Grappling with change

Change is the only constant, they say. That couldn’t be truer in Goochland. For some people, change cannot arrive soon enough, others want everything to stay the same forever. Both will be disappointed.

The agenda of the Thursday, August 1 Planning Commission meeting was a good illustration of land use issues facing Goochland. (The public hearing on the Manakintowne mixed use project was deferred to September 5.) It also included approval of a final plat for the Reed Marsh subdivision, which was approved in May.

Items addressed by the commissioners ranged from a rezoning request that could result in construction of a seven-story hotel on the north side of Broad Street Road between Audi of Richmond and Rt. 288, to a down zoning request from rural preservation to agricultural use. In between were applications for a new use for an existing estate and rezoning to create a modest nine lot single family subdivision near Oilville.

The rezoning application submitted by LJP Properties, LLC for 3.327 acres between Audi of Richmond was for a change from B-1 to B-3 (interchange commercial) to facilitate the possible location of a hotel of up to seven stories. The B-3 zoning district was created about 10 years ago to enable the county to encourage commercial development at interstate exits. This classification permits additional heights for properties very close to these interchanges. This is the first application for B3 zoning.

There could not be a better location for a hotel in Centerville. It is opposite a hotel under construction on the south side of Broad Street Road. Attitudinally the property is in Short Pump, but Goochland reaps the benefit of the business here.

Why does Goochland need hotels? Simple, we host events that attract out of town visitors, like soccer tournaments and the Deep Run Horse Show. The visitors attend events in Goochland then go to Henrico to eat and sleep and take their sales tax and other revenues with them. The county hopes to ramp up agritourism to combine rural pursuits and commerce.

A companion conditional use permit (CUP)application, also filed by LJP Properties would permit parking for the employees of the Audi store. Both applications were unanimously approved.

The next item was an application for a CUP to allow River Run Manor, a river front estate just east of Courthouse Village on Route 6 in Maidens, to operate a winery; event venue; hosted bed and breakfast; and living quarters for the owner Andrew Moody and his family. This 61.302-acre property is anchored by an elegant 17,804 square foot home, which has been on the market for approximately five years.  Changes to the site will include a parking lot. One neighbor said he did not move to the country to “look at a Walmart parking lot” from his front door.

Neighbors objected to the property’s use as an event venue citing noise, traffic, disruption of their tranquil environment, and changing its land use from agricultural to commercial, which they believe is inappropriate. An adjoining property owner said that there is no physical demarcation, such as a fence, to mark the parcel boundary and had concerns about trespassing by adventurous guests. This was not addressed.

The applicant argued that noise generated from events at River Run Manor, which would attract high end clients, will be minimal as most activities will occur in the climate-controlled interior.  County staff said that if terms of the CUP are violated, it may be revoked. The Commission voted 4-1 to recommend approval. The application will move to the supervisors, probably at their September meeting, for final disposition.

Developer High View, LLC presented a rezoning application for 23.87 acres on Hanover Road from agricultural to R-1 residential to create Carver Oaks, a nine-lot single family home subdivision.

The homes will be no smaller than 2,500 square feet, not including garages on lots averaging 2.3 acres—no less than 1.5 acres—with expected “price points” around $400,000. Ample buffering around the edges of the new community and adequate turn lanes off the single access point to Hanover Road were included in the application. The Commission gave the application its unanimous recommendation for approval.

Howard D. Nuckols filed an application to down zone 222.206 acres from rural preservation zoning, which was approved in 2005 for a 44-lot subdivision, to A-2 agricultural. Nuckols decided it will be easier to pass the land along to his children with agricultural zoning. The application received a unanimous recommendation for approval by the Commission, and words of praise from citizens working to temper high density residential development in the northeastern part of Goochland.