Parks and Rec Masrer Plan update

 

Beautiful James River Valley

On April 2, the Goochland Department of Parks and Recreation presented a finalish look at its updated master plan. Department Director Tom Cocke discussed the process at the session which was held at the beautiful Manakin headquarters of Luck Stone, which has been a dedicated supporter of county parks and rec for a long time. Tucked into the hillside overlooking the James River Valley, the care taken to preserve the site is typical of Luck’s high regard for Goochland.

The site is exquisite. There has been speculation among historians that, had the rebellion by pesky colonists about 250 years ago been put down by the British, a certain Lord Cornwallis was so taken by the place that he considered retiring there. But that was before the unfortunate events at Yorktown.

(Speaking of the Revolution, the VA 250 mobile museum will be at Goochland High School, 3250 River Road West in Goochland Courthouse on Friday, April 10 from 5-8 p.m.; Saturday April 11 from 9 to 4 p.m.; and Sunday April 12 from noon to 4 p.m. Go to https://www.exploregoochland.com/187/VA-250-American-Revolution for details.)

Described as “a roadmap to shape the future of our parks, facilities, and programs,” the P&R  master plan revision process began in January 2025 to gather citizen input about the state of existing facilities and recreational needs and wants going forward.

The results of a countywide survey conducted in the summer of 2025, which returned 329 valid responses above the goal of 300, are included in the “slides” from the April 2 meeting, available at https://www.goochlandva.us/1390/Parks-and-Recreation-Master-Plan.

Cocke shared the 10-site inventory that includes 347 acres of public parkland, mostly from the center west in the county that contain 2 recreation centers, more than 13 miles of trails, 8 ball fields, 4 rectangular fields, 4 playgrounds and 3 dog parks.

Our parks are well used. A park amenity priority list by district—there are none in the east end of the county—indicates support for both paved and unpaved trails; natural areas; farmers market; and river access across the board.

Funding priority by district—no cost estimates were included in the presentation—included countywide support for permanent farmers market location; development of new parks; a new area for community wide events; and new sports facilities. District support for funding included adding splashpads to existing parks in Districts 1 and 2; and off leash dog park in District 4.

Based on county population growth, Cocke said the county could use at least another 58 acres dedicated to P&R to meet recommended levels of service.

Suggestions for Matthews Park near Hadensville-Fife Road include better ADA access, an archery range, and a nature playground.

Tucker Park, which is considered a signature destination would benefit from moving the exiting archery range out of the flood prone areas; enhancing the playground; building ADA trails and a fishing pier on the remnants of the ramp to the old Maidens bridge; improving the canoe launch; upgrading restrooms and relocating parking.

The old Goochland Elementary School, which includes the sports complex behind the administration building would benefit from relocating parking and the skate park when the road connecting the roundabout the Rt. 6 is completed. This would be an ideal site for a permanent farmer market pavilion, high demand pickleball courts, and a plaza area.

Perhaps of most interest, was a conceptual plan to use the 80 or so acre parcel of county owned land on the east side of Hockett Road opposite Greenswell Growers for the badly needed east end park. This site has topographical and wetland challenges that could make it unsuitable for a school but adaptable for a varied use park. Cocke said that no decision has been made about the ultimate use of this parcel, which is up to the board of supervisors.

As depicted, this park could include an indoor sports facility large enough to accommodate 10 to 12 basketball courts, which could be used for events like graduation or rented out as a revenue stream. Cocke suggested that this could be funded by a public-private partnership. There would be space for outdoor fields, pickleball courts, playgrounds, dog park, picnic shelter, and opportunities for different kind of trails. Cocke contended that building this park would use a phased approach. Its location, near I64 and Rt 288, closer to population center will draw more participants to events like mountain bike races.

Concept for Hockett Road property. Brown rectangle in lower right is proposed indoor sports facility

An attendee pointed out that there could be an opportunity to create another Leake’s Mill Park there with the help of the passionate volunteers who built and maintain an extensive network of mountain bike trails without a great deal of funding.  Matt Brewer of the Goochland Mountain Bike Team contended that the capex for building trails is far lower than that for building rectangular fields.

“We have kids that do service projects on the trails as a way to connect with nature. We currently maintain single track trails at Leake’s Mill and the private venue of Westview on James. If we had a county owned venue or an MOU with Reynolds Community College we could pull in a state championship bike race,” he said.

Cocke said that creating a venue for niche sports, like mountain biking, for which Leake’s Mill Park is renowned, is a way to encourage tourism with relatively little capital investment.

Denis Dempsey of RVA Racing, https://rvaracingevents.com/ which organizes mountain bike races, said that Goochland Parks and Rec “is a pleasure to work with”. He said that respondents to a survey of participants in events indicated that Leake’s Mill is their favorite venue because of its variety of trails. “You’ve made it very easy to do this,” he said thanking Cocke and his staff.

Responding to question about funding, Cocke explained that there are a “wheel of options” for funding after decisions are made about moving forward. The master plan is the first step. Cash proffers, collected from residential rezonings, is one potential funding source but implementation is a long way from creation of a master plan.

Cocke commended the many “awesome” people who collaborated on the master plan including his staff, other county departments and citizens who took the time to share their views on the topic and contribute to the process.

The plan is expected to be presented to the Board of Supervisors at its May meeting.

Lots of good information about District 5 and beyond

Goochland Sheriff Steven Creasey (l) and County Administrator Dr. Jeremy  Raley chat in the great hall of St. Gertrude's School

On March 25, District 5 Supervisor Jonathan Lyle held a district 5 town hall meeting in the great hall of St. Gertrude’s School on the campus of Benedictine Schools of Richmond on River Road just east of Rt. 288. The setting was an exquisite building whose tower stands sentry over the entrance to Goochland County by the James River bridge.

About 15 years ago, the relocation of Benedictine College Preparatory School from Richmond’s museum district to River Road generated a firestorm of opposition from neighbors who contended among other things, that locating the school in their midst would degrade the value of their homes and that a school had no place in a residential area.

When St. Gertrude’s school for girls moved to the campus a few years ago, there was little comment.

During a recent conditional use permit hearing concerning expansion of campus athletic fields for girls’ sports, Jesse Grapes, President of Benedictine Schools of Richmond, (https://www.benedictineschools.org/)  presented data showing that assessed valuation of homes closest to his campus, increased more than those in other parts of the River Road corridor. In his remarks of welcome Grapes said that Benedictine works to be a good neighbor and “make it look good as you’re coming across the (288) bridge.”

District 5 School Board member Ellen Robinson introduced dignitaries in attendance. “The strength of our community lies in our ability to communicate openly and work collaboratively,” she said.

The session covered a wide range of topics. This post touches on a few highlights. (Go to https://goochlandva.new.swagit.com/videos/379370 to https: It’s well worth your time. Kudos to Director of Information Technology Dan Stowers and System Support Analyst Elliot Waugh for making this possible.)

 

Schools

Superintendent of Goochland Schools Dr. Andy Armstrong gave a brief overview (Lyle limited him to 10 minutes) of the exceptional work being done every day in Goochland Schools. These include robotics, most students in the region earning an associate degree from Reynolds Community College before high school graduation saving their families on the cost of a four year degree or giving them a clear pathway to a sustainable career; fine and performing arts—be sure to see the production of Oklahoma in April—lots of sports; and a robust career and technical department whose curriculum is expanding with offerings to prepare students for emerging technology jobs at new businesses opening in the county. Please listen to Armstrong’s presentation. Our schools are funded mainly by local tax dollars and deliver an excellent return on investment for the community.

Taxes

Lyle said that while tax rates have remained unchanged for almost two decades, tax bills have increased due to rising property assessments. Lowering the real estate tax rate by a penny, which generates about $1 million in revenue, would reduce the tax bill on a $750k house by about $75, said Lyle. He urged everyone to look at the proposed budget for FY 27, which begins on July 1, and let him know how they want their tax dollars spent. Tax rates for calendar year 2026 will be set on April 14, and the budget approved on May 5. Go to the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ under government click on the financial services tab and select the proposed FY27 budget for details.

Roads

Roads in Goochland are built and maintained by VDOT, explained Lyle. He discussed the snowplow dashboard, which was of great interest during the recent snowcrete adventure. The county is aware of trouble spots, including the Hockett Rd/ Rt.6 interchange; the “Spaghetti junction” at Rt. 6 and River Road and the right turn only from Tuckahoe Pines onto Rt. 6. VDOT thresholds for changing speed limits and installing traffic control measures determine changes.

Deed fraud

The Hon. Amanda Adams, Clerk of Goochland Circuit Court, said that in response to concerns about deed fraud, which she cannot prevent, to be proactive she is participating in the Virginia Deed Fraud system to alert property owners to suspicious activity. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/979/Land-Recordings for details about how to sign up.

On April 24 Adams will present a free seminar entitled “Probate, the good, the bad, and the ugly” at 1 p.m. in the board room of the county administration building at 1800 Sandy Hook Road. Adams said that everyone needs a will.

A celebration of the 200^th anniversary of the Goochland County House will be held on September 19 that will include a time capsule, tours of the building (to see why we need a new one), games for kids and more.

Public safety

District 5 Planning Commissioner Martin Dean, who is also a volunteer fire captain at Manakin Fire-Rescue Company 1, spoke briefly about public safety, which includes the Sheriff’s Office, fire-rescue, and animal protection.

In 1951, a group of courageous concerned citizens created the county’s first volunteer fire department after Dover Church on Manakin Road burned to the ground. Over the ensuing three quarters of a century, the organization has evolved into an all-hazards department where well-trained and equipped volunteers work side by side with paid providers. Last year, said Dean, Goochland fire-rescue volunteer recruitment attracted more new members than it has in several years.

During the past five years, all public safety calls for service have increased significantly. Higher density development, like apartments, can generate more complicated law enforcement and fire-rescue response. Technology, including body cameras, and related training adds to the cost of these departments.

Last November, a Goochland fire engine serving as blocking safety equipment to protect responders dealing with a crash on the 288 bridge was struck by a drunk illegal alien and totaled. Replacing the engine will cost north of $1 million, not fully covered by insurance, and take several years for delivery. A similar crash on Rt. 6 near the Henrico border resulted in expensive but reparable to another fire truck.

Dean said that, thanks to our excellent Sheriff’s Office and Fire-Rescue Department, Goochland is a very safe place to live. (Go to https://goochlandfire-rescue.org/ and https://www.goochlandsheriff.com/ to learn more about the exceptional people who make our community a wonderful place to live.) Also, download the Sheriff’s app that provides real time notification about road closures due to wrecks and weather-related issues.

Each county school is served by a resource officer deputy from the Sheriff’s Office works to instill a culture of safety in our young people. Dean also congratulated Goochland Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services Chief D. E. “Eddie” Feguson, Jr. for being named Virginia Fire Chief of the Year 2025.

 

About fire-rescue station 7

Among the items discussed was the groundbreaking for Fire-Rescue station 8 in Sandy Hook next month, and questions about why it was built before station 7.

In late 2019, the location for the long-needed fire-rescue station 7, on the east side of Hockett Road, just north of its intersection with Tuckahoe Creek Parkway, was identified. At that time Ferguson explained that the site was ideal because it provided multidirectional access for emergency response.

The 2021 referendum to allow the county to issue general obligation bonds to build schools, a new courthouse, and station 7, whose location was clearly stated, passed overwhelmingly. A portion of the approved bonds were issued in early 2022.

When the site for station 7, donated by West Creek, was rezoned to remove it from West Creek, owners of nearby homes, mostly built after the site was identified, who failed to perform adequate due diligence before buying, were furious to learn that there would be a fire-recue station in their backyards. They contended that building another fire-rescue station to serve a county population of about 28,000 was a waste of taxpayer money and took legal action to prevent Sation 7 from moving forward. In the interim the county searched for another site including the now defunct site of West Creek Emergency center, for which the county was outbid. As it is a dead end, that location was less than optimal.

Several years ago, when the county purchased property at the corner of Whitehall and Dogtown Roads in Sandy Hook for a future station 8. When construction on the Courthouse Village roundabout caused delays in Company 5 response, an ambulance was deployed to the station 8 site on weekdays. This significantly reduced response times, which led to moving up station 8 while station 7 was paused. Ferguson said that the temporary Station 8 responds to the third most calls in the county.

Ferguson also contended that Hockett Road, which has been traveled by emergency vehicles for decades, is a main road and one of the best in the county. He also reiterated that the Hockett Road site will provide multidirectional access for emergency response and have appropriate signalization and road improvements or safety. The county is fully committed to building station 7. As funds generated by general obligation bonds have a sunset date, using money for station 8 before station 7, while frustrating, is appropriate.

Fire-Rescue Station 7 will be built on the original location. Ferguson said that the supervisors are expected to approve execution of a contract for architecture and design services at their April 7 meeting with the same firm that designed Station 8. The floor plan of station 7 will be very similar to station 8, but because Station 7 will be on public utilities rather than well and septic for station 8, there will be site specific variations. The exterior will also be different.

Other stuff

·         A conceptual plan to build a park on the 87-acre county owner parcel on the west side of Hockett Road opposite the Greenswell Growers facility has been created, but not funded, yet.

·         The Pamunkey Regional Library is investigating deployment of an intelligent library locker system in the Broadview Shopping Center in Centerville to allow patrons to check out materials online and pick them up there. Library cards are free, please get one! https://www.pamunkeylibrary.org/client/en_US/default

·         An exploratory conversation about using the Reynolds Community College campus in Courthouse Village for the Virginia Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing is ongoing. This would align with the Lilly plant in West Creek and similar regional entities.

·         A utility line is planned to run along Rt. 288 to the Lilly site in West Creek.

·         Visit the county’s new GIS system under the “parcel viewer” tab on the county website. It has a wealth of easily accessible information.

·         Economic development, to move the tax base ratio to 70 percent residential/ 30 percent commercial from its current 82/18, is well underway. In addition to the Lilly and Amazon projects, the new Honda Dealer—yes, it is in Goochland—for tax purposes, projects in the I64 industrial park on Oilville and the Ashland Road corridor are coming online soon.

·         Lyle supported a no vote on the redistricting referendum to preserve non-partisan redistricting in Virginia.

A pdf file of the slides for the meeting was included for those on the blog notification list.

Lyle will be happy to field all inquiries at Jonathan Lyle, 804-584-7524, jlyle@goochlandva.us

Stay engaged!

Valley Link push back

 

County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley shares updates

The March 24 Goochland countywide spring town hall, which was intended to share a wide range of information, began with discussion of the proposed  765 kv Valley Link electric transmission line https://vltransmission.com/joshua-falls-to-yeat/.

County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley reported that at least 360 people attended an information session at Central High School Educational and Cultural Center on March 23. He said that he and the board of supervisors have received many communications from citizens concerned about the impact of this project, whose route could cross parts of western Goochland, will have on their legacy landholdings, view shed, property values, and health, while providing no benefit to the county. Power transmitted on the proposed line is believed to be used for data centers in northern Virginia.

On April 7, the next time that the Goochland Board of Supervisors will meet to conduct county business, they will vote on a resolution in opposition to the Valley Link project. Raley said that the message sent by residents opposing Valley Link has been heard loud and clear by the supervisors. The resolution is being written and will be part of the board packet for the April 7 meeting, which will be available next week.

The informational meetings taking place in all counties along the proposed Valley Link route are part of a multi-month process that is just getting started. Raley said that it is vital for citizens to stay engaged by attending meetings and providing feedback to Valley Link via its website.

Raley said that if the county can find Valley Link maps showing all possible routes, they will be posted on the website https://www.goochlandva.us/

Goochland County intends to stay heavily engaged in the regional conversation about Valley Link to make sure that we have a seat at the table. Raley will meet with representatives from other counties in the path of the proposed route in the next few days to collaborate on opposition strategies.

Raley said that he expects that the county will receive a “heads up” about the final route because the of the positive relationship between Goochland and Dominion power. This will be shared with citizens as soon as it is revealed.

People who attended the March 23 meeting expressed frustration with the lack of maps that clearly illustrate several possible routes the transmission line could take. Some reported being told by one Valley Link representative that their land was nowhere near one route and by another that an alternate route was next door to her property.

One gentleman said that Valley Link classified his family property, a timber farm in active operation for 80 years, as unused and undeveloped. He said that his family chose to keep the land rural, but Valley Link would ruin it instead of using existing rights of way, going underground, or building modular power sources near where they are needed. “My children cannot move their land; Valley Link has choices.”

Others who attended the March 23 Valley Link meeting contended that it was hard to hear answers to their questions. Concerns were raised about possible interference with cell service, which is already somewhat spotty, caused by the powerlines. This could negatively interfere with 911 and other important calls. “That’s a big issue that impacts the county, not just people who live within 100 feet of the lines.”

It was unclear if the county, and regional partners in opposition to Valley Link, could take legal action to prevent its construction.

Ultimately, Valley Link will submit an application to the State Corporation Commission, which will make the final decision on where, or if, the line can be built.

Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, which means that localities like Goochland have only those powers given to them by the General Assembly. Stay tuned.

A District 5 town hall will be held March 25 at 6 p.m. at St. Gertrude's Great Hall at Benedictine - 12829 River Road, Richmond, VA 23238.  The meeting will be livestreamed on the county website. 

 

 

 

In the evening

 

During their March 3 dinner break, Goochland supervisors had the opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal at Alinor, the culinary arts classroom/restaurant simulator of the Culinary Arts program, part of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) of our school division.

Delicious dinner created, cooked and served by Culinary Arts Students (Goochland County image)

The meal, an annual feature of the Goochland Leadership Enterprise program, provides an opportunity for GLE participants to interact with supervisors in an informal manner.

Bruce Watson, CTE Director, welcomed the GLE class and supervisors. Culinary arts, said Watson, is one of many career path explorations offered by CTE.

Under the direction of Chef Bill Erlenbach, the meal was created, planned, cooked, and served by students. After introducing his students, all of whom volunteered to participate in the event.

Chef Erlenbach commends his students

Erlenbach said that 2026 graduates will be the first to have taken culinary arts classes for all four years of high school. (To learn more about CTE offerings go to the high school website https://ghs.goochlandschools.org/o/ghs  click on program of studies and explore the offerings. CTE will expand its offering to include mechatronics and other technical pathways so our kids can obtain the skills needed to work in the high-tech jobs coming to Goochland. This is why a $20 million CTE addition to the high school is needed.

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.

Fire-Rescue Station 8

After dinner, the supervisors authorized Raley to execute a construction contract with Gulf Seaboard General Contractor for up to $9,450,000 with a 10 percent contingency to build Fire-Rescue Station 8 located at the intersection of Dogtown and Whitehall Roads in Sandy Hook. The total estimated cost for the facility is $12.8 million including land acquisition; site and building design, well drilling; furnishing, and other fixed assets needed to equip a fully functioning station.

Funds to build Station 8 will come from the 2022 sale of general obligation bonds, which were authorized by a 2021 referendum. Station 8 fulfills a longstanding public safety need in that part of the county. Those of us who spent all or part of a cold and rainy 2021 election day at polling places to encourage voters to approve the referendum, to build a new elementary school—completed in 2024—a replacement for our almost 200 year old courthouse, and fire-rescue station 7 on Hockett Road, are profoundly disappointed by the bait and switch.

Space study

Since moving into the renovated “old” high school in 2005, county administration has grown. Before the move, most county offices were in buildings around Courthouse Green. On tax due days, the line at the treasurer’s office stretched outside and some departments shared a single room. When District Court Judge Claiborne Stokes was Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, his “office” was the corner of a conference room table. So scarce was space, that sometimes the Clerk of the Court kept trial evidence in a box under a bench in her office.

Two decades later, local government functions are splitting at the seams once more.

Joe Miller of HBA Architects, which was retained by the county to help with design of the new courthouse conducted a space study to provide a viable long term master planning document to help the county forecast and prioritize capital improvement projects to address the needs of the county as it grows.

Miller explained that his team toured all facilities and visited all departments and developed space needs to improve operational efficiency. They developed conceptual plans that identify immediate needs and the highest add best use of facilities that are underused or unoccupied like the old GES. The summary indicates that office and support space needs will grow over the next 30 years. County departments in most immediate need of additional space include community development, fire-rescue, utilities, and the registrar.

The new courthouse, conceptually, a 75k square foot building to house general district, juvenile and domestic relations, and circuit court as well as related functions, will displace general services, whose current location will become courthouse parking. Other departments both at the courthouse complex and administration building could be moved around.

Costs are  being estimated.

Rose Retreat

The supervisors voted 4-1 with Jonathan Lyle, District 5 in dissent, to approve a proffer amendment to waive the requirement for a left turn requirement on Poorhouse Road for the 45 lot Rose Retreat subdivision, which was approved about 20 years ago.

Since being heard by the planning commission, which declined to recommend approval, the applicant S. Barbee Cox III agreed to build a full right turn lane into the property. His attorney said that the left turn lane is not required by VDOT and presented crash reports indicating that in the last eight years there have been only three reported crashes on that road, two caused by animal collisions, one by driver running off the road, no reported rear end crashes. Adjoining landowners were not willing to sell part of their property to build the left turn lane. The addition of traffic from Ros Retreat to Poorhouse Road will result in 11 percent of its capacity.

Lyle observed that Poorhouse Road is narrow and has no ditch. As the county grows, all of its roads will handle more traffic. He contended that requiring both right and left turn lanes many be the only opportunity for road improvements.

Other board members contended that the wavier process provides an escape clause to evaluate each project on its own merits.

 

 

 

March board highlights

 

D. E. "Eddie" Ferguson, Jr, 2025 Virginia Fire Chief of the year 

Monthly Goochland Supervisors’ meeting agendas include a mix of recognitions, information, and routine business.

The March 3 meeting began with an eloquent invocation given by Rev. Adlai Allen of Chief Cornerstone Baptist Church. He mentioned the Board’s diversity of opinions and perspectives and asked the Lord to help them appreciate the richness that each member brings to the board and bind them together with cords of respect to recognize that their differences can be a source of strength rather than division.

Board Chair Jonathan Christy, District 1 asked for a moment of silence and personal prayers for our troops in harm’s way.

County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley recognized Angelia Miller who was recently named young professional of the year by the Goochland Chamber of Commerce. Miller, Assistant Director of Recreation, has worked to expand special events and strengthen relationships with community organizations.

Raley also commended D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. Chief of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services, who was recently named Virginia Chief Officer of the Year 2025 at the 2025 Fire Service Awards Ceremony in Virginia Beach. Ferguson began his fire service career as a volunteer at Centerville Company 3 when he was sixteen. He was a career fire-medic in Chesterfield County for 17 years before being hired as Goochland Deputy Chief-EMS in 2004 and named Chief of the Department in 2019. Ferguson continues to serve, on his own time, as a flight medic for Virginia State Police MedFlight.

The award was created in 2002 to honor a chief office who exemplifies exceptional leadership, integrity, innovation, and commitment to both their department and the broader Virginia Fire Service.

Among new employees welcomed to Team Goochland was Denise Sandlin, our new Director of Financial Services, who brings a wealth of experience in governmental finance at the state and local level to the position. Raley thanked Dave Wilson, who served as interim director for keeping the budget process on track.

Carol Taylor, executive director of the Goochland Chamber of Commerce, gave a preview of Goochland Day 2026, on May 16. The Chamber has assumed oversight of the iconic local festival from the group of intrepid citizens who began its rebirth just before Covid.

Goochland Day 2026 will not have a specific theme but rather will be a celebration of the entire county.

In addition to the parade, this year’s festival will feature “zones” for different age groups from littles to seniors. Only Goochland-made potent potables will be offered at the wine and beer zone to highlight local businesses. The festival, which follows the parade, will be entirely on one side of Sandy Hook Road.

Taylor said that high school students were polled to find out what they wanted on Goochland Day, which resulted in demonstrations and a clinic at the skateboard park.

The event is so big, said Taylor, that it cannot be micromanaged, which resulted in creation of a 12-member committee representing the county, fire-rescue, the Sheriff’s Office, churches, and civic organizations to collaborate on the celebration. Go to https://goochlandday.com/ for details and don’t forget to mark your calendars for this slice of hometown celebration. The parade is not to be missed.

VDOT

Phillip Frazer P.E., Administrator of the VDOT Ashland Residency, gave a brief overview of the VDOT resurfacing program in Goochland. Go to the county website, click on watch county meetings, select BoS for March 3. His comments begin at about the 34-minute mark to watch his excellent insights about road maintenance, including pothole repair.

Consent agenda

Among the items approved in the consent agenda was a reaffirmation of the December 3,2019 resolution approved by the Board of Supervisors supporting the Second Amendment to the United States’ Constitution. See page 142 of the March 3 board packet for details.

Authorization to advertise proposed local tax rates for calendar year 2026 was approved. These rates, with the exception of that for data center personal property, which was increased from .40 to $3 per $100 of assessed valuation, are the same as last year. Rates will be adopted in April and will not be higher than advertised.

Approval of an amendment to the FY26 Sheriff’s Office budget to budget and appropriate $350k for grant revenue to be received as reimbursement of expenses for updates and upgrades of the county 911 emergency call center.

Approval of resolutions requesting acceptance of several new subdivision roads in into the state system for maintenance.

School budget

Superintendent of Goochland Schools Dr. Andrew Armstrong presented the school budget for FY2027 as approved by the school board. Local transfer to schools is a significant part of the county budget. Armstrong made a strong case for each proposed expenditure, especially salary increases to keep Goochland competitive with our deep pocketed neighbors in recruitment and retention of the best teachers. The supervisors and school board will hold a joint workshop on March 17 on the FY budget. Money will be tight for FY27, stay tuned to see what makes the funding cut.

 

 

 

 

Spring is in the air

 

Winter seems to be over (cross your fingers), and spring is on its way.

For starters, go the Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardeners’ website https://www.gpmga.org/. These folks have very green thumbs and are happy to help others learn about all things growing.

To learn about the First Annual Garden Fair and Seed Share next Saturday, March 14 from 9:30 to 12:30 at the Goochland Parks and Rec Center behind the county admin building at 1800 Sandy Hook Road in Courthouse Village go to https://www.gpmga.org/2026-garden-fair-seed-share .

Other events of interest:

·         March 16, the Goochland County Residents’ Community Education Workshop to learn about the zoning process will be held at Goochland Baptist Church Goochland Baptist Church 2454 Manakin Road, Manakin-Sabot, Virginia 23103, from 6 to 8:30. Registration opens at 5. Go to https://www.goochlandcpc.org/ for details.

·         March 17, Goochland Supervisors and School Board members will hold a joint budget workshop at 6 p.m. in the admin building. The session is open to the public. Go to the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ and click on “watch county meetings” to view.

·         March 24— county wide spring town hall beginning at 6 p.m. in the admin building, which will be live streamed and archived.

·         March 25 District 5 Town hall meeting from 6-8 p.m. in the great hall at Benedictine, St. Gertrude’s, 12829 River Road.

·         March 28 EggXtreme Egg hunt from 10 to 12 at Hidden Rock Park. “This egg-citing family-friendly event kicks off at 10:00 AM and features three separate egg hunts tailored to different age groups, ensuring thrilling fun and fair play for little ones, bigger kids, and everyone in between. Get ready for an "xtreme" twist on the classic tradition plenty of colorful eggs hidden throughout the park and lots of hopping good times! Bring your own basket (or bag) to collect eggs and come dressed in your springtime best. Whether you're a seasoned egg hunter or joining for the first time, this event promises laughs, friendly competition, and sweet treats for all.” Visit Parks & Rec at https://www.goochlandva.us/1391/EggXtreme-Egg-Hunt for details.

 For information about the proposed electric transmission line that could pass through western Goochland, go to https://vltransmission.com/joshua-falls-to-yeat/

 

 

Budget surprises

 

Budgeting can be tricky. No matter how carefully expenses and revenues are forecast, stuff happens. Goochland supervisors learned of unexpected expenses in the current fiscal year during the Mach 3. Later in the afternoon, they faced potential budget challenges from schools for FY27.

The supervisors voted to advertise tax rates for calendar year 2026, which remain unchanged, except for an increase from 40 cents to three dollars per hundred dollars of assessed valuation on data center personal property tax. Rates and fees will be approved next month. The supervisors are able approve rates lower than those advertised but cannot raise them without readvertisement.

In the next two months, the budget presented on February 17 will be heavily tweaked before final approval in May.

During the quarterly meeting of the finance committee, which preceded the regular monthly meeting Raley and Director of Emergency Services Robin Hillman, explained the fiscal impact of winter storm “Fern” on Goochland.

Raley said that the emergency declaration in January potentially makes the county eligible for reimbursement of expenses incurred during the storm from federal and state sources. The process is quite complicated.

He commended Hillman who “led us through this every step of the way from day one” by advocating recording time spent on storm related operations; keeping track of invoices; and all other costs. Raley estimated the unbudgeted cost to date at $478,009. This includes staff time and the significant cost of hiring heavy equipment, to remove accumulation of icy snowcrete at county and school facilities.

In addition to clean up, five public safety vehicles were damaged during the storm; 22 animals were taken to the shelter, two of which required emergency surgery; and a water main break on a weekend that required emergency repairs including to some roads. All were unanticipated costs to the county.

The state public assistance threshold for Goochland is $98,908, however Raley expects the to county to receive a lower amount. The possible federal reimbursement could be o$167k “if we get lucky”. The all-in budget hit to the county, assuming these reimbursements, is a bit over $200k.

The county may declare a state of emergency for any event it deems impactful to operations. In this case, the county followed the state declaration of emergency, which paves the way for reimbursement, which is calculated at approximately $4 per resident.

Hillman said that because the storm did not meet historic snow levels, the state contends it is not required to issue reimbursements even though the ice event was more difficult to mitigate. She expected to meet with state officials to obtain more clarity on reimbursement criteria. There is a lot of “pushback” on this.

Lessons from the 2022 ice storm, said Hillman, included asking for community volunteers with four-wheel drive vehicles to help with non-emergency citizen needs like delivering meals and medicine. Several residents helped with this.

Preparedness, having enough food, water, fuel, and other necessities to shelter in place for 72 hours is vital she said. Communication was also important. Hillman staffed the county’s emergency operations center (EOC) during the storm to ensure that needed resources were available.

Messaging, she said, was extremely important, especially during the cold that accompanied the storm. Urging people to stay off iced over ponds and keep their animals away from them avoided tragedy.

Raley commended team Goochland for its work in communications, especially as the county was in the process of switching from Code Red to Goochland Alerts (https://member.everbridge.net/77895137493098/login) to disseminate emergency notices.

Board Chair Jonathan Christy, District 1, noted that the special election referendum on mid-decade electoral redistricting, (https://www.goochlandva.us/359/Elections-and-Voter-Registration) will cost the county an estimated $45k and urged all citizens to vote. This is an example of an unfunded mandate imposed on localities by the General Assembly

During the afternoon session Dr. Andy Armstrong, superintendent of Goochland Schools, presented the division’s budget for FY27, approved by the school board, which reflects a 6.3 percent increase over FY26.

The county transfer to schools included in the FY27 recommended budget presented by Raley on February 17 was in line with the 3.7 percent expected increase in local tax revenue. The school budget presented by Armstrong requests a county transfer of about $2.5 million over the $31,429,844 recommended by Raley.

Schools also get revenue from state and federal sources.

The mechanism used to determine state funding, the local composite index, which is .80 for Goochland. That means that Goochland receives only 20 percent of cost from the Commonwealth.

Currently, the LCI formula takes three factors of a locality into account: adjusted gross income, which carries a weight of 40% in the calculation; the value of real property, which makes up 50% of the calculation; and taxable retail sales at 10%. Because Goochland has a small population, about 28,000, it takes few high-income residents to skew the income component away from reality. In comparison, the LCI for our neighbors with larger populations is Henrico 43; Chesterfield 35; and Hanover 50.

The state requires schools to adopt their budgets by June 30 even though sometimes state and federal budgets are finalized after this deadline making revenue projections like trying to hit a moving target.

The supervisors and school board will hold a budget workshop on March 17 at 6 p.m. in room 270 of the admin building, which will undoubtedly feature difficult conversations.

Our FY27 budget could also be hobbled by more unfunded mandates from the General Assembly in the next few weeks.

All budget discussions highlight the need for robust economic development to fund needs in Goochland. Stay tuned as the budget evolves toward approval.