.

A citizen cited Goochland County code Sec. 15-359. - Connectivity

“A proposed residential subdivision must be designed to coordinate with existing, proposed, and planned streets outside of the subdivision.

Wherever a proposed development abuts unplatted land or a future development phase of the same development, stub-outs must be provided as deemed necessary by the county to provide access to abutting properties or to logically extend the road network into the surrounding area. All stub-outs must be provided with temporary turn-arounds or culs-de-sac unless specifically exempted, and the restoration and extension of the road is the responsibility of any future developer of the abutting land.

Collector roads must intersect with collector or arterial roads at safe and convenient locations.

Local residential access roads must connect with surrounding roads to permit the convenient movement of traffic between residential neighborhoods and facilitate emergency access and evacuation, but such connections are not permitted if it would encourage substantial through traffic.”

Croft did not explain how the proposed connection with TB2 does not violate this provision of county code but contended that the county had approved it.

Goochland seems to be sending mixed signals about the daisy chaining.

A staff report, part of the R-1 (RZ-2024-00001) application for land in Courthouse Village, states “Greenbriar Branch Drive is a local road and provides only one access point onto Fairground Road.  Per zoning ordinance and the Goochland County Fire Prevention Code this road may not serve as access to more than 49 units. Outside of this property 25 lots exist that either have an existing house with access via that road or are recorded and potentially may have a house with access in the future. The proposed (20) lots by the applicant would bring the total to 45 and not cause the road to exceed that ordinance limitation.”

If this applies to land in Courthouse Village, why not to Highfield?

Other objections were that the number of homes would strain the county’s ability to provide needed services. Croft said that Highfield is projected to add 28 students to county schools, a remark greeted with howls of derision as citizens contended that the number could be as high as two students per home.

An Eagle representative countered that, based on experience, homes, especially those on the smaller lots, are bought by active adults with no school aged children.  

Croft seemed to indicate that Eagle would make no effort to inform those who have bought or may buy homes in TB2 about the connector road, contending that a sign on the VDOT required stub road would fill that requirement. Disclosure about things like the active rock quarry on the far side of I64 and designation of the opposite side of Rockville Road for economic development, would be handled by referring Highfield home purchasers to the comp plan.

Given the furor from homeowners in Reed Marsh in Courthouse Village when they learned that a 100 plus home community, which would be accessed via their roads, the county might want to impose more robust disclosure requirements going forward.

What kind of pushback will come from potential new residents should an industrial project be proposed the far side of Rockville Road when they learn that “prime economic development” is more intense than bookstores and coffee shops?

Goochland badly needs commercial development and lots of it to take the tax burden off of property owners.

One question that was neither asked nor answered at this meeting is “how does this benefit Goochland?”

There was no indication of next steps for the Highfield proposal. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Goochland a better place

 

Comments about the April 3, 2024, graduation of the 25^th class of Goochland Leadership Enterprise (GLE)held at the Industrial Tap House in Centerville.

GLE 25th class (GLE photo)

 

Thirty years ago, the Goochland Board of supervisors created a Commission on the Future comprised of a group of citizens charged with looking at where Goochland was and where it needed to go.

Its final report issued August 1, 1995, included this vision statement:  In the year 2010, Goochland County is a community of which all its citizens can be justifiably proud. We have a cooperative alliance of public citizens and elected officials whose implementation of a plan for orderly growth has preserved the rural character of the county while maintaining the fiscal integrity of its government. We have a superior school system, kept pace with the growing demands of public safety and provided all citizens with the opportunity for compassionate care and leisure time activities such that Goochland County is an enviable place for its citizens to live, work, and enjoy life.

Those words apply to Goochland today, but 14 years ago, not so much.

Members of the Commission recognized the need for fully participating citizen government. “Good and effective leadership is not limited to those in positions of authority, nor is it limited to any one race, culture, or economic strata. There are individuals throughout Goochland with leadership potential.

“In order to reap the benefits of the varied backgrounds of the citizens of Goochland, the county should introduce a leadership development program to do the following.

·        Identify potential leaders.

·        Help to cultivate leadership skills.

·        Encourage potential leaders to take a more active role in the county.

·        Educate participants about the opportunities and problems in Goochland.

·        Bring current and potential leaders in contact to encourage discussion and debate.

·        Develop a spirit of cooperation to benefit the county as a whole.”

Chuck White, Rick Cagan, Mary-Ellen Kendall, and Sallie Mae Pleasants, of the Virginia Cooperative Extension, put those words into action and established GLE.  White was the Director for the first few years. He was succeeded by Ken Holt, and then George Gill who preceded current director Pete Williams.

The first class formed in the fall of 1996, meeting on Thursday nights. We also met on several Saturdays to conduct team building and other collaborative exercises. We may have done Myers Briggs tests. The class included—as it has ever since—newcomers and lifelong Goochlanders from all parts of the county. We got to know people we might never have otherwise met and learn about the whole county, not just the parts in our “flight paths”.

Since then, GLE graduates have served in most elected and appointed government roles, volunteered in a host of ways, and include several Christmas Mothers. County employees completed GLE giving them a better understanding of the people they serve. One blogs about the county.

According to an article in the late, lamented Goochland Courier about the 10^th graduating GLE class, more than 200 people had completed the class. The 15 classes since then have enriched our community and will continue to do so.

George Gill, second GLE director, who now lives in Kentucky, said "I believe that GLE was the right program at the right time and made a huge difference to Goochland by providing a mechanism for people to learn about the county and how to get involved, especially with volunteer opportunities.”

Knight Bowles was born and raised in Goochland and returned to the county after he retiring as a Captain in the United States Navy. He was a member of the first class and offered reflections on the program as the keynote speaker at the graduation.

Bowles urged the graduates to stay engaged with the county. He cited his service, in the early part of the century, on the Goochland Board of Equalization, which deals with property valuation disputes. At that time, assessments were performed every four years by an outside contract awarded to the lowest bidder, with predictable results. After the disastrous 2004 assessments, Bowles advocated for the county to hire its own assessor and update values on an annual basis. He considered that a success.

One of his greatest frustrations is that solutions to the high cost of home ownership in Goochland which continues to price most county employees, who work for the Sheriff, Fire-rescue, schools, and local government out of the housing market remain elusive.  

Bowles is a tireless volunteer for Goochland Habitat for Humanity (https://www.goochlandhabitat.com/), and other programs that provide home repairs for low-income residents.

Ben Slone, also a member of the first class, who currently serves as Chair of the Goochland Economic Development Authority, said that GLE provided a wealth of information about Goochland, a variety of ways to engage with the community, and the opportunity to get to know fellow Goochlanders that you might not otherwise encounter.

The next GLE class starts in the fall.

 

New voting precinct proposed for Goochland District 4

 Contact:

Jessica Kronberg

Chief of Marketing and Communications

Phone: (804) 556-5856

Cell: (804) 314-5014

Email: jkronberg@goochlandva.us

 

 

Goochland County Opens Proposed Voting Precinct 403 for Public Comment

 

Goochland, VA – Election District 4, located in the northeastern area of the county, has experienced residential growth since the county adopted its new election district map after the decennial redistricting.  Precinct 402 (Centerville) now has over 4,000 registered voters. In order to decrease wait time and provide better service to voters, the General Registrar and the Electoral Board have asked the Board of Supervisors to create a new election precinct, identified as Precinct 403 (West Creek).

 

Proposed Precinct 403 is proposed to encompass the area of the county east of I-288 generally between Broad Street Road and West Creek Parkway. The new precinct would include residents of the Avery Point Senior Living, 2000 West Creek, and the Retreat at West Creek communities.

 

As proposed, Precinct 403 would have approximately 1,269 registered voters and would reduce the number of registered voters in Precinct 402 to about 2,756.

 

The polling place for proposed Precinct 403 would be within the Avery Point Senior Living community, located at 1000 Avery Point Way which is off Wilkes Ridge Parkway (State Route 1034).

 

On April 2, 2024, the Board of Supervisors scheduled a public hearing to be held at its June meeting in order for residents to provide input on the proposed Precinct 403. The public hearing is scheduled for June 4, 2024, starting at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors meeting room, Room 250 in the County Administration Building at 1800 Sandy Hook Road. Should the Board of Supervisors approve the proposed Precinct 403 on June 4, it will not become effective for at least 30 days.

 

Note: A primary election has been scheduled for June 18, 2024, which would be before Precinct 403 has become effective. All registered voters in Precinct 402 (Centerville) who participate in a June 18 primary will do so at the current polling place, St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, located at 1706 St. Matthew’s Lane (State Route 708).

 

In the interest of transparency, and in compliance with the Virginia Voting Rights Act, the County is providing residents with the opportunity to comment on the creation of the proposed Precinct 403 for a period of at least 30 days. Name and address are required for comments to be considered. Names and comments, but not addresses, will be posted online. Comments can be provided as follows:

 

Online:                 www.goochlandva.us/precinct403

 

Email:                    precinct403@goochlandva.us

 

Mail:                      Precinct 403

P.O. Box 10

Goochland, VA 23035

 

Fax:                        804-556-4369

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Goochland County Attorney’s Office at 804-556-5877.

 

###

Budget for FY 25 approved tax rates set

 

At an April 16 meeting, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the budget for FY25, which begins on July 1 and set tax rates and utility fees for calendar year 2024. The final budget, which was tweaked a bit since the public hearing on April 2, remains at a total of $134,056,574. Tax rates are unchanged from last year: real estate 53 cents per $100 of valuation that has been in place since at least 2007; the ad valorem tax for property in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District 32 cents; and personal property tax at $2.99 per $100. Water and sewer rates for those served by public utilities will increase by three percent. Animal shelter adoption fees will increase to $90 for dogs and $75 for cats regardless of gender. These all take effect on July 1, 2024.

Since County Administrator Vic Carpenter presented his proposed budget in February, there has been a great deal of discussion, including citizen input about spending tax dollars. Inflation has reared its ugly head as schools, the Sheriff, fire-rescue, and county departments highlighted the need to increase salary scale to attract and retain the best employees for Goochland. Schools asked for an additional $1.4 million to bring their salary scale to the regional median.

The fact is that Goochland cannot keep pace with its deep pocketed neighbors. Among other losses, Matt Longshore, who served as director of public utilities, left to take a similar job with Hanover County. We wish Matt all the best in his new position and thank him for his service here.

Everyone involved in the budget process, supervisors, schools, department heads, constitutional officers worked long hours with “sharpened pencils” to fund as many necessities as possible—defining these was a difficult task—using available funds.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5, finishing his first budget as a supervisor, thanked his fellow board members for their exchange of ideas, opinions, and perspectives. He also thanked Carpenter, Director of Finance Carla Cave, department heads and Constitutional Officers for being generous with their time and exhibiting good humor in response to his questions. Lyle also thanked school board members, School Superintendent Dr. Cromartie, and School Director of Finance Debbie White for being active participants in the budget dialog.

He also thanked citizens for weighing in on the matter, having received 43 communications from them in the previous three weeks.

The FY25 budget, said Lyle Is not perfect, no budget ever is. He went on to list what he considered positives. The budget is balanced requiring no borrowing except that approved by voted in the 2021 referendum. It focuses on people because an organization is only as good as those who make it work.

“This budget has looked at staffing needs for a county that is growing, and compensation needed to attract and retain productive team members. Even with the focus on people, the reality is that Goochland is not the leader in employee pay scales or staffing levels. The result is that people who are part of the Goochland team are here for more than a paycheck. They are investing in our county through time and energy as well as compensation. Even so, we’re going to lose team members.”

Lyle compared Goochland to a “mid-major” college basketball team where talent develops and blossoms, then moves to a higher level. While in Goochland, he contended, they give full effort.

The budget, he said, focuses on needs. Not every initial budget request was granted. Priorities addressed by the budget are public safety and education, which is reflected by the addition of deputies, dispatchers, and fire-rescue personnel.

Lyle commended Board Chair Charlie Vaughters, District 4, for initiating discussions on adding more deputies. He cited changes in policing protocols implemented in neighboring jurisdictions that could have a negative impact on Goochland. Being proactive to anticipate issues is prudent, contended Lyle. He said that discussions on this topic were dynamic and unexpected with a positive result.

Lyle said that school funding in Goochland is at a historic high and that concerns about competition voiced by the school board and administration are “being actively worked on.” He expressed cautious optimism that those conversations will have a positive outcome.

He noted that while the tax rate remains unchanged at 53 cents, it does represent a tax increase due to the increase in assessed valuations.

A tax rate cut—each penny of tax represents about $860,000—would require less funding for county services. Lyle said that some calls he received asked for a rate cut without reducing service levels, a task complicated by inflation.

Lyle expressed concern that the budget does not reflect significant growth in the county’s business tax base. He advocated for robust efforts to grow that tax base, especially by developing West Creek.

“West Creek is a business park, with no rezoning needed. It has water and sewer, four lane roads, and sits astride Rt. 288. It is a diamond in the rough. I hope we will cut and polish it this year. A billion dollars invested in West Creek could contribute millions of dollars to the county tax base with no demand on schools and minimal impact on county services.”

Neil Spoonhower, District 2 said that this was his fifth budget—two were prepared in 2020 to deal with the pandemic emergency—and that his experience taught him the lesson that “nothing we do is permanent. We will continue to meet needs as they present themselves. We do the best modeling we can and look to see where the greatest needs are.”

Spoonhower said he had just learned that the number of building permits issued by the county has decreased significantly. “We’ve heard from our citizens loud and clear that continuing to grow at this pace is not smart. This board made a commitment (at its January workshop) to be intentional and thoughtful about everything we do. I’m proud of the fact that when our (in 2020) new sheriff presented a five-year plan for deputies and dispatchers, we’ve met that plan. The community has said time and time again that public safety and education are its biggest concerns, and this budget reflects that. We do more with less and I want to thank every person who makes that possible.”

Vaughters agreed with all comments and expressed appreciation for working with his supervisors to a good outcome. “With sagging eyes and a wife who is ticked at me, means we’ve done the budget the right way. We can never make everyone happy.” He thanked his fellow supervisors, school and county staff for the unbelievable number of hours dedicated to crafting the budget. He expressed gratitude for and pride in all the people working for Goochland.

(Thanks to supervisor spouses for their sacrifice of family time and patience in support of good local government.)

Public hearings

The public hearing on a rezoning application filed by Sidney & Sidney was deferred to June 4.

Two parcels were added to the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.

Conditional use permits for electronic message boards at Randolph and Byrd Elementary Schools were approved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A toolbox for land use engagement

 

The metaphorical toolbox that can help guide land use decisions

Most people in Goochland give little thought to land use until they see a bulldozer on the lot next door, by which time it is too late.

During and after the Centerville small area plan study/debacle, a group of engaged citizens worked very hard to submit constructive comments about the plan and were pretty much ignored. The group also studied, in depth, the zoning process used by Goochland County, how it works, and how it could be improved.

In December, Linda Moore, who was instrumental in reducing the number of homes and final configuration of the Tuckahoe Bridge subdivision on Manakin Road and the approved version of Manakin Towne in the Centreville Village, created the Community Planning Committee last December. The goal of the CPC is to educate citizens about the county’s zoning process and encourage local government to provide citizens with complete and detailed information about proposed land use changes to enable them to make constructive comments well in advance of public hearings.

At a citizen-to-citizen workshop held at Goochland Baptist Church on April 8, members of the CPC explained the zoning process, discussed the importance of citizen engagement, and urged those present to participate. The workshop was titled “an educational opportunity to improve and protect the quality of our life by working together to choose how and where we grow as a community.”

The meeting was well attended. Supervisors Tom Winfree, District 3; Charlie Vaughters, District 4; Jonathan Lyle, District 5; and District 5 planning commissioner Dwain Cosby joined residents concerned about growth to listen to the presentations.

Tools in the land use planning “toolbox” include the county’s comprehensive land use plan; zoning ordinances and articles; financial impacts of growth; and preservation of rural and natural areas.

Rob Williamson discussed the county comprehensive land use plan https://www.goochlandva.us/250/2035-Comprehensive-Plan, which is used to guide land use decisions. Its goals are to create high quality commercial, industrial, and employment hubs; vibrant villages that reflect the character of each community; high quality residential development compatible with adjacent land uses; preservation of natural, historic, and cultural resources; and manage viable agricultural and forestry resources that are important components of the local economy.

According to the American Planning Association http://www.planning.org/ a comp plan is not a “feel good” document. It features strategies for specific land use issues including detailed action agendas designed to implement the plan in a sequential and predictable manner. The comp plan, said Williamson, is a legally defensible policy document.

Zoning ordinances protect the rights of property owners while safeguarding the general welfare of the community. Their purpose is to locate land uses where they are most appropriate. The county has a goal of keeping 85 percent “rural” with the remainder, somewhat vaguely defined, developed. “That doesn’t mean the 15 percent is a dumping ground for development.” Every property owner, said Wiliamson, has the right to ask for a zoning change and an increase in development density. They do not have the right to get what they ask for. He pointed out that the assessed valuation of land increases when permitted density rises.

The land use change process often is for a conditional use permit, needed for uses not allowed “by right” in a particular zoning district requires several steps, as does rezoning. The first is a community meeting, which must be held before a formal application can be filed with the county. This meeting is run by the applicant to present the proposed project to neighboring property owners and the community. Sometimes these meetings are heavily attended, sometimes few people show up. The first inkling that something is up a piece of property is the yellow zoning sign https://www.goochlandva.us/833/Zoning-Signs Adjacent property owners are notified of the community meeting by mail. Others may learn about it by word of mouth. It is important to pay attention.

If you see this sign, pay attention

The land use change application, which should include a detailed traffic impact study, is filed after the community meeting, and reviewed by the planning staff, which prepares a summary. The next step is a public hearing before the planning commission, which makes recommendations about the application to the supervisors who have the final say after another public hearing.

Williamson said that every rezoning impacts residents in all parts of the county and urged citizens to pay attention and get involved by going to community meetings, public hearings, and networking with neighbors to ensure that they are aware of the proposed action.

Larry Barker, a volunteer EMS provider, and life member of Centerville Company 3 discussed the substantial increase in calls for service in the east end of the county in the recent past. The arrival of Sheltering Arms Hospital, Avery Point, a continuing care senior community in the Notch, Mosaic in West Creek, and other 55+ communities has increased the number of older residents more likely to need EMS. Ballooning call volumes in the county’s east end puts pressure on the system county wide. For instance, if EMS crews at Centerville and Manakin are out on calls, units from other stations, which could be as far away as Fife and Hadensville will respond. This reduces the resources available to respond to calls in the rest of Goochland.

Barker said that that, in addition to EMS calls, fire-rescue companies respond to traffic accidents, which sometimes require lengthy and complicated emergency responses, especially those on I64, and structure fires, all of which require a lot of people.

Fire-Rescue Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. explained that Goochland is a combination department where volunteers work side by side with paid personnel. They all receive the same level of training. Volunteers, explained Ferguson, save the county a huge amount of money by giving freely of their time and talents to save lives and protect property in Goochland.

The Chief said that Goochland Fire-Rescue needs more volunteers (go to https://goochlandfire-rescue.org/ to learn how you can help). Currently, most volunteers in the east end of Goochland live outside the county but come here to work duty shifts, for which the county is grateful.

Paul Costello, a Centerville resident who has been engaged in local land use issues since at least 2007, contended that implementation of place making strategies are vital to good land use and the result of input from a collective voice.

He reiterated that the comp plan is a legally significant document that was built around a village concept to concentrate growth in specific areas. “In 1980, Short Pump as we know it did not exist. West Creek did not become the next Innsbrook. Now the goal is to avoid disruptive land use.”

The portion of eastern Goochland designated for potential growth is approximately 21 thousand acres. We still do not know how much of that is not usable due to wetlands and other impediments. The county recently began the “southern infrastructure study” (SIS) to not only determine how much of that land is developable but provide data for various development scenarios. Costello said he hopes this methodology will become standard practice when analyzing the impact of any future land use changes.

He addressed the workload of the community development staff, which is often presented with ill-conceived and incomplete project inquiries that never move forward but waste time. The planning staff does not have the authority to reject applications that are incomplete or fail to comply with land use guidelines.

Community meetings, said Costello, are arranged by the applicant who sets the agenda, presents a proposed project in the best light possible downplaying its impact on neighboring property. The applicant may also work behind the scenes to “leverage whatever political capital they may have to influence the Board of Supervisors.”

Staff, said Costello, may be caught in the middle and endure political pressure to expedite applications with incomplete information.

Goochland has had four county administrators in the last five years, and significant community development staff turnover, which limits historical knowledge transfer and impedes the citizen input process.

“Our new supervisors and planning commissioners are making a good effort to open lines of communication between staff and citizens,” said Costello.

Costello said that citizens need access to complete information about land use changes before they reach the planning commission to provide constructive input. Too often, changes are submitted at the last minute, providing no time for citizens, planning commissioners or supervisors to adequately analyze them.

Citizens must be vigilant, contended Costello. The county GIS page provides a wealth of information, including permits filed on each parcel.

Residents of the Sycamore Creek subdivision described how they opposed a CUP application filed by Capitol Broad LLC to transform a private home into an event venue using tents and porta potties to host outdoor gatherings. Only the Sycamore Creek homeowner whose property adjoined the subject parcel and had a clear view of the yard in question was notified about the community meeting. The planning commission recommended approval of the application despite objections by the neighbors, concerned about noise, traffic, trash, and party goers trespassing, with supervisors. Then Board Chair Neil Spoonhower, District 2, visited the site. The supervisors voted the CUP down at their March 7, 2023, meeting. (A recording is archived on the county website, goochlandva.us at the “watch county meetings tab”)

The key to constructive participation in land use matters is citizen engagement beginning in early stages of a proposed change, as well as more general land use matters such as updates to the comp plan and major thoroughfare plan. Concerns must be specific and clearly articulated to planning commissioners and supervisors well before the public hearing phase. Citizens must remain engaged and informed about zoning and other land use matters.

On Thursday, April 18, beginning at 6:30 p.m. the planning commission will hold a public hearing for a proposed amendment to the county zoning ordinance section concerning floor area ratios.

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

Mark your calendars

April 26^th- Clerk of Goochland Court Amanda Adams will present an estate planning seminar in room 250 of the county administration building, 1800 Sandy Hook Road beginning at 3 p.m. For more information email to circuitcourt@goochlandva.us.

April 27^th-The 8^th annual spring market, a collaboration between the Ladies Axillary of American Legion Post 215 and River Road Cottage & Market will be held at Post 215, 3386 River Road West, a bit beyond the high school from 9 to 2. More than 30 local vendors and artisans will participate. There will be food available for purchase from the Legion and hot funnel cakes. There will also be door prizes and raffles.

April 27^th-Spring Garden fest from the Goochland Powhatan Master Gardeners Association will be held at Reynolds Community College-Goochland Campus from 8-3. Classes fill up fast. The last day to register is April 17^th. Go here for details

Wednesday, May 1-Kates Day at the Virginia Correctional Centre for Women. Go to https://theelizabethkatesfoundation.org/ for details.

 May 17 and 18 Goochland Day go to goochlandday.org for details.

April Board highlights

 

The regular monthly meeting of the Goochland Board of Supervisors was held on April 2. Neil Spoonhower, District 2, was absent. During the brief afternoon session, the supervisors approved proclamations recognizing April as Hunger Awareness Month and April 21-27 as Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Please contribute local food drives this month as you are able, to help those in our community struggling with hunger issues.

County Administrator Vic Carpenter announced that plans for the West Creek fire-rescue station 7 on the east side of Hockett Road just north of Tuckahoe Creek Parkway have been put on hold. Carpenter said that the county selected a design team for the facility, but decided to make sure that the county is making the right decisions. “We want to go ahead and put a pause on the process while we reevaluate to see if we’re in the right location or need to look somewhere else. Station 7 will be built. It may be built on the current location, but we want to make sure that in doing so that we’ve determined our needs have changed over these last several years, that the station is built in the right place to meet those needs.” The pause, reiterated Carpenter “just means that we’re making the right decisions for that facility.”

Drastic increases in EMS call volume generated by Avery Point and the Sheltering Arms rehabilitation hospital are believed to be a consideration in this decision. The influx of older residents to the county—Mosaic and Avery Point, both 55+ communities are not yet built out—are expected to continue to increase in EMS call volume going forward.

During citizen comment Karen Horn commended the convenience center staff for its friendly, and helpful attitude.

Keith Burgess of the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District reported that Matt Dabney is in the process of being nominated to fill the at large director position. Erin Small, Goochland Extension Agent, has been serving as an associate director for MSWCD since last fall.  A position for an agricultural technician to focus on administrative and technical support to help local farmers implement best practices on their land and educate the public about protecting the environment is being advertised. Go to https://www.monacanswcd.org/

The district, said Burgess, is working on its strategic plan and recently conducted a residential septic workshop for homeowners.

Monacan Conservation District has cost-share funds available for the remainder of the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year that ends on June 30th.  The district was allocated $1.9 million in cost-share funding July 1st, 2023, and currently the district is on track to implement more than $1 million in programs. With more than $800,000 in funding still available producers are encouraged to contact the Monacan District to explore Best Management Practices (BMP) available.  The Monacan office can be reached at 804-556-4936 or online at monacanswcd.org.

Burgess said that an update on the conservation easements currently in place and administered by Goochland County is needed.  As a co-holder of these easements, the county has a responsibility to ensure the easements are being followed, and that only permitted activities are taking place on the preserved properties.

As yet, reported Burgess, MSWCD has received no interest in youth summer camps or scholarships. Search the MSWCD Facebook page for details.

Board Chair Charlie Vaughters, District 4, said that the supervisors are working hard to finalize the county budget for FY25, which begins July 1.

The bi-monthly fire-rescue report and monthly broadband update are included in the packet. D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, JR. Chief of the Department of Fire-Rescue and emergency management reported that his department has a new website goochlandfire-rescue.org that has a wealth of useful information, including the fire-rescue master plan. The annual testing and preventive maintenance for dry hydrants— “straws” into ponds and streams that provide water for fire suppression in areas not served by public water—is underway.

Dry hydrant.

As Goochland is crossed by many gas pipelines a pipeline emergency preparedness workshop sponsored by Kinder Morgan Pipeline was conducted on March 4.

Goochland fire-rescue needs volunteers and is accepting applications. Visit the website to see how you can get involved.

The broadband report included the following information: Firefly Fiber Broadband has about 300 contractors in the field supporting the overall regional RISE project including 20 aerial construction teams and 25 underground construction teams.  They are building up to 35 miles of fiber construction and service extensions per week across the overall regional project area.  In addition, the pace of final connections has increased to over 200 per week. Important Project Notes: Construction will be complete on all Firefly Fiber Broadband RISE Project areas by August 2025, service will be available by no later than 2025. It’s important that citizens in the project areas register for service at https://register.fireflyva.com/. Firefly Fiber Broadband and their partners will be sending out communications throughout the project, citizens can find the latest information for Goochland projects at https://www.fireflyva.com/partners-goochland/.

The FY24 budget was amended to budget and appropriate $192,873 in the School Operating Fund and $31,674 in the School Cafeteria Fund, which required no additional county funding. These amounts included $192,873 to the School Operating fund for division-wide technology equipment and a secondary mental health counselor. • $31,674 to the School Cafeteria fund for cafeteria equipment. 

Jennie Wood was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Economic Development Authority for a term running from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2028.

A no interest 20-year non-interest-bearing loan for $700,000 to the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association, Inc. for renovations to Courthouse Company 5 was approved. The station upgrades will accommodate 24/7 career fire-rescue providers with bunk space and better bathrooms. The improved station will serve the county for 25 years.

The supervisors set a public hearing for June 4 to consider creation of a new voting precinct for District 4 at Avery Point. Residents are encouraged to comment about this change before June 4.

A public hearing was set for May 7 about a request to add a parcel located in the original footprint to the Tuckahoe Creek Service District. If approved, the parcel will be required to pay an additional 20 percent connection fee and the ad valorem tax.

The supervisors went into closed session to discuss the performance of the county administrator and county attorney.

Public hearings were held on proposed tax rates, which remain unchanged from last year. Because revenue generated by higher real estate assessment increased over last year by 4.9 percent, retention of the 53 cents per $100 of valuation represents an increase of two cents per hundred.

A public hearing on the proposed $133,648,936 budget was held. Two citizens spoke in support of necessary funding for schools, fire-rescue, and the sheriff’s office.

No one spoke during the public hearing on proposed residential public utility rates that will increase by three percent. The 32 cents per $100 of assessed valuation levied on property in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District to service the debt incurred to install its infrastructure, will remain unchanged.

There is still time to weigh in on the budget. Contact your supervisor will concerns and comments. The supervisors will meet on Tuesday, April 16 to approve a budget for FY25, and tax rates and fees for calendar year 2024.