More on September 3

 

Goochland supervisors had a full plate of public hearings at their September 3 meeting. Some have already been explored by GOMM, others need to be mentioned.

On another note. Early voting began on September 20. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/359/Elections-and-Voter-Registration for details.

FEMA floodplain

The supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance amendment that repealed existing FEMA floodplain maps and replaced them with updated provisions and adopted and incorporated new flood insurance rate maps issued by FEMA.

Deputy County Administrator Josh Gillespie explained that adoption of the ordinance amendment will allow the county’s continued participation in the FEMA national flood insurance program. This allows Goochlanders access to federally backed floor insurance and provides better data to use when making development decisions. The new maps, said Gillespie, are increasingly precise and accurate, especially in the flood insurance rate map updates. Goochland has participated in the program since 1979.

Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1244/Preliminary-FEMA-Floodplain for details.

These updates, said Gillespie, are the first since 2008. Community outreach was held earlier this year as well as coordination with the state department of conservation and recreation to gather input on proposed changes. The final map updates added and removed some areas.  Gillespie pointed out that a rezoning application approved earlier this year, for land near the intersection of Broad Street Road and the southbound Rt. 288 ramp, referenced the flood plain changes. The new ordinance will take effect on October 10^th to align with the county’s participation in the flood plain insurance program renewal.

District 5 Supervisor Jonathan Lyle questioned the methodology used to contact those impacted by the new map. He said that Mosaic residents were not aware of the pending changes, speculating that the notification went to the developer, not individual homeowners. This failure to notify those who will be affected by pending land use changes, pointed out Lyle, has been an ongoing issue, especially for homes under construction, whose owner of record is the builder or developer, not the ultimate homeowner, who may remain unaware of proposed changes before they become permanent .

Minimum tax assessment adjustment

The supervisors voted unanimously to amend Chapter 13 of the Goochland County code, 1A, Section 13-10.10 to increase the minimum tax assessment and Appendix C of the county code to raise to $50k the floor for payment of gross receipts tax and eliminate the business license fee for businesses with gross receipts of up to $50k. It also created a flat rate fee for contractors with gross receipts of up to $25k. This will provide some relief for small business.

District 2 supervisor Neil Spoonhower, who has been on the board since 2020, said that during his tenure as a supervisor some sort of tax relief for seniors, veterans, farm equipment, or the “big lift” last year to lower the personal property tax rate of vehicles was approved every year. “I’m proud that we are being fiscally conservative and trying to keep money in our citizens’ pocket because they’re a much better spender of it than we are.”

Board Chair Charlie Vaughters District 4, echoed Spoonhower’s sentiment. “For those who have not had the opportunity to go to the farmers markets or our stores with numerous vendors who are a major part of our small businesses. WE should do everything we can to foster than in our community. It’s great to see a full spectrum of businesses in a place where they can thrive. We are not just looking out for the big guys; we’re looking out for everyone across the spectrum.”

 

Floor area ratio

Zoning ordinance amendments tend to be viewed by many citizens as eye rolling “inside baseball” not worthy of their attention until unintended consequences become apparent.

Floor area ratio (FAR)—determined by dividing the gross floor area of a structure by the area of a lot—got attention earlier this year in connection to a commercial development on Pouncey Tract Road. That resulted in a fairly narrow ordinance amendment for projects that are part of a master plan.

After a good bit of discussion on the matter, the supervisors referred a proposal to eliminate FAR requirements to the planning commission, which recommended approval. The board voted 4-1 to follow suit and remove FAR from county code.

Gillespie referenced robust citizen objection to the removal of FAR from zoning regulations, including that larger buildings will increase intensity of development and the service burden on fire-rescue, allow structures that degrade the county’s rural character, and is an effective tool to manage growth.

They also deflected the notion that FAR is a deterrent to economic development and raised concerns about the unintended consequences of removing FAR for all commercial districts that could attract substandard high-density development. FAR not apply to residential. Apartments are considered commercial use.

Supporters of FAR’s removal cited its negative impact on the county’s ability to attract new business and that there are many other “tools in the zoning toolbox” to achieve the same goals, that FAR is redundant. These regulations include setbacks, adherence to the statewide fire prevention code, stormwater management and parking requirements.

The FAR matter discussion seemed designed to make the county able to attract data centers and related development.

Ben Slone, Chair of the Goochland Economic Development Authority said that discussions with economic development prospects are highly confidential, governed by non-disclosure agreement and will never happen with FAR restrictions in place.

Lyle said that he, like his fellow supervisors, is equally enthused about economic development and growth in an intelligent, managed way. However, he was not ready to discard FAR and cast the sole dissenting vote against elimination. He would prefer the creation of data center overlay districts in places deemed appropriate for them. He also contended that he was unaware of any development prospect that the county lost due to having FAR on the books.

Other supervisors contended that lightening the hand of regulation is a good thing and that the county needs robust economic development to fund the services that citizens demand while keeping the residential real estate tax level.

Vaughters said that the supervisors were elected to make hard decisions and have fiduciary duties to citizens and economic development prospects. “Generating economic development is not a simple, binary process,” said Vaughters. “What should we turn somebody away because we are overregulating on the front end... The worst situation we could be in looking ten years down the road and wondering why we don’t have enough business. We need to be ahead of the game, be forward thinking and be friendly to businesses who want to come to Goochland.”

We’re all concerned about growth oozing westward on Broad Street. The mess opposite Aldi, whose only open and green space between townhomes and commercial development seems to be narrow strips of sod and a few trees among parking spaces, could be what no FAR looks like in a mixed-use development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming soon

 

It’s that time of year again, with lots of good things happening close to home in the next few weeks. Here are a few:

September 24—Community health input session sponsored by the Chickahominy Health District of the Virginia Department of Health from 5-7 p.m. in the board room of the county administration building, 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland, 23063. This will review and gather input on the county’s health assessment. Door prizes and snacks!

October 1—Goochland Board of Supervisors regular monthly meeting at 4 and 6 p.m. in the county administration building, 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland 23063.

October 3—District 5 Town Hall meeting, 6 p.m. Dover Baptist Church, 635 Manakin Road, Manakin Sabot 23103

October 5—open house and ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Courthouse Company 5 fire-rescue station located at 2710 Fairground Road, Goochland 23063. Open house begins at 11 a.m., ribbon cutting at noon followed by BBQ lunch and cake!

October 7—Districts 2 & 3 Town Hall meeting, 6 p.m. at the county administration building 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland, 23063

October 11 through October 13—Goochland Community Theatre presents The Addams Family: A new Musical Comedy in the Eagle theater at the Central High School Educational and Cultural Center at 2748 Dogtown Road, in Sandy Hook. Go to https://gvatheatre.org/tickets/ for show times and to order tickets. These productions are wonderful!

October 12—Fire-Rescue Show 5-9 p.m. at Goochland High School back parking lot. There will be fire and EMS demonstrations, food trucks; and door prizes, capped off with a fireworks display. Come meet the intrepid folks who keep us safe. Be prepared to be amazed by their skills. Free admission and family friendly.

October 22—District 1 Town Hall meeting, 6 p.m. Byrd Elementary School, 2704 Hadensville-Fife Road, Goochland 23063.

October 26—Goochland Fall Festival 11-2 at the Goochland Sports Complex behind the county administration building at 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland 23063. Free fun for the whole family see https://www.goochlandva.us/1335/Fall-Festival for details.

October 28—District 4 Town Hall meeting, 6 p.m. Salem Baptist Church, 465 Broad Street Road, Manakin-Sabot 23102.

(You may be able to view Town Halls live at:  https://va-goochlandcounty.civicplus.com/1154Citizens are able to submit questions in advance of the Town Hall by emailing them to: townhall@goochlandva.us Please check www.goochlandva.us for any updates regarding these meetings.)

 

 

 

Transportation workshop

 

Goochland supervisors held a quarterly transportation workshop before their September 3 meeting to inform the board about the progress of ongoing road improvements and gather input going forward.

Sadly, this was the last such workshop for Austin Goyne, who organized oversight of county roads into one department and helped the county secure funding for needed improvements. He is leaving Goochland County at the end of October for greener pastures in the private sector. We thank him for his fine work and wish him all the best. This is the latest departure of a valued county employee. No word on who will succeed Goyne.

The session discussed a number of items, a few discussed below. A recording is available at: https://goochlandva.new.swagit.com/videos/314088 .

Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1242/Transportation for a detailed look at projects in the works. There are quite a few, most of which are complicated.

The first item on the agenda was an update on the diverging diamond project at the I64-Ashland Road interchange. Field studies and geotechnical borings, the first step in the preliminary engineering phase of the project, which includes construction of a second two lane bridge over the interstate, were performed in August.

Improvements to Bennington Road, which is on the east side of Ashland Road, just north of I64, are projected to include its extension parallel to Asland Road, north to a hopefully signalized intersection to align with the entrance to the Martin Marietta quarry. This will ease bottlenecks caused by vehicles exiting Bennington Road making left turns and could open land east of Ashland Road for economic development. The existing park and ride will be moved south of I-64 on the west side of Ashland Road. The cost of the Bennington Road, it will not be part of the diverging diamond funding, was estimated at $12 million, whose source was not identified.

The roundabout at the westbound I64 ramp at Oilville Road was discussed. Goyne explained, in response to citizen contention that a timed traffic signal there would be a simpler solution, that the results of a VDOT traffic study indicate that the volume of traffic—typically done over a 24-hour period—does not “warrant” a signal.  Goyne explained that signalization is warranted when roughly equal volumes of traffic enter an intersection from all directions most of the time, rather than the one-way periodic congestion. VDOT’s preferred solution to mitigate this kind of congestion is installation of a roundabout. Goyne said that the roundabout will be designed to accommodate the turning movements of 67-foot-long tractor trailers typical on interstates.

Preliminary Oilville Road/I64 roundabout (Goochland County image)

The safety study for Rockville Road south of I64 was next up.  Results of the study from Ashland Road to the Hanover line, last done in 2016, are expected in late October. Line of site, speeding, and conditions at the entrances to Tuckahoe Bridge North (TBN), a new subdivision under construction, will be its focus. Data obtained from the Sheriff’s Office shows that the average speed at the TBN entrance was 42 miles per hour. Goyne reported that 85 percent of vehicles on the road traveled at that speed or slower. The peak speed recorded was 74 mph.  

All TBN traffic uses a single access point on Rockville Road, where there have already been serious crashes due to its location at the top of a blind hill. The entrance was modified to restrict left turns onto Rockville Road because it is at the top of a blind hill. To further complicate matters, school buses will not enter TBN because dumpsters and construction equipment block the roads. A parent attended the meeting and said that the lack of a bus stop in TBN forces him to drive his elementary school aged children to the dead end on St. Matthew’s Lane to catch the bus. He worried that older students might walk along the narrow road to catch the bus. The school division is responsible for bus routes, the county has no say in the matter, but this must be resolved.

 As an application for subdivision on 136 acres just north of TBN festers in the rezoning process, greater care must be taken during the approval and design of new communities to enhance safety, including ample line of sight, signage warning of vehicle entering the road, and reduced speeds. New residents with school-aged children must have a reasonable expectation of a safe school bus stop close to their homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Southern Infrastructure Study part next

 

On September 10, a follow up was held to a March 26 kick off for the southeastern infrastructure study (SIS). Consultants Timmons Group and 3TP were retained by the county to evaluate existing infrastructure and analyze improvements needed to support different kinds of growth for the area roughly around the intersection of Rts. 288 and 6.

SIS area Goochland County photo

Steve Schmidt of Timmons explained that they used the results of this investigation to create a tool to help county decision makers determine the impact of a proposed development on county services and infrastructure, a sort of “if then” approach. They presented three very generic growth scenarios with estimates of road lanes, classrooms, and fire-rescue stations they would require. Again, these pictures were painted with a very broad brush. National standards were used to estimate things like trips per day and utility use generated by different kinds of development. Details would be fleshed out during individual rezoning—most of the land in the SIS is currently zoned agricultural—processes. All land in the SIS area is privately owned. “Commercial” denotes land used to generate revenue as opposed to residential.

Designated growth area in red border Goochland County photo

The main goal of the SIS is to provide empirical data based on current conditions to provide a baseline to evaluate projects. It is not a policy making tool and does not make recommendations for land use or other regulations.

This tool has been badly needed for a long time. Developers tend to paint their proposals in the best light possible, downplaying their impact on schools, fire-rescue, roads, and utilities. When these contentions are accepted at face value, the county is often left to clean up messes that could have been prevented had better information been available at the initial decision-making stage.

SIS parcels in blue Goochland County photo

Increased property values resulting from construction of new homes may cover increases in governmental operating expenses, like salaries. However, developers often deflect questions about funding infrastructure to support residential growth contending that cash proffers will pay for them, which is a wild exaggeration. Tax revenue generated by homes is not as robust as that from commercial use, said Schmidt. “The more land used for residential purposes; the less economically productive land is available.”

Survey results from the March meeting indicated that Goochlanders place quality county services at the top of their priority list, followed by preservation of rural areas, and high-quality county schools.

The SIS investigated the capacity of fire-rescue stations, schools, water and sewer, and roads. Curiously, as the county seems to be investigating the possibility of attracting data centers, neither electric power nor fiber optic cable, both vital for data centers, were mentioned.

State and national forecasts, and real estate trends were used to build three scenarios with different use components to estimate their impact on infrastructure, ranging from mostly residential to purely commercial use. The tool enables “plugging in” various percentages and speed of build out for each category to estimate impacts, including the number of road lanes and classrooms needed to support the level of that type of development. It also allows varying density, to see how that impacts infrastructure needs. Road lanes have no geographic location, just what would be needed to accommodate traffic generated by different scenarios for 90 percent build out.

This raw data would require additional detailed investigation. For instance, if the tool indicates that more elementary classrooms are needed in the Randolph district, it could trigger the need for a new elementary school. Schmidt said that expansion of Randolph is limited by drain field capacity at its current site.

No comparisons to existing places were included to avoid value judgements. This makes it hard to visualize, for instance what does 2.5 million square feet of commercial look like? Some sort of reference point is needed. The consultants tried to contextualize it by saying that it is 2.5 times what is there now. Comparing it to Short Pump, they contended, would not be useful because the SIS area is much larger.

The study area was divided into “land bays” of contiguous property with common features, rather than specific parcels to avoid any inference about where a particular kind of development should go. The tool does not opine or recommend zoning or specific uses for specific parcels. Only vacant land was included in the study. Consultants rode around the area, but did not visit any specific parcel.

The amount of real estate tax estimated in each scenario was gross, not net. Who pays for infrastructure improvements generated by growth is a contentious topic. The final SIS report will include costing out the improvements generated by the tool. Developers tend to resist funding improvements, even the most rudimentary, like turn lanes.

Only 90 percent of the total of the SIS area, 75 percent of which was estimated to be developable, was used, limited by wetlands and topographical challenges.

It will be interesting to see the cost estimates for various kinds of infrastructure improvements, which will be included in the next phase of the SIS.

Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1280/Southeastern-Infrastructure-Study-SIS for details.

A video of the September 10 meeting at Hope Church is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO26h8oDKso

Reflections on a prefect Tuesday morning

 

Goochland Fire-Rescue paused, as it does every year, on September 11, to remember and pay tribute to those who perished on that perfect Tuesday morning 23 years ago and in its aftermath.

Our public safety community—dispatchers, law enforcement and fire-rescue providers— gathered in the morning at Courthouse Company 5 to read the names of those who lost their lives responding to the terrorist attacks. This was begun in 2010 by former Chief of the Department of Fire-Rescue, Bill MacKay, who responded to the attack on the Pentagon.

In the evening, a community-oriented observance took place at the Manakin Company 1 Fire-Rescue station on Rt. 6 between Manakin and Hockett Roads.

911 memorial in Manakin

There is sacred ground at Company 1, where a 911 memorial built with twisted steel from the 92^nd floor of the North Tower sits in the center of a Pentagon shaped plaza near a winglike rock with the number 93 to honor the brave passengers of Flight 93. The Stars and Stripes and Freedom Flag stand guard overhead.

Ground was broken for the Goochland memorial on September 11, 2011, at the initiative of John Waechter, then president of the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association. It was, according to Manakin Volunteer Capitan Martin Dean, a collaborative effort with other fire-rescue companies and local businesses.  Open 24/7/365 “It is a well-visited memorial,” said Dean.

The Freedom Flag was created by Goochlander Richard Melito, who like most of the world in the aftermath of the attack, wanted to make sure that the events and those who died on that awful day were never forgotten.

The Freedom Flag

John Riley, President of the Freedom Flag Foundation (FFF), recalled a normal Tuesday when a dear friend, a member of his wedding, employed at Cantor Fitzgerald ten floors above the impact of the first plane, died at the hands of terrorists and changed his life forever.

Riley observed that about 80 million people were born after 911 or are too young to remember that horrific day. The mission of the FFF is to educate future generations and honor those who perished with this teaching tool. The Virginia General Assembly unanimously adopted the Freedom Flag as the state’s official symbol of remembrance honoring the victims and heroes of 911. The Foundation hopes to have it adopted in all 50 states.

Each of the ten elements of the Freedom Flag reflects on a specific facet of that horrific and tragic day. (Go to https://www.freedomflagfoundation.org/ to learn more.)

Company 1 Volunteer Rescue Captain Devin Sclater reflected on the significance of the day and how in the ensuing decades conflicting opinions about the cause and aftermath of 911 obscure the significance and sacrifice of the day.

“The call to service is why we are gathered here today to honor those who responded on 911 and in its aftermath. For the generation of teenagers who saw those acts of heroism and were inspired to serve in the military, law enforcement, dispatchers of firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics.

“Goochland’s first responders echo them every time they get on an ambulance or fire apparatus every time a call comes through. County staff miss birthdays and holidays with their loved ones to ensure that you are safe. Volunteers leave their day jobs, often spend sleepless nights at the fire house, then turn around and go back to work the next morning. We all strive every day to emulate the courage shown by those who responded to the 911 terrorist attacks.”

Sclater reflected on the psychologically challenging role of dispatchers, who are a critical component in all emergency responses, on that day.

“Dispatchers who responded to thousands of 911 calls could barely get a word in due to numerous callers with contradicting information. They provided the comfort they could as people died on the phone, then picked up the next call and started all over again. The frustration they felt as they tried to share conflicting reports with emergency personnel so they could be prepared for what they were responding to.”

 She said that divisive media spawned rhetoric detracts from the actions of “selfless responders who raced for a scene that thousands were running from.  Twenty-three years ago, we all froze and watched while the world changed for good. First responders went straight into action with one goal on their minds, the preservation of life and property even in a situation that seemed hopeless.

“Do not allow this day to become politicized. No matter who is president, no matter who is being blamed for the negatives in our society, this firehouse and countless others will hold well-trained men and women prepared 24/7 to respond to any emergency thrown their way. The selfless heroism of dispatch, law enforcement, and fire-rescue, makes me proud to be an American, proud to be a citizen of Goochland, and proud to serve alongside Goochland’s first responders.”

She ended with a quote from David Levithan “What separates us from animals, what separates us from chaos is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.”

May our country find its way back to the unity and resolve of September 12, 2001.

 

 

@ your library

 

The Goochland Branch of the Pamunkey Regional Library

Barbara Young, one of Goochland’s two members on the Pamunkey Regional Library (PRL) Board of Trustees and its current chair, updated county supervisors on the library at their September 3 meeting.

The PRL is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, governed by a separate Board of Trustees, appointed for specific terms of office by the Boards of Supervisors of the counties to which it provides library services.  PRL receives contributions from the participating counties but invests its own funds and formulates and approves its own budget. PRL is a consortium of several counties in central Virginia who pool resources to provide their citizens with more materials and services than possible with standalone libraries.

Hanover, with the largest population of PRL members and six branches, has four trustees, others, like Goochland, have two.

The current PRL members are Goochland, Hanover, and King William. King and Queen left PRL at the end of June for financial reasons. A rumored departure by King William was put on hold following the resignation of its county administrator, whose successor asked PRL for the delay. Young said that she and Shoops hope to meet with King William supervisors to stress the advantages of belonging to PRL.

The PRL Trustees, said Young, received a letter of resignation from library director Tom Shepley on June 13, 2024, which it accepted on June 27. The PRL board then appointed PRL staff members Jamie Stoops, as acting library director, and Sherida Bradbry, as acting assistant director, both having decades of service with PRL, and had been deputy directors.

Young commended Shoops and Bradbury for stepping into their new roles and making the transition seamless. The Trustees have set a deadline to name a permanent director by the end of the current fiscal year, June 30, 2025.

PRL staff are working to make the library’s website more user-friendly. Goochland will be a test site for lockers patrons can use for after-hours pickup of library materials.

Stoops reported that even though the Goochland branch is the fourth largest in PRL, it had the second highest summer reading program participation with 1,728 children signed up. She thanked the supervisors for funding extra hours Monday through Thursday, which boosted meeting room usage by 68 percent and increased library visits by 14 percent.  PRL also experienced a 90 percent increase in new borrowers. Stoops said that a more detailed community impact report will be available in the coming months.

Fiscal stewardship is of utmost importance to the Trustees, said Young. When, in September 2023, they were made aware that required audits for FY 22 and 23 had not been completed, they created an ad hoc audit committee that met weekly with PRL staff. The FY22 audit was completed last December, the FY23 audit finished in June, both were deemed "clean" by outside auditors. Work on the FY 24 audit is ahead of schedule with a part-time CPA retained by the Trustees to ensure its completion by November 30, 2024. Goochland’s FY2025 budget indicates that the county contributed $639,926 to PRL, a $45,465, or 7.6 percent increase over the previous years for staff salary increases.

Young also commended PRL business operations manager Ken Catron for helping to get the finance committee, chaired by Barbara Slone, Goochland’s other trustee, back on a fully functional basis. This committee will provide detailed monthly fund balance reports to the Trustees.

Working closely with PRL staff, the Trustees are in the process of updating policies as well as the five-year plan mandated by the Commonwealth to qualify for state funds. The previous plan, which expired at the end of 2020, never completed its stated goals and objectives. Shoops and Bradbury are gathering stakeholder input using surveys, questionnaires, and focus groups to help PRL meet the needs of its users to craft a new five-year plan.

Slone reiterated that there is no censorship at PRL, no books have been or will be “banned”, and that the Trustees do not select materials for its collection. She urged anyone with questions about this to reach out to the Trustees, whose contact information is on the PRL website, https://www.pamunkeylibrary.org/

Library cards are free to all Goochland residents enabling access to the many services and programs offered by PRL, including an extensive collection of audio and eBooks that can be borrowed online.

 

 

 

 

 

Visitors from the east

 

Green border is CUP site

Visitors from the east attended the September 3 Goochland Board of Supervisors’ meeting. They did not come bearing gold, frankincense, and myrrh, just a TV news crew. Four sitting supervisors from Henrico, in an unprecedented action, attended a public hearing about a conditional use permit application filed by Luck Stone for land adjacent to its Ashland Road quarry. The property in question sits on the Henrico/Goochland line. Three Chopt District Supervisor Misty D. Whitehead, whose district borders the subject property, spoke to concerns of Henrico residents about the CUP during the public hearing.

Before yielding their time to Whitehead, other Henrico supervisors whined about sitting through three hours of public hearings and weighed in on the CUP, ignoring the Goochland rule that you either speak or yield your time.

Luck Stone, which has been in business for more than a century—98 years in Goochland—has operated its Rockville quarry for 59 years, before these homes just east of the county line, most assessed in the high six and low seven figures, were built.

The CUP would allow Luck to use the subject 70-acre site for “overburden”, to place dirt removed in the quarry process there. The CUP application includes a landscaped berm no more than 150 feet high.  Elevations included in the application indicate that the 350-foot-wide berm would have a 2/1 westward slope and will be essentially a landscaped hill between the homes and the quarry property. Luck contended that the berm would provide better sound mitigation between quarrying operations and homes to the east of the property than the existing tree buffer.

The CUP application also includes emergency only access from Kain Road and Axe Handle Lane in Henrico. It has specific language requiring adherence to Goochland’s dark sky lighting regulations, which will remain in force should the county repeal the policy.

The stone quarry business, explained Luck representative Linwood Thomas, is highly regulated by federal and state agencies. These include the Army Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which recognizes Luck Stone as an exceptional environmental enterprise.

The CUP application, said both Thomas and Goochland Deputy County Administrator Josh Gillespie, who made the staff presentation, is “not an easy case.” A community meeting was held by Luck in May, attended mostly by Henrico neighbors of the site, who raised concerns about dust created during berm construction; noise at the LeeHy Paving plant, which is not related to the CUP application; disturbance of “indigenous” animals; stormwater management; wetland impact; and viewshed analysis from existing homes. They also object to the change in buffers including reduction of their width.

Thomas said that Luck has and will continue to meet with neighboring homeowners to address their concerns and work to mitigate concerns. He said that securing the CUP is critical for Luck to continue to operations at the Rockville facility for decades into the future. There will be no mining or other removal of aggregates on the subject property.

Using the site for overburden will keep heavy truck traffic off Ashland Road as the dirt will be trundled from one part of the quarry site to another. Thomas pointed out that the Rockville quarry will continue to operate, but the dirt removed from the ground during mining operations must go somewhere.

District 5 Supervisor Jonathan Lyle reported that he personally visited the residential area east of the Goochland line and wanted to assure those homeowners that Luck will keep lines of communication with adjoining homeowners open. He also clarified that none of the homes in Westridge Estates to the north of the site existed when the 2012 CUP was approved. Homes in Westin Estates have been there since the 70’s.

Board Chair Charlie Vaughters, District 4, opened the public hearing asking Goochlanders to speak first. Testimonials about the valuable role that Luck Stones plays in our community followed.

Carol Taylor, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce said that Luck’s support of programs like women in business; shop small, shop local; Goochland Chamber leadership, scholarships; and the chamber expo that highlights local businesses. "They are exceptional and amazing corporate partners,” Taylor said, asking the board to support the Luck application.

Ben Slone, chair of the Goochland Economic Development Authority said that Luck has the respect of every citizen for its community outreach and urged approval of the CUP.

Ben Johnson has lived near active quarries for his entire life and been a neighbor of Luck for more than 60 years. The berm built near his home, said Johnson, has reduced sound and light pollution and, when landscaped and sculpted, looks natural and attractive. He too referenced Luck’s excellent reputation and said that he has found the company to be receptive to his concerns and easy to work with.

Speakers from Henrico were not so positive. They expressed dissatisfaction with Luck’s response to their concerns. Some contended that the proposed CUP activities are far too close to their property lines and would have a negative impact on thousands of children. One contended that she “was told” when purchasing property that there would be a “forever” 350-foot treed buffer between her property line and quarry property, which the CUP would shrink to 50 feet. They said the “road show” Luck held in May was replete with elevations meant to comfort Henrico homeowners was a “premeditated con job” to approve the equivalent of a 15-story building behind their homes.

Whitehead pointed out that 50 feet is approximately the length of the board room. She also said that the 150-foot berm height proposed by the CUP is about half the height of the Statue of Liberty and asked if Goochland supervisors would like to have a pile of dirt that high in their back yards. Buildings go straight up; the proposed berm would rise gradually over the 350-foot width, like a hill.

Whitehead contended that Luck had not adequately responded to community concerns about air quality, noise, stream protection, and general quality of life. She contended that insufficient modifications, if any, were made to the initial plan and asked why there was “such a rush” to approve the CUP. She repeated a request she made at the July Goochland Planning Commission meeting, where the CUP was recommended for approval 5-0, to defer a final vote to allow Luck and neighbors to hold further discussions in search of a mutually acceptable solution.

Another speaker explained that Axe Handle Lane is dangerous, barely two lanes wide, has no shoulders, and is a school bus route. She said that heavy truck traffic on this road would be deadly. She also said that the constant quarry blasting shakes the foundation of her home. If the road is that bad, why hasn’t Henrico County, which “does” its own roads, made it safer?

In rebuttal Thomas said that Axe Handle Road would be used for emergency purposes only. There will be no construction or other “regular” truck traffic associated with the quarry on this road.

He pointed out that most of the four opposition speakers do not share a boundary with Luck, but are closer to Lee Hy Paving, which was in operation long before their homes were built and not part of the CUP.

The berm, he explained, will begin at the end of the 50-foot buffer and rise gradually to the west, not go straight up.

Lyle said he understands the concerns of homeowners who feel that their sanctuaries are being threatened. He also noted the anger that they expressed that conditions had been misrepresented when they purchased their property and were “told” that they were going to live in the country. “They didn’t get the full story, they got the Pied Pipers, and I can’t fix that,” said Lyle.

Tom Winfree, District 3 pointed out that well-built, landscaped berms provide site protection. He discounted the contentions that the CUP was hurried as it has been on his “radar” for at least a year. He commended his Henrico counterparts for standing up for their citizens. “We have to stand up for our citizens as well, and Luck is a great citizen.” Winfree reiterated that there will be no blasting on the subject site and that approving the overburden area will keep many large trucks off Ashland Road.

Vaughters pointed out that Luck is not just a company that crushes rocks. He “geeks out” at Luck’s engineering at all their facilities. Their berms, said Vaughters, are not just piles of dirt, but rather “heavily engineered structures.” The company has built similar berms in Culpeper, Burkeville, and Fredericksburg as examples.

“You have to see the company for what it is,” said Vaughters. Luck is a very technical engineering company with operations throughout the southeast. “Their engineering is awesome; we can’t say enough about the Luck family’s indelible footprints on so many programs that are critically important to Goochland.”

These include Goochland Cares; creation of the Goochland YMCA; bringing Sheltering Arms to the county; and even donating the first ambulance to Goochland Fire-Rescue volunteers. “This is a model corporate citizen for any jurisdiction,” said Vaughters. “I would hope that any city or county would drool to have a Luck Stone in their boundaries. Being critical  of Luck in many ways is like calling Santa fat and ugly.”

He pushed back against negative comments made earlier in the meeting. “People need to watch their words and measure them because you have to realize that you’re talking about someone with a sterling reputation and they’re not going to be taken down with stones thrown and misinformation. There is reason that Goochland representatives are heavily supportive. We want to do everything we can to see Luck flourishing in Goochland for another hundred years.”

Vaughters said that he understands that some will be unhappy with the decision, but that Luck presented its case, and the board is firmly in support of the CUP, which was unanimously approved.

The Ashland Road corridor has been an industrial area for decades. Why people build homes nearby is a mystery. Also, if the environmental conditions near quarries and paving plants are so bad why did Henrico recently build an elementary school nearby?

None of the elected officials in the room were in office when the homes were built near the quarry. This is a cautionary tale for all of them going forward. When people buy homes, they tend to believe whatever developers tell them about the property and do little, if any, independent research. After they move into those homes and learn all the facts, they want local government to make it better. Supervisors need to look long and hard at all aspects of residential rezoning requests to avoid unintended consequences.

It seemed like there was something else going on beneath the surface here. Were the Henrico supervisors really supporting a citizen concern about a zoning issue or was their presence an attempt at intimidation?

Goochland’s board stood its ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Southern infrastructure Study results

 Consultants Timmons Group and 3TP Ventures and Community Development staff will present results from Southeastern Infrastructure Study (SIS).

This follow ups on an initial community meeting held in March 2024.

 

SIS Community Meeting – September 10, 2024

 

Southeastern Infrastructure Study Community Meeting

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

6:30 – 8:30 PM (Presentation starts at 6:45 PM)

Hope Church

12445 Patterson Avenue

Richmond, VA 23238

 

Consultants Timmons Group and 3TP Ventures and Community Development will hold a Community Meeting to discuss the SIS study on Tuesday, September 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hope Church located 12445 Patterson Avenue, Richmond, VA 23238.

A presentation will start at 6:45 p.m.

 

Members of the community are encouraged to attend.

 

For additional information on the Southeastern Infrastructure Study, please visit https://www.goochlandva.us/1280/Southeastern-Infrastructure-Study-SIS

 

Wayne and Diane Dementi

One of the more pleasant tasks undertaken by the Goochland Board of Supervisors is honoring citizens who make our little corner of the world a better place.

On September 4, the board adopted a resolution honor of Wayne Dementi of Centerville following his induction into the Goochland County Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame. This recognizes individuals who have made longstanding humanitarian contributions to the community. Past honorees include Sally Graham of Goochland Cares; Ann Casey of Goochland CASA and Christmas Mother; Calvin Hopkins; and Vern Fleming.

Dementi’s trademark grin and can-do attitude are familiar to Goochlanders. His involvement in a wide range of community organizations has had a lasting impact on the community. It is not an exaggeration to say that if something good happened in Goochland in the last few decades, Dementi was involved, if not at the forefront.

These include the merger of Goochland Family Fellowship and the Free Clinic into Goochland Cares; creation of Tucker Park and founding of the Friends of Goochland Parks; the Courthouse Green restoration project; creation of Goochland Pet Lovers and overseeing the fundraising effort that made the adoption wing of the animal shelter possible.

Dementi’s local leadership roles include president of the Goochland Rotary Club, a community treasure in itself; the Goochland Historical Society; Goochland Cares; and the Goochland Chamber of Commerce.

A book publisher by trade, Dementi co-authored “Facts and Legends of Goochland County” to enrich community understanding of our past. (Available at the Goochland Historical Society http://www.goochlandhistory.org/ )

Of his induction into the Wall of Fame, Dementi said, “Goochland has a great culture for citizen involvement. We are truly blessed to have the county leadership we have. Dianne and I know we have been blessed to call Goochland home. Goochland is easy to love.

 

 

Riches under our feet

 

Increasing county revenue without hiking the real estate tax rate is a hot topic. County officials are exploring ways to attract business investment, including data centers, to Goochland. There might well be another significant source of tax revenue under our feet.

Extracting mineral wealth in Goochland has a rich history of mining for gold in the upper end and coal near Manakin, formerly known as Dover Mines. Now, pulling wealth from Goochland soil involves rock quarries that supply gravel and related products to the construction industry. Active quarries in Goochland are operated by Luck Stone, Martin Marietta, and Vulcan Materials. It’s called Rockville for a reason.

Could there be other mineral riches beneath our feet, whose extraction could fund exceptional government services, and add wealth to landowners, while having little impact on the county’s rural beauty?

Larry Hein, who lives in Texas and owns property in Goochland thinks so. An engineer who also holds an MBA, CPA, and is a graduate of the Southern Methodist University’s Oil and Gas Strategy school, with decades of experience in the energy field, Hein urged county officials to use the strategy of “drill, baby drill” to preserve the county’s rural character.

At both the August Board of Supervisors’ meeting and the August 24 economic development workshop, Hein declared that there is enough natural gas under Goochland to power the Richmond region for a century. He believes that using modern extraction techniques, including horizontal drilling, natural gas can be safely extracted with no impact on aquifers, residential wells, or geology. As his remarks were made near the anniversary of the 2011 earthquake, this is important.

Hein explained that he participated in mineral exploration on the east coast in the mid-80s and personally modeled this area believing it was a “busy work” project given to a young engineer. There is “hydrocarbon potential” on the coastal plain from south Jersey to South Carolina, he said. The question, said Hein, is how to “tap” it. Advances in horizontal drily, several miles down, now make extraction feasible and safe.

“The key thing,” said Hein, “is not whether there is oil and gas under us, but that the oil and gas industry thinks there is.”

Leasing operations are fast, they typically occur in less than a year, said Hein. “They (energy companies) get interested, the buy in and develop, or walk away from it.”

Exploiting Goochland’s natural gas resources, contended Hein, could generate enough revenue to eliminate much of residential property tax and provide income for landowners so they would not be tempted to sell to developers.

 He urged the county to be proactive and prepare for exploration by major energy companies by creating a severance tax of 7.3 percent on all minerals extracted from depths below 500 feet. Of this, he suggested that seven percent be used to pay all residential property tax over $4,000 (sharing some of the wealth with everyone). The rest would be put into a rainy-day fund to bring “city” water to western Goochland and pave all gravel roads. The remaining .3 percent would pay for all Goochland children to attend a Virginia college or trade school; a center for veterans; and transition housing for mothers who are victims of domestic abuse.

Other actions Hein suggested the county take include having fire-rescue use online resources to train in support of energy extraction;  have the Clerk of Court visit her counterpart in Midland, Texas to learn how to expeditiously process gas leases; have the county attorney familiarize herself with oil, gas and mineral extraction law; educate residents on the mechanisms and benefits of gas leases; establish oil industry overlays for storage of rigs, pipe, and equipment;  identify “lease squares” in discrete environmentally considerate locations; and use the Economic Development Authority to advise energy companies how Goochland is prepared for horizontal production. Hein contended that this last action would warn off “rogue” players and entice the considerate ones.

Hein claimed, on August 24, to have spoken with a major energy company that was interested in Goochland mineral resources and sent information about us.

Where will this lead? Hein has spoken with most, if not all, supervisors, and other county officials. The scenario outlined by Hein is intriguing. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

Stay tuned.