The sausage making begins

 

If Goochland County budget season is kicking into high gear, maybe there will be a spring. On February 18, County Administrator Vic Carpenter presented a draft budget for FY26, which begins on July 1. The draft will be tweaked then a public hearing on it will be held on April 1, with final approval, including setting tax rates for calendar year 2025, on April 15. District 2 Supervisor Neil Spoonhower, who is traveling on business, participated remotely. No vote or other action was taken by the board on the draft budget.

As this was Carpenter’s last meeting, the board wished him Godspeed in his future endeavors. Carpenter submitted his resignation in January effective February 20. The Hon Manuel Alvarez, former District 2 supervisor, will act as interim county administrator beginning on February 24.

The supervisors voted to authorize advertisement of proposed tax rates, including a 53 cent per $100 of assessed valuation real estate tax. The board could decide to adopt a lower tax rate, but not a higher one. Because retention of the 53-cent tax rate, which has been in effect for more than a decade, would generate revenue up more than one percent from last year, it represents a tax increase and, according to state law, must be advertised as such. Please read the following notice for details.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

  7.2.a The County of Goochland, Virginia proposes to increase property tax levies, while keeping the tax rate unchanged at $0.53 per $100 of assessed value.  1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year's total assessed value of real property by 8.6 percent.  2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.49 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the "lowered tax rate."  3. Effective Rate Increase: The County of Goochland proposes to adopt a tax rate of $0.53 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.04 per $100, or 8.2 percent. This difference will be known as the "effective tax rate increase."  Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.  4. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the general fund budget of the County of Goochland will exceed last year's by 7.4 percent and the total budget of the County will be 10.9 percent higher than last year’s budget, primarily due to an increase in Utilities Capital Projects, public safety personnel, and software contracts.  A public hearing on the increase will be held on April 1, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the Board Meeting Room at 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland, VA.

Increases in county fees, including a 2.5 percent increase for water and sewer customers; a 2.5 increase in water and sewer connection fees; and increase for a re-review fee for commercial building plans from $100 to $250, and implementation of a re-review fee of $250 for residential building plans. The proposed personal property tax rate for vehicles is $2.99 per $100 of assessed valuation, unchanged from last year. The ad valorem tax levied on property in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District in addition to real estate tax was proposed to be 32 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, unchanged from last year.

Carpenter outlined the budget process, which began early in October. This included meetings with all county departments, constitutional officers, and schools to review needs and requests for the next fiscal year. Work sessions were held with schools, constitutional officers, and county departments to determine which projects in the five-year capital improvement program (CIP) would be designated for funding in FY26. The supervisors weighed in with their funding priorities.

As the county is required to have a balanced budget, revenue projections—to determine how much money will be available—were carefully monitored. County revenue sources include general property and other local taxes; state and federal aid; fees and charges for services; and grants.

Carpenter’s presentation included several charts and graphs. (Go to chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.goochlandva.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2208 to view). He began with an overview of growth in the county’s general fund, almost doubling between actual FY18, approximately $50.3 million and proposed FY29 projected $95.6 million.

Carpenter contended that the proposed FY26 budget—$148,597,906 up from FY25 $136,136,574 a 9.2 percent increase—was written with the understanding that, as more information becomes available, the board would adjust it as it sees fit. Property valuations increased 11.4 percent from last year, representing $5.4 million in new real estate tax revenue. The draft budget reflects the board’s priorities of education and public safety. The school division will make a budget presentation at the March 4 board meeting. The draft budget, said Carpenter, used very conservative parameters and included a more than $1 million surplus.

The next exhibit demonstrated a dramatic increase in the growth of public safety—law enforcement and fire-rescue—versus general government between FY22 and FY26. This was driven by an increase in the number of deputies and career fire-rescue personnel to handle increased demand for service driven by growth.

Inflation, the need to keep salaried competitive to retain employees, and escalating health insurance premiums have long term impacts on the budget, Carpenter contended. The threat of unfunded state mandates and a possible recession were also considered.

The only new positions included were a second deputy county attorney, hiring and equipping five deputies, and increasing a part time employee in the registrar’s office to full time. Fire-rescue company 8 in Sandy Hook is under construction and will need to be staffed, but no new career fire-rescue employees were included, even though 20 new positions were requested.

Information technology saw a large increase caused in part by rising software licensing fees.

The draft budget said Carpenter is “flat” but does include three percent raises for all county and school employees. External agencies that work with Goochland, like Goochland Cares, received no increase from last year. Goochland Pet Lovers indicated that they no longer need county fiscal assistance. Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District received no funding.

The $5,964,930 CIP proposal includes amounts for fire-rescue apparatus; a chiller for the high school complex, which is vital to keep the school HVAC system, which is more than 20 years old, operating; facilities management; and information technology that would come from the general fund.

Spoonhower noted that, while the county has grown about 20 percent over the past several years, public safety spending has increased by about 100 percent.  He looks forward to departmental budget presentations that explore reasons behind increases.

Charlie Vaughters, District 4, observed that a significant portion of the public safety cost rise could be attributed to the transition of fire-rescue from a volunteer to a mostly career organization. This is a clear indication of the value of the service of fire-rescue volunteers for the past 75 years.

Construction of a new circuit courthouse and the West Creek fire-rescue station, which were supposed to be funded with proceeds of the bond referendum approved in 2021, have been pushed even further back. This seems to be driven by a policy put in place before most of the current board took office establishing a threshold for expenditures versus county cash reserves. At a February 4 workshop, the finance committee voted to reduce the required percentage from 60 to 35 percent. This will be presented to the full board at its March 4 meeting for adoption.

The FY26 budget is a work in progress, stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Splitting hairs

 

Mount Bernard

Preserving Goochland’s rural character while enhancing its commercial tax base is challenging. Event venues offer a way to do this. Holding celebrations in rural areas seems to be a trend.

The county has a wealth of “places of public assembly” that host events ranging from modest barn weddings to lavish nuptials with price tags that range well into six figures.

Dover Hall on Manakin Road, and the Estate at River Run, on Rt. 6 east of Courthouse Village have national reputations that attract high dollar clients.

Goochland County requires property owners who wish to operate an event venue to obtain a conditional use permit. The CUP process involves holding community meetings to let neighbors know what is planned and filing a detailed application to address many facets of the operation including adherence to fire codes, number of events allowed in a given period, limits on number of attendees, security if alcohol is involved and parking.

At their February 4 meeting, Goochland supervisors wrestled with a CUP application filed by Mary Elizabeth and Jimmy Ortuno to operate two unhosted rentals and an event venue on 58.3 of their 130 acres at Mount Bernard, whose iconic and historic white home is a landmark on River Road West in Maidens. The Ortunos explained that they are actively farming the Mount Bernard property and want to add the proposed uses to maximize their revenue generation opportunities.

The CUP application requested approval for the Mount Bernard event venue to host outdoor, weekend events from 1 to 10 p.m. for no more than 150 people in tents, 12 times per year from March to November, but not on Easter, Memorial or Labor Day. No mention was made of July Fourth. Amplified music would stop by 9 p.m. The CUP application stated that catering, tents, port-a-potties and other equipment for the events would be transported to the site. A three year rather than the customary five-year, initial tenure of a first time CUP was requested to allow the Ortunos to prove that they could successfully operate the event venue without being a burden to their neighbors.

A condition stated that the Mount Bernard venue would retain the services of a professional event planner to ensure that all rules were followed.

The subject property adjoins the Estate at River Run whose exquisite mansion was essentially built as a party house years ago. The current owners, who had a “track record” of event planning made a significant investment transforming the property into a commercial venue, also going through the CUP process, right before Covid hit.

During the public hearing, concerns about the lack of limits on noise generated by the event venue as measured by wattage or decibels were raised. One speaker said, “their right to rock their world ends at my property line”. Traffic, over commercialization of a historic site and River Road West, which is a Virginia scene highway, were other objections raised. Speakers also pointed out that Mount Bernard is much closer to River Road West than the Estate at River Run, which overlooks the James River, making it easier for noise and traffic to impact neighbors.

The supervisors concurred about the noise issue. The application prohibited “subwoofers” but placed no other limits on sound. Charlie Vaughters, District 4, said that he lives close to Dover Hall and is able to hear music emanating from inside tents there.

The issue of amplified music from Mount Bernard being audible at the Estate at River Run and the Ortuno’s lack experience operating an event venue led to the board voting to deny the portions of the CUP dealing with the event venue but approving those for the unhosted short term rental.

Supervisors and speakers contended that unhosted short term rentals are beneficial to Goochland because they provide badly need lodging. However, the county needs to do a better job of monitoring them and ensuring that all property owners obtain CUPs to legally operate short-term rentals unhosted. (See https://www.goochlandva.us/966/Short-term-rental for details.)

 Most people who rent these are considerate visitors to our county. However, for everyone’s protection, we need to know who these people are, and the owners must pay occupancy tax on revenue derived from these rentals.

 

 

 

 

 

February part 2

 

Proposed diverging diamond interchange (Goochland County image)

Spring town hall meetings.

The schedule for Goochland Spring town hall meetings is as follows: District 1, Monday, March 24 at Byrd Elementary School, 2704 Hadensville Fife Road; Districts 2 and 3 Monday, March 31 at the county administration building1800 Sandy Hook Road in Courthouse Village; Districts 4 and 5 Thursday, March 27 at the Residence Inn at the Notch, 800 Wilkes Ridge Circle, roughly opposite the Wawa on Broad Street Road in Centerville. All meetings will start at 6 p.m.

Supervisors and school board members for their respective districts will attend and answer questions.

Meetings will be livestreamed at https://va-goochlandcounty.civicplus.com/1154. Submit questions to townhall@goochlandva.us.

Diverging Diamond and other road delights

Phillip Frazier, Assistant Resident Engineer in the VDOT Ashland Residency, presented an update on the diverging diamond planned for the I-64 Ashland Road interchange. In December, Frazier reported, VDOT received conditional approval from the Federal Highway Administration, essentially a “thumbs up” for the diverging diamond project. This will include the construction of a second bridge over the interstate, parallel to the existing span.

The project has transitioned from a traditional design bid build project to a design build project, which will allow the project to be delivered about a year earlier than first anticipated, said Frazier. This will give the design build team selected to complete the project flexibility to be creative and innovative during construction, which could lead to shaving about a year off the project’s completion date.

VDOT will complete about the first third of the project design then pause and solicit bids for the final design team. When the contract is awarded, the project will be turned over to that design build team for completion, which will be responsible for acquiring rights of way and relocating utilities, explained Frazier.

Additionally, the Hickory Haven Park and Ride relocation will be “bundled” into the project to avoid different contractors working in close proximity “stepping on each other’s toes” during construction. This will delay the completion of the park and ride, on the west side of Ashland Road, just south of I64, whose design is currently nearing the right-of-way acquisition phase.

The park and ride relocation is fully funded. The diverging diamond, estimated to cost $79 million, has about $76 million in dedicated funding. Frazier said that options are being explored to close the gap by refining estimates to get it within budget. He said that VDOT will exhaust all options to secure state funding before coming back to Goochland for the shortfall but wanted the supervisors to be aware of the issue.

There was a question about improving access to Bennington Road, which runs roughly parallel to I64 and intersects with Ashland Road north of the interstate. Frazier said that the project now includes the realignment of Bennington Road, moving its intersection on the east side of Ashland Road further north, to ease access for the businesses currently on Bennington Road, and perhaps attract more commercial development to that area.

This increased cost projections as the water line that needs to be moved to accommodate the improvement turned out to be a 16 rather than eight-inch line as specified in the preliminary estimates.

Preliminary drawings for a temporary traffic signal, to manage traffic during construction of Project Rocky, the Amazon distribution center, was received by the VDOT traffic engineering group last week, said Frazier. This is well ahead of the initial six to nine months estimate for installation of this signal.

Frazier said that the timeline for completion of the diverging diamond interchange will become more precise when it has been scoped, which will lock in the cost estimate and schedule. This cannot happen until completion of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) documents, after which a public hearing will be held, perhaps in late summer. Then the procurement process will begin with requests for qualifications, request for proposals, and an award date of September 2026. Frazier estimated a three-year construction window with completion in August 2029, which is about a year sooner than earlier estimates.

Neil Spoonhower, District 2, said that the supervisors made a commitment when approving Project Rocky in 2022 to deliver it with minimal negative impacts to the county.

“We are working very hard and going in the right direction. Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue on that trend to get this intersection, which will be a great corridor adding value to the county, built out,” Spoonhower said.

 

TCSD addition

During evening public hearings, the supervisors voted unanimously to add four parcels of land on the west side of Ashland Road owned by Amazon Services, LLC, known as Project Rocky, to the Tuckahoe Creek Service District. The project needs public water and sewer to operate, but, according to Wayne Stephens, interim director of the Goochland Department of Public Utilities, will use a relatively small amount of capacity. Project Rocky will pay ad valorem tax levied on all land in the TCSD thar services the debt Goochland County incurred when the district was created in 2002.

During the public hearing, a resident asked about the costs and financial implications of Project Rocky to Goochland County.

 

The lighter side of governing

There is a lighter side of governing.

Goochland Rotary

At their February 4 meeting, the Goochland Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution commending the Rotary Club of Goochland on its 30^th anniversary.

Goochland Rotarians live their motto of “service above self” by enriching our community in countless ways. Indeed, the secret ingredient in the success of county organizations is active participation by Rotarians. Members represent every facet of Goochland including the Sheriff’s Office, Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management, county government, Goochland Cares, Goochland Pet Lovers, Goochland Habitat for Humanity, Goochland Schools, the YMCA, the Goochland Christmas Mother, Goochland Day, and many others.

Goochland Rotarians (ltr) Tom Cocke, Eddie Ferguson, Jonathan Lyle, Robin Hillman, John Aaron, Lisa Beczkiewicz, Tom Winfree (Goochland County image)

Rotarians raise money to fund grants that support local organizations, and scholarships. They volunteer at our schools by reading to kids, mentoring, and with the Interact Club at the high school, donating books to schools, and sponsoring an essay contest for 4^th and 5^th graders. They pick up roadside litter. Rotary “Woodchuckers” cut up fallen trees and supply firewood to families who use it as their primary heat source and have fun along the way. What's not to love?

In addition to always being on the lookout for ways to make Goochland a better place, Rotary also provides an informal way for county leaders to know each other so that they work in concert instead of at cross purposes.

Board Chair Tom Winfree, District 3, a member and past president of the organization along with fellow Rotarian Jonathan Lyle, District 5, presented the resolution to current club president John Aaron.

“This means a whole heck of a lot to us,” Aaron said of the resolution. “We do as much as we can for this county and have been for 30 years. The opportunity I have to be part of this club is about as spectacular as it can be for me.”

To learn more, go to https://www.goochlandrotary.com//

 

Dinner with GLE

Goochland Leadership Enterprise was created in 1996 to inform and educate Goochlanders about the workings of the county and to foster citizen engagement. Graduates of the GLE program have enriched our community in many ways, giving freely of their time, talents, and treasure by volunteering with our non-profits. Several have served as supervisors, school board members, planning commission, and on other boards.

GLE brings together people from all walks of life and all parts of the county that they might not otherwise encounter to explore differing viewpoints on local matters and gain a global perspective on Goochland.  

The program consists of twelve informational sessions held around the county that include presentations by the Historical Society, Constitutional Officers, county administration, economic development, schools, non-profit organizations, and a trip to the Virginia General Assembly to meet with Goochland’s delegation to state government. A highlight of the program is a dinner meeting where participants chat with their respective supervisors.

On February 4, GLE students and their supervisors were treated to a delicious meal, whose menu was created, prepared, and served by students in the Goochland High School Career and Technical Education Culinary Arts Department, under the direction of Chef Bill Erlenbach.

Bruce Watson, CTE Director, explained that culinary arts is one of several career clusters of work based learning that includes heavy equipment operation, architectural drawing, computer aided drafting, culinary arts, energy and power, diesel mechanics, miliary science, nurse aid, and sports medicine. CTE helps students explore careers to help them plan for successful and satisfying futures.

An intriguing and tasty salad was followed by brisket, mashed potatoes, carrots, stuffed chicken breast, polenta, and fresh bread. Dessert was a riff on apple pie with apple ice cream and a decorative flourish.

Erlenbach explained that his students come from all four high school grades and participate in various classes, including “the event space”.

GLE coordinator Pete Williams commended the students for the wonderful meal.

These students also researched foods that General Lafayette ate on his farewell tour of America 200 years ago that included a stop in Goochland Courthouse. They crafted recipes using contemporary ingredients and techniques to prepare and serve food at the Tuckahoe Plantation commemoration of Lafayette’s visit sponsored by the Goochland 250^th commission last November 2.

GLE classes begin in September.

Rotary and GLE both provide opportunities for citizens to better informed about Goochland beyond the silos in which they live. Our community is enriched in many ways by both groups.

 

 

 

Dinner! (Goochland County image)

 

CTE students and Chef Erlenbach (l) (Goochland County image)

It's February

 

Goochland supervisors had a busy meeting day on February 4, that will generate several posts.

During an afternoon closed session, the board announced that it had unanimously voted to accept the resignation of County Administrator Vic Carpenter, effective February 20, 2025 and appointed the Hon. Manuel Alvarez, Jr., former District 2 Supervisor, as interim county administrator effective February 24, 2025 during the search for a permanent county administrator. GOMM wishes Mr. Carpenter well in his next chapter.

Fire-Rescue

Goochland Fire-Rescue took advantage of sunny, warm temperatures to display its new ladder truck, the latest addition to the county’s emergency response fleet. It replaces the “old” 605, a 1993 Peirce Lance that served the county well for more than 30 years.

New Courthouse Company 5 ladder truck

As a ladder truck, in addition to the 107-foot Peirce Ascendant Ladder, the apparatus is equipped with assorted ladders of different heights and configurations to help firefighters access and suppress blazes. The new 605 has a 2,000 gallon per minute pump and can carry 500 gallons of water, which is important as most of Goochland is not served by fire hydrants, so every drop of water used to fight fires must be transported to the fire ground.

605 is equipped with a wide array of ladders used in firefighting.

Ordered in April 2022 at a price of $1,450,616 and delivered last December, the same purchase today would cost over $2 million and have a three-to-four-year delivery time. The truck is currently being outfitted and used for training before it goes into active service by March 1.

D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr., Chief of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management, explained that 605 is a “straight stick” ladder truck that is a well-suited option for older, lower buildings in areas with narrow roads. It complements the aerial platform truck at Manakin Company 1, which is ideal for areas with multistory buildings like apartments.

The bi-monthly fire-rescue report is included in the February 4 board packet available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ beginning at page 51. It contains important information on the safe use of generators, fireplaces, wood stoves, and kerosene heaters. Please review this, the “best” fire is one that never starts.

Assessments

Goochland County Assessor Mary Ann Davis presented her annual report. Valuations for calendar year 2025 were mailed on January 15. Property owners have until February 15 to appeal their assessments. Instructions for this process are at the bottom of the assessment notice.

The total value of land in Goochland for 2025, $9.6 billion, is 11.4 percent higher than that of 2024, exceeding the forecast assumption of eight to ten percent growth. Davis contended that the increase was driven by higher construction costs and fewer homes for sale, creating a seller’s market. Looking ahead, she projected a valuation increase of four to five percent for 2026.

Goochland seems to be going backward in its quest for a 70/30 ratio of residential to commercial property to ease the tax burden on homeowners. In 2024, the ratio was 81.35 to 18.65, for 2025 it is 82.2 to 17.8. Of the increase in new construction values, 88 percent was residential, the remainder commercial. The January 2025 land use—value deferred—amount of $832 million equates to $4.4 million in deferred revenue.

Davis explained that January 1 fair market property values are determined using actual sales data, which is reviewed for accuracy by field research and statistical sample testing. She delved into technical processes and said that the final numbers are generally between 90 and 110 percent of market values, which is acceptable under state law. (To review her explanation, please go to the video of the meeting, available on the county website, goochlandva.us under the “watch county meetings”  tab BoS meeting February 4, at about the 28  minute mark) Davis said that state code says that property should be valued at 100 percent of fair market value, but Goochland tends to value just under that.

Valuations are done by neighborhood, not lumping the entire county together. While eastern Goochland has seen dramatic valuation increases, the upper end of the county is also experiencing growth, which could accelerate as broadband becomes more available.

Jonathan Christy, District 1, asked Davis, for the record, to explain the role of the Board in the assessment process, perhaps to quash bizarre notions that the supervisors decide the value of parcels of land in their respective districts.

The Assessor’s Office, said Davis, is tasked with valuing property in Goochland in accordance with state law, “so that everyone is valued correctly.” Those values are used to determine, based on the tax rate, which is set by the supervisors, the amount of money available for the county budget. “In fact, I don’t see you but once a year,” she told the board.

Carpenter explained that the assessor is a county employee, the supervisors have no ability to influence that office or what it does. By law, the assessor’s office and supervisors are separated. The supervisors appoint the Board of Equalization, which is part of the valuation appeals process, but it too is an independent body. The Board of Supervisors is unable to influence assessments, "and that is the way it should be,” said Carpenter.

Davis said that the Virginia Board of Taxation checks Goochland’s information and performs its own analysis to ensure that our valuation falls within accepted parameters.

The first look at the proposed county budget for FY26, which begins on July 1, will happen on February 18. The final budget will be adopted and tax rates set for calendar year 2025 in April.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highfield one more time

 

Latest proposed layout of Highfield

Developer Markel Eagle held yet another community meeting on January 28 to share its latest version of the proposed Highfield subdivision on 138 acres on Rockville Road just south of I64. The meeting drew a good crowd, including Supervisors Charlie Vaughters, District 4, Tom Winfree, District 3, Jonathan Lyle, District 5, and Curt Pituck, District 4 planning commissioner.

Eagle has been working to rezone the subject property from agricultural to residential planned unit development (RPUD) for almost three years, meeting with robust community opposition from the outset. The number of proposed single family detached dwelling units decreased from the initially proposed 200, per county records, to 138, which, on a gross basis, is a density of one unit per acre. Eagle contends that this number of homes adheres to guidelines of the Goochland County comprehensive land use plan. (https://www.goochlandva.us/250/2035-Comprehensive-Plan).

Highfield opponents raise many concerns about the proposed community, the two most prominent and significant being hazardous traffic conditions on Rockville Road, where crosses memorialize fatalities, and density.

Nathalie Croft, Director of Land Planning for Eagle, explained the latest proposal. Changes made since the last go round included two entrances on Rockville Road, up from the first single Rockville Road access point that piggybacked onto the stub road connecting Highfield to Tuckahoe Bridge North, the adjoining 49 lot subdivision. Thanks to VDOT mandates, the stub road will still connect Highfield with TBN, but a reworking of the Highfield internal roads will make using the stub less convenient. A stamped concrete threshold would delineate the boundary between the two subdivisions. Eagle would block connection via the stub road with concrete barriers until VDOT or Goochland County mandates removal.

Go to https://www.eagleofva.com/highfield/ for details.

Eagle also proffered to disclose the ad valorem tax levied on all properties in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District, which is a sore point with newcomers; inform buyers that land on the opposite side of Rockville Road is designated for economic development and that the site is in the county’s designated growth area.

Eagle will proffer—promise— that homes in Highfield will be “sprinklered” for fire suppression to mitigate concerns about the ability of fire apparatus to reach Highfield quickly should Rockville Road be blocked. This would force fire engines to use Echo Meadows Drive to access Rockville Road from the north.

Eagle also significantly increased the improvements to the Rockville Road frontage of the subject property, about a half mile, to transform the current roller coaster effect to a “smooth, gentle hill”. This would include widening its side of Rockville Road, filling and cutting the exiting grade and removing many trees to mitigate dangerous line of site issues. Should this go forward, it would require closure of lanes on Rockville Road for an estimated three to four months during construction.

As Croft pointed out, Eagle can only improve the road that adjoins Highfield. A more serious concern is the east end of Rockville Road at Ashland Road, a busy highway that will only get busier. There are no plans to improve this intersection. Both are state roads so improvements are governed by VDOT. For reference, the realignment of Hockett and Ashland Roads, which is moving towards final stages, and expected to be complete in 2029, was first put on the county transportation radar screen in 2013. Should the county decide to make the Rockville/Ashland intersection a priority, it might be years before the project even gets on the “to do” list, and decades before construction begins.

Croft said that Eagle would not apply for any Highfield building permits before 2027, hopefully after the road improvements along its frontage are complete.

Then there is the fiscal impact on the county. Croft said that Highfield would generate $9,810 per home in cash proffers, one-time payments to mitigate capital costs associated with new homes. Of that, $5,080 goes to schools. Goochland just built a new elementary school on land already owned by the school division for approximately $60 million, so the cash proffers from Highfield, which Croft said is expected to generate 38 school aged children, have little impact.

Attendees of the meeting were skeptical about that number. Predicting how many students will be generated by new dwelling units is tricky. Developers, however, seem to contend that their new residential projects will be populated by “active adults” sort of empty nesters too young to put much strain on the EMS system.

At full build out, based on the current tax rate, Croft estimated that Highfield would generate $603,405 annual real estate revenue. In previous meetings, Croft declined to mention price points for homes in Highfield, contending that it would be hard to accurately predict given inflation and other factors.

Highfield would offer a variety of lot sizes, some as large as three acres, and smaller ones, like those in Readers Branch. The minimum lot width would be 85 feet.

The rezoning application will not be heard by the planning commission before April, which could be followed by a final decision by the Board of Supervisors no earlier than June.

As proposed, Highfield is a very attractive community. Unfortunately, it’s in the wrong place. Until there are firm plans to fix the Ashland/Rockville Road intersection with either a roundabout or traffic signal, and the Company 7 Fire-Rescue station is under construction, building Highfield on Rockville Road does not seem to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Goodland citizens.

Work Based Learning in Goochland

 

Logo created by Chelsea Manning as part of WBL

As the cost of higher education climbs, and the mismatch between education and vital skillsets intensifies, providing opportunities to explore different career paths at the high school level, sets students on paths leading to satisfying, successful, and necessary careers.

Goochland High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, chaired by Bruce Watson, exposes students to a wide, and expanding, array of job possibilities including agriculture, architecture and construction; manufacturing; hospitality and tourism; and small engine technology. CTE prepares its graduates to move on to higher education, the military, or well-paying jobs. Recently, the CTE internal marketing firm, Market Up, rebranded CTE to Work Based Learning (WBL).

On January 21, Market Up students, under the direction of faculty member Erin Yearout-Patton, made a presentation about WBL to the Board of Supervisors.

Ms. EYP, as she is affectionately known, reflected on our school division’s goal of maximizing the potential of every learner.  “It’s catchy, easy to remember, but it’s more difficult in practice.” she said. “I see my amazing colleagues ensure this mission and realize that the heart of the charge is engagement.”

The focus of WBL is on the students, but also on their impact on the county’s economic goals. Using an example close to home, Ms. EYP, wearing her “proud mama” hat said that her son recently completed the emergency medical technician course through CTE, logged a hundred hours with “exceptional men and women at fire stations across this community” and passed his nationally registered emergency medical technician exam. Now, he “runs” rescue for Goochland County, which demonstrates that WBL is a return on investment.

WBL consists of 12 school-coordinated workplace experiences that are related to a student’s career goals interests, integrated with instruction in partnership with local businesses and organizations.

Students explained how they collaborated on crafting a brochure that outlines the CTE career clusters that provide in depth exposure to various fields.

Chelsea Manning, a GHS junior, who aspires to be a pediatric nurse, outlined her experience in service learning by partnering with Goochland Powhatan Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) (https://goochlandpowhatan.casa/) by working with its director Renae Townsend, who was Manning’s fifth grade Spanish teacher. She created the logo promoting the CASA Community Challenge, a fund raising scavenger hunt and auction to be held in April. This will evolve into Manning’s senior project, which could lead to an internship.

Another junior, Melvin Roper, explained that his role in the marketing campaign was to meet with district and school leaders to identify key objectives for WBL. These included increased community awareness of WBL, education of students and their families of the value of WBL, and professional development for staff and teachers. The result was an attractive information dense trifold flyer.

Market Up students worked as a team with a project manager, who is interested in working in that field. Collaborating with each other and GHS staff, the team used flow charts to guide and track the progress of the project.

A vital part of WBL is interaction with all stakeholders including industry partners who make work shadowing and apprenticeships possible.

Of the many learning opportunities WBL provides, perhaps the most valuable is development of soft skills—communication, teamwork, time management, problem solving, creativity, leadership—that build the personal foundation for success in any environment.

Students Chase Crane and Johnny Vega Olivers contended that WBL is an opportunity to take skill sets learned in the classroom and apply it in the working world, whether it’s a senior project or job shadowing.

They said that putting the needs of others in the community before their own sets an example. The service to the community aspect taught by parents and leaders of our Marine Corps Junior ROTC program about being a good citizen and remembering that there are always people who need help is important.

WBL creates a pipeline to employment and creates a citizenry that lives the GHS vision to prepare the next generation to make a positive impact.

Please go to the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ click on the watch county meetings tab, pull up the January 21 supervisors’ meeting and watch this wonderful presentation starting at about the 17 minute mark.