How much is too much?

People who work in Goochland want to live here

We want to attract, and keep, the best deputies, firefighters, and teachers for our community but seem to have trouble filling vacancies. Candidates for these jobs like to live among the people they serve but lament that they cannot afford homes in Goochland.

Developers seeking to build high density residential communities in parts of the county served by water and sewer contend that they will provide “affordable” residences with “price points” in the $400k range.

What is the sweet spot for home prices for those who serve our community? Some people equate the notion of “affordable” housing with low income housing, which opens up a whole ‘nother can of worms.

The advent of apartment communities in West Creek—one roughly opposite the Wawa, the other off of West Creek Parkway—do provide more options but are not inexpensive and may not be ideal for young families.

During the Tuesday, February 19 Board of Supervisor’s’ budget workshop, Kelly Parrish, county director of human resources, said that the average salary of county employees for 2018 was $54,911. As averages are computed by dividing the total of all salaries for all employees—including the county administrator and county attorney— by the number of employees, the usefulness of this statistic is limited.

For illustration though, let’s use $54k. Monacan Soil and Water District Commissioner Jonathan Lyle, who worked in the mortgage industry in another life, shared some seat of the pants calculations and thoughts on the subject.

For illustration purposes, Lyle used the $400,000 “price point” for homes proposed for the Reed Marsh property opposite the county administration building in Courthouse Village. (Public hearings on this rezoning application and one between Manakin and Rockville Roads will take place on Tuesday, March 5 at the 7 p.m. portion of the Board of Supervisors’ meeting.)

Lyle said:

“When I was at Southern Bank (last century...in the 1970's/80's) we used a loan-to-income ratio of about 25% - 30% for housing (rent/mortgage) as affordable/prudent.

With the Reed Marsh rezoning request, I took their $400,000 number, and used a mortgage calculator for a 30-year fixed at a VERY favorable 3.92% mortgage rate.  For simplicity I used the entire $400,000 as the mortgage amount.

A 30-year fixed rate $400,000 mortgage at 3.92% results in a $1,891 monthly payment ($22,692/year).  If that $1,891 is 30% of the household income, that buyer will need to have a $76,000 household income.

So.  If a Goochland "average" employee is in a two-income household, and the second income is say 70% of the $54,000 average (~$37,800) that gives them a household income of $91,800. That would make the mortgage payment about 24% of the household income.  Is that affordable?

If the home is $300,000, at the same 3.92% mortgage rate, the payment on a 30-year fixed rate loan is $1,418 (~$17,000/year.)  With the same $91,800 income, that mortgage payment is 18% of the household income.”

Lyle also considered apartment rates in Goochland. According to their websites, monthly rent for two-bedroom apartments in The Retreat (opposite Wawa) start at $1,643. Rents at 2000 West Creek, near Capital One and the Hardywood Park Brewery start at $1,650 for a slightly smaller unit.

As Lyle pointed out, his mortgage figures assume no down payment, which would reduce the monthly payment. These numbers are just for housing, they do not take into account other financial obligations including car payments and student loan debt.

This is an open question to all of our wonderful deputies, teachers, fire-rescue providers and county employees, what do you consider “affordable” housing for your situation? It’s time to get some input from the people who make Goochland the special place it is.

Developers want to build houses and make money, there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe it’s time to look at denser options in appropriate places. For instance, would townhomes clustered on the less swampy portion of the Reed Marsh property, which would require shorter roads and utility lines, reducing construction costs, result in a “price point” closer to $300,000? Would that be attractive to Goochland’ workforce? Is that feasible?

Maybe it is not economically possible for builders to bring an “affordable” product to market and make a profit, so that they are able to stay in business and build more homes.

Please chime in with your thoughts. All civil, constructive comments will be published. Thanks to Mr. Lyle for his thoughts on this matter.

Budget first look

On Tuesday, February 19, Goochland County Administrator John Budesky presented his recommended budget for fiscal year 2020, which begins July 1, to the Board of Supervisors. The total budget amount of $87.5 million represents a $2.3 million or 2.6 percent decrease from the current year. The general fund of $57.5 million is a $3.1 million (5.8 percent) increase from the current year.

The proposed FY 2020 budget is available in its entirety on the county website http://goochlandva.us and is well worth your perusal. It contains information about county revenues and expenses in great detail. Director of Finance Barbara Horlacher and her staff worked closely with all county departments, Constitutional Officers and the school division to compile this document. Budesky said that all budget workshops will be livestreamed with recordings of past meeting archived on the county website.

Real estate tax revenue, based on higher valuations, are estimated to increase by 5.1 percent ($1.26 million) over the current year. Personal property tax is up approximately $1 million, or 8.2 percent over the FY2019 budget. (Could this be related to the opening of Audi of Richmond?)

Audi of Richmond showroom

As presented, this budget is based on retention of the current 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for real estate tax. Personal property tax rates are reduced to $3.95 per $100 of valuation and the annual vehicle license fee, the “county sticker” tax, has been eliminated. The ad valorem tax paid on property in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District will remain at .32. To ensure adequate funding for maintenance and repair of public sewer and water infrastructure, a rate increase of 5 percent for water and 6 percent for sewer, which is estimated. at an average bimonthly increase of $5.21. Connection fees will rise by 10 percent for water and 5 percent for sewer. Utilities are considered a self-sustaining enterprise.

Budesky said that Goochland’s median income of $86,652 is the second highest in the Commonwealth. While that number seems impressive, Budesky cautioned that the income of some residents is far less, and the county must be sensitive to those who struggle to pay their taxes. Seeking balance in taxing and spending is a delicate task.

Tax relief for the elderly and disabled is proposed to increase by $100 and reduced personal property tax rate for disabled veterans of $2 per $100 of valuation is also part of the proposed budget.

To simplify the business license tax schedule, the threshold for gross receipts fees is proposed to rise from four to ten thousand dollars to encourage small businesses. A new personal property tax rate for data centers of 40 cents per $10 of valuation is proposed to invite development in this area. (Could a data center be the business that the Economic Development Authority has been discussing in closed session recently?) Fees for conditional use permits for communications towers will be reduced to entice providers to expand broadband availability.

The focus of the budget remains in core areas, education, which accounts for 42 percent of annual expenditures; and public safety, which includes law enforcement and fire-rescue and emergency services; and community health.

Excellence in customer service is a core strategic goal, which can only be proved by skilled and dedicated employees. The proposed budget contains a three percent merit-based salary increase for county employees. The proposed school budget also includes salary increases.

Agnew commended Budesky for “being all business and no games” during budget discussions. He said that is mad no sense to request additional positions, except for the recommended crime analyst position to assist in crime prevention. A salary scale adjustment requested to bolster recruitment and retention of law enforcement personnel is included in the proposed budget.

“Our budget was a tradeoff. We are carrying positions that we are unable to fill and have changed the emphasis to revamp our pay scale.”

Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew

The Sheriff referenced media reports of a 67 percent decline in the pool of applicants for law enforcement jobs on the east coast, fewer, he contended, are qualified.  Attracting people into “this wonderful job” is a challenge. Goochland competes with larger neighboring jurisdictions for applicants. Offering a competitive salary will help encourage applicants to look at Goochland, “a good place to live and work.”

In addition to enforcing the law, the Sheriff’s Office participates in the community. Crime Stoppers, the anonymous tip line, now has a P3 app, which allows informants to submit information via text. Agnew displayed a photo of student Trayvon Harris, who won its $500 poster contest prize. They also provide scholarships.

The bi-annual drug take back events co-sponsored with the DEA are very successful. In 2018, citizens turned in more than 500 pounds of drugs at the West Creek ER and Company 5. The drugs are turned over to the DEA for destruction.

Fishing Day in partnership with the Boy Scouts at Camp Brady Saunders is back thanks to Corporal Harrison Hankins.

“Refuse to be a victim,” which teaches people to be more aware of their surroundings at no cost to the county has been very successful. Agnew hopes to hold more sessions this year. It is sponsored by the NRA but is not about firearms. The open house held last August was very successful. It showcased the new communications center, but Chase, Goochland’s K9 officer, was the star of the show. Agnew hopes to make this an annual event. For the past 26 years, the Sheriff’s Office has delivered Christmas Mother presents.

Turning to a more somber topic, Agnew said that his office partners with Virginia State Police, Goochland Public Schools, and fire-rescue for active shooter drills to formulae plans and strategies. Drills are not held when school is in session; Agnew declined to divulge specifics but said that the simulations are ongoing. Pray that lessons learned in these drills are never needed.

Agnew explained that dealing with sensational crimes, which may be in the media for a few days, is a long-term involvement for local law enforcement. A murder in Sandy Hook last August, for instance, is not quite solved and has required many interviews and trips to the grand jury. Agnew said that the marijuana trade may have been a factor

Troy Skinner, the New Zealand man shot by a Goochland resident after he broke into her home last June, will stand trial later this year. “The lady who dealt with Mr. Skinner did exactly the right thing to protect her family,” said Agnew.

A toddler who died after being left in a hot car last summer consume d a lot of local law enforcement time and was a tragic no win situation. Agnew is working with a young woman who has devised a simple system to help parents and others be aware of children in car seats.

In 2018, 21 drug search warrants were served. Regardless of your opinion of marijuana, said Agnew, its distribution is very dangerous and fraught with violence. This activity takes a lot of people and time to plan and execute.

The sheriff’s office also serves court papers, a function becoming more complex and sometimes dangerous; provides court security; and moves people from jail to court, all man power intensive activity.

Nothing has changed in the area of mental health matters, Agnew contended. “This is not something that law enforcement should do, but we sometimes spend upwards of ten hours in an emergency room with someone experiencing a mental health crisis because there are no resources to deal with it adequately. It’s not helping the patient, it’s not helping us because we’re off the road, and it’s not fixing the problem. I hope that someday the General Assembly will fix it and have a place where these people can be helped because they’re not being helped now.”

Agnew said that there are many parts to the sheriff’s job that people do not understand. He thanked the board for its support in helping to recruit and retain good people to handle the authority granted to law enforcement officials.

Next week’s budget workshop will deal with county staffing, revenues, and the capital improvement plan.

Who you gonna call?

Once again, we are experiencing central Virginia’s four-season climate—all in the same week. Regardless of the fine weather on Wednesday and Thursday, overturned trucks in different parts of the county kept Goochland deputies and fire-rescue providers busy. The wreck of a propane tankers, which closed roads in and around Courthouse Village for most of the day was especially challenging. Saturday’s “snow cones from the sky” weather turned some local roads into skating rinks and caused multiple serious accidents. Our deputies and fire-rescue providers have had their hands full and we are grateful for them. We don’t think about emergency response—until we need it.

Before their February 5 meeting, the supervisors got a close look at the county’s newest ambulance, which will be stationed at the Hadensville Company 6 Fire-Rescue Station.

Goochland Fire-Rescue's newest ambulance

 

Its sturdy Ford chassis is the first in Goochland’s EMS fleet to be equipped with four-wheel drive and liquid, self-leveling suspension. A mechanical device to lift stretchers into the ambulance is another innovation on the apparatus; these help prevent back injuries for EMS providers. The new ambulance also has its HVAC system on the roof and contains no wood products, making it safer for all. The price tag for the vehicle was $273,000 before any equipment was added.

Another interesting feature of this vehicle is its number—606. To those familiar with the Goochland Fire-Rescue vehicle designation system, using a 6 for Hadensville seems normal. However, as Interim Fire-Rescue Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr.  explained, this represents a region-wide change in vehicle designation.

Goochland is designated 6 in new region wide emergency apparatus numbering system. 

On complicated emergency scenes several jurisdictions may respond.  If Goochland sends its engine 1 and Henrico also sends its Engine 1, it is hard for dispatchers to differentiate between them. To simplify identification of apparatus for dispatchers a system using a jurisdiction specific numbering system for emergency response apparatus has been established. Henceforth, Goochland emergency vehicles will be designated with the initial digit 6. For instance, what was previously known as engine 51 (from Courthouse Company 5) will now be known as Engine 605; ambulance 10 (from Manakin Company 1) will now be known as 601.

Ferguson reported that Goochland has been award a Rescue Squad Assistance Fund grant of $137,230 to help fund the next ambulance and $400 toward the purchase of opioid overdose reversing medications.

D. E. "Eddie"Ferguson, Jr. interim Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief

Goochland fire-rescue is a combination department comprised of both volunteer and career –county employee—providers who work together to serve the citizens. As demand for service increases and volunteer participation wanes, additional providers are needed to keep pace. Hiring people with the requisite skill and certifications has proved challenging, said Ferguson. He reported that of three candidates offered positions in December, only one proved to be certified and began work on February 1. Efforts to fill funded vacancies are ongoing. Since July 1, Goochland Fire-Rescue received over 110 employment applications, over 25 percent of which were unqualified.

Goochland County Administrator John Budesky said that Ferguson, currently Deputy Chief EMS, will serve as interim fire-rescue chief until a successor to William MacKay, who retired as of January 31, is identified. A job description will be posted, and candidates interviewed.

So far so good

Goochland County finances are trending positive, according to second quarter projections reported by Director of Finance Barbara Horlacher to both the county audit committee and Board of Supervisors on Chinese New Year, Tuesday, February 5.

Actual revenues exceed expectations by $2,791,351 thanks to better than expected interest income; bank stock taxes; and sales tax. Expenses were $3,988,068 less than budgeted and the transfer to the children’s services fund was $143,000 lower than anticipated. This translates to an anticipated approximately $4.1 million increase in general fund balance over the budgeted amount at June 30, 2019, the end of the current fiscal year.

District 5 Supervisor Ken Peterson, who chairs the audit committee, commended Horlacher and staff for report, but cautioned that things will change, and Goochland must be financially prepared to weather an economic downturn.

County Treasurer Pam Johnson observed that, thanks to rising interest rates, Goochland also received a bit more than $1 million in interest on its funds last year, a significant increase over previous years.

Johnson reported that the collection rate for real estate taxes in 2018 was 99.37 percent and personal property taxes 98.96 percent. “We are blessed to live in a county with good citizens who pay their taxes,” she said. County Administrator John Budesky said that he has never worked in a jurisdiction with a collection rate that high.

Kimberley Jefferson, Director of Social Services reported that Medicaid expansion enrollment is going smoothly and, so far, the county had has fewer new enrollees than anticipated. These applications are being processed in a timely manner as Social Service staff grapples with several state data systems that do not “seem to be talking to each other.”

Bev Long of DSS said that there may still be a significant number of people who may qualify for Medicaid coverage under the new rules but are unaware of the expansion.

During the afternoon Supervisors’ meeting, Johnson announced that she will retire on June 30, 2019 and recommended that Pamela Duncan, her chief deputy, be appointed by the Circuit Court as interim county treasurer until a successor is duly elected. Johnson explained that, as an audit is mandated when a treasurer leaves office, it will be simpler to perform this task at the end of a fiscal year.

Pamela Johnson takes oath of office in 2011. Beth Hardy, District 4 school board member looks on.

 “It has been an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Goochland as their Treasurer,” said Johnson. “Eight years ago, when I took office, I pledged to restore the broken trust in the Treasurer’s office.” During Johnson’s tenure, all employees of her office were educated and earned certification for their jobs. The office itself received state accreditation— one of fewer than half of similar agencies in Virginia to do so.

Johnson said that we are fortunate to live in a place like Goochland where citizens get along in relative harmony and pay their taxes. “I have not accomplished this alone, my staff did the heavy lifting. When I was injured, they carried on without missing a beat.”

Johnson was appointed interim county treasurer about eight years ago following the arrest of her predecessor for embezzlement.

Board Chair Manuel Alvarez, Jr. District 2 said “it is not often we get to meet people who work as hard as you to do meet the needs of the citizens. I wish you well.”

“Look how far we’ve come in eight years,” said Board Vice Chair Susan Lascolette, District 1. “We have confidence in you and your staff to know that there are no lies ever or lost documents and things are being done right.”

Bob Minnick, District 4 observed that Goochland has seen phenomenal changes during Johnson’s tenure. “You’ve punched well above your weight in a manner that translates into good leadership. I hope we have not seen the last of you.”

John Lumpkins, District 3, thanked Johnson for her support during his tenure on the school board. “You did wonders for the whole county.”

There will be way too many of these “hail and farewells” by the end of the year.

Mary Ann Davis, county assessor, presented 2018 property valuations. The total taxable value of land in Goochland rose by 6.3 percent to $5.1 billion. This includes $144 million in new construction, which represents three percent of the overall increase. Of the new construction, 48 percent is commercial, the balance residential. Fair market values in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District are $1.1 billion. Davis attributed the increase to a rise in construction costs and a lack of “improved properties for sale”, which constitutes a “seller’s” market. She forecasted a three to five percent increase next year.

These numbers will be used during the budget process to determine how much money, probably based on retention of the current 53 cents per $100 of valuation tax rate. Budesky will present his recommended budget for the next fiscal year on Tuesday, February19 at a special 3 p.m. supervisors’ meeting. Over the next month or so, several budget workshop sessions where departments present their proposed budgets and district town hall meetings will be held to explain county spending and gather citizen input. Please pay attention to these matters and do not be shy about expressing yours views on the county budget. They’re spending your taxes dollars, share your opinions!

It’s that time of year again when the Virginia General Assembly, referred to by some as “The Imperial Clown Show”, convenes in Richmond. Paul Drumwright, Administrative Services Manager, who keeps a close eye on GA activity, reported on matters of interest to Goochland in the session thus far.

Drumwright said that our representatives in the GA: Delegates Lee Ware, 65^th District; John McGuire 56^th District; and Sen. Mark Peake, 22^nd District, have been “great to work with” and responsive to county concerns. Tara McGee, staff, and legislate delegation did “heavy lifting” to pass legislation favorable to Goochland.

Legislation deemed a priority by the county included bills dealing with clarifying capacity of public facilities used to evaluate residential rezoning proffers and eliminating this language from proffer laws. Ware and McGuire were co patrons of a house bill and Peake senate bill on the topic, both of which failed in committee. Drumwright was optimistic that some improved proffer reform legislation will be passed. Impact fee bills carried over from last year are off the table

Broadband expansion bills look more promising, including one that allows creation of service districts for “last mile” infrastructure only. Another allows the state corporation commission to set up pilot projects with electric utilities to provide broadband.  Drumwright said that Dominion was just waiting for someone to tell them that they could do this. There could also be a huge increase in Virginia telecommunications initiative funds in state budget negotiations.

Goochland did not take a position on HB2141, a “permissive” bill that allows, but does not require, localities to do something. This would permit the governing body to require any property owners inside a broadband service district to connect. Drumwright said that Goochland took no position on this bill. Alvarez said that many broadband bills forbid certain actions but exempt specific localities, who have systems in place. This enables us to do more if we need to. He thanked Drumwright and County Attorney Tara McGee for their efforts at the GA and others have noticed the good work of Goochland’s delegation.

No bills dealing with transportation of sludge were filed this session, nor were any for reimbursement of localities for the cost of political party primaries. A study of the salaries of general registrars compared to Constitutional Officers was passed in the senate finance committee.

For complete details on the county’s legislative agenda. See the February 5 board packet available on the county website http://goochlandva.us/ beginning on page 97.

A bridge too far

The February 7 meeting of the Goochland Planning Commission was a great example of organized citizen engagement. Thanks to well researched comments and collaboration among opponents to rezoning applications, the Commission was able to hear two contentious and complicated cases and deal with other issues in about three hours.

The Commissioners unanimously approved a master plan for two three story 100,000 square foot office buildings adjacent the Sheltering Arms rehabilitation hospital under construction south of Broad Street Road in West Creek, roughly opposite the Wawa.

A rezoning case for land north of Broad Street Road between Manakin and Rockville Roads that proposed to build 147 homes on 98.2 acres was up next. The land in question was the subject of a similar proposal in 2015, which was withdrawn after the planning commission did not recommend its approval.

The new proposal, dubbed Tuckahoe Bridge—please can developers get a little more creative and stop naming things Tuckahoe or Manakin?—included unrural amenities including sidewalks and dark sky compliant streetlights.

One of the landowners, Brenda Ellis Wiley (full disclosure, GOMM’s Ellis kin are from Michigan and Canada) explained that her father was Otto Ellis, the unofficial mayor of Centerville who owned the now defunct Ellis store that graced the corner of Manakin and Broad Street Roads for many years. The land in question, she said, is the last remnant of her family farm and she wanted to develop it in a way that would enhance the Centerville Village. “I grew up here and went to Goochland High School. I care what happens to this land,” she said.

Wiley and Elizabeth Turner Baker, owner of another of the subject parcels, said that they have paid the TCSD as valorem tax on their property since 2002 and need the return on their investment that creation of Tuckahoe Bridge would bring.  They contended that Main Street Homes, the builder they selected for the project have an excellent reputation for creating quality communities.

Property owners were not forced to put their land into the TCSD, nor were they guaranteed a return on their investment. The real mystery is why this property was included in the Centerville Village and the TCSD in the first place. The TCSD was allegedly created to spur commercial growth and, except for Kinloch, not for residential use.

A high-density residential development on the edge of the Centerville Village does little to enhance the area. Indeed, on the map of the Centerville Village accompanying the application, “Tuckahoe Bridge” looks like it was dropped from a helicopter instead of harmonizing with existing conditions, fields and homes on large lots.

The proposed Tuckahoe Bridge project, just inside the circle on the upper left corner.

At some point in the future, denser development of this property than envisioned by the 2035 Comp Plan may be appropriate, but not while there is ample vacant land in the heart of the village core.

“Second verse, same as the first” broadly sums up the proposal. A residential street with driveways every 75 feet or so was touted as the connector road recommended by county transportation plans. It would become a cut-through between Manakin and Rockville Roads to avoid the Broad Street corridor.

Long time Centerville Fire-Rescue volunteer Larry Barker said that St.  Mathews Lane and Echo Meadows Drive already allow emergency responders to move easily between Rockville and Manakin Roads and contended that homeowners in the proposed neighborhood would not take kindly to fire trucks and ambulances traversing their community, especially with lights and sirens in the middle of the night. He added that demand for emergency medical service is increasing and the county must hire additional responders to compensate for the fall off in volunteers, more people will make the situation worse.

 A few months ago, residents of Parkside Village, also approved with a connector road between Pouncey Tract and Ashland Roads, complained about cut-through traffic. They were surprised and angry to learn that connector was part of their neighborhood from the start. How long before buyers in Tuckahoe Bridge have the same objections?

Additional traffic generated by Tuckahoe Bridge would further degrade the service level of the intersection at Rockville and Ashland Roads, already a bottleneck at busy times of the day. Improvements would be left up to VDOT as funding permits. Mitigation of the malfunction junction at Rt. 288 and Broad Street Road, which is a far busier and more regionally significant interchange, approved and funded a few years back, will not be completed for at least another year.

James Theobald, the attorney representing Tuckahoe Bridge, contended that the comp plan merely “suggests” one unit per acre. Higher densities up to 2.5 units per acre, he said, are appropriate for land served by public water and sewer and to combat sprawl.” The comment generated laughter from the standing room only crowd.

The proposed homes, said Theobald, would have lot sizes of 75 by 150 feet and sell for $600k and up. Based on that home price, gross revenue for the project would be approximately $88.2 million dollars. To be sure, development costs to build roads, a bridge, sidewalks and so forth will be significant.

Benefits to the county were touted as cash proffers, which help fund capital projects, but are a drop in the bucket of costs for new schools and fire-rescue stations. A realtor contended that there is a shortage of homes the county and Tuckahoe Bridge would bolster inventory. It is unclear why that is a benefit to Goochland.

Opponents cited blatant disregard of one home per acre medium density recommend by the 2035 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. “Do they think we’re idiots?” thundered usually soft-spoken District 1 Commissioner John Myers. “The comp plan recommends medium density here with one acre lots, this is 50 percent more.”

Jonathan Lyle contended that the Tuckahoe Bridge proposal is very similar to the one proposed, and rejected, in 2015. “What has changed,” he asked. “There’s not less traffic. Using recommended Comp Plan density 98 homes are appropriate. What benefit are the additional homes to Goochland County?”

Others contended that the comp plan is “not to be discarded by developers” but should be used for balanced development to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community. The comp plan calls for medium, not suburban density in this area.

Another observed that the proposals will increase traffic by 130 percent and Tuckahoe Bridge is not as advantageous to Goochland as it is to the developer.

Tuckahoe Bridge will add more children to the school system. Already over capacity, Randolph Elementary School would need to add more “education cottages” to handle the increase. These structures, the speaker contended, offer less protection from tornadoes and other hazards than a building.

Paul Costello said that the applicant had the right to request a zoning change but contended that good zoning protects the community. Using RPUD (residential planned unit development) on the subject property is a violation of the 2035 comp plan and is not a matter of public necessity or good policy and planning.

District 3 Commissioner Carter Duke said that he had concerns about the rights of land owners and appreciated wanting a return on their “investment” in ad valorem tax but could not support density far in excess of comp plan recommendations.

District 5 Commissioner Tom Rockecharlie said that the comp plan was not created in a vacuum and should be respected. He opined that the proposed street does not qualify as the connector road in the county’s transportation plan.

The vote was 4-1 against recommending approval. Board Chair John Shelhorse, District 4 dissented.

The second rezoning application sought to create a residential community for 67 homes on 56.3 acres roughly behind the Goochland Branch Library in Courthouse Village on the Reed Marsh property. The parcel is able to access public water and sewer, available through agreements between the county and the Virginia Department of Corrections.

A portion of the subject land is currently zoned R-3, which permits small lot construction without rezoning. The applicant’s representative explained that, to keep the homes at a “relatively affordable” $400K price point, additional lots are needed. The lots would be a minimum of twenty thousand square feet with 12 acres dedicated to open space. Ponds to meet the state’s stormwater management requirements will be in the open space.

Sidewalks will be installed. The applicant contended that the location, near schools, shopping, the YMCA, and restaurants, supports the notion of walkability that is encouraged in the village section of the comp plan. Efforts will be made to renovate and sell the existing home on the property for residential use, if salvageable.

As the 2035 comp plan did not address sewer and water availability in Courthouse Village, staff opined that density higher than recommended could be considered. The staff report expressed concerns about the failure of the application to include left and right turn lanes as this is located at a busy intersection.

There was no mention of the impact of the roundabout at the intersection of Fairground and Sandy Hook Roads will have on traffic in front of the administration building. Right now, most vehicle travelling between Rt. 6 and Sandy Hook and Fairground Roads goes through the Sandy Hook, Rt. 6 corner. The roundabout, which will connect with Rt. 6 further west, should remove a good bit of that traffic from the Rt. 6/ Sandy Hook Road intersection.

Meyers said that he walked the property and found that the rear of the property was marshy, perhaps not a good location for the wastewater pump station or usable open space. He too opposed the density. “This has too much of a city look. Every developer pushes the envelope to see what they can get away with. They (developers) have rights, but citizens have rights too. Agreeing to 50 percent more density than stated in the comp plan makes us look stupid.”

Citizen objections included density they believe is too high for the area; destruction of a wetland habitat; and traffic issues.

This application was also denied recommendation for approval by a 4-1 vote with Shelhorse in dissent.

Both applications could be heard by the Board of Supervisors, who make the final decision, as early as March 5.