Nobody told me

A recent report of the sale of  the ten acre parcel of land behind Satterwhite’s Restaurant on the northwest corner of Manakin and Broad Street Roads to build a shopping center and hotel has some citizens up in arms. The parcel in question is in the CENTERVILLE village, Manakin is on Rt.6.

They are furious that there was no notice of the development. Well, there was, in 2009. A for sale sign, indicating that the land is zoned B-1, which permits shopping centers and hotels and fast food by right, has been there for a very long time.

(See https://goochlandomm.blogspot.com/2009/06/citizens-in-action.html for GOMM’s take on a community meeting before the rezoning application went to the  planning commission.)

The Board of Supervisors approved the rezoning in August 2009. That was a turbulent year for the county.  Local government was reeling from irregularities in the utility department, the abrupt “retirement” of the county administrator and the impact from the economic downturn, which brought a significant decline in property values and real estate tax revenues.

According to county property records, NOVA Hotels, LLC, with an eastern Goochland address, purchased the parcel for $1.7 million, far less than the current assessed valuation of $2.65 million on November 1, 2017.

NOVA Hotels’ alleged plan for the site includes 100,000 square feet of retail and office space and a 100 room hotel. Design standards included in the rezoning and the Centerville Village overlay criteria are rigorous.

Since 2009, the state imposed stringent storm water runoff control regulations,  which could reduce the amount of developable land. A traffic light was installed at the corner of Manakin and Broad Street Roads, which could alter road access to the site. At the time of rezoning, the widening of Broad Street Road was in process and completion of turn lanes for the project was postponed until its completion. It would seem that VDOT would need to sign off on access points for this parcel, which could also add to development costs and delay its completion.

The timing of the sale was also interesting. November 1 was the day before rezoning applications for two large subdivisions, that if approved, could increase the number of homes county by ten per cent, were heard by  the planning commission. Tie votes on both proposals moved them to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

At their November 8 meeting, the supervisors voted to defer another residential rezoning application until  their March meeting in the hopes that the Development Impact Model, currently under construction, is complete and adopted.  That would seem to indicate that the two large subdivisions will also be deferred until the supervisors have a better handle on the fiscal impact of more homes.

Conventional wisdom among developers is that “retail follows rooftops” and the advent of those 800 or more homes may have been interpreted as an opportunity. The thing is, new folks coming to the Centerville in the past decade are not all that likely to shop there, especially with the delights of Short Pump so close. If this developer expects residents of the new subdivisions, as well as those currently around Centerville, to patronize his center, he may be disappointed. For whatever reason, new residents tend not to go west of where they live to a burger doodle. If those rooftops do not materialize, will there be enough traffic to support the new businesses and make it economically feasible?

Goochland has a high employment rate. Where will the employees come from to staff the new businesses?

Success of the commercial portion of this project could depend on the tenants. There is a need for new office space in Centerville. If the fast food options are brands like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and/or Panera objections will fade fast.

Adding a hotel to the mix seems odd, but it is permitted in B-1 zoning. The notion of a hotel on that property never, to GOMM’s recollection, came up  during the rezoning application discussions. But back then, a hotel in Goochland seemed as likely as a flying saucer landing pad. Times change.

The parcel should never have been included in the Centerville village—Manakin Road is a natural boundary—but it was.

People say that they understand growth is coming to Goochland, especially in the Broad Street Road corridor, but object to anything new. When asked what they would rather have in a particular place, the response is too often, “I don’t know, but not that.”

Private dollars fund development. Landowners pay taxes while hoping to shape their property for its highest and best use.  They take a risk that their land may never sell at a profit. Some go broke. A lot of hard work and expense is involved in successful development of  a piece of property.

The supervisors have the power to reject a rezoning or conditional use application if they believe it is not in the best interest of the county. They did not decide that there would be a McDonald’s rather than a Burger King in Centerville, or any fast food for that matter.

Please keep an eye on the county website goochlandva.us and its Facebook page for announcements of community meetings and public hearings for land use issues.

Come to the meetings and learn what it’s all about when your opinion can make a difference. Tell your supervisor what you think, they really want to hear from you. Pay attention, be engaged at the start when things can change, don’t wait until it’s too late and whine that nobody told you.