One more time

 

How will Centerville grow?

 

On August 7, Goochland Supervisors deferred a decision on the proposed Centerville Village small area plan amendment to the county’s comprehensive land use plan to a special meeting to be held before December 22, 2023. Robust opposition led to the deferral to give staff time to gather detailed feedback on the latest iteration of the plan.

Despite speculation about the real reasons for the deferral—do not look this gift horse in the mouth—it acknowledges the importance of crafting a plan supported by and sensitive to the needs of all stakeholders including residents, businesses, landowners, and developers.

Citizens have until September 15 to comment. The submission form to address  concerns about specific parts of the plan is available at https://www.goochlandva.us/FormCenter/Community-Development-14/Centerville-Small-Area-Plan-Proposed-Ame-95

The supervisors will hold a work session on October 24 at 9 a.m. on the plan. There will be no citizen comment at this meeting. Hopefully, this will include a revision of the May proposal that addresses major concerns expressed about the plan.

General in nature, the Goochland 2035 Comprehensive Land Use plan is the basis for zoning ordinances—local laws—that govern development.

Since the small area plan study for Centerville began 18 months ago, Goochlanders have been clear that they do not want Short Pump to spill over the county line. Yet proposals submitted by both consultants retained to collect citizen input and use it to craft a plan, returned proposals with urban style density.

Aside from the fact that this sort of density is not rural in character, explosive residential growth could easily overwhelm the county’s ability to provide core services.

May the third time be the charm to create a growth vision for Centerville that can absorb reasonable development.

Please take some time over the long weekend to review this material.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hard choices

 

There’s been a whole lot of hollerin’ of late about adherence to the county’s comprehensive land use plan, tax bills, and changing the rural nature of Goochland. The cacophony grew louder during the Board of Supervisors’ public hearings on August 1 when rezoning for two economic development projects were considered. Interstate interchanges are a valuable resource to bring business to the county. They should be developed. 

 August 1 public hearings’ results.

A rezoning application filed for approximately 16 acres on Rockford Road was deferred until September 5.

An amendment to a conditional use permit (CUP) submitted by Benedictine Society of Virginia and The Benedictine Schools of Richmond, Inc. to revise its master plan and increase buffer acreage on its River Road campus was approved. This will enable to school to expand and create fields for St. Gertrude students at the school rather than require female students to travel to off site facilities 23 miles distant. All land affected by the CUP, some of which is the head master’s residence and taxed as such, is owned by the applicant.

A CUP application for an electronic message board sign at Tommy’s Express car wash on Broad Street Road next to Wawa was approved.

The board approved a CUP application filed by Amy Norris for “Lindens Home, a New Divine Healthcare” adult day care center, which will occupy the entire lower level of the shopping center at 2913 (where Bella Sicilia is located).

Norris, who has degrees in healthcare management and administration, explained that the enterprise will be licensed by the state and employ six people. It will provide a daily respite opportunity for caregivers of older adults.  Her mission is to nurture and “engage in the tree of life one senior citizen at a time”. This will not be a total care program. Lindens Home will provide meals, supervision of social activities, and other services depending on the need of an individual.  

This will be the first adult day care in the county and a small business owned and operated by a Goochland resident.

A rezoning application filed by I-64 Industrial, LLC to change 39.8 aces from A-2 agricultural to M-2, Industrial General, with proffered conditions for an industrial park on Pony Farm Road approximately 650 feet from its intersection with Oilville Road was approved.

Economic development in Goochland has been hampered by the lack of smaller lot industrial spaces for new businesses or existing ones that need to expand. According to the Economic Development Department, the county recently lost out on five new business opportunities due to this deficiency. 

This application was complicated by the fact that half of the subject parcel is in Hanover County and going through a rezoning process there. The Hanover planning commission deferred its decision, perhaps waiting for a decision from Goochland.  The applicant put forth two versions of the proposed industrial park, one entirely in Goochland, the other including the Hanover portion. Of 14 proposed lots, nine are in Goochland, five in Hanover.

Proffers include construction and maintenance of a 30k gallon water storage tank for fire suppression, which could be used elsewhere in emergencies. Lots are approximately three acres. An access easement to an adjacent A-2 property has been negotiated should the owner of that parcel decide to change its use, avoiding another access point from Pony Farm Road. There will be buffers along Pony Farm Road, and a business owners’ association to ensure that the park is well- maintained. A right turn lane from Pony Farm Road is part of the plan. “Noxious” by right M-2 uses were proffered out including asphalt mixing facility; retail, which could include fast food restaurants; junk storage; petroleum depot; and truck terminal. Buildings will not be higher than 35 feet.

The site is adjacent to the Oilville Business Park, which was rezoned in 1988. The owner of a business located there spoke in favor of the rezoning. He wants to expand but

given the lack of small lot industrial sites in the county, would have to leave Goochland to grow his company.

Land on the opposite side of Pony Farm Road has been zoned M-1 since zoning began more than 50 years ago and can be built out without any proffers to mitigate impact on the surrounding area, including turn lanes, by right uses, and buffers. Parcels closer to I64 along Oilville Road are currently zoned for business use.

The comprehensive plan encourages commercial and industrial development near the county’s interstate interchanges.

Most of the traffic to the park is expected to come from I-64 whose westbound off ramp to Oilville Road is a mess during evening rush, often backing up onto the interstate. The county expects to have funding for the roundabout planned for that interchange in place soon. (Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1255/10781/Oilville-RdI-64-Westbound-Ramp-Roundabou for details.)

A citizen who lives nearby raised concerns about the failure to require a left-hand turn lane from Oilville Road to Pony Farm Road and pointed out that the Oilville exit is the main access to I64 for all the new homes being built in Courthouse Village. Others questioned the results of the VDOT traffic analysis, which indicated that the proposed project would have minimal traffic impact in the area. The applicant said that the traffic analysis used twice as many trucks as are anticipated to access the site in computations.

 

Rezoning by Crescent Acquisitions for a 28.94-acre portion of a 44.2-acre parcel on the west side of Ashland Road from A-2 to M-2 for a speculative warehouse office facility was approved.

The Ashland Road corridor has been designated in the comp plan as flexible, which includes industrial uses. Three quarries and a landfill have been there for decades. The Lanier Industrial Park, just south of the proposed project, is home to several industrial businesses. The Project Rocky middle mile ecommerce project, is to the south.

The Crescent project will build two warehouse type structures totaling 335,320 square feet with loading docks and parking for trucks and employee vehicles. Due to the speculative nature of the project, end users have not bene identified. Left turns by trucks longer than 40 feet will be prohibited. This type of development is consistent with the county economic development strategic plan.

Several residents of Parkside Village, a 55+ residential enclave near the intersection of Pouncey Tract and Ashland Road vehemently opposed the project contending that increased traffic will impede timely EMS response to their neighborhood.

(Parkside Village is a cautionary tale for land use going forward. The developer persuaded the supervisors to ignore the comp plan, which had designated that area for commercial and industrial use for decades, to approve the subdivision.

When first rezoned, Parkside Village included some light industrial uses and a connector road between Ashland and Pouncey Tract Roads. People bought homes there, apparently after doing little due diligence about what was nearby—an active rock quarry—and screamed when they found out about the quarry and the connector road. Since then, the industrial uses have been removed and the through road redesigned, but it still attracts truck traffic inappropriate for a residential neighborhood.)

Traffic on Ashland Road, already severely congested at certain times of the day by large and heavy trucks working with industrial entities in the corridor, will grow as more businesses develop there.

D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr., Goochland Chief of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services went on the record with the supervisors about his concern that the amount of traffic in the Ashland Road corridor is “very problematic”.

Ferguson said that his agency “serves residents all the way to the county line”. He explained that mutual aid—asking for help from another county—is not automatic. “Goochland Fire-Rescue is fully committed to serving he residents of Parkside Village. Emergencies don’t know county lines.  Fires burn the same and people will get sick and have cardiac arrest. We will always contact and call for the closest help and not let county lines stand in the way.”

Protocols are in place with Goochland and its neighbors governing mutual aid, the Chief said. Goochland provides mutual aid to neighboring jurisdictions in many instances. “We don’t let county lines stand in the way of how we handle emergencies.”

Board Char Neil Spoonhower, District 2, gave a wider perspective on the traffic issue and project. Ashland Road has needed improvements for years. Until the approval of Project Rocky last summer, there was little chance of Goochland being able to secure funding for a second bridge over I-64 with a diverging diamond configuration to mitigate traffic issues.

Now, improving transportation in the Ashland Road corridor has gained regional importance and full funding. “This is an important intersection not just for Goochland but for Virginia as a whole for its proximity to the ports and ability to move goods and make us a state that is viable and able to compete with the Carolinas of the world,” said Spoonhower.

The Crescent project will add about $60 million to the county tax base, increase economic development, and speed the demise of the Tuckahoe Service District ad valorem tax.

District 4 Supervisor Charlie Vaughters said there are trade offs in land use. Fostering good relationships with the business community bolsters the county’s bottom line that enables Goochland to keep tax rates low and provide core services. He also decried the difficulty in getting VDOT to prohibit truck traffic in Parkside Village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attention to detail

 

Goochland County retains its AAA credit rating from bond rating agency Fitch, which recently downgraded that of the U S Government. Our county is the smallest by population in the country with three AAA ratings. This did not happen by accident.

On August 1, the county’s audit committee met. Its agenda included the kick-off for the Annual Certified Financial Report (ACFR), a preliminary report on year end results for FY23, and an update on Tuckahoe Creek Service District (TCSD) debt.

The purpose of this committee, said Chair Ken Peterson, District 5 Supervisor, is to assist the Board of Supervisors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities for financial reporting, internal control systems, and the audit process.

Annual Certified Financial Report

Betsy Hedrick and Andrea Nichols of PBMares (pbmares.com), the county’s outside auditors, were introduced.  They briefly explained their firm’s audit process.

 “We don’t take a cookie cutter approach. We tailor everything to your specific facts and circumstances and not only as the entity, but from year to year…. We begin our process with a brainstorming session to obtain an understanding of the processes, look at main transaction cycles and ensure that the controls that should be in place actually are in place.”

PBMares is always devising new approaches to annual audits, including ways to apply data analytics. Nichols touched briefly on items that will be added to the Annual Certified Financial Report (ACFR) this year, including an entry on the balance sheet for capitalized unfunded pension liability, and capitalized leases.

Looking ahead, Hedrick said that the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is expected to issue a new standard on the financial reporting model that will include revised definitions. The goal of the changes is to make financial statements more transparent and easier to understand.

PBMares is reaching the end of its multi-year contract with Goochland. The county is expected to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to select its next auditing firm in coming months.

The ACFR will be presented to the board for approval in December and be posted on the county website as are those for previous years.

Preliminary FY23 results

Director of Financial Services Carla Cave presented the preliminary report on results for FY23, which ended on June 30. Final numbers will be available at the end of August. (See August 1 board packet for details.) So far, projected revenues exceed the budget, even after approximately $3 million was used to fund a significant reduction in the personal property tax rate on vehicles, by about $10 million. As in past years, the surplus will be applied to items not funded in the FY23 budget, chiefly the capital improvement plan (CIP).

In 2018, the county compiled a 25-year CIP for all major projects, other than utilities, which included ballpark cost estimates, and a timeline for completion. During the annual budget process, CIP items scheduled for that year are revisited, as is a five year “look ahead” to keep breast of actual conditions. CIP projects are prioritized on a county wide basis to identify revenue sources well in advance of their need. In recent cycles, the CIP has been generous to school projects, especially the new Goochland Elementary School, currently under construction. Future CIP projects include new fire-rescue stations and a circuit courthouse.

Cave said that the county is in compliance with its financial management policy guidelines that apply to debt and assigned market balances. This policy, first adopted in 2018, includes thresholds for debt and creation and use of a revenue stabilization reserve—rainy day fund—"to insulate itself from fiscal crisis and economic disruption.”

Conditions that might trigger use of revenue stabilization reserves were discussed. In 2020 when the impact of the pandemic on county revenue was unknown, the supervisors pared the proposed budget anticipating a significant shortfall rather than dip into reserves. As things turned out, revenues were stronger than anticipated and expenditures were revised upward several times during that budget year. The reserve, was not touched.

Cave suggested further adjustments to the policy, which the audit committee will review in coming months and make recommendations to the supervisors about possible changes.

 (Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/4422/Goochland-Financial-Management-Policies-Effective-May-1-2018 for the entire document)

 

TCSD update

While a sitting board of supervisors cannot compel a future board to do anything, it can leave a mess to be cleaned up. The TCSD is a prime example.

Peterson said that the TCSD debt, issued in 2002, includes some zero-coupon bonds, issued at five percent or more, which cannot be paid off early. (Think taking out a 30-year home mortgage and being forced to make every payment even if you have the money to pay it off early.) There are four more payments on these bonds, the next being due in October. In the next six years, all the higher rate bonds will be paid off. Those remaining are 2.5 percent or less, thanks to careful refinancing over the past few years, and can be paid off early at par if the district generates more revenue than expenses.

“The idea would be to do it (pay off the debt) as soon as feasible, which will do two things. One, eliminate the ad valorem tax that everybody hates, and two, release the county from the restrictions imposed by the debt. In the next six years, we’ll get rid of all five percent interest bonds.”

As the health of the TCSD improves, surplus revenues could pay down remaining debt early and eliminate the dreaded ad valorem tax. (Full disclosure, GOMM world headquarters moved to the TCSD a few years ago and pays the tax.)

 

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They listened

In a very brief special called meeting on August 7, the Goochland Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to grant a deferral requested by the county, the “applicant,” on consideration of the Centerville small area plan (CVSAP) revisions to the county’s 2035 comprehensive land use plan.

 The latest version of the proposed plan, presented to the community as a fait accompli in May with no citizen input, generated robust negative pushback from many neighborhoods in the Centerville Village. To their credit, these citizens offered constructive criticism and thoughtful suggestions to improve the plan, which until now, were pretty much ignored.

Board Vice Chair Charlie Vaughters, District 4 said “We want to stress to the citizens of Goochland that we have thought long and hard about this plan and all of the comments related to it. And we have decided to give a period for public amendment requests and then additionally a period for review by staff and the board. So, while initially we thought that would be January, it appears it’s going to be around December because we have legal limits to how long we can defer.”

He then moved that the board defer consideration of the plan to a special meeting to be held not later than December 22, 2023, with a specific date to be determined by availability.

This is a very positive step that, hopefully, will provide a mechanism for appropriate growth in the Centerville Village that does not overwhelm the county’s ability to provide core services.

All development in Centerville will be funded by the private sector, therefore, support from landowners and developers is also critical to its success. Finding the sweet spot of acceptance for both citizens and the development community is a delicate task that staff and the supervisors can achieve.

Stay tuned for next steps!

 

 

 

Keeping everyone honest

 

Goochland supervisors faced a full agenda on August 1 after starting at 7 pm. to allow the board to attend National Night Out.

The board considered adding an ordinance to the section on taxation in the county code.

County Attorney Tara McGee explained that she has been working with offices of the Assessor and Commissioner of the Revenue for the past two years to understand the source of tax exemptions for real and personal property in Goochland. She said that non-profit organizations classified by the IRS as “501 (c) (3)” are exempt from income tax, but not automatically from other taxes levied at the state and local level.

Only certain entities can be exempt from real and personal property taxes in Virginia, McGee said. The Constitution of the Commonwealth exempts churches, schools, and non-profit cemeteries as tax exempt. Over the years, the General Assembly, she said, identified other categories that it believes come under the “religious, charitable, and beneficial” umbrella and granted a thousand individual tax exemption designations. These include Goochland Cares and the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association, which owns five county fire-rescue stations.

The other caveat for the exemption under Virgina law is that the property must be actively and exclusively in use for the stated non-profit purpose. The goal of the ordinance is to ensure that all real property and vehicles owned by non-profit entities is used to fulfill the mission of the organization and not generate otherwise taxable revenue.

The proposed ordinance requires entities eligible under state law for tax exemptions for real and personal property to file an application including documents and information to support those tax exemptions. Application renewals would be filed every three years. The first filing deadline, should the ordinance be approved, will be December 31, 2023.

The process would be similar to establishing eligibility for land use taxation or the elderly and disabled tax exemption. The ordinance will demonstrate to the taxpayers that exempt entities are entitled to their relief and that local government is being good stewards of public funds, McGee said.

The proposed ordinance applies only to non-profits who own real estate or garage vehicles in Goochland County. Non-compliance could result in loss of tax-exempt status. Both the assessor and Commissioner of the Revenue will work with entities covered by the ordinance to help with compliance

The Goochland Assessor, said McGee, has accounts for 74 non-profit entities with real estate valued at $248 million that has not been taxed. The Commissioner of the Revenue has accounts for 45 tax exempt entities, some of which may be on the assessor’s list, which have vehicles valued at $912k that have been carried as tax exempt.

Following a meeting held earlier this year on the matter, the compliance application has been whittled down from eight pages to two.

During the public hearing, however, a representative of Dover Baptist Church objected to the requirement that by-laws be submitted as part of the compliance process because by-laws of religious organizations could include a statement of faith that could give local government the power to deny tax exempt status to a church if the views of the government are in conflict with that of the religious organization.

“The framers of our constitution were acutely aware how governments in Europe had sought to control and manipulate religious practices in churches. They resolved that America be different. Bureaucratic efforts to subject religious beliefs to verification have no place in a free country,” the Dover representative said.

McGee said that if by-laws are not publicly published, a church could instead make a certifying statement to comply with the ordinance.  

The supervisors wanted to see the form used to certify exemptions and asked McGee to include a simple appeal process in the ordinance should an entity be refused tax exempt status. They voted to defer a decision on the matter until their September 5 meeting, at which time another public hearing will be held on the revised ordinance.

 

 

Augsst in the board room

 

At their August 1 meeting, Goochland supervisors changed their meeting schedule to hold afternoon sessions for the rest of 2023 only if needed, and then to begin perhaps later that the 2 p.m. starting time that has been its custom. Given that the past few afternoon sessions lasted less than an hour, creating a three-hour gap before the evening meeting, this seems like a sensible use of staff time.

Fire-Rescue Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. usually updates the supervisors on the activities of his department on a bi-monthly basis. His August report is available beginning on page 45 in the August BoS packet here. It includes details about the wide range of responses that this all-hazard agency—including state of the art pre-hospital emergency care (GFR was recently recognized for excellence in this area), HAZ-mat response, water rescue, and everything in between—deals with on a routine basis.

New fire-rescue recruits

Ferguson and Human Resources Director Shaletha Dyson introduced newly hired fire-rescue employees, including eight fire-rescue recruits on their way to academy training, and Lisa Brown, who will fill the role of Recruitment and Retention Coordinator to focus on recruitment and retention of fire-rescue volunteers. This function is funded by a FEMA grant. 

Perhaps the best news of the afternoon came in the report from Director of Financial Services Carla Cave about the preliminary results for FY23, which ended on June 30. While final numbers will not be available until the end of the 60-day accrual period, Cave said that the county’s financial position is far better than she predicted in the last report at the end of May.

“Right now, we are thinking that we will come in $12 million over the revenue budget.” She attributed this to an excess of real estate and personal property taxes this year. Before adopting the tax rates for calendar year 2023, whose first payment was due on June 5, the supervisors reduced the personal property tax on vehicles to $2.99 per $100 of valuation from the previous $3.75. This “cost” of this tax relief was about $3 million.

Cave reported that the tax collection rate was higher than anticipated and higher interest rates had a positive impact on the bottom line. Her preliminary estimate for operating return is $17 million. After a $7 million deduction from that amount for capital projects and CSA cases, $9 million will be available for return to general fund balance.

Go to page 99 in the board packet for details. Cave said that the allocation of funds follows practices of previous years, putting funds toward significant capital improvement projects in the near future.

Ken Peterson, District 5 and Chair of the county audit committee, pointed out that the report documents Goochland’s excellent financial condition and designating surplus funds for looming CIP projects is a prudent use of tax dollars.

The supervisors went into closed session to “discuss the performance of the county attorney and county administrator,” a routine occurrence. They also attended National Night Out on the Courthouse green sponsored by the Goochland Sheriff’s Office.

National Night Out

National Night Out is one of the life savors of living here.  “Goochland goodness “was on full display as the gracious plenty of organizations that enhance our community up booths to meet and greet.

Goochland's first jail

LEOs from many agencies

Goochland CASA

Stacey Boatwright 2023 Christmas Mother

NNO is an opportunity to meet our deputies in a casual setting and learn about the many facets of the first-class agency that serves and protects us 24/7. Law enforcement officers (LEOs) representing other organizations were also there.

 Members of American Legion Post 215 cooked and served food. The GCSO honor guard presented the colors during the National Anthem.

Children frolicked, people greeted friends old and new, and we celebrated being together and each other,.National Night Out is held on the first Tuesday in August. Mark your calendars for next year!