Clear and present danger

 

Clear and present danger

Fairground Road, one of the three traffic access corridors for Goochland Courthouse Village, is a narrow, windy two-lane road that, in many places, falls steeply away from the pavement. It has no margin for error.

The county’s 2040 major thoroughfare plan  indicates that, at some vague point in the future, Fairground Road will be a four-lane undivided highway. The cost to do this was included in the 25-year capital improvement plan crafted by the county a few years ago. Inflation has made a mockery of that cost estimate.

At its September 6 meeting, the Goochland Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on a rezoning application filed by Truett Real Estate Investments, LLC for a 49.372-acre parcel near the intersection of Fairground and Maidens Road from A-2 (agricultural limited) to R-1 (residential limited) to create a subdivision of no more than 40 single family detached residences. Comments made by speakers were thoughtful, civil, and overwhelmingly opposed to the project.

Assistant Director of Community Development Ray Cash, who presented the case to the supervisors explained that the project is unusual in that the applicant inherited the parcel, which insulates the project the high land costs in Goochland.

The subject property is designated low density by the Goochland 2035 Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which means average lot size of two acres per dwelling unit. It is inside the boundaries of Courthouse Village. Since the 2035 plan was last updated, additional public water and sewer capacity has become available, to support smaller lots without adverse impacts on nearby wells.

Staff and neighbors said that the applicant has a cordial relationship with concerned citizens and has worked to assuage opposition to the project. Petitions both hard copy and online signed by dozens of people who live on or near Fairground Road opposing the project were presented to the supervisors.

The proposed name “The Village at Hidden Rock” adds another layer of confusion to the issue. There can be only one village in a village. A village, by one definition is a “small town center” not a bunch of houses. Please change the name.

The starting price point of the homes in the project was estimated at $425K, allegedly “affordable” housing. Several speakers said that is too expensive for many people who work in Goochland.

Since the first community meeting on this land use application in October 2021, neighboring property owners and those who live along and travel on Fairground Road have opposed the addition of traffic generated by more homes in the corridor. The initial application proposed 23 lots. Concerns about the impact of many septic fields and wells caused the applicant to consider extending utility lines from Hidden Rock Park to the property. The increase in the number of lots was justified to cover the expense of extending utility line.

The applicant contended that, because the subject property is inside the boundaries of Courthouse Village and is served by water and sewer, higher density is appropriate.

Utilities also make smaller, clustered lots possible, allowing for a 100-foot buffer around the subdivision. The applicant dedicated rights of way for future widening of Fairground Road.

On August 4, after a deferral, the Planning Commission voted 3-2 to deny recommendation of the application for approval. (The Planning Commission is an advisory board; the supervisors make the final decision.)

The applicant proffered left and right turns at the single entrance from Fairground Road, including a 200-foot storage taper and road improvements of various types along the entire Fairground Road frontage.

However, VDOT—the state agency whose motto is OOPS! mis-striping of the new intersection of Patterson Avenue and Parham Road its latest achievement—requires a stub road for future expansion be part of a subdivision plan so the roads can be added to the state system for maintenance.

As the subject property is at the edge of Courthouse Village, a stub road leading out of the village anticipates, indeed mandates, its expansion. This is clearly a usurpation of the Board of Supervisors’ authority over local land use decisions. A stub road that leads back into the village, encouraging creation of a road grid for future development inside the village makes a lot more sense.

According to the applicant and neighboring property owner Ben Slone, repeated attempts to meet with the VDOT engineer charged with overseeing these plans to discuss the matter, were rebuffed. Despite entreaties by both the applicant, who has no problem with a stub road going back into the village, and Slone, said engineer decreed that the stub road must end at the boundary with Slone’s land, and be paved to the property line. This also requires that a sign be permanently displayed at the property boundary.

How would you like this on your property line?

Slone said that, because VDOT engineers never bothered to visit the site, they are unaware that the end of the stub road is wetlands. Google Earth shows the area heavily wooded. VDOT refuses to provide analysis to justify this location of the stub road.

Back to traffic. Several speakers contended that Fairground Road is already overburdened by vehicles. Many traffic statistics were bandied about by the applicant, including a study contending that construction of the subdivision would have little or no effect on already failing intersections, especially at Maidens and Fairground Roads.

Opponents cited the time needed to either cross or turn at Maidens Road. Those who live along Fairground Road spoke to the high volume of traffic. According to staff comments, citizen response to the rezoning was about 14-1 against approval. Opposing petitions with more than 100 signatures were given to the supervisors.

The most poignant comments came from Barbara Slone, who, while driving on Fairground Road more than two decades ago, was hit head on, suffering serious injuries, some of which still plague her, and a miscarriage.

Curiously, there was no comment about people who live south of the James River using Fairground Road to get to Interstate 64. During afternoon rush, many cars turn south on 522 heading for Powhatan. Presumably, they go the other way in the morning.

Ben Slone said he is not as concerned about how long it takes him to drive to Broad Street Road, as he is about getting there safely. He quoted Virginia Code § 15.2-2200.

“This chapter is intended to encourage localities to improve the public health, safety, convenience, and welfare of their citizens and to plan for the future development of communities to the end that transportation systems be carefully planned; that new community centers be developed with adequate highway, utility, health, educational, and recreational facilities; that the need for mineral resources and the needs of agriculture, industry, and business be recognized in future growth;... that residential areas be provided with healthy surroundings for family life;... and that the growth of the community be consonant  with the efficient and economical use of public funds.”

Louise Thompson, a resident of Soldier’s Lodge Road explained that her address is on Soldier’s Lodge Road where it intersects with Sheppardtown Road. Her address is there, Thomspon said, because even 30 years ago Fairground Road was too dangerous for people to come and go and identify her address.

Thompson also questioned why the applicant, unlike other developers in the Fairground Road corridor, did not have to make a cash contribution to fund future road improvements.

Andrew Browning, speaking on behalf of the applicant said that to get affordable housing, higher density is needed. “If I came in here presenting a couple of hundred town homes for that property, I’d get thrown out of the county.” He said that finding the perfect place for that level of density in an area served by water and sewer is a challenge.

A study of the Fairground Road corridor is going to begin in the next few months. It will identify problem spots and recommend long and short-term improvements. This will provide solid data to pursue funding and a clearer picture of existing safety issues. Also, the small area plan for Courthouse Village is still in process, now expected to be complete early next year.

For those reasons, the supervisors approved deferral of a vote on this project until at least its February meeting, hoping to have more information on which to make a sound decision.

John Lumpkins, Jr. District 3 said that this board is more involved in transportation issues than ever before and believes that VDOT wants input from localities about road projects. 

Other board members implored citizens to stay engaged in the Courthouse Village and Centerville small area plans.  The village plan must work to let Goochland grow gracefully.