Put the wet stuff on the red stuff

 

New live fire training structure. 

Fighting fires is far more complicated than putting the wet stuff on the red stuff. The most crucial element in battling a blaze is the skill of the firefighters. Training in real world fire conditions is vital to ensure effective response to emergencies, and, most important, the safety of the firefighters, a precious resource.

On Thursday, August 29, the Goochland Department of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services held an open house at the Henley Fire Training Center near Maidens Road to cut the ribbon for the county’s new state-of-the-art $1.5 million live fire “burn building”.

Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. welcomed the assembly to the place where local first responders learn and practice their skills. The training center is named in honor of brothers Earl and Howard Henley, who both served as Chief of the Department and held many other service roles in the community.

Supervisors Neil Spoonhower, District 2; Tom Winfree, District 3; and Jonathan Lyle, District 5 were joined by Goochland Commonwealth’s Attorney John Lumpkins, Jr.; county officials; retired Goochland Fire-Rescue Chiefs Tommy Carter and Ken Brown; members of the Virginia Fire Services Board; Bettie Reeves-Nobles, the retired live fire training committee chair for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and retired assistant chief of Hampton Fire and Rescue; fire officials from neighboring jurisdictions; members of the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association board of directors; and others.

The 17.9-acre site, explained Ferguson, remained after soil was removed to build approaches to the “new” Maidens Bridge. Built of block and used to simulate real fire conditions, the old “smokehouse “built in 1981, at the time considered to be the only one of its kind in the Commonwealth, was deemed unsafe for live fire simulations in 2012. It will continue to be used as a “cold building” for passive exercises. For the past 12 years, Goochland has transported firefighters and equipment to other areas for live fire training. The new building will provide unlimited training opportunities to county firefighters and welcome neighboring departments.

1981 "smokehouse"

In the early days, Goochland volunteer firefighters burned down old buildings for live fire training. While this provided real time experience, it was one time event. The new structure—it needs a catchy name—allows unlimited repetitions of exercises and has movable interior walls to create a variety of high temperature live fire scenarios.

Ferguson said that the new modular building—the only one of its kind in Virginia—crafted from shipping containers, can provide multiple training scenarios to ensure that Goochland firefighters are prepared to function in chaotic and dangerous situations. Enhancing the level of training available locally also helps the county to earn high ISO ratings, which translate into savings on homeowner’s’ insurance for our citizens.

The building was designed to fit into limited space at the training center and can be moved.

Spoonhower, who is actively engaged in his support for public safety, said “ninety percent of being a supervisor is challenging. Then, there is this other ten percent, which far outweighs the other.” He has ridden along for a full 24-hour shift with first responders and climbed 100 feet in the air on our new ladder truck.

District 2 Supervisor Neil Spoonhower

“While I’ve always appreciated the role of fire-rescue, until I did those things I never really had an understanding of how important what we provide to our heroes is. As supervisors we have to make a lot of hard (budgetary) decisions, but the decisions we make about this are easy for two reasons. These men and women deserve to know that our community supports them and that we have their back when they go into dangerous situations. Our community demands it. When campaigning, I was surprised at how many people said that public safety is their first concern. I’m really glad we’re able to build this and hope that you never need to use all of the training.”

Reeves-Noble past chair of the live fire structure committee of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs said ”This is a building that I know, for a fact, will change the lives of the firefighters who serve here in so many good ways.”
 She recognized the local project managers Captain Brandon Proffitt and Deputy Chief Mike Watkins who were “relentless and laser focused. They showed patience and a lot of poise. They attended every meeting we had, whether they were scheduled or not to let anybody to know about questions and answers. Congratulations.”

Bettie Reeves-Noble

Proffitt, who began his fire-rescue journey as a teenaged volunteer, and is now captain in the training safety division, thanked everyone who was a part of the project for its success. It took three years of working as a team effort to make the innovative structure fit into the grant process, which changed a bit along the way.

He first thanked the supervisors and County Administrator Vic Carpenter for funding the project, a daunting task. He also thanked the county’s leadership team. “It’s been an honor working with the Virginia Fire Services Board, an opportunity I never thought I’d have to work in an environment with governor appointed positions.” Proffit thanked the Virginia Department of Fire Programs for its help in navigating the grant process.

He also thanked the team from Draeger, the Canadian company that built the structure, including engineer Trevor Flynn. Proffit said that he spent many hours trying to align Drager’s product with the Virginia grant process, which resulted in the best outcome for Goochland. He thanked Scott Foster of Goochland General Services, and Gary Fisher, Building Official and their teams, to help him navigate the construction aspects of the project. Burn buildings do not fit into the Virginia building code, explained Proffitt, which required extra work. He thanked all of the contractors who participated in the installation of the new building. “Within 12 hours we were able to plug it up and start burning,” he said.

Most of all, Profitt thanked his wife and children for their support during the intensive three-year process, which required that he spend a lot of time away from them.

“As a member of Goochland Fire-rescue since 1999 having spent a lot of time training in the building behind us (old “smokehouse”) I’ve seen a lot of firefighters come through here and go on to other careers. Goochland is like a funnel. People come in and go out. The ones that go out are either serving Goochland or other localities. It’s pretty impressive when you look back over the years and think about who has come through this place, dug out to build a bridge, and what they have done.”

Indeed, those who got their start in firefighting include Chief Ferguson, current fire chiefs in Spotsylvania and Louisa Counties, battalion chiefs in at least Chesterfield and Albemarle, and people holding leadership positions in most fire departments in central Virginia.

Deputy Chief Watkins (l) Captain Proffitt

Watkins said that Proffit deserves credit for pulling all of the pieces of the project together. The new burn building, said Watkins, will be an asset for the region. He pointed out the red shirted fire recruits in the audience. “We’re going to put some of them through the new building tomorrow and they’re probably not going to have a fun day.”

Firefighter training will be taken to a new level, said Watkins, because repetition increases proficiency. Getting the job, understanding the job, and putting those skills to work in a live fire structure is invaluable.

moveable walls

Tilted roof for climbing exercises

 

Interior staircase. Imagine descending this in the dark when it's 500 degrees, wearing bulky bunker gear and self contained breathing apparatus. 

Thanks to Goochland County for photos. 

(As the region remembers the flooding from Gaston, 20 years ago, it is worthwhile to note that Goochland Fire-Rescue water rescue units supplied mutual aid to the City of Richmond and Henrico County to rescue people trapped by high waters. One chapter in the more than 70 years of dedicated public service given by the organization.)

Worm part next

 

The August 25 Economic Development workshop addressed a wide range of important topics.

The Board of Supervisors: Jonathan Christy, District 1; Neil Spoonhower, District 2; Tom Winfree, District 3 (vice chair); Charlie Vaughters, District 4 (chair); and Jonathan Lyle, District 5. Economic Development Authority—appointed at large by the supervisors—Ben Slone, Chair; Demerst, “DB” Smit; Lisa Dearden; Jennie Wood; and Ken Collier.

The task of economic development in Goochland is to attract new businesses and help those succeed. Visit https://www.goochlandforbusiness.com/ for details.

“Business” in Goochland takes many forms including tourism, agriculture related entities including farms and equine related enterprises. As Lisa Dearden pointed out, there may be more horses than school aged children in Goochland. 

The county’s industrial parks are home to a myriad of companies. Tourism and agribusiness also help the county’s bottom line. September 21 is the next farm tour day. Go to https://www.exploregoochland.com/186/2024-Goochland-Farm-Tour-Day for details.

Goochland based “venues” are bringing positive attention to Goochland in competitive spaces around the Commonwealth. The Virginia Restaurant Lodging Travel Association’s 2024 annual “Ordinary Award” finalists include the Estate at River Run in the attraction of the year category; Nicholas Lawrence of Dover Hall Experiences in the Chef of the Year category; and 7 Lady Vineyard at Dover Hall in the winery of the year category. These awards “honor the superb businesses and amazing employees of Virginia's tourism and hospitality industry” and will be presented on September 12. See https://www.vrlta.org/ for more information.

Christy and Wood asked if the county has redevelopment programs to help existing structures in disrepair, like the site of the former dry cleaner/laundromat in Courthouse Village, get back in business. None currently exist, said Worley, but she conceded that concept needs to be looked at.

Smaller businesses, defined by Worley as those with fewer than 500 employees, are more susceptible to disruptions in the economy. They sometimes need tools like help with permitting and money to expand. Such a tool, which does not currently exist, would help offset the cost of complying with government mandates and plans. It would be a sliding scale investment capped at five percent or $20k depending on the size of the capital investment. It would be a one-time incentive delivered when the permit is finalized. This would provide cash when it is needed, not over the five-year time frame of other incentives.

Returns on those investments would be increased real estate and commercial personal property taxes on the expansion and increased production.

The program would have guardrails that could include competition for funds and potential for increased tax revenue from the investment. Job creation, proof of financial stability of the business, and exactly how the incentive would enable the expansion, would be criteria for granting the incentive.

Tourism is perhaps the best kind of economic development. Visitors come to Goochland, enjoy our county, dine, buy things, and go home to educate their children and grow old elsewhere.

Worley expects specific recommendations about tourism opportunities to be include in the update of the parks and recreation master plan. Sports tourism is “huge” in our region, she said. Investments in new sports complexes to attract youth or adults should be considered. The superb mountain bike trail at Leake’s Mill Park draws people from near and far.

The 2021 Dixie Youth State Baseball Tournament held at Hidden Rock Park was very successful. Although Worley had no data about its economic impact, GOMM can report that there were lots of food containers from local eateries and many “supply runs” to Food Lion in Courthouse Village.

When the Richmond Strikers hold tournaments at their West Creek facility, the Residence Inn is sold out and restaurants are packed, Worley reported. Sadly, most restaurants are probably in Henrico.

She said that the county needs to promote its access to the James River at Tucker Park more.

Worley suggested that that county participate in the Tourist Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) program that guide visitors to local attractions. These are the only signs advertising individual businesses that VDOT allows on primary and secondary state roads. Costs range between $600 and $1,500 depending on the number of signs—one at every “turning”—are needed. She recommended a reimbursement grant for up to half of the cost on a first come first serve basis until a limited fund amount had been exhausted. This would be an annual cost.

Lyle, who has a professional background in tourism, contended that encouraging businesses to take part in programs like the TODS administered by other entities instead of handling them “in house” would avoid picking winners and losers and ease workflow for an ED limited staff.

The workshop provided an overview of economic development for the supervisors, most of whom are still new to the job. More data about costs and return on investment for programs and initiatives is needed.

Vaughters contended that studies underway by outside consultants will bring the cost and potential of economic development strategies into better focus to help the board decide how, or if, it will leverage the county’s AAA credit rating to issue bonds to fund infrastructure improvements to attract more business.

He asked for a detailed action plan that includes outcomes, future steps, and an actual way forward.

Other supervisors expressed reservations about the concept of the government owning and developing land for profit. In Goochland, diverting tax dollars needed to adequately fund core services for economic development propositions that could take years to generate return on investment, might not be the most prudent course of action..

These discussions are very important for the county’s future. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Stay tuned.

In search of a bigger worm

 

Surpluses—the difference between amounts budgeted and revenues received—that Goochland County has enjoyed for the past few years are shrinking. While assessed values for existing real estate and new construction seem to grow ever upward, so do county expenses.

The cost of everything county government uses, from salaries to electricity, is rising. Hard choices are made during the annual budget process about which items are funded and which are relegated to a wish list.

The 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation tax rate that has been the norm for more than a decade may be in jeopardy as the county struggles to find enough money to pay the bills.

For years, the county has strived for a tax base that is 30 percent commercial, 70 percent residential. Currently, that ratio is approximately residential 81.35/18.65.commercial Attracting private sector tax paying businesses to the county will take some of the pressure from landowners. Sounds simple, but it is complicated.

On Saturday, August 24, the supervisors and Economic Development Authority held a daylong joint workshop at the Central High Educational and Cultural Center to discuss the current state of economic development, and strategies to bolster commercial investment in Goochland. This was a follow up to the strategic planning session the supervisors held in January. It was an informal session; no votes were taken. Discussions went into some detail about economic development. The meeting was long and substantive. This post will attempt to offer an overview of highlights.

The vision of economic development is to attract, cultivate, and retain diverse businesses for commercial and industrial development while preserving Goochland’s agricultural heritage. Its mission is to “create vitality and quality of life for Goochland citizens through recruitment of new business; retention and expansion of existing business; tourism; and workforce development.

A video and transcript of the entire meeting is available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ under the “watch county meetings tab” for BoS meetings.

The board and EDA convened a joint closed session during the lunch break for discussions “concerning a prospective business or industry locating in the community where no previous announcement about its plans has been made and discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose, or of the disposition of publicly held real property, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body, as permitted by Virginia Code Sections 2.2-3711  (A)(3) and (A)(5).”

Economic Development Director Sara Worley explained the role of the EDA, a five-member body appointed at large by the Board of Supervisors for four-year terms. Considered a political subdivision by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the EDA acts independently of the county and is not funded by it. Currently, Goochland EDA has current liquid assets of $750k.

The powers of the EDA include entering into contracts; the ability to sue and be sued; acquire and sell land; have employees; operate certain facilities; acquire and develop industrial parks; issue bonds; borrow money; and make grants and loans. It can do things that the supervisors cannot.

Worley presented a chart comparing Goochland’s EDA to neighboring jurisdictions, our competitors for business. For instance, Henrico has an active EDA that runs the county’s economic development department, is funded by the county and EDA, owns land, makes loans, and provides incentives.

Goochland’s EDA, in contrast, has a limited role, no land assets, uses county staff, and its ability to grant loans, establish unique programs, and provide incentives are “to be determined”.

EDA financing tools include contributions from the county’s general fund. The sale of its last parcel in the Midpoint Industrial Park near Hadensville also provided some funds. The EDA can serve as a conduit bond issuer for an administrative fee for businesses with interests in Goochland. It may also buy, develop, sell, and lease land.

The last time these two bodies met for a workshop was June 2018. Since then, there has been significant turnover in county administration, staff, and supervisors.

The 2018 meeting discussed what kind of business is appropriate for Goochland to “go after”. There was general agreement that private sector business growth was preferable to more residential growth. One supervisor pointed out that Goochland’s location and access to major highways makes it an ideal site for a transshipping cargo facility—sounds a lot like the now defunct “Project Rocky”—and data centers. Six years later we’ve got lots of houses and not nearly enough businesses.

Things are improving. Since 2018, a hotel, Audi dealership, senior living facilities, and chain businesses were added to the commercial tax base. In 2014, said Worley, Capital One provided 3.36% of the county’s taxable revenue; by 2023, that number declined to 2.63% as other commercial revenue sources came online.

Apartments and senior communities like Avery Point are assessed at commercial rates. When Avery Point was approved, the supervisors touted the investment it would make in the county. However, the increased demand they place on Emergency Medical Services does not seem to have been considered.

Many pieces of the economic development puzzle were discussed.

Existing Goochland businesses include “mom and pop” shops; large corporations including Capital One, CarMax, and Performance Food Group; auto dealerships; chain establishments; event venues; breweries and wineries; and a meat processing plant. Agricultural enterprises, including equine operations, are also considered businesses. We need more.

Neil Spoonhower, District 2 supervisor said that the board fully supports “a push” for commercial development while preserving the county’s rural nature.  He contended that the effort should be a collaboration among the supervisors planning commission, and EDA to be competitive in the region.

Site selection is the first step in attracting companies to Goochland. Worley outlined criteria used by site selection teams to determine if a specific will work for their clients. While the mantra “location, location, location” applies, there are other important factors involved in landing a new business. Developers want detailed, accurate, and current information about a site, including needed improvements, availability of roads, water, sewer, power and internet; zoning; environmental risks; topographical challenges; identification of wetlands; presence of endangered species; investigation of archeological or historical sites; geotechnical surveys; restrictive covenants: and recorded property boundaries. “Sweeteners” include fee reductions, utility rate reductions; and expediting permitting processes.

Industries “targeted” by Goochland are finance and insurance; corporate services; construction; logistics; healthcare and life sciences; and food and beverage manufacturing. Worley also added technology and related data centers, which can be robust revenue generators. Solar facilities, Goochland has one near Shannon Hill, generate little revenue because they are eligible for land use taxation.

In site selection, time is money. Ideally, sites ready to develop, with roads, utilities, and zoning in place for a particular use are most attractive.

Goochland Economic Development maintains a database of available sites and buildings in the county with only basic information. Our “inventory” of buildings and commercial/industrial/retail land is limited. Worley said that residential encroachment on land designated for prime economic development is an impediment to business growth.

The designated growth area has 18,953 acres, but only approximately 1,878 acres have development potential.

Worley explained where county investment could improve marketability and provide a significant return on investment for land whose owners are willing to sell and provide due diligence on their property.

The first is the Markel property in West Creek that is currently home to the Richmond Strikers’ soccer complex. To increase the attractiveness of this 227-acre parcel Worley requested $154,000: $95k for a topographic survey; $2.5 K for a threatened and endangered species database review; $5k for a Phase I environmental site assessment; $18k for a waters of the US delineation; $8.5 k for a site characterization report; and $25k for a conceptual layout and marketing plan. This is due diligence.

This site has water, sewer, and road access. It is assessed at about $23 million. Originally slated for a Motorola computer chip plant, site specifics have not been updated for decades.

The next example was 152 acres on the east side of Oilville Road roughly bisected by I64. Power lines there have drawn the attention of technology companies. However, bringing water and sewer to the parcel is problematical. Worley estimated that a study for this would cost about $250k and outline costs and mechanism to make this happen.

Mechanisms to mitigate risk associated with using public money to market private property could include repayment to the EDA/county at time of sale; marketing the site only for specific uses, like advanced manufacturing, approved by the county; and adjusting the sale price to make it more attractive to a buyer.

Many large parcels in the designated growth areas have landowners who are not interested in developing their land.

Three office parcels in Courthouse Village next to Goochland Cares are for sale and sitting vacant because they lack sewer access. Finding a way to connect these properties to sewer could attract more business there.

Worley advocated creating “technology zones” under which state law allows localities to offer incentives to stimulate development in specific geographic areas. The incentives apply only to “technology businesses and allow waivers of permit and utility connection fees. Louisa County did this and it is believed it played a big part in its landing billions (yes with a b) of dollars of investment from Amazon.

Designating technology zones does not change zoning, allow special uses, and, most important in Goochland, does not waive the ad valorem tax in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.

A technology business derives its gross receipts from the design, manufacture, development for sale, lease or license of technology-based products, process or related services.

The discussion was thoughtful. Board Chair Charlie Vaughters, District 4, asked the EDA and Economic Development to come to the Board with a detailed action plan request that includes outcomes, future steps, and be able to estimate how Goochland can estimate what is needed to get property to a highly developable state much faster than is the current state.

 

Just released “Goochland County Economic Development received three 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The awards were bestowed specifically for the organization’s work in the following categories: Paid Advertising Campaign, Special Purpose Website, and Multimedia Promotion.”

Kudos to our economic development department, Worley and Chance Robinson, Economic Development Coordinator, for this achievement.

 

On to fall

 

August 19 was the first day of school in Goochland, marking the attitudinal start of fall and farewell to summer.

May our students have a successful and satisfying year as they master useful skills to prepare them to take their place in society. Thanks to teachers everywhere for helping students live up to their full potential.

As summer wanes, community activities ramp up.  A few to consider:

Goochland Fire-Rescue will observe the 23^rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Solemn remembrances will be held at 9:45 a.m. when members of the first responder community (Goochland County Department of Fire-Rescue & Emergency Services and Goochland County Sheriff’s Office) will gather at Courthouse Fire-Rescue Station 5 (2710 Fairground Road) to conduct the annual service in memory of the First Responders.  On the evening of September 11^th at 7:00 pm at Manakin Fire-Rescue Station 1, 180 River Road West, we gather for a community-oriented event, open to the public. This moving tribute takes place at the site of the Goochland County Memorial, which is made with pieces of steel from the twin towers in New York City.

For runners, it’s not too late to sign up for the “Run to the Revolution” 5k on September 14 at historic Elk Hill in western Goochland. Cornwallis stopped here on his ill-fated trip to Yorktown. The event is sponsored by the GVA250 commission to raise awareness of Goochland’s part in the birth of America as the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches in 2026. Go to https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Goochland/RuntotheRevolution for sign up information. The $30 entrance fee increases on September 1.

The next class of Goochland Leadership Enterprise is forming. Since its creation in 1996, GLE has helped newcomers and lifelong Goochlanders alike explore a wide range of local topics including history, agriculture, local and state government, non-profits, natural resources, law enforcement, courts, fire-rescue, and economic development.

Graduates of the GLE program have served on every elected and appointed board in Goochland and many non-profits. One blogs. The program not only provides the opportunity to learn how the county works, but it also brings together people who might not otherwise meet to encourage discussion and debate about the blessings and challenges of Goochland, and how to be engaged in the community.

Comprised of 13 monthly 6:30 p.m. classes, GLE runs from mid-October to early April at various locations around Goochland. In February, class members have dinner with the board of supervisors, and meet with delegation to the Virginia General Assembly later in the month.

Go to https://goochland.ext.vt.edu/programs.html for more information or to sign up.

Cops and Coffee on September 14 at the Chick-fil-A on Broad Street in Centerville from 9-10:30 a.m. is an opportunity to enjoy coffee and conversation with the wonderful deputies of the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office who keep us safe.

 

August board actions

 Goochland supervisors meet monthly, usually on the afternoon and evening of the first Tuesday of the month, to conduct county business, vote on matters as required by state law, and receive reports from county and other agencies.

Tuesday August 6 was a typical meeting day.

Following the Quarterly meeting of the finance committee, the supervisors got a good look at the new 2,500-gallon water tanker delivered to Goochland Fire-Rescue, which will be deployed at Hadensville Company 6.

New 2,500 gallon tanker for Hadensville Company 6

Most of Goochland is not served by public water—fire hydrants—so every drop of water used to fight fires must be transported to a fireground by truck. Tankers, such as this, are vital to protecting property in the county. The Chief explained that the tanker is numbered 666 because 6 is Goochland’s regional unit identified, 6 is for Hadensville Company 6, and all Goochland tankers numbers end in 6. He said that the number might be adjusted.

Later in the meeting, D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr.  Chief of the Department of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management introduced 12 new recruits who will be in training academies for the next several months. We are blessed to have these fine people join Goochland’s public safety staff and wish them well in their training and careers.

Chief Ferguson (gold braid) and recruits

Ferguson said that 17 volunteers from Goochland, Louisa, and Hanover Counties will graduate from the Central Virginia Regional Firefighter Academy on August 7. We thank and congratulate them for giving freely their time and talents to save lives and protect property in their communities.

Keith Burgess, District Manager for the Monacan Soil and Water District, announced that there will be a meeting on August 27 at the Powhatan County Rescue Squad reception hall, 3920 Marion Harland Lane, Powhatan, VA  23139, to discuss local, state, and federal resources available to local farmers. Visit the website https://www.monacanswcd.org/ for details.

Goochland has received $2.2 million from the Virginia Agricultural Cost Share program to provide cost share financial assistance to help local farmers implement best agricultural practices on their land. These include fencing to keep livestock out of streams and build alternate water sources for the animals.

The MSWCD, said Burgess, has no enforcement authority about water quality violations. Any complaints should be directed to county staff.

Burgess said that the MSWCD works with county schools to provide environmental education to our students and is consulting the Capital Area Land Conservancy (https://capitalregionland.org/) about conservation easements in the county.

Consent agenda

This is a list of housekeeping items such as moving money in amounts that exceed minimum thresholds from one account to another; and recommending the acceptance of new streets into the state system for maintenance, which need board approval. Among them was setting public hearings for September 3 to amend sections of county ordinances dealing with purchasing surplus property; procurement; competitive bid negotiations; and to “Eliminate the $25 flat rate business license tax for businesses with gross receipts between $10,000 and $50,000 • Create a $25 flat rate business license fee for Goochland-based contractors and speculative builders and apply the already existing tax rate of 10 cents per hundred on all contractors and speculative builders with gross receipts in the county greater than $25,000 in accordance with Virginia Code § 58.1-3715.” See the August 6 board packet on the county website goochlandva.us for details.

Public hearings approved as follows:

·         The addition of a parcel of land on Pamela Lane in Bellview Gardens into the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.

·         Amended criteria for removal of parcels from the TCSD.

·         An application for a conditional use permit (CUP) filed by James Myers to renew an accessory family dwelling unit at 4964 Shannon Hill Road for 15 years.

·         A CUP application filed by Kevin and Deborah Roderick to build an accessory family dwelling unit at 494 Broad Street Road.

·         Approved a rezoning application filed by Sydney & Sydney Development, LLC for 55.414 acres at the intersection of Greenbriar Branch and Glebe Roads in Courthouse Village from A-2 to R-1 with 14 proffered conditions. The subdivision will have no more than 23 single family detached homes served by public water and private septic systems. It will be developed following the conceptual plan included in the application. However, the applicant conceded that, as detailed engineering has not yet been performed, topographic challenges could change that. A cemetery on the property will be protected and preserved.  A left turn lane will be built at the intersection of Greenbriar Branch and Fairground Road. The addition of these lots to Greenbriar Branch Road, the only access point, will not increase homes on using that road to the 49 “magic number”, which requires a second entrance. A cash proffer of $13, 781 per home was included.

 

This is a very brief summary. Please review the board packet for details, or watch the recording of the meeting on the county website under the “watch county meetings” tab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working through the details

 

Goochland supervisors work hard to serve our citizens. They deal with a wide range of issues and make hard choices that do not please everyone.

Their August 7 meeting included illustrations of this. Kudos to board members for publicly explaining the rationale behind their decisions.

At the start of the afternoon meeting, Neil Spoonhower, District 2, weighed in on the proposal to build a truck stop near the Gum Spring I64 interchange in Louisa County. The project has met with robust opposition from people who live near the site in both Goochland and Louisa Counties. (The Louisa County Planning Commission voted unanimously against recommending this project for approval at its August 8 meeting. That county’s board of supervisors will make the final decision.)

Spoonhower, who attended community meetings about the proposed truck stop, said that he has been working closely with his peer in Louisa to share his concerns and those of his constituents on the subject. Spoonhower said that enthusiasm he expressed about the new Goochland Fire-Rescue Station 8, located on Whitehall Road near its intersection with Dogtown Road, was misinterpreted as support for the truck stop and an indication that Goochland would handle all fire-rescue incidents generated by it. Station 8’s apparatus consists of one ambulance.

“While I’m not a fan of this project, I also not a fan of telling another community what to do in their community.” Spoonhower said that he has spoken with Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief Ferguson and Louisa officials to create a plan, if the truck stop is approved, to ensure that public safety resources meant for Goochland residents are there for them. “I’ve worked too hard to bring a station to District 2 to not let it be used for our citizens first. The board is engaged and working very hard on this.”

(The Holly Grove Volunteer Fire Department in Bumpass, has, in a July 21 post on its Facebook page, stated that it is the closest fire department to the proposed truck stop and is staffed and equipped to respond to emergencies there.)

Major incidents on I64 often involve mutual aid responses from several jurisdictions.

A public hearing at the end of the evening session provided more insight into supervisors’ decision-making process.

At issue was the granting of a waiver to exempt Lockhart Green, a 14-lot subdivision, approved last year, from building a left turn lane into the community from River Road that was proffered in its rezoning case.  However, final engineering revealed that they did not own enough land to accommodate it, and a neighboring landowner declined to sell land for the lane. Without the waiver, the subdivision could not be built.

Residents of the Wickham Glen and Rivergate communities, which abut Lockhart Green, opposed the rezoning that allowed 14 lots, rather than fewer lots allowed by right. As approved, Lockhart Green will have setbacks from River Road and vegetative buffers along the boundaries with neighboring communities. The rezoning case was approved when county zoning code, which was recently changed, required left turn lanes for subdivisions of five or more lots, but reserved the right of the board to grant waivers. The planning commission voted 3-2 to deny recommendation of waiver approval.

Assistant Director of Community Development Ray Cash explained that considerations in granting waivers include site distance at the entrance, history of rear end crashes, and traffic volume on the “receiving roadway” in this case River Road. Safety of the road was the main concern and bone of contention among board members.

Each of several iterations of Lockhart Green, as it moved through the rezoning approval process, included the left turn lane, until it asked for the waiver. VDOT does not require a turn lane at the site, but Goochland has the power to impose stricter rules on its roads.

Andy Condlin, counsel for Tuckahoe Lands, LLC, the developer of Lockhart Green, explained that developers do not perform detailed engineering or surveys before zoning approval is obtained because it is expensive. He said that when this work was done on the Lockhart Green property, the developer realized that the left turn lane “would not fit” on available land. He waited to request the waiver in case the amendments to the county’s access management plan increased the number of lots requiting the left turn lane to twenty, rather than the 10 that was approved when the ordinance was amended.

Condlin contended that criteria including site distance, road alignment, traffic volume, speed limit, and grade changes, indicate that removing the left turn lane will not adversely impact safety. He also contended that most of the traffic from the private schools uses Blair Road, several miles west of the Lockhart Green site. He contended that the waiver request did not break a “promise” made during the original rezoning that, even if the land was developed by right for 12 lots, it would need a waiver for the turn lane.

Opponents contended that, as the county grows, so will traffic on River Road. Traffic studies presented by the applicant contended that River Road can accommodate the increased traffic from Lockhart Green and that site distance on River Road allows a safe left turning action. They were skeptical about traffic counts used to justify removal of the left turn lane and had concerns about the increasing number of young, inexperienced drivers using River Road to access private schools in the corridor. They urged the board to put safety considerations in the corridor first.

One gentleman said that doing engineering after obtaining approval was backwards.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5 reflected on the extended journey of this property to final rezoning, when it was approved 4-1 by the board, with the left turn lane. His focus in land use is safety. “Those decisions we make today will impact the future.” He contended that the left turn lane in the long run is in the best interest of the county to improve safety. “Until we say no, we’re going to continue to see people make applications then ask for changes once they’ve been approved.”

“I am looking towards the future. Decisions we make today will have an impact. I do not think this is in the best long-term interest of the county and diminishes safety,” said Lyle. “Staff says turning lanes always improve traffic flow and safety. I want to set a standard that we are consistent that turn lanes are a good thing and there are situations when waivers are warranted. I am of the opinion that this is not one of them.”

Board Vice Chair Tom Winfree District 3 said that he believes that the subdivision will be developed with at least 9 lots and that additional traffic generated by Lockhart Green is a “drop in the bucket”. “The real safety concern is the rest of the traffic on the road. If we have a safety issue, look at what we can do to improve overall safety with speed limits. They will put in a right turn lane, which makes for a nice, wide, safe formal entrance. I’ve driven it myself, it’s probably one of the best areas for site distance on River Road. The safety issue is not that significant.”

Jonanthan Christy, District 1 said that “we’re asking this developer to fix all of River Road’s problems for a six-home threshold. That sets a dangerous precedent of tyrannical tactics to drive government will. I was originally against this but feel that the developer has expended a lot of effort to make the left turn work. They failed but offered a lot of proffers. I don’t see the impact offsetting safety.”

Neil Spoonhower, District 2 said the planning commission allows applicants to vet projects and see where they go. “I can’t count the number of times that the board has made different decisions than the planning commission, both for and against. We get better projects by the time they get here from the planning commission. I think this would be a better project with the left turn lane, but not because of safety, that is a very safe corridor. I would have approved the project because this is a safe area, and it was a better project because you have more homes, more buffers, and open space than required. People who say we’re doing this as a favor to the developer to increase profit are ignorant of the facts and insulting. I’ve never made a decision based on profit but on what’s best for the entire county long term.”

Board Chair Charlie Vaughters, District 4 pointed out that the waiver request has come about after considerable thought by staff who looked closely at the waiver request before it moved onto the planning commission, including visits to the site at peak afternoon traffic hours.

Ordinances include waivers that allow wiggle room when appropriate. “I have gone to this site. I’ve not only driven but walked it. That is what I think citizens want from their supervisors,” said Vaughters. “The site distance is outstanding; you’d be hard pressed to find better site distance. Traffic volume is far from what VDOT considers dangerous. This makes a waiver justifiable. I want to stress that we call Goochland unique for cases like this where we have the right, as elected officials, to think through all the facts as presented, as we’ve questioned, as we’ve asked the applicant to go back and forth with us to reach decisions that make sense.”

The waiver was approved 4-1 with Lyle in dissent.

Our supervisors do not rubber stamp matters that come before them. Goochland is fortunate to have elected officials who, while they may not agree, make thoughtful decisions even if they may not, please everyone.

 

 

Keeping an eye on the bottom line

 

Perhaps the most important responsibility of elected officials is careful stewardship of public funds. Our supervisors set policy that staff carries out. Sounds simple, but successful management is complicated and requires dedication to following those procedures and internal controls to ensure transparency and accountability.

Earlier this week, the county announced that it had earned the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY2024 Budget, for the ninth time since 2015.

The award reflects the commitment of the Board of Supervisors and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive this award, the County satisfied nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications device. (See https://county-goochland-va-budget-book.cleargov.com/17572/introduction/history-of-city for details.)

A vital component of excellent fiscal management is oversight rather than micromanagement by elected officials. Goochland’s finance and audit committee comprised of three supervisors, the county administrator, and Director of Financial Services, meets quarterly to review financial statements and discuss other pertinent matters.

The most recent meeting of this group was held on August 7.  The first item on the agenda was the kickoff for the annual certified financial report, ACFR, which is performed by an outside auditing firm. PBMares (https://www.pbmares.com/) which has served the county well in the past, recently had its contract renewed for five years.

Mike Garber, based in Harrisonburg, a partner of PBMares and state and local government team co-leader, presented, as he has done in recent years, a brief overview of the ACFER process.

Committee Chair Tom Winfree, District 3 and member Jonathan Christy, District 1, elected last November, are new to the procedures. Garber gave them some insight about the ACFR process. PBMares assigns a team whose members use their different areas of expertise to review Goochland’s financial operations and complete various reports in a timely manner.

Garber said that the PBMares team is available to answer questions from the county to ensure that financial activities are in compliance with all policies. Areas examined during the ACFR process include how grant money and state and federal funding is used.

As PBMares works through the audit process it tests internal controls and offers suggestions to correct them if they are not working.

In addition to the audit, PBMares prepares landfill certification for the Department of Environmental Quality and reports about Virginia Retirement System activity.

Recovering from the bad old days, Goochland has been considered a low-risk auditee and works hard to keep that status. This is the product of hard work and attention to detail by county and school division staff.

The ACFR for fiscal 2024, which ended on June 30, will be presented to the supervisors later this year. Garber congratulated the county and school division for their good work in financial matters.

Director of Financial Services Carla Cave then gave year-end projections for FY2024. As the county uses a 45-day accrual process, final figures for the year are not yet available. Cave said, that so far, general fund revenues are a bit shy of projections because assumptions used for building inspections may have been overstated.  Most departments did not spend their entire budget according to preliminary reports. She was optimistic that final numbers would be more positive.

A crucial part of good stewardship is oversight by the supervisors. The annual budget is adopted in April, but sometimes money needs to be moved from one fund to another without increasing the overall budget. Many of these adjustments are for minor amounts, but larger amounts require board approval.

A case in point came later in the afternoon during the monthly board meeting, when an item was pulled from the consent agenda—a laundry list of routine matters—for discussion by the supervisors. It concerned funds to build about one-half mile of sidewalk in Courthouse Village.

From the board packet … “Goochland County was awarded $1,130,220 from the Transportation Alternatives grant to build a portion of the sidewalk network within the Courthouse Village. This sidewalk construction is identified as a Vision Element and the top transportation priority of the Courthouse Village Small Area Plan.  The county currently has the following funds available:  $960,826 – East End Trail funds. The funds were identified as available for transfer given the history of the East End Trail project. Transferring these allows funds previously identified for one pedestrian facility to be utilized for another pedestrian facility.”

In order to accept the federal grant money, the county must supply matching funds. Jonathan Lyle, District 5 contended that the idle money in the East End Trail fund should be put to immediate use. He said that, should the East End Trail project, on hold for a variety of reasons, move forward, the $960 k could be replenished within a month.   

Neil Spoonhower, District 2 said he has been a big fan of improving sidewalks in Courthouse Village since he took office in 2020 but has trouble “stomaching” $1.6 million for this short sidewalk.   However, he also believes that turning down the federal money would be a disservice to citizens. He said that he would like to “bring light” to what he considers out of control and unnecessarily outrageous costs for small projects like this sidewalk by including the topic in the county’s legislative agenda discussion with our delegation to the General Assembly and shared with the Commonwealth Secretary of Transportation.

The supervisors voted unanimously to transfer and appropriate the funds in the 2025 capital improvement fund to build the sidewalk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building Community

 

Kudos to Goochland Sheriff Steven Creasey and his department for orchestrating 2024’s National Night Out on August 7. This fun, community building event lets people get to know those who serve and protect them in a low key, fun environment.

NNO showcases the many facets of the Sheriff’s Office, including our wonderful 911 dispatchers who play a crucial part in emergency response. Deputies displayed equipment, including a drone, and got to know the people they serve and protect.

GCSO drone

 A wide range of community organizations, including, but not limited to, Clerk of the Circuit Court Amanda Adams and her staff; Goochland Fire-Rescue; Goochland-Powhatan CASA; the Goochland Historical Society; Goochland Schools; Goochland Day; Pet Lovers; Habitat for Humanity; and many more. Delegate David Owens, whose General Assembly 57^th District includes part of the county, also was there.

Manny Alvarez, Chair of the Goochland  250 Commission whose current hat has three corners, and Kerry Stagg of the Goochland Day Foundation

The Metro Richmond Flying Squad, https://rvaflyingsquad.com/ ,which provides support for our first responders during extended incidents like structure fires and traffic accidents, brought the decommissioned ambulance donated to them by Goochland used to transport supplies to emergency operation scenes.

May the force be with you!

McGruff the crime dog and Star Wars characters braved a warm evening to meet, greet, and delight children of all ages.

McGruff the Crime Dog on a hot evening

A special shout out to the members of Goochland American Legion Post 215 for cooking and distributing lots of hot dogs and hamburgers to hungry folk.

The Board of Supervisors moved the start time for their public hearings back an hour so that they and staff could also attend.

NNO is another life savor of Goochland County!

 

Community engagement

 

Land on the left is subject of proposed proffer amendment

The clubhouse at Mosaic—a 500-ish dwelling unit 55+ community in West Creek, east of Hockett Road—was SRO at a community meeting on Monday, August 5 to discuss a proffer amendment.  

Hans Klinger, HHHunt VP for real estate development, explained that the community meeting is the first step in the land use process for Goochland County. The proffer amendment, filed with Goochland County last month, would allow approximately seven acres near the intersection of Mosaic Creek Boulevard, the main drag through the community, and Broad Branch Drive, to be subdivided into three residential lots.

When Mosaic was created, it included development “proffers”, which Klinger explained are codified promises that the community would be developed in substantial conformance to a conceptual plan, included in the proffer. A previous proffer amendment, for instance, allowed Mosaic to have a greater percentage of town homes, but overall, fewer than the 508 dwelling units initially approved. For some reason, the parcel in question was never included in the conceptual plan.

Klinger said that as development progressed, HHHunt realized that the best way to develop the area in question would be to create three lots facing Mosaic Creek Boulevard because development is more cost effective when there are homes on both sides of a street. An initial plan to build a small eight lot cul-de-sac there was deemed impractical because of the topography.

As with all new developments, residents complained about traffic, especially when Capital One, the county’s largest employer and taxpayer, gets out.

Klinger mentioned Mosaic sections under construction and explained that they are required, by VDOT, to build stub roads that provide for future connection to undeveloped parcels outside of Mosaic.

This introduced the elephant in the room, a decades long ongoing quest for access from the 1,000 or so acres of undeveloped land to the south and west of Mosaic, for road access to Broad Branch Drive or Rt. 288. The end of the subject parcel could link a landlocked parcel to Borad Banc Drive using a

Several Mosaic residents expressed dismay that the land between Mosaic and Hockett Road has been considered “prime economic development” by the county for a long time. This means that at some point, the property will be the site of businesses to bolster the county’s tax base.

The stub roads, which can lead to bizarre overloading of residential streets, like that proposed for Highfield on Rockville Road and Reed Marsh in Courthouse Village, by funneling traffic through neighborhoods. Little thought about unintended consequences seems to have been given to the stub road mandate by VDOT—the state agency whose motto is “Oops!”—about how to make these roads work in a safe manner.

Property owners of the thousand acres contend that some their parcels are land-locked, and they should be given an access point to Broad Branch Drive.

Tommy Pruitt, an owner of the West Creek explained that West Creek, which extends from Rt. 6 on the south to Broad Street Road on the north, is about 3,000 acres and was created as a business park to attract corporate headquarters. Over the years, uses have changed, including Mosaic and three apartment complexes. Roads were designed to manage only the traffic capacity generated inside West Creek. The internal 288 cloverleafs, contended Pruitt, cannot accommodate added traffic from the thousand acres outside West Creek. Acknowledging sympathy for their situation, he suggested that they pursue connections to Rt 6 near the Richmond Country Club.

Mosaic residents indicated that they had no idea that the parcels behind them would be developed, or about VDOT mandated stub roads connecting that land to Mosaic.

Ray Cash, assistant director of community development for Goochland County, explained that a study is underway to figure out what infrastructure is available or needed to encourage economic development in the area between Tuckahoe Creek Parkway south to the James River, and the Henrico County line west to Hockett Road. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1280/Southeastern-Infrastructure-Study-SIS for details.

Next steps in the process are public hearings at the county administration building before both the planning commission, which is an advisory body, and the Board of Supervisors, which has the final say. The application could not reach the planning commission agenda before its September 19 meeting and the supervisors in November.

The interest in this proposed proffer amendment expressed by Mosaic residents is commendable. Let’s hope this group continues its community engagement in a constructive manner.

 

 

 

 

 

How rich is Goochland?

 

Annual notices of assessed valuation and tax bills generate outrage as property owners wonder where all their tax dollars go. Some contend that the “extra” money, generated by what some believe are unrealistically inflated property values, winds up in the pockets of our elected officials. These citizens do not seem to have bothered to review the annual budget, whose process is open and welcomes citizen input between the unveiling of the county administrator’s “proposed” budget in February through final adoption in April.

Often citizens grumble that Goochland is a rich county and complain that the county does not fund (fill in the blank with your favorite pet project).

So, how rich are we?

The state uses something called the local composite index to decide how much state aid a locality receives. Goochland’s composite index is .80, which means that we pay 80 percent of education costs. It’s also the maximum. Henrico’s composite index is .4273.

A recent post on Bacon’s Rebellion (https://www.baconsrebellion.com/) explores the relative fiscal positions of all 133  cities and counties, in the Commonwealth, citing a report released by the Commission on local government  ranking  fiscal stress chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/DocX/clg/fiscal-stress/fiscal-stress-2022.pdf. The report, released last month, uses data from 2022.

The report defines fiscal stress as lack of revenue-generating capacity that can lead to either a shrinking budget or a gap between revenues and expenditures.

Goochland comes out as having the least fiscal stress in the Commonwealth because we do not set tax rates at the statewide average. In other words, the report seems to suggest that Goochlanders can pay higher taxes.

Of course, the report bases its conclusions on “averages” and statistical snapshots. The county does have a high per capita income. This is computed by dividing the sum of county incomes by the total number of people, including children, who may not have income. Our population is relatively small, approximately 27,000. It doesn’t take many highly compensated residents to skew the per capita income figures totally out of reality. Median income, half of the people make more, the other half less, does not paint a clear picture either. Goochland is a land of contrasts. A former supervisor remarked when he first campaigned for office that some of his potential constituents had dirt floors, while others had marble. Indeed, our county is home to mansions and more modest dwellings. All residents expect excellence in local government services.

Goochland does look like a “rich county” through the lens of these statistical abstracts. If Goochland used the state average tax rate of 80 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, rather than the 53 cents that has been the norm for more than a decade, the county could rake in a lot more dough.

In truth, the “stable” 53 cent rate has, for the last few years, represented a tax increase, due to rising assessments. It should be noted that when property values declined significantly during the “great recession,” the county tax rate was not increased to cover the shortfall. Instead, Goochland tightened its belt to deal with fewer tax dollars.

Supervisors elected in 2011 worked very hard to move the county onto a sound financial footing. Goochland went from being on the brink of bankruptcy to earning three AAA bond ratings, which allowed us to issue general revenue bonds in early 2022 before interest rates began to skyrocket.

The price tag on the wonderful new Goochland elementary school was much more than expected. Projected costs for a new fire-rescue station in West Creek and circuit courthouse, also approved in the 2021 bond referendum, are also on the rise.

The Commonwealth of Virginia places no statutory limits on the amount of debt that a jurisdiction can issue. Goochland, however, has strict financial management policies that establish “net debt as a percentage of taxable assessed value of real estate shall not exceed 2.5%.” Debt service has a target of 10 percent of total general fund expenditures, not to exceed 12 percent. The supervisors must balance needs, and there are many, with our ability to use tax dollars wisely.

Crafting a balanced county budget, where revenues equal expenses, is a difficult task complicated by inflation and rising demand for local government services.

Goochland’s true riches may lie in its people and beauty. Paying the bills is complicated.