Update on Fairground Road roundabout construction

 From the Goochland County website

Fairground Road Roundabout Construction Update - Paving Expected to Begin June 30th

Virginia Department of Transportation has informed the County that final surface paving is expected to begin on Friday, June 30th and will continue until complete, weather permitting.  Drivers should expect delays and flagging operations along Sandy Hook Road while paving occurs.

Paving was scheduled to occur over the past couple weeks but had been delayed due to weather and contractor scheduling.  The contractor has been on site several times during this period, installing lighting and traffic control signage.

Citizens, business owners, and visitors can still expect the Fairground Road Roundabout to be open by July 4th to accommodate traffic for Goochland County’s Fireworks Celebration that evening.  Citizens are reminded to be prepared for extensive traffic delays before and after that event.   Local road closures will be enacted by the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office based on traffic conditions and event parking capacity.

Once final paving is completed, the contractor will install final striping around the roundabout and will complete any remaining issues to close out the project.  Drivers are encouraged to continue following posted detours until all the work is complete.

This expected early completion and opening is more than 2 months ahead of the original schedule!  This was made possible through the collective efforts of County and Virginia Department of Transportation staff to have Phases 3 and 4 work take place simultaneously.  The County would like to thank our partners at VDOT for working with us to keep the project ahead of schedule.

Funding approved for county road improvements

 

Diverging Diamond coming to Ashland Road/I64

A press release from Goochland County 

AAshland Road (Route 623) Divergent Diamond Interchange Funding Approved

 

Goochland, VA – Goochland County is pleased to share that the Divergent Diamond Interchange at Ashland Road (Route 623) is now officially fully funded through Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Smart Scale program as part of VDOT’s Six Year Improvement Plan that was adopted at the June 21st, 2023, Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) meeting. The County would like to thank CTB member Carlos M. Brown, Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller, III, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick, and VDOT staff for their support of this project. 

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-2029 Six Year Improvement Plan approved by the CTB, contains $42.2 million funding for the overall $76 million Ashland Road project.  Remaining funding for the project has already been funded from Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) regional transportation funds.  The County would like to thank our partners at CVTA and neighboring localities for their support of this project as well.

The interchange of Ashland Road and Interstate-64 (I-64) has been identified as the top county transportation priority. It was analyzed to determine the best solution for the interchange, and a Divergent Diamond Interchange was determined to satisfy traffic needs for many years into the future. This interchange design will accommodate the current demands on Ashland Road as well as the planned growth along the corridor. The current scope of the project is to widen Ashland Road to four lanes around the interchange and build a second bridge next to the existing bridge over I-64.  Through this project, residents and businesses in Goochland, Hanover and Henrico counties will benefit from improved traffic flow, including 200 existing businesses in this corridor.  These improvements will also open existing property for new economic development opportunities.

In addition to funding for the Ashland Road project, the approved FY 2024-2029 Six-Year Improvement Plan contains funding for four other transportation projects in Goochland County including I-64 Ashland Road Park & Ride Lot Relocation, Oilville Road I-64 Interchange Improvement, Fairground Road Extension, and Hockett Road Intersection Improvements.

For more information about this, and the County's other Transportation projects, please visit: https://www.goochlandva.us/1243/Transportation-Projects.

Has the Devil Monkey Returned?

 

Support Goochland Community Theatre

Mark your calendars. The next production of the Goochland Community Theatre, Kids Mutiny-That’s so Goochland, starts tomorrow June 23, at 7 p.m. and continues on June 24 at 7 p.m. and 25 at 2 p.m. in the Eagle Theater at the Central High School Educational and Cultural Center at 2748 Dogtown Road, Sandy Hook.

Written and directed by two eleven-year-old GCT actors, who did not want to wait for the next “kid’s” play, Mutiny is a madcap romp about the adventures of kids in a “Goonies” style scavenger hunt around the county sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Along the way, they make new friends and find themselves in some “very Goochland” situations.

An uninvited participant, Goochland’s own Devil Monkey, adds to the mirth and mayhem.

High on the list of nominees for the Virginia state cryptid, creatures purported to be Devil Monkeys have allegedly been spotted in many parts of the Commonwealth.

Goochlandlers have many theories about the Devil Monkey. Descriptions vary. One sighting, reported to GOMM in late 2010, said the creature’s front legs were shorter than its rear legs, had a long furry tail, pointy ears, and was larger than a standard deer. Other sightings report large teeth, red, and sometimes, glowing eyes, and aggressive behavior. Or it could be a one horned goat.

Tickets—$8 for seniors and juniors under 12 and $12 for others—are available at the door, or online at https://gvatheatre.org/calendar/

Created before Covid to bring live productions to the county, Goochland Community Theatre is run by volunteers. The group is regaining momentum lost during the pandemic and plans a full season of varied productions beginning in the fall. Community support is vital for its success.

Go to the Goochland Community Theatre page on Facebook for more information.

 

Goodness in time of need

 

(l to ri) Neil Spoonhower BoS Chair, Earl Taylor, Susan Lascolette, District 1 Supervisor

At its June 6 meeting, Goochland supervisors honored Earl Taylor of Crozier on his retirement from the Department of Fire-Rescue.

Like many young men of his generation, Earl became a fire-rescue volunteer on his 16^th birthday in 1988. As a member of Crozier Company 2, Earl learned to save lives and protect property, as well as teamwork, leadership, and dedication to community service. After becoming certified as a firefighter, he completed training to be an emergency medical technician, serving on EMS crews at Manakin Company 1.

Held in high regard by his fellow volunteers, Earl rose through the ranks at Crozier, serving as lieutenant, captain, and District Chief. He was awarded life membership in the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association in 2003.

Earl earned many advanced certifications including Officer Level III, a National Registered Paramedic, an RSI Medic, a Designated Infection Control Officer, and holds instructorships in CPR, ACLS, and Fire disciplines. He used these skills to provide care and comfort to the sick and injured.

The valuable skills and training Earl obtained as a Goochland Fire-Rescue Volunteer led to a career in public safety. Over the years, Earl worked as a career firefighter in Petersburg and Hanover before joining the Goochland career staff. In his off hours, he continued to donate his time and talents as a local fire-rescue volunteer.

 In 2009, Earl was one of Goochland’s inaugural group of career fire-rescue employees and became the first career supervisor. He was promoted to lieutenant and captain, serving as Station Commander, opening the first county-owned fire-rescue station in Hadensville in 2017.

As a founding member of the Goochland Professional Firefighter’s Association, IAFF Local 4865, Earl used his experience as a volunteer and career member of the organization to foster a positive working relationship in the county’s combination crew concept.

Earl’s extensive certifications are supported by a deep and abiding goodness and devotion to service that underscores his every action. Earl saw many people on the worst day of their lives and went above and beyond to offer compassion and comfort to patients and their families in difficult times. Goochland is blessed to have Earl Taylor in our midst. May the next chapter of his life be filled with love, laughter, and goodness.

 

 

BZZZZZZZ

 

Rhetoric at the June 15 joint workshop between Goochland supervisors and planning commissioners had enough land use buzzwords to do a beekeepers’ convention proud. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss next steps and “a way forward” to amend the comp plan. The planning commission deferred its vote on the latest draft plan in the face of robust citizen opposition. Adjustments to the proposal will be made for “workability, clarity, and or responsiveness,” Deputy County Administrator Krystal Onaitis told the dual boards.

The Centerville small area study started early 2022 to amend the Centerville chapter of the county’s comprehensive land use plan to better align with development pressures and “jump start” economic activity.  

Repeated contentions that the comp plan is just a high-level guide that doesn’t change any zoning fall flat on the ears of those of us who have attended zoning hearings for most of the 21^st century. Land use attorneys regularly exploit minute loopholes in the comp plan, or flat out tell the supervisors to ignore the plan to justify approval of their projects. The comp plan is the foundation for zoning ordinances and related documents. Getting changes to it right is very important.

Decades ago, Goochland adopted the “village plan”, to concentrate development in designated areas, like Centerville and Courthouse. Density would be highest in the center of the core, in Centerville that is defined as the Broad Street Road corridor between Ashland and Manakin Roads, decreasing toward the edges.

The fine print in the latest draft’s land use categories, plops “neighborhood residential”, which allows mixed uses, small scale multiplexes and accessory dwelling units in a two to four unit per acre density, adjacent to farmland at the far northwest corner of the village. This invites the dreaded “sprawl” to ooze over village boundaries, negating the premise of the village concept.

There are aspects in the latest draft plan not seen in earlier versions. Chuck Rapp, a principal with Timmons Group, retained to distil data gathered from more than a year of citizen input into a coherent “vision,” did little to offer “clarity”. Indeed, his vision for Centerville seemed like a description of West Broad Village in Short Pump. (Citizen input could be summed up as “don’t make Centerville Short Pump west.”)

West Broad Village is an attractive mixed-use enclave with apartments over commercial space, townhomes, a hotel, and amenities. It was marketed as a “live, work, play” community that didn’t quite pan out. If you worked there—most of the jobs were retail or food service—you could probably not afford to live there and vice versa. The developer mantra “rooftops bring retail” didn’t come to pass either. Despite many people living within a stone’s throw, most retail space there is empty and was before Covid changed the way we shop.

Walkable West Broad Village empty storefronts and sidewalks

New definitions appeared in the current draft plan, most curiously, “boutique hotel” to “clarify” the addition of “lodging” in the Centerville Village core. Rapp contended that boutique hotels are compatible with smaller scale, no more than three story, development.

According to internet oracles, a boutique hotel is a small, stylish hotel, with fewer than 100 rooms, typically located in a fashionable city center or trendy shopping area. They often reflect the local culture and highlight cuisine of their neighborhoods.

Who knew that Centerville is fashionable? Will guests at a “boutique hotel,” that could sprout on the property behind Satterwhite’s, browse at Dollar General? Will Mammoth Burgers be an in-house dining option to reflect local culture? Why site a hotel where Broad Street Road narrows to two lanes instead of further east where the road is wider and able to handle more traffic?

The term “boutique” conjures up charming older structures repurposed for lodging use. In Centerville, it means expensive new construction. The three-story height limit would require a large footprint, increasing construction cost and, in turn, room rental rates.

Who would stay at this hotel? It could be perfect for event guests at Dover Hall, or Deep Run who now use Short Pump hotels. Would there be enough paying guests on a regular basis to exceed an occupancy break-even threshold?

It’s not government’s job to pick winners and losers, but rather to create an environment where businesses thrive and deliver a robust return on investment. On the other hand, if a business fails, the investors declare bankruptcy and move along, leaving the county with its derelict remnants. The realtor mantra of “location, location, location” is apt here.

The county already has a B-3 zoning category to encourage location of hotels near the I64 and Rt, 288 interchanges. Indeed, land between the Audi store and 288 has been zoned for a hotel. If market forces to build hotels are so strong, that hotel should be under construction. It’s not.

The draft plan also removes the transition zone created by Sycamore Creek golf course between the homes around the course and the parcel behind Satterwhite’s, which was zoned for a shopping center about 15 years ago. The golf course was never intended to be a forever thing, but the lack of clarity for its use going forward is troubling.

As presented by Rapp, the draft plan has thick red Sharpy lines around the homes in Sycamore Creek and Bellview Gardens as “transition zones” between neighborhoods and commercial uses to be defined in some sort of appendix as part of “next steps”.

Onaitis said that roads shown in the draft are “conceptual” only and will be evaluated as land develops. Both sides of Broad Street Road in the core now have the same designation.

Citizen concerns about residential density and requests for even a thumbnail guestimate estimate of the population increase that build out might add to Centerville were ignored.  Rapp said that the cost of infrastructure to support new residents would be offset by cash proffers. “We’ll look at it later and figure it out,” was the answer to other questions about the draft.

The good news is that much of the land in the Centerville Village needs to be rezoned for any sort of commercial or residential use. Finding a workable balance between residential and commercial growth to enhance the village area is a challenge.

The draft will be further tweaked and go back to the planning commission for another public hearing, probably sometime in July, before continuing to the Board of Supervisors for a final vote after a public hearing, perhaps as early as August.

 

 

 

Shrinking the digital divide

 

Image Goochland County

Goochland’s digital divide—the difference between those with broadband access and those without—is getting smaller, but not nearly fast enough for those waiting to connect.

Until the regional internet service expansion project (RISE) came along just before Covid, it seemed like western Goochland would never have broadband access. RISE, an initiative of the Central Virginia Electric Coop (go to fireflyva.com for details) created a collaboration of counties and electric power providers to expand broadband. Firefly broadband is internet service provider.

Goochland Community Affairs Manager Paul Drumwright shared progress on the matter with the supervisors at their June 6 meeting.

Each electric utility participant in the RISE project, CVEC, Rappahannock Electric Coop, and Dominion Energy, must complete its piece of the infrastructure puzzle that includes design of the cable route, engineering, and securing easements before construction begins.

Deploying fiber optic cable to connect unserved parts of the county is complicated. Dominion, for instance, is supplying “middle mile” cable in its service area, which Firefly will lease and build “laterals” that connect to homes and businesses.

It is anticipated that people in the RISE project area will have service by sometimes in 2025. Drumwright reiterated the importance of registering with https://register.fireflyva.com/ to ensure inclusion in the project. A virtual town hall will be held on June 22 at 4 p.m. at https://www.fireflyva.com/town-halls/  for the Mt. Hope REC area. It is unclear how those without broadband may participate.

Goochland and 12 other localities are part of the RISE initiative. Funding for the project comes from a patchwork of sources, including grants, and money from Goochland County.

Go to https://www.fireflyva.com/partners-goochland/ for maps and approximate timelines.

The good news is that people who have connected—more are added every week—to Firefly are very pleased with the service. May the cyber gods smile on this project and speed the path for construction and connection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

June stuff

 

June is dairy month.

The Goochland Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the small area plan for Courthouse Village at a special meeting on June 12. The only change to the draft plan was removing the “road diet” recommendation for a portion of River Road West as the top priority and replacing it with more inclusive language about improvement of streetscapes and walkability there. Staff justification for the road diet was to better compete for funding. As Goochland will have new representation in the General Assembly next year, it might be a good time for the county to encourage VDOT reform at the state level.

The only “new” main road in the plan was the connection of Fairground Road to Rt. 6 near the high school. Following a public hearing at its June 6 meeting, the Board voted unanimously to amend the FY2023 budget and appropriate $1,483,148 in the Capital Improvement Fund to build the road. Completion is not expected before 2025.

June is Virginia Dairy Month. Go to https://articles.vafb.com/news-and-features/categories/virginia-dairy-farmers-launch-new-website-during-national-dairy-month to learn more about where milk comes from.

Upcoming events

County offices will be closed on Monday June 19^th in observance of Juneteenth.

Fireworks will be held on Tuesday, July 4 behind the sports complex in Courthouse Village beginning at 9 p.m. Rain date July 5. Arrive early and pack your patience, the show it worth it!

The supervisors will meet on July 3.

Consent Agenda

The following items were unanimously approved:

·       A public hearing was set for July 3 to consider an ordinance to relocate voting precinct 301 from the Goochland Animal Shelter to the Sports Complex. County Administrator Vic Carpenter reported that last November’s election showed that the parking lot and interior areas at the

·       Animal Shelter did not provide enough capacity for efficient voting there. The Sports Complex, which has served as a polling place in the past, works well for this use. Although the Goochland Sports Complex is not within Precinct 301 (Beaverdam), it is located within one mile of the precinct boundary, which complies with the state law requirements in Virginia Code § 24.2-310. County offices will be closed on Election Day, to minimize parking issues at the complex.

 

 

·       To increase the salary for the next Board of Supervisors, to take effect on January 1, 2024, as follows: chairman from $19,000 to $21,000; Vice Chair from $17,000 to $19,000 and members from $15,000 to $17,000. State law requires that a vote to increase supervisor compensation be taken and recorded prior to July 1 of the year before it takes effect. Our supervisors work hard on the behalf of citizens, especially those like Board Chair Neil Spoonhower and John Lumpkins, Jr. who represent the county on regional transportation boards to ensure that Goochland has a seat at the table and gets a piece of the funding pie.

 

·       Granting of a non-interest loan of $1,500,000 to the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association., Inc, for renovations at Courthouse Company 5. The duration of the loan, which will pay for only a portion of renovations to the station, is 20 years. The first payment of $75k is due by July 1, 2024.

 

·       A resolution to amend the FY23 (which ends June 30) Goochland County budget and appropriate $517,555 to the FY2023 Goochland County Public Schools (GCPS) operating and cafeteria fund budgets and authorize fund transfers exceeding $10,000. The money will be used for welding equipment, landscaping needs, vehicle repairs, and inflation costs. This request requires no additional local transfer.

 

Communications strategic plan

Jessica Kronberg, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Engagement presented a draft communications strategic plan. To peruse the entire 93-page document, go to https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/9624/Communications-Plan-Draft?bidId=

The plan is the result of the community engagement survey conducted in past months. Most of the respondents indicated that they want to receive information about the county via email.

Thanks to all who named GOMM as their trusted source for county information. Survey responses are fascinating and show a wide range of interests and concerns among Goochlanders.

Getting complete information out to people promptly is important. The county has several ways for residents to get notification about things like festivals, community meetings, land use change applications and so forth. Social media seems to be the fastest way to get the word out about roads closed by wrecks, etc.

Many people access the county website but said that some things were difficult to find or had outdated or incomplete information. Let’s add a “dump” is open/closed icon on the homepage.

Respondents want more complete information about Broadband expansion, those without are understandably frustrated with the long wait for connection.

Kronberg stated four goals of the plan: optimize useability of the county website; increase awareness of county projects and actions; make sure county staff is engaged and well informed; and stay informed of communication trends and build relationships with area media.

Each of these goals has several worthwhile objectives and targets. The Communications plan and the tourism strategic plan will work in concert to increase awareness of Goochland among residents and the region. Informed and engaged citizens are vital to the success of government.

To get the Goochland app Go to:

 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.goochlandva.cpmobile

Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/goochland-county/id1670702106

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn about the world around us

 

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALIST?

 

Are you interested in volunteering to help in the conservation and management of natural resources and public lands? Virginia Master Naturalists, http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org, are volunteer educators, citizen scientists, and stewards. 

 

James River Chapter works on projects at Powhatan State Park, the James River, and other wildlife hotspots in Powhatan, Goochland, and Louisa Counties. To find out more, visit our James River Master Naturalists website. 

 

Please email us at  jamesrivermn@gmail.com to express your interest in becoming a member.  Registration for our Fall 2023 Basic Training Course begins June 1 and ends July 31, 2023. We will teach you the basics of being a naturalist.

●       Classes begin September 12^th and end December 2nd, 2023.

●       Instruction will be a combination of online study, in-person classes on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9:00PM in Goochland, and field trips on selected Saturdays.

●       Trainees complete 40 hours of training, of which at least 10 hours is field work.

●       Access to an email address and the internet is highly recommended for all trainees to participate in online training, receive program communications, and report volunteer hours. If you are unable to access the internet, please contact our Chapter Advisor at the number below to request accommodation.

●       Program is targeted toward adults, 18 or older. Youth, age 14-17, may apply along with a participating adult.

●       Class size is limited by the size of the training venues.

●       The course fee will be $100. Scholarships are available: contact jamesrivermn@gmail.com.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Amber Gaddis at amber.gaddis@dcr.virginia.gov or at Powhatan State Park at 804-598-7148*, during business hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.         

 

Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law.

The rest of the story

 

The previous post is a rant about a proposed road change, but mostly about past transgressions.

Goochland County does not build or maintain its roads, VDOT does. The county does not buy or own land to build roads. The county is part of several regional boards that collaborate on transportation issues. Until recently, transportation issues were handled on a piecemeal basis, driven by rezoning and economic development.

Transportation/Environmental Manager Austin Goyne focuses on navigating the complicated maze of state agencies, funding sources and their cycles to sync with county road priorities and take advantage of any opportunities.

At a transportation workshop before the supervisors’ June 6 meeting, Goyne, maneuvering through an alphabet soup of transportation-related agencies and funding sources, brought the board up to speed on projects underway, and on the drawing board. District 4 Supervisor Charlie Vaughters, who was hospitalized, was the only supervisor absent.

These meetings began last year. Go to https://goochlandva.new.swagit.com/videos/233199 to watch the video to get a good idea of how complicated the process of building and improving local roads is.)

Goyne opened with the very good news that construction of the roundabout at Sandy Hook and Fairground Roads is expected to be finished by July Fourth. Completion of the project, initially expected around October, was greatly reduced thanks to positive conversations and collaboration between VDOT project managers and county staff. Kudos to all involved.

This was, according to Goyne, one of the larger construction projects the county has ever undertaken. Staff worked hard to whittle down the construction period and put back-up plans in place, just in case. The county will announce reopening of all roads involved and share instructions for navigating a roundabout. Detour signs will be removed when the roundabout is fully operational. (Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1248/Fairground-RdRoute-522-Roundabout for details.)

The next very good news is that full funding of about $76 million was awarded to build the second bridge and diverging diamond interchange over I-64 at Ashland Road. Goochland secured the funding through the state’s “Smart Scale” program. Support from officials at the state level was instrumental in this success. Preliminary engineering has begun. Completion could take up to seven years. In the meantime, a signal at the east bound I64 ramp will be installed to help ease gridlock.

Improvements to this interchange will support and encourage economic development in the Ashland Road corridor, which has long been designated for industrial development.

The first phase of the east end trail system is still in process. Goyne reported that it is being redesigned after discussions with impacted stakeholders to better align with goals of the comprehensive land use plan and secure funding. Deputy County Administrator Krystal Onaitis was optimistic that additional conversations on the matter scheduled in the next few months will be very productive.

Because Goochland is dependent on outside funding sources and regional initiatives to build roads, prioritizing transportation needs is vital to get things done. Goyne said that staff has crafted a methodology to rank Goochland’s transportation needs. The priority list, shared on a spreadsheet, is fluid to accommodate rezoning projects and economic development opportunities as they arise. Smaller projects, including sidewalks in village areas, could qualify for funding from other sources.

Changes to the comprehensive land use plan resulting from the small area plan studies for both Centerville and Courthouse Village, could rearrange road priorities.

Designated growth areas get the highest priority, leaving other needs, like replacing a failing bridge on Whitehall Road incapable of supporting fire engines, increasing emergency response times, are lower on the list.

The upcoming study of the southern prime economic development area (SPEDA)—about a thousand acres on the east side of Hockett Road roughly south of Snead Road to Rt. 6—is also expected to have an impact on transportation priorities in the West Creek/Hockett Road part of the east end.

Improvements to Rt. 288, including use of shoulders to ease southbound congestion, have high regional importance.

At long last, Goochland has a transportation strategy, and staff dedicated to keeping an eye on all moving parts of the transportation puzzle.  This bodes well for the future.

 

 

 

 

 

Oops Redux

 

VDOT giveth and VDOT taketh away pretty much sums up the proposal to remove the traffic signal at the corner of Hockett Road and 250 in Centerville, install a median, and permit only right turns from St. Matthew’s Lane and Hockett. The light was installed after years of begging VDOT to end the game of chicken played when navigating that intersection.

This was brought to the attention of the supervisors during the evening citizen comment period of their June 6 meeting. Several residents of the Hockett Road corridor, apparently perusing the new transportation tab on the county website here objected to removal of the signal. They contended that, at the very least, a community meeting should be held to discuss removal of the traffic signal before any action is taken.

Traffic moving in all directions at 250 and Hockett Road

This is part of the realignment project connecting Hockett and Ashland Roads by bisecting the field on the south side of 250 culminating in a roundabout near Holly Lane. Hocket between the roundabout and 250 would be for local traffic only.

At first blush, removing the traffic light doesn’t seem so bad. According to VDOT data, most of the turning action there is east. This allegedly would go away when the connector road is compete.

However, residents of the Hockett Road corridor often cross 250 to access the Broad View Shopping Center and to go St. Matthew’s Church to worship and vote. Right now, there are only a few businesses north of 250. As Centerville attracts more commercial enterprises, this will change. People tend to follow the path of least resistance, so after turning right, they could well head to Short Pump and do their shopping there. Since the alleged purpose of draft revisions for Centerville land use is to encourage area residents to shop locally, this seems counterintuitive.

Under the proposed plan, if you live off of Hockett Road and want to go to Food Lion, you would either take the connector road near Holly Lane to 250 and turn left to get to Food Lion. For the return trip, you would either take Plaza Drive to Ashland Road and head south or go to the other end of Plaza Drive and make the strange left turn near Company 3.

Dysfunction in Centerville traffic patterns is nothing new.

When 250 was four laned through the village core about 12 years ago, the project was fraught with “issues”.  A much touted but never explained “medium strip”—not a clairvoyant ecdysiast, but a low concrete barrier—served only to cut off the south side of 250 from the north and make left turns around it a delicate and dangerous, if not impossible, maneuver.

Who could forget the dysfunctional southbound turn lane from 250 west to Manakin Road? Large trucks stuck in a too tight curve, were an almost daily occurrence. After many complaints, a VDOT official admitted that engineers—perhaps in the VDOT bunker—used the wrong curve template when designing the intersection. The turn lane was eventually fixed, using funds that could have been better spent on other projects.

Land use for the Centerville Village has many puzzle pieces. Roads are a big one. Seems like the more options motorists have, the fewer traffic choke points there will be. Traffic engineers want to keep vehicles moving, they don’t necessarily seem to care where they are coming from or going to.

The signalized intersection at Hockett and 250 seems to be working well. As more homes are added to the Hockett corridor—65 have been rezoned, another 50 or so are in the works—the easier it is to cross 250, the more business will be generated in Centerville Village.

The Occam’s Razor principle, the simplest solution is the best seems to apply here. This isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

As a practical matter, it will be several years before realignment project is finished. Hopefully, a more detailed look at actual traffic patterns will change the plan.

Stay tuned.

Grab bag

  

Memorial Day

Undaunted by rain, like those who fight to preserve our freedoms, Goochland American Legion Post 215 held its annual Memorial Day Observance on the Courthouse Green. Memorial Day is set aside to honor those who died in service to our country. It is a solemn day to remember those who will be forever young men and lie at rest in cemeteries around the world. This is a long line of heroes that stretches from Bunker Hill to the unknown conflicts of tomorrow.

Though keynote speaker John Lumpkins, Jr., District 3 Supervisors, never wore the uniform, his father did, and he learned first hand to honor and respect the military. His brief remarks remind us of the sacrifices made to keep us free.  Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX91cDUENgQ to watch excerpts. Thanks to the Goochland Republican Committee for making this available to those of us reluctant to brave the elements.

The Roundabout

Thanks to collaboration between VDOT and the county transportation staff, the roundabout at Sandy Hook and Fairground Road is expected to be open and operational by July 4^th. This is more than two months ahead of original schedule.

 

(Goochland County photo)

Small area plans

The board of supervisors will hold a public hearing on June 12 before taking a vote to incorporate the proposed Courthouse Village small area plan into the county’s comprehensive land use plan. The planning commission approved the proposal in May.

On June 15, the supervisors and planning commissioners will hold a joint workshop, beginning at 6 p.m. to discuss the draft small area plan for Centerville. In response to robust opposition to this proposal, the planning commission deferred a vote on the matter. As presented, the draft plan recommends allowing hotels on Manakin Road and residential density much higher than previous plans. It includes other inconsistencies whose origins are counter to citizen feedback gathered for more than a year.  Opponents contend that if enacted, the draft plan will roll Short Pump up the hill to Centerville. This is still a work in progress.

Superintendent Search

Goochland’s School Board met with Dr. Kevin Castner and Dr. E. Wayne Harris, of BWP & Associates, the consultants retained to conduct the search for the next superintendent, on May 11.  Kastner and Harris presented a profile of the ideal candidate they crafted with input from students, teachers, the school board, parents, and the community.

Castner and Harris will use the profile to select candidates that will be interviewed by the school board. The new superintendent is expected to be in place before the start of the next school year in August.

Go to https://goochlandschools.new.swagit.com/videos/230420 to listen to the meeting with BWP.