Learn what Goochland is all about

 

An exquisite finish to the GLE dinner with Supervisors prepared by the GHS Culinary Arts Students

Goochland Leadership Enterprise, GLE, began educating citizens about the county 30 years ago. In the intervening decades, hundreds of Goochlanders have participated in the program gaining deep insight about the workings of local government, and how to get involved with organizations that build and enrich the community. Some graduates have gone on to hold elected and appointed offices, many have and do fill leadership roles in community organizations, while others are informed citizens.

Interacting with people from all walks of life and all parts of the county that they might not otherwise encounter gives GLE participants perspective on Goochland as a whole, not just their individual “flight paths”. It also dispels incorrect preconceived notions.

Matthew Wenzel, who recently succeeded Pete Williams as GLE Planning Committee Chair, first learned about GLE after moving here in 2017, but his travel schedule made participation difficult at that time. Early encounters with “official” Goochland, which Wenzel and his wife found welcoming compared to Henrico, made him want to learn more about the place he now called home.

He signed up for the 23^rd class, which formed as the world crawled out of the pandemic, with neighbors, who carpooled to classes and had lively discussions about the sessions on the way home.

After completing GLE, Wenzel and fellow class members met with Williams to discuss ways to enhance the program. According to Wenzel, Williams’ superpower is his ability to listen and implement constructive feedback. This led to Wenzel’s increased involvement in planning GLE sessions and succeeding Williams.

The next class, the 28^th, is forming and kicks off on October 14 with orientation, a pictorial tour of the county, and its history.  The program consists of twelve classes, held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at various locations around the county. GLE graduates, some relative newcomers, others lifelong residents, lead and organize sessions.

Topics include Goochland history; fire-rescue; Constitutional Officers; education; agriculture and natural resources; ways to get involved with local organizations; dinner with the Board of Supervisors catered by the Goochland High School Culinary Arts Department; meeting with our delegation to the state legislature in Richmond; and a graduation dinner. It’s not too late to join.

Go to https://goochland.ext.vt.edu/get-involved.html for the brochure and application. Follow Goochland Leadership Enterprise on Facebook.

 

Enhancing community

 

At the start of their evening meeting on September 1, Goochland supervisors recognized two extraordinary men for their contributions to the community.

 

Vernon Fleming

Vern Fleming (l) Board Chair Jonathan Christy (r)

Each year, a Goochland resident is honored with inclusion on the Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame. This award recognizes a Goochland resident with longstanding humanitarian commitment to addressing community needs. It brings to light community service as an important element of the humanitarian mission, and highlights individuals whose actions are examples of social responsiveness on behalf of Goochland County. The award recipient must have demonstrated broad-based commitment to community service as reflected in a variety of programs and initiatives which are responsive to community and social needs.

Vern Fleming, whose quiet presence and hard work has influenced excellence in many community organizations in Goochland and regionally, is the 2026 inductee.

After retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army, Fleming used his more than 30 years of professional leadership experience in roles that include President of the Board of Directors of Goochland Cares; President of the Goochland Rotary Club; President of the Board of Directors of the Louisa Historical Society; interim member of the Goochland School Board; past president of the Board of Directors of the Shady Grove Rosenwald School in Gum Spring;  and secretary of the Goochland Recreation Center where he was instrumental in the installation of a historical marker.

Fleming spearheaded vital relief initiatives during the Covid 19 pandemic. He has championed local youth through the YMCA’s Bright Beginnings Program; funding scholarships and organizing Christmas Mother gifts and supplies. His exemplary hands-on commitment to volunteerism, deep compassion, and service above self, have fostered a stronger, more resilient, and united community. In short, if something good is happening in Goochland, Vern Fleming helped make it happen.

 

Fire Marshal Doug Davies

Doug Davies (l) Jonathan Christy (r)

Douglas H. Davies, who retired as Goochland Fire Marshal, earlier this year, was honored for his achievements in that role.

His commitment to public safety began in 1976, when as a 15-year-old, he joined the Lakeside Volunteer Rescue Squad where he held many leadership roles and earned life-member status.

Davies pursued careers in both the fire service and law enforcement. He served with both the Henrico and Richmond Sheriff’s Offices, including assignment to the FBI fugitive task force. He joined the Henrico Division of Fire in 2002, rising to assistant fire marshal.

 In 2012, Davies was hired as Goochland Fire Marshal, where he rebuilt the office, which had been vacant for several years due to budget constraints, strengthening relationships with county departments, local businesses, and citizens. As Fire Marshal, Davies administered the Virginia statewide fire code through education, engineering, and enforcement.

As Fire Marshal Davies conducted more than 500 annual fire inspections, and development review process to ensure compliance with fire codes.

He conducted more than 800 fire investigations, including those with fatalities, using advanced investigative science and best practices.

Davies created and enhanced fire safety programs for adults, seniors and children, including the fourth-grade fire-safety curriculum in all county schools, scenarios, and barn fire programs. He managed the county smoke detector program and secured a children’s safety trailer for educational programs.

He managed the Knox box program, which enables first responders to access secure location during emergencies without waiting for a keyholder to arrive. As fire marshal Davies oversaw the county’s dry hydrants, which enable fire engines to draw water from ponds and streams.

David held the rank of chief officer in Goochland Fire-Rescue and is a nationally registered paramedic and maintains respected professional affiliations at both the state and federal level.

He was commended by the supervisors for having selflessly served Goochland County for 14 years as Fire Marshal, modeling servant leadership and contributing significantly to community safety.

Best wishes in your next chapter Doug!

 

 

Chatting with our Delegates

 

Delegates Tom  Garrett and May Nivar listen to Goochland officials

Virginia is Dillon’s Rule state, which means that localities like Goochland have only those powers specifically given to them by the General Assembly. Each of the 100 members of the House of Delegates represents about 85,000 people; the 40 state senators about 215,000. As Goochland’s population is approximately 29,000, we share representatives with other jurisdictions.

District boundaries are revised after each decennial U S census, the most recent in 2020. Currently, Goochland is represented in the House of Delegates by Democrat May Nivar, whose 57^th District includes parts of eastern Goochland and western Henrico; and Republican Tom Garrett, whose 56^th District includes most of Goochland and Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Cumberland, and part of Prince Edward County.

Go to https://vga.virginia.gov/ to learn more about the General Assembly.

Each year, Goochland prepares a legislative agenda, a list of issues of concern to the county that could be negatively impacted by General Assembly actions and meets with our deletion to share insights into these matters. The 2027 Goochland Legislative Agenda is included in the September 1, 3 p.m. agenda packet available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ under the “watch county meetings tab”.

On September 1, Nivar and Garrett—State Senator Luther Cifers, whose 10^th District includes Goochland, was unable to attend—met with the board of supervisors, members of the school board, Economic Development Authority, and Constructional Officers Amanda Adams Clerk of the Court and Commonwealth’s Attorney John Lumpkins, Jr. The 90-minute session was a good conversation among those who represent Goochland at various levels. Highlights follow.

The legislative agenda is broken into broad themes that include: protect and preserve local governing authority over land use, revenue collection; oppose unfunded mandates, and support Second Amendment rights; support measures to mitigate the effect of state facilities and exempt property on the local tax base and provide a detailed plan regarding removal and/or adaptive reuse of Department of Corrections installations; fully support transfer of the Reynolds Community College property in Courthouse Village to the exclusive ownership of the county for workforce education including advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing training; and support of fair and sustainable funding formulas that do not place an undue burden on localities.

Garrett lauded Goochland for holding the session, which helps him understand how specific legislation either helps or harms the county. He believes that decisions directly impacting communities should be made locally, not “by people who will never drive through your county.”  He said the best he can do is fight for these decisions to be made close to home, not by the State Corporation Commission, because each locality has different needs.

Garrett cited a bill that would have determined siting of large-scale solar facilities and accompanying battery storage at the state level as an example. He also said that “very clear lines” need to be drawn around the use of Flock cameras to protect individual freedoms.

 State legislators wade through thousands of bills during annual sessions that vary between 45 and 60 days. Garrett contended that Goochland is blessed to have GA representation on both sides of the aisle.

Nivar concurred that learning firsthand about issues that concern Goochland helps her evaluate bills during a session and encouraged Goochland to keep her office informed about county concerns with pending legislation. She contended that both sides of the aisle agree on many topics but have different ideas on how to achieve specific goals. Nivar contended that Virginia’s energy future is one of the most important issues currently facing the state. She has great appreciation for the work of the State Corporation Commission in the energy sphere but did not go into detail. Despite common themes, Nivar acknowledged that “one size does not fit all.”

County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley welcomed the delegates and gave a brief history of the Central High School Educational and Cultural Center, which was built as an African American high school before integration, served as the county middle school and was renovated for its current function as a vital county facility.

Raley echoed comments made by both Garrett and Nivar that decisions relating to Goochland are best made locally, not in Richmond.

Of major concern is pending legislation to mandate collective bargaining for government employees and the significant fiscal impact that could have locally, especially on the school budget. Pushback against the Valley Link transmission line, is another hot topic.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5 wanted to know if sales tax collected by the state for e commerce, and transient occupancy tax for Air BnBs goes to the locality that generates it. Goochland has many homes with out of county zip codes, homes in Mosaic, for instance have Richmond addresses. Lyle wants assurance that the Virginia Department of Taxation does indeed have a method to determine the exact locality in which these sales taxes are generated and remit them accordingly. “If we’re going to tax people, let’s make sure that the people who pay the tax get the benefit,” said Lyle.

He too expressed concerns about the collective bargaining issue. While collective bargaining might make sense in larger localities in Northern Virginia, it does not here. “Teachers like teaching in Goochland. I absolutely want to compensate our teachers well.” He prefers making this a local option, not a state mandate.

Lyle said that counties do not have the power to require property sellers to disclose things like the ad valorem tax levied on property in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District or details about nearby properties to enable buyers to make informed decisions before signing on the dotted line. He would like to see that removed.

Garrett opposes an initiative to allow localities to add one cent to their sales tax rate to build schools because not everyone is able to shop where they live. Indeed, many Goochlanders who shop in Short Pump or Zion Crossroads help other localities build schools.

Garret said that the money Chesterfield County would spend on collective bargaining would fund more than 300 teachers. He said that Goochland has done things right and should not be punished with another unfunded mandate. He contended that the GA understands just how onerous collective bargaining for public employees is because it carved out an exclusion for its own staff from the measure.

Nivar agreed that Goochland and Henrico are doing the right things for their employees, but not all localities are. She believes that public employees should have a seat at the table to have the ability to negotiate what fair pay is and have their voices heard. She supports the collective bargaining mandate and noted that the one percent extra sales tax levy is a local choice.

Goochland School Superintendent Dr. Andy Armstrong thanked Garrett and Nivar for being engaged with Goochland Schools. He said that school divisions where teachers are not paid well work in mold infested schools need collective bargaining; Goochland does not. Collective bargaining would cost Goochland about $1million in administrative costs.

The School Division would prefer the state move to a student-weighted funding formula for public schools that prioritizes funding based on student needs and recognizes unique characteristics of local, especially rural communities. Armstrong contended that each of Virginia’s 131 school divisions has a unique character and giving them more flexibility will enable them to better serve the unique needs of their students.

The dreaded local composite index (LCI) was a thread that wove through the discussion. LCI is the mechanism used to calculate the percentage of school and constitutional officer costs paid by the state government, essentially the ability of a county to pay its own way. It is a source of fiscal heartburn for most localities in the Commonwealth,

Goochland’s LCI is 80, which means that we pay 80 percent of local costs, the same as Alexandria and Fairfax. Henrico’s is 43. The LCI formula uses real property value, adjusted gross income, and retail sales to determine local ability to pay. It takes relatively few affluent taxpayers in a small population to make the adjusted gross income component meaningless.

“Decisions made in Richmond with all good intent are masked by the local composite index,” Raley observed.

Neil Spoonhower, District 2 expressed frustration that the LCI also impacts Contutional Offices leaving the county to make up the difference often after the local annual balanced budget is approved. “If the General Assembly decides that certain employees get a $1,000 bonus, Goochland has to come up with $800.”

Nivar, who sits on the counties, cities and towns subcommittee, said she was not familiar with the LCI and asked for help in understanding how it works for Goochland in a separate meeting.

Board Chair Jonathan Christy, District 1 expressed frustration that power hungry data centers in Northen Virginia can despoil rural land for Valley Link without any mandate requiring them to generate power closer to where it is needed.

Garrett said that the fight against Valley Link is a math game. Most GA reps, including powerful committee chairs, come from a few counties in northern Virginia, which benefit mightily from data center revenue.  “It doesn’t have to be there,” he said of the proposed power line route. He contended that 80 percent of the state is getting told what to do by the other 20 percent. “Land use decisions should be made at the local level. I have opinion on lots of stuff, but it’s not my job to tell localities what to do. This is not a republican or democrat issue it’s what important to the people I serve.”

Nivar said that the voices of Goochland residents who have made it clear that they don’t want Valley Link is important. She pointed out that ultimately the Valley Link decision will be made by the SCC.

The supervisors unanimously adopted their agenda later in the day. It is included in its entirety in the September 1 board packet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark your calendars

 

Labor Day is late this year, but there’s lots going on locally in September.

·         September 10- Goochland Fire-Rescue partners with Inova for a blood drive in the Sports Complex, 1800 Sandy Hook Road (behind the admin building) in Courthouse Village from noon to 5 p.m. This is the entity that supplies us with whole blood used by our EMS providers in pre-hospital emergency care. Since Goochland implemented this procedure on September 17, 2025, 12 units of low titer O+ whole blood have been administered, most recently to patients experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding. To sign up for the blood drive go to https://tinyurl.com/GCFR0910.

·         September 11-Goochland will mark the 25^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania with two observances. The first, primarily for first responders, will be held at Courthouse Company 5 fire-rescue station beginning at 9:45 a.m. This ceremony will include reading the names of those in the public safety community who made the ultimate sacrifice on that horrible day. The second will be held at the Manakin Company 1 fire-rescue station at 180 Rover Road West in Manakin Sabot beginning at 7 p.m. This community observance will include a presentation about the Freedom Flag and the Goochland County 911 memorial built with steel from the twin towers. Both are open to the public.

·         September 12- The Goochland Ag Fair will be held at “the old GES field” (please give this nice outdoor gathering space a new name) from 10-3 to celebrate our agricultural heritage. The event will include a livestock show. This is a great way to find out what “rural” is all about.

·         September 19-A commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of Goochland Courthouse will be held on the Courthouse Green from 10-12. The free family friendly celebration of Goochland’s rich history will include reenactments, a historical play, a commemorative brick laying ceremony, an interactive walking trail on the green, and the opportunity to write notes for inclusion in a time capsule to be placed in the not yet built new courthouse to be opened in 100 years.

·         September 19-Goochland Farm tour- several local agricultural operations will be open for tours. Go to https://www.exploregoochland.com/192/2026-Goochland-County-Farm-Tours for details.

·         October 5-Fire-Rescue Show 5-9 p.m. behind Goochland High School. Free family-friendly event. There will be demonstrations, food trucks, an opportunity to meet the people who save lives and protect property in Goochland and fireworks!

Back to the drawing board

 Anonymous comments will no longer be published.

Goochland County is going back to the drawing board to revise the ordinance that created the Technology Overlay District (TOD) last November. A letter was mailed to every household in Goochland announcing the initiative and inviting residents to a community meeting on August 27.

There was no agenda for the meeting, which filled the high school auditorium and was facilitated by County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley. His opening remarks explained the zoning amendment process. Going forward, language amending the TOD, M-1 and M-2 zoning districts will be crafted, using input from the session and to align it with state law that recently went into effect regarding energy.  The zoning amendments will allow data centers only in the TOD footprint, which he contended is the only place in the county with infrastructure to support them.  Basically, no data centers west of Hockett Road.

As is required of all zoning changes, the proposed amendments, which are expected to include specific standards for data centers, will then be referred to the planning commission for its recommendation after a public hearing and then on to the supervisors for a final vote. This is why yellow “zoning action” signs have been deployed around the edges of the TOD.

The TOD was created to impose greater restrictions than in existing M-1 zoning for hi tech companies provided.  Since the TOD was approved last November, citizens have repeatedly asked that strict and very specific standards for data centers be added to the ordinance.

(Two planning commissioners, Amanda Kowalski, District 2 and Jess McLaughlin, District 2, submitted their resignations after last week’s marathon meeting about a proposed shooting range in District 1. For those interested in filling these vacancies go to https://goochlandva.granicus.com/boards/w/6b9d5c7521fc8c16. Given the complicated nature of recent land use cases and the vitriol directed at planning commissioners, it’s miracle that anyone would be willing to serve.)

Citizen remarks made during more than three hours could be condensed into “prohibit data centers anywhere in Goochland County and permanently banish them to the seventh circle of hell”.

Earlier in the month, the county received a formal conditional use permit (CUP) application for TTP, a data center campus proposed on the 871 acres zoned A-2, known as “TOD west,” between Hockett Road and West Creek. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1480/Tuckahoe-Technology-Park.  The Tuckahoe Technology Park (TTP) project has become a test case illustrating the need for clear, specific standards in the TOD.

Raley explained that while the county is obligated by state law to accept and review land use change applications, there is no guarantee that they will be approved.

The county’s response to TTP about the completeness of its submission, also available on the above link, pokes so many holes in application that it resembles a colander. At best the submittal is sloppy, at worst an insult to Goochland. Another TTP community meeting has been scheduled for Monday, September 14, hopefully to address inadequacies.

The list of deficiencies cited by the county in the initial application is nine pages long. Some seem rather basic, for instance, the correct legal name should be VALCO2. Corrected State Corporation Commission Article of Corporation and other legal documents relating to the several entities involved in the application are needed. It is unclear if the owner of one of the parcels is living or dead. Operating agreements and related documents including signing authority for the several entities involved are also needed.

Other information needed to evaluate the application include updated noise studies and modeling; the total number of generators; updated water and wastewater studies to reflect the change to an air-cooled loop system; a health impact assessment; environmental impact study; and air quality impact study, all of these must be performed by qualified professionals.

A plan for decommissioning the site when it is no longer needed was also requested.

VDOT did not approve the bizarre and treacherous citing of the main entrance on the north side of Rt. 6 in the dip east of Hockett Road but prefers that the main access point be on Hockett Road well north of Rt. 6. A condition the county could impose here would be to require TTP to widen Hockett Road from the access point to Rt. 6 and permanently signalize the intersection. As all the land is owed by the entities involved, there would be no wrangling for easements. The improved road would be built faster and cheaper than if done by VDOT. This is typically part of residential rezoning projects.

Then there is the money. There were several questions about the methodology used to arrive at revenue projections, including rollback taxes for properties currently in land use.  A “more accurate estimate of real estate value should be based on our County Assessor’s assumption of $343,200,000 for 780K square feet of data center” would help clarify these projections.

The county also wants assurance that future individual operations in TTP will comply with all conditions and regulations stipulated in the CUP.

There were also questions about how construction would be managed to minimize impact on the surrounding community.

Comments in the nine-page response suggest that the TTP applicant, whoever that may be, file a new application correcting the deficiencies and start the approval process all over. Looks like this will be the focus of the September 14 meeting.

 

Sporting clays in Goochland

 

 

Anonymous comments will no longer be published.

Goochland supports the Second Amendment rights of its residents. Intermittent gunfire is a familiar sound in the more rural parts of the county, but how close to homes should a shooting range be located?

At its August 20 meeting, around 3 a.m., the Goochland Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend denial of a conditional use permit application filed by Virginia Sports Park to build a recreational sporting clays shooting and archery range facility in western Goochland. Commissioner Amanda Kowalski District 2 was absent.

The application, which had been repeatedly deferred from the planning commission hearing at the request of VSP since January 2026, is currently scheduled to move on to the board of supervisors for final vote in October. In the interim, additional community meetings and resulting revisions to the application, including moving the site, occurred.

The location of the proposed facility is a 125-acre portion of 359 acres owned by Luck Stone, located just north of I-64 on Old Fredericksburg Road near Hadensville. Luck was granted a CUP in 1997 to operate a quarry on the site that allowed blasting from 9:30 to 3:30 Monday through Friday. The staff report indicates that Luck could submit a plan of development to the county to begin quarry operations at any time.

As presented, the proposed use is for a “Non-Profit Youth Oriented Sporting Clays and Archery facility. This facility will be open to the public with specific programs and benefits to the youth in general to include youth groups such as, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Young Life, Scholastic and Collegiate, and youth Archery groups,” which VSP contends would bring recreational opportunities and tourism revenue to the county.

During the public hearing, a wide range of comments were made both in support and opposition to the application. Noise, proximity to existing homes, traffic, and environmental threats posed by lead leaching into ground water were the main objections. The county wants the site fenced to prevent people wandering into the line of fire, but VSP contended it is not necessary.

Guy Kemmerly, District 1, said he believed that the sound studies performed to gauge the impact of the sound of shooting were flawed and that obtaining an accurate, impartial measure is complicated and difficult. Curt Pituck, District 4 observed that the repetitive shooting sound is annoying. Martin Dean, District 5 asked if an environmental cleanup bond should be included as a condition. VSP said that its lease with Luck required an environmental stewardship plan, which does not require a bond. The staff report wanted a clearly defined plan to remove lead from the site.

VSP’s sound engineer said that sound mitigation could be verified in the CUP area. He opined that distance and berms take out the lion’s share of the noise and that modeling of a specific site could provide more detail.

Hours of shooting, days when shooting is allowed, numbers of stands allowed to be built and how many of them may be in operation at one time, were also revised. As most of the shooting seems to be scheduled for daytime weekdays when kids are in school it seems contradictory that this will be youth oriented.

VSP contended that the proposed facility will boost tourism revenue for the county but gave few specifics. There are few businesses nearby. The nearest hotel is in Centerville. Food trucks, ideally Goochland based, would feed patrons of the facility. On-site restroom facilities would be built for regular attendance but would need to be supplemented with porta potties for tournaments, which could draw more than 100 participants.

It will be interesting to see what, if any, revisions VSP makes to its application on the way to the supervisors’ vote. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

Courthouse 200th celebration

 

Goochland Courthouse 200 Birthday Celebration

 

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Goochland Courthouse. The community is invited to join the celebration of this historic milestone on September 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the Courthouse Green, located at 2938 River Road West.

The celebration will be a family-friendly community event featuring a variety of activities and opportunities for participation. Highlights include historical plays and reenactments, a commemorative brick laying ceremony, an interactive historic walking trail, and the opportunity to write notes for inclusion in a time capsule that will be placed at the new courthouse, when it is built, to be opened in 100 years.

Don’t miss this special occasion to honor Goochland’s rich history and celebrate this special occasion with residents, visitors, and community partners.

In the event of rain, the event will be moved to the sports complex gym at 1800 Sandy Hook Road.

See https://www.goochlandva.us/1468/Goochland-Courthouse-200-Birthday-Celebr