And the traffic goes round and round

Even though it is geographically in Louisa County, the intersection of Rts. 522 and 250 is used daily by a lot of Goochlanders. It’s current configuration, with stop signs in one direction and a blinking light in the other,  confuses motorists zooming through,  far too often with deadly consequences.

Intersection improvement has been needed here for years. At one point, rumble strips were installed in al directions to alert drivers that they needed to pay attention as they approached the crossroads. This did little to slow traffic and determine who had right of way. Playing chicken became the rule of the road as drivers raced to get through the intersection ahead of other cars, or collided when two cars tried to simultaneously occupy the same space.

Lots of people believed that the only solution was to signalize the intersection. VDOT, however, believes that a roundabout will make the intersection safer and more efficient.

A roundabout will be built at this intersection, with construction beginning, according to VDOT, in the fall of 2021. Completion is projected for the summer of 2022.

The proposed roundabout for the intersection of Rts. 250 and 522 in Gum Spring, Louisa County.

On Monday, July 24, VDOT held an informational meeting about the project at the Holly Grove Firehouse. Several representatives were there to explain the project and answer questions. It seemed like most of the people who attended were from Goochland. These included Todd Kilduff, Deputy County Administrator for Utilities and Community Development, and District 2 Supervisor Manuel Alvarez, Jr. and residents of the Sandy Hook area.

The estimated cost of the future roundabout is $2.6 million, which includes $648 thousand for engineering and roadway plans; $367 thousand for right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation; and $1.67 for actual construction. Its length will be .1348 miles. The design will be a single lane roundabout with lighting and landscaping. VDOT officials promised that the curve of the roundabout will accommodate the large trucks that use these roads.

According to VDOT literature, a roundabout is a “circular unsignalized intersection where all traffic moves in a counter clockwise direction around a  center island.

VDOT contends that roundabouts reduce the number of opportunities for vehicles  to cross paths, which reduces the incidence of right-angle and head-on crashes. Because traffic keeps moving, albeit at a slower than highway speed, there are fewer stops, shorter queues of vehicle s waiting to negotiate an intersection; and lower long term maintenance costs. Slower speeds in a roundabout give drivers more time to react, and perhaps pay more attention to the road.

Reaction to the notion of roundabout is mixed. Some citizens believe they will fix the problem and work well once drivers get accustomed to them, others contend that they will be a disaster because motorists will not follow the new rules of the road.  Road configurations are only part of the solution. Drivers need to pay attention and abide by traffic rules so everyone can get where they are going in a safe and efficient manner.

Comments about this may be submitted in writing no later than August 3, 2018 to Winston.Phillips@ VDOT.Virginia.gov.

A roundabout has also been approved for the intersection of Sandy Hook and Fairground Roads in Goochland Courthouse Village.

Visit www.virginiadot.org/.../innovative_intersections/InnovativeMultiBrochure_ Final_011118_WebVersion.pdf for more details.

Citizen review

The Goochland Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) does not meet often. This panel, recommended by the Board of Supervisors and appointed by the Circuit Court, provides an independent voice in disputes about land use issues. Hearing and deciding appeals of administrative decisions on zoning ordinances is one of the BZA’s duties.

Current members of the Goochland BZA are: Carol Coe; Paul Springman; Rob Parker; Amanda Kowlaski; and Neil Spoonhower.

On Monday, July 16, the BZA held a hearing to consider an appeal made by Courthouse Associates, LLC of a May 17, 2018  notice of zoning violation made by the Goochland County Zoning Administrator, Anita Barnes.  Spoonhower was absent.

The violation contended that Courthouse Associates, LLC failed to construct a “water impoundment structure” and functional dry hydrant  in the Mill Forest subdivision, which is located on the west side of Rt. 522 in the Sandy Hook area, when homes were built there at least 15 years ago. The BZA was charged with determining only if the water impoundment structure and dry hydrant had ever been built, not actions in the intervening years. Ownership and maintenance were not addressed. The decision of the zoning administrator, Anita Barnes, is assumed to be connect unless the appellant can provide sufficient evidence to the contrary.

A dry hydrant provides access to a local water source for use in fighting fires. One end of the dry hydrant has a coupling to connect to a fire engine, the other, fitted with a strainer to prevent debris from clogging lines, is in a water source, beneath drought level to ensure a reliable water supply. (See http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/dryhydrant/index.htm )

A complaint from a Mill Forest resident about a “pipe” that suddenly appeared on property designated as a site for a dry hydrant was the genesis of the case. County land records indicate that the .616 acre parcel in question is currently owned by Courthouse Associates, LLC.

Assistant Goochland County Attorney Whitney Marshall contended that Courthouse Associates never built the water impoundment structure and dry hydrant as required by proffer number ten of the rezoning ordinance, which has the force of county law, for that portion of Mill Forest and is required to build the structure to comply with the ordinance.

Leigh Gordon, a principal in Courthouse associates, LLC, testified that he did install a dry hydrant on the subject property, built to prevailing standards around 2003. The installation included, he said, a pipe with a strainer that accessed a water supply, and  “rip rap”.  Over the years, the parcel became overgrown.

Goochland Fire Marshal Doug Davies testified that he found no evidence of a strainer and that the pipe on the parcel connects to a small stream with only a few inches of water. Davies said he had “no clue” what might have been there years ago. Gordon offered to excavate the site to retrieve the strainer, which he contended, became “silted in” due to the passage of time and lack of maintenance.

Marshall argued that a pipe and some rocks were insufficient evidence that the water impoundment and dry hydrant was ever built. There was, she said, no record of it ever being on the fire-rescue list of dry hydrants, or an inspection upon completion.

Darvin Satterwhite, representing Courthouse Associates, LLC, presented the  Mill Forest II Section 2 plan of development, approved by Barnes in 2003, which, he contended, requires compliance with all rezoning proffers before building permits are issued, as evidence that the structure in question had been built.

Barnes testified that plat approval of the proposed subdivision she signed indicated only the designated location of the dry hydrant and associated structure, not that they had been constructed. Barnes said she was unaware of any county policy, at the time, requiring inspection of dry hydrants to ensure that they had indeed been built to prevailing standards. Today, she said, things are different.

The BZA went into closed session with its counsel, Charlottesville land use attorney

Maynard Sipe. Returning to open session, members commented on the case.

Springman said he believed that Barnes was correct, that the appellant did not present sufficient evidence that the water impoundment structure and dry hydrant had been built in accordance with the proffer.

Coe said she believed that something had been built on the site, but, as there were few regulations or inspection policies pertaining to those facilities at the time, it was hard to know what was there.

 Kowalski said that the photos presented indicate that something was built there15 years ago and not maintained, but was there.

Parker contended that something was put there with the intention to comply with the proffer, but erosion and tree growth altered the site. He agreed that plat approval indicated compliance with all proffers.

The BZA voted 3-1, with Springman in dissent, to uphold the Courthouse Associates’ contention that it did comply with the proffer requiring a water impoundment structure and dry hydrant. It is unclear if the county will appeal that decision to the Circuit Court.

This case illustrates the importance of land use regulations and inspection to ensure compliance. It seems as though the developer built what he believed to be an acceptable water impoundment structure and dry hydrant as required by the proffer, but the county, for whatever reason, failed to inspect or notify fire-rescue of its existence.

Current county development policies keep close tabs on these requirements to ensure that all proffers are fulfilled in a timely manner, with sanctions for failure to comply. Kudos to BZA members for their service to the community.

On the eve of the Fourth of July

Best wishes for a speedy recovery to  Goochland Treasure Pam Johnson, who is recuperating from injuries sustained during a fall.

The July 3 meeting of the Board of Supervisors marked the last report from Director of Economic Development, Matthew Ryan, who is returning to his native South Carolina. We wish Ryan well in his new position and hope, should he ever encounter a prospect seeking to locate in Virginia, that he mentions Goochland! During the six years he has served Goochland, Ryan has worked tirelessly to attract new enterprises to the county. More commercial development means a stable tax rate. A search for his successor—Ryan essentially operated as a “one man band” with staff support—is undoubtedly underway.

Board Chair Ken Peterson, District 5, commended Ryan for a job well done and wished him success in his future endeavors.

Ryan thanked the board for its support over his tenure. The 2018 midyear update—economic development runs on a calendar year—included lots of good news. DriveShack is vertical, the hospital is underway, Audi is open for business, and the breweries are going full steam and has filed plans for its amphitheater. They are “blown away by the support they’ve seen thus far,” said Ryan. “It may not be a record setting year, but a god year nonetheless.”

Goochland is on track to break $100 million of new investment in 2018 and has been o the upswing since 2014.   The biggest drawback is that Goochland has no inventory is leasable space. A few possible office projects are in the works. There is still no plans for construction of speculative office space.

More than 4,500 jobs have been created in the past five years, giving us the highest percentage of  job growth in the Commonwealth.

He addressed the economic development strategic plan in progress. Much of the data has been collected and the next step is drafting the plan. Nurturing existing businesses, attracting new enterprises and honing tourism are its “three legs.” He  contended that agriculture is big business in Goochland that should be capitalized on. Citizen involvement in tourism is a big part of the process.  A  list of “things we want” to foster  economic development, included Broadband expansion, an executive roundtable, customer-focused employees that “always find a way to say “yes”, and a business culture that supports retention and expansion of existing businesses.

Once again, Goochland County has been awarded the certificate for excellence in financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. “Ban counting” is perhaps the most important function of local government and the true test of good stewardship of public finds. County Administration John Budesky said this award is the result of dedicated teamwork by the entire county and school staff.  As not that long ago, Goochland was on track to surpass Petersburg for fiscal dysfunction, this is an achievement to be grateful for.

Deputy County Administrator Derek Stamey gave an update on the new animal shelter. After delays caused by weather and a complex foundation, construction is moving forward. Shelter operations have been temporarily relocated to an area behind the gym at central High School on Dogtown Road. Stamey commended general services and animal protection for their good work on the relocation. Animal protection services will remain there until the new facility is completed.   These Central High School improvements, said Stamey, can be reused if needed in the future. The old shelter has been demolished and completion is expected by the end of 2018 or early next year, weather and Murphy’s law permitting.

The old animal shelter has been torn down to make way for the future!

Goochland Pet Lovers, the private non-profit organization formed to work  in conjunction with Goochland Animal Protection, has rasied$1.522 million and has increased its ultimate goal to $1.65 million. (visit goochlandpetlovers.com for information on special events and fundraising opportunities.)

The supervisors voted to approve an application for  VDOT “Smart Scale” project funding. Under this program Goochland competes with other jurisdictions for road funds. As Susan Lascolette, Distirct1, observed this is a “take it or leave it” proposition if VDOT  selects our application. The county may apply for these funds every two years.

Projects included in Goochland’s SmartScale application include installation of a “diverging diamond” traffic pattern at the Interstate 64/Ashland Road interchange;  building a roundabout at the I64 Oilville exit; reconnecting Three Chopt Road north of Rt. 250 by building a bridge over Rt. 288 (no, I am not making this up); and adding an auxiliary lane on Rt. 288 between the James River bridge and Rt.6.

Marshall Winn, VDOT representative reported the repairing storm damage caused by recent record rains, cleaning up debris from those storms, and cutting grass have kept his crews busy. The traffic signal at Rt. 6 and West Creek Parkway is on track for completion and work on improvements for the Rt. 288. Broad Street Road interchange are expected in early 2020.

Winn announced a public meeting about a planned roundabout at the Rt. 522/Rt.250 intersection, which is in Louisa County,  is scheduled for July 24 at the Locust Grove Fire Station.`

More on tourism

Words of wisdom presented during the citizen comment period from Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner Jonathan Lyle are a regular feature of monthly meetings of the Goochland Board of Supervisors.

In his other life, Lyle is Managing Director of Highway Information Media, LLC, a tourism industry marketing firm. He was unable to attend the June 27 supervisors/Economic Development Authority workshop, but shared some thoughts on the subject of tourism with the Board at its July 3 meeting.

 

Sharing Goochland's beauty is a tourism opportunity.

Lyle cautioned against “irrational exuberance” about the opportunity of tourism, citing Richmond’s failed  Sixth Street Marketplace. Built in 1985 as a tourist destination, the Sixth Street Marketplace was called by some “a shiny project that lacked substance.”  That tourism initiative was ill-conceived and lost millions each year until it was ultimately torn down.

There is no return on investment for a visitors’ center, Lyle contended. Louisa County had one and closed it being unable to justify its annual cost of $15,000.

The new hotel in The Notch at West Creek will be the county’s primary source of  “tourism” revenue.  Lyle did not recommend raising the county’s transient occupancy tax over two percent;  revenues generated above that rate must be invested in tourism. He suggested that the county craft a plan, determine the cost of achieving the goals of that plan, and see if that makes sense for Goochland, or if the money would be better spent on a business recruitment program.

Tourism, said Lyle, is a business. Private industry “should not be looking to the county” to pay for its marketing. If local government does get involved at some level in “tourism” it should expect a healthy return on its investment, or not participate.

“Know what you are trying to achieve before you commit to anything. This (tourism) is not a turn on the spigot and watch the dollars flow” proposition, Lyle said. “Tourism is everybody’s job, but no one is responsible.”

He estimated that in the 2020 timeframe, tourism could add about $200 thousand, less than a penny on the tax rate, to county revenues.

Tourism is a business for the private sector, which should not look to county government for funding, Lyle contended. It is easier to get people to do more of what they’re doing than start something new to attract tourists. “People tell you what they want to do with their wallets. If they have a good experience, they’ll come back and do more of it.”

He cited the success of the Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in West Creek, that exceed expectations as soon as its doors opened last spring. It is expected to build an onsite amphitheater  and increase its capital investment in Goochland. Hardywood has hosted the Richmond Symphony at its other locations; it would be nice if that were included in musical offerings at the West Creek site.

Tourism is a great opportunity, not a magic bean, Lyle said. He offered to share his expertise with the county. Perhaps the supervisors and Economic Development Authority should hold another workshop focused solely on tourism.

He added that agriculture and agritourism are also businesses.

Lyle commended Economic Development Director Matthew Ryan, who is leaving Goochland for an opportunity in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, for his excellent work in bringing  business to Goochland.

Lyle’s comments were nutrient rich food for thought. Does Goochland want to increase tourism, or better capitalize on visitors to existing attractions and events? How much “tourism” can we handle with current levels of public safety staffing?

The best course of action may well be to create an environment that encourages the private sector to exploit tourism.  Entrepreneurs have the ingenuity and agility to respond to shifting market trends.

Above all, efforts to bring visitors to Goochland must echo the Hippocratic oath and “do no harm” to the peace and privacy of those who already live here.

Visitors

(This is a continuation of reflections on the day long economic development workshop. See previous post “Kissing Toads” for details)

No discussion of economic development is complete without addressing tourism.  Conceptually, this is an ideal industry. People visit, spend money, and leave to educate their children and grow old elsewhere. As with many things, the devil is in the details.

Why tourism? Matt Ryan, Goochland’s Director of Economic Development, often says that “you never know who is standing on the sidelines of a soccer tournament at Strikers’ Park. It might be CEO of a company in Northern Virginia looking for a new location for his business who never heard of Goochland.”  It is a “soft” way to market the county and generate returns.

 

Goochland's beauty is an economic resource.

Goochland already has tourism. From the grandeur of the Dover Hall castle to the more rustic charms of Westview on the James, people visit Goochland for recreation. The new Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in West Creek (https://hardywood.com/visit-us/westcreek/)  that opened last spring is but one of several local enterprises that regularly attract guests to the county.

Budesky touted Field Day of the Past, the Deep Run Horse Show, and the Rassawek festival as events that bring many thousands of out-of-towners to Goochland each year. The LL Bean Discovery School entices folks visiting its Short Pump mall store to enjoy the James River at Tucker Park.  Thousands of people attend soccer tournaments  in West Creek.

Connecting those visitors with opportunities to spend money at restaurants, our potpourri of potent potable venues, the gift shop at the Historical Society, or other local emporiums, is the goal. Promoting local attractions can boost the bottom line of local businesses and enhance the perception of Goochland.

Goochland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bonnie Creasy suggested that tourism phone apps are a good way to make visitors aware of what an area has to offer. The rub is, as with all tourism initiatives, is who oversees the outreach activity, which attractions are included, who updates the app, and how is that funded? A few years back, someone, perhaps the Chamber, created a beautiful color brochure about county attractions that was soon obsolete.

The Goochland Historical Society recently completed a restoration of the old stone jail and placed informational markers on the Courthouse green. There are many homes of historical interest in the county, but most are privately owned. Tuckahoe Planation on River Road is open for tours only by appointment, but there are self-guided tours of the gardens and grounds.

Wedding venues are sprouting all over the county. They give wedding guests a taste of Goochland that hopefully will bring them back.

While there was much discussion  about tourism opportunities, there was no mention of protecting the peace and privacy of those who moved to Goochland to get away from crowds.

For instance, when the notion of a rural farm brewery first appeared, it seemed like a great idea. When neighbors found their yards choked with dust from streams of cars and their fenceposts used as urinals, not so much. Those in the western part of the county never expected to find a wedding venue, complete with amplified music, disturbing their lives.

Agritourism was also touted as a great way to showcase Goochland. However, close neighbors should have some notice and say about the possibility of a gaggle of strangers invited to, for example, workshops on raising chickens or beekeeping, before the fact.

Kerfuffles between neighbors and breweries and wedding venues were worked out after a great deal of heartache. A mechanism to avoid this at the outset, with clear sanctions for violations, before the fact to protect the interests of all involved.

Productive preemptive dialog among all sides is preferable to conflict. Property rights of all must be protected. Community meetings to iron wrinkles out of proposed land use changes are a good way to accomplish this.

Though touted as an income generator, there is a cost to tourism. There was no discussion of a cost/benefit analysis or, one of Peterson’s favorite themes, return on investment.

Tubing the James in Goochland is a popular summer activity. Signs are posted at departure points with approximate times to move from Westview to Maidens. Each year, people call 911 when they realize the trip is far longer than expected. Fire-rescue personnel, more often paid employees than volunteers, are dispatched to get  them off of the water. Who should pick up the tab for this?

Goochland has breweries, wineries, and a cidery. There have been complaints about what some consider over zealous enforcement of DUI laws near these establishments. Driving on our narrow, winding roads can be challenging for people familiar with the territory in daylight, when stone cold sober.  How to discourage visitors who may have over enthusiastically indulged without making our roads more dangerous, needs to be addressed. This could be an opportunity for local limousine companies to offer something like a  “potent potables pilgrimage” that picks up folks at a hotel, drives them from place to place, and returns them to their lodging so they can recover before hitting the road.

Cyclists visit Goochland in ever greater numbers. Peterson said that adding bike lanes to our roads would reduce the amount of funds that VDOT would allocate to maintenance. West Creek Parkway seems to be a favorite haunt of cyclists, especially on weekends. It would be nice if there were some way to encourage, if not mandate, that they wear brightly colored clothing to make them very visible to drivers. They come, ride around the county, and leave to eat, drink, and service their equipment elsewhere.

There was general agreement that Goochland needs a visitor’s center, but no consensus on its ideal location. Indeed, the notion of a  “gateway” to Goochland seemed vague. Some contend that it should be on Rt. 6, some Broad Street Road, Courthouse Village, or maybe River Road. The Henrico/Goochland line at both Broad Street Road and Rt. 6 are congested and commercialized. It is doubtful that River Road residents would welcome strangers stopping in that corridor.

Courthouse Village is the county seat, but it can be hard to find. Would a visitor’s center on the Courthouse Green attract enough people to justify the expense of staffing it, and who would pay for that?

District 3 Supervisor John Lumpkins, Jr. mentioned the  variety of reasons people visit Goochland including historic sites; recreational opportunities; and scenic beauty. “How do we keep people here after they’re done on the River?” he asked.  County government he contended, is just the catalyst. Goochland needs to leverage its assets, and avoid “Mickey Mouse attempts to create fake venues.”

Measuring the impact of tourism in a meaningful way is tricky. Ryan said that hotel stays, a measure typically used to track tourism, doesn’t apply in Goochland, because we do not yet have any hotels. Anecdotal information, like Wawa selling out of cold drinks during soccer tournament, suggests that there is a lot of missed opportunity.

Creation of a central calendar, contended Budesky, to avoid event conflicts is badly needed. Far too often, groups schedule events without regard to what else might be taking place at the same time. People must choose, which reduces attendance. Better scheduling would avoid this and bolster attendance—and success—across the board.

Who would maintain and publish this calendar is another unanswered question.

Tourism has the potential to enhance Goochland’s economy from one end to the other without destroying the rural character. But, it must be done well and respect the peace and privacy of county residents.

The June 27 workshop was the start of what will be an ongoing conversation.

Kissing toads

Goochland Supervisors and members of the county Economic Development Authority met for a long overdue workshop at the West Creek Emergency Center on June 27. Economic Development is a complicated endeavor with many moving parts. This day-long session explored many facets of the subject and  raised more questions than it answered. GOMM will explore some of these in additional posts.

The session—the first of hopefully several—was facilitated by  John Thomas and Will Davis of DecideSmart, LLC (www.decidesmart.com), a consulting firm retained by the county to  help update to the county’s  strategic plan for economic development adopted in October, 2011 by the previous Board of Supervisors. Davis is the former economic development director for Chesterfield County and  Thomas  was director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

Supervisors Susan, Lascolette, District 1; Manuel Alvarez, Jr., District 2; John Lumpkins, Jr., District 4; Bob Minnick, District 4;, and Board Chair Ken Peterson, District 5 were joined by EDA members Lisa Dearden chair; Ben Slone; D. B. Smit; Curt Pituck; and Lucy Wysong, as well as John Budesky, county administrator, and Matthew Ryan, director of economic development. Bonney Creasy, executive director of the Goochland Chamber of Commerce and Christina Jordan Dunn, president of the board of directors of the Goochland Historical Society also attended.

Will Davis (standing) makes a point about economic development.

 

As warm-up exercise, the group was polled about what makes Goochland unique. The condensed response “a place of great beauty where all things are possible with well-managed local government.” Without its unique potpourri of people, Goochland is just rocks, trees, water, too many deer, and a burgeoning ursine community.

While enhancing the tax base to achieve  a 30/80 percent ratio of commercial to residential was the overall theme, many threads of growth swirled around the day’s discussions.

Participants were asked  during recent individual interviews  to prioritize needs, opportunities, and issues facing Goochland as it endeavors to enhance the tax base and preserve rural character.

Defining roles and expectations for economic development; establishing EDA procedures for loans; and infrastructure development ranked high. Starter home residential development was ranked low.

Opportunities for continued development of West Creek; new target development (medical, office, hotel, food, tourism); and sustaining and growing existing business ranked high. Workforce development in connection with Reynolds Community College was at the bottom of the scale.

Cost of infrastructure and cost of collaboration snagged only medium priority, while private sector land ownership ranked low.

Goochland’s EDA  has acted as a pass through for state economic development funds and made modest loans and grants to local businesses. It is the issuing agency for the bonds used to finance the rehabilitation hospital, which imposes no cost on the county or EDA.

For the past several months, the EDA has been trying to establish criteria and procedures for granting loans. Questions about the ability of the EDA to effectively and impartially evaluate loan applications to avoid “picking winners and losers” remain.

The northeast part of the county is experiencing the growth spurt anticipated since the turn of the century. Part of this is spillover from Short Pump. Some resulted from the county collaborating, rather than warring, with major landowners to being new enterprises to Goochland.

In the past few years one medical office building in the Notch spawned another, which now houses a surgical center. Ground was broken earlier this year for a rehabilitation hospital joint venture between Sheltering Arms and VCU. A recently opened Audi dealer sits in the shadow of Rt. 288. Behind that DriveShack is building a golf entertainment center. If it ever stops raining, a hotel will sprout opposite the Wawa and could attract small businesses like a bank branch and restaurants. A memory care facility is planned for the south side of Broad Street Road at the Henrico border.

On the residential side, a continuing care community is on tap for the Notch. An age restricted single family/townhome enclave will join a more traditional subdivision in the Hockett Road corridor. The old “Oak Hill” property at the junction of Rt. 288 and Patterson Avenue was given the green light for mixed use development, but no firm plans have yet emerged there. All of these projects are in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District, where increased property valuations bolster county coffers and service utility debt.

Concentrating this growth in an area served by public water and sewer, “the designated growth area”  should ensure that 85 percent of Goochland remains rural in the long term.

The real question about economic development— in the “designated growth area” and entire county— is what kind is most beneficial in the long term and how to attract it. “What would you like Goochland to be in 10 years?” Davis asked. “Should you figure it out as you go along, or plan?” Whether you have slow growth, good growth or no growth, it must be managed.

Ryan, who strives to handle prospects from first contact through issuance of certificate of occupancy, is the only member of county staff dealing solely with economic development though Budesky often collaborates.

We do a lot of good work to attract business  that never comes to fruition, said Budesky. “You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince.” Goochland, he said, has limited resources. Ryan works mostly alone. For the past seven years our strategy has been to catch Henrico spillover, but Goochland must be nimble to change as market conditions shift.

Goochland is experiencing a development surge, it’s time to evaluate next steps.

Ryan worked hard to convince Sheltering arms and VCU to build their hospital in West Creek.  Many other projects were the result of leads furnished by landowners. Unlike other major players in the central Virginia region, Goochland cannot afford to participate in the Greater Richmond Partnership, a regional economic development consortium comprised of  the counties of Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield and the City of Richmond, whose annual fee—the equivalent of more than a penny on our tax rate—is too rich for our blood. As GRP members pay to play, they do not share leads with outsiders.

Going forward, said Davis, Goochland needs to decide what kind of enterprises it hope to attract and be comfortable enough with those choices to reject proposals that do not align with its goals.

Peterson said he favors non-residential, taxable entities. He mentioned distribution facilities to exploit the county’s sweet spot location for transshipping cargo arriving at Tidewater ports west along the Interstate 64 corridor.  Lascolette suggested a data center. Ryan pointed out that Goochland currently has no vacant warehouse space, very little office space, but lots of vacant land that is a harder sell.

People involved in site selection for new businesses are looking for a reason to say no, Thomas said. “You need to find a way to get to ‘yes’ quickly to close the deal.”

Budesky pointed out job diversity is a criteria used in bond rating evaluations. Thanks to the Capital One campus, Goochland’s workforce is heavily weighted in the banking sector. As the hospital and other medical facilities build out, health care  is likely to change that, but more variety is desirable. Right now, health care seems to be a “hot”  market sector, but Goochland needs  a “Plan B” should that cool down.

Retention of existing business was addressed. Due to lack of resources, a visitation program for each of the county’s 1,600 businesses was put on the back burner. Thomas suggested that these interviews are vital and could be used to generate leads as in “what kind of businesses would you like to see nearby to support what you do?” Removing county procedures that businesses consider “ harassment”  and ensuring that county staff is customer focused is important.

“You need to be aware of your businesses,” Davis said. “It is just as important to know what’s going on with Cecil Wise (Wise Choice on Ashland Road) as it is with Capital One.”

Budesky contended that the county needs more attention in regional media. Richmond television stations fall all over themselves to cover crimes here, but  rarely report on the good things. Sometimes, they even for get to mention power outages or school closing in Goochland. The success of our schools, and the county securing at AAA bond rating get no attention.

He also said that the county must do a better job of branding itself to highlight that we are different from Henrico. “Capital One employees have no idea that they work in Goochland.” Budesky suggested a strong partnership with the development community to tout advantages of doing business in Goochland.

Budesky said that the meeting was the first step. Information gathered will be distilled into a framework in the next 60 days to include more information about the visitation process; tools available to achieve and end game; and ways to use the EDA to improve the business process.

The meeting generated much information to process. Many questions need answers. What is the role of the EDA? How does government create an environment that encourages and supports local business without overwhelming core services of education and public safety? How to ensure that actions are taken in an open and transparent manner for the benefit of all?