The August 5 meeting of the Goochland Board of Supervisors
began on a sorrowful note as Pastor Joe Brown of Goochland Presbyterian Church asked
the Lord for profound comfort and peace for the family of Tia Baehr, wife of
Captain Jason Baehr of the Goochland Sheriff’s Office, who passed suddenly. The
community mourns this loss within the GCSO family and keeps them in our
prayers.
Board Chair Tom Winfree, District 3 was absent to attend to
a “private matter” according to Vice Chair Jonathan Christy, who presided at
the meeting.
County Administrator’s Comments
Dr. Jeremy Raley, Ed.D. shared updates about the proposed
technology overlay district and technology zone (go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1408/Technology-Overlay-District-Technology-Z)
for details. He said that the county received great community feedback from the
July 7 community meeting and continues to do so. To ensure that all perspectives
on this matter are heard, the items will be rescheduled to the September 18
planning commission meeting, a postponement from the original August 21 date.
In addition, a second public community meeting will take place in the next few
weeks that will be livestreamed and archived. Notice of this meeting will be
shared via mailings, social media posts, the county website, and email
distribution lists.
The next class of Goochland Leadership Enterprise is
forming. Go to https://www.facebook.com/GoochlandLeadershipEnterprise#
for more information and to sign up. GLE is a great way to learn about
Goochland and meet people from all parts of the county and all walks of life
that share an interest in the community.
West Creek Fire-Rescue Station
Raley announced that the Company 7 West Creek Fire-Rescue
Station, whose construction was put on “pause” by the previous administrator,
will move forward on the original site on the east side of Hockett Road north
of Tuckahoe Creek Parkway. The need for an additional fire-rescue station in
the eastern part of the county was identified as far back as 2012.
“The topic was discussed at great length in several
community meetings in 2017 to identify the best location. In 2022, five acres
of land, the current site, was donated to the county for the station by West
Creek Associates. Following a process which included community meetings and
public input, the planning commission and supervisors approved rezoning of this
parcel on April 2, 2024.”
The previous county administrator then put the project on
pause, after which a broader and more comprehensive look at other potential
locations was made. Staff reviewed sites along Tuckahoe Creek Parkway, CarMax,
Capital One, the former West Creek Emergency Center, for which the county was
outbid by another entity, and explored the possibility of locating the station
on county-owned property roughly opposite Greenswell Growers on Hockett Road.
Fire-Rescue has explored options regarding use of lights and
sirens when entering and exiting the proposed location. A detailed discussion
with VDOT regarding speed and safety and the larger road network was also discussed.
After all of this work, said Raley, it has been determined that
the original site allows the best north-south, east-west access and is well positioned
to support an increasing number of fire-EMS calls in surrounding residential areas,
West Creek business park, and nearby designated growth areas.
“Given this thorough analysis and due diligence since 2024, the
work on station 7 is now being unpaused. We will continue to move forward to
build station 7 on the five acre parcel owned by Goochland County on Hockett
Road near the intersection with Tuckahoe Creek Parkway. We are committed to
working with all stakeholders and neighbors on this project to ensure that it
is successful for all involved.”
This is very good news to those of us who sat outside on a rainy election day in 2021 advocating for approval of the bond referendum to fund this station.
Citizen feedback
Continuing his commitment to learning from the community and
gathering feedback to enable local government to better serve its citizens,
Raley said that a feature on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ “tell us how
we’re doing” has been moved front and center to the homepage. “We
would love to get your thoughts on how we’re doing to ultimately serve you
better. If you have a positive experience, a negative experience, or if you
want to give a shout out to any member of our team and let us know about the
good work we’re doing and opportunities to serve you better."
GYAA
Brandy Sims, on behalf of GYAA and the Goochland Youth
Softball community, publicly thanked “incredible” county departments that made
the District Five Darlings and Ponytails division all-star tournament not only possible
but exceptional.
The tournament brought together young athletes, families, and
fans from across the region to Goochland County. They came for the tournament
but left with an exceptional experience, said Sims.
She praised the dedication teamwork, and professionalism of county
staff, especially the parks and rec grounds crew.
“Your efforts did not go unnoticed. You’ve been in overdrive
not just during the tournament, but during the entire season, which to my recollection
has been the wettest in years. Game after game, the ground crew ensured that
field conditions were safe, playable, and beautiful. You made it happen with
long hours, attention to detail, and commitment to our community’s youth.”
Sims commended fire-rescue, whose presence throughout the tournament
brought peace of mind to families ensuring that player safety was never in
question. “Whether it was handling heat, minor injuries, or simply being on
standby, your professionalism and care were appreciated more than you know.”
She also praised the Goochland Sheriff’s Office for its “visible
support, keeping our families and guests safe, and for being a welcoming
presence throughout the tournament. Whether patrolling the grounds or just taking
time to chat, the GCSO showed exactly what community policing looks like. The
collaboration between departments gave young athletes a chance to shine on the
field and reminded us all what can be achieved when we work together. You
turned a simple weekend of games into a showcase of what makes Goochland a
beautiful place to live and raise a family.”
Sims then presented donations to the Michael G.“Tink” Sims
Memorial Scholarship Fund, created to honor the sacrifice of the only Goochland
Volunteer firefighter to die in the line of duty, and the Goochland Sheriff’s
Foundation.
Broadband update
Paul Drumwright, Community Affairs Manager, the county’s point
person on broadband, reported that connection activity is ongoing across the
county from the west end to Crozier. The number of active connections is 1,574
with 79 in July. Firefly, said Drumwright, is staying very busy working toward its goal of having everyone connected, or close
to it, by the end of 2025. He said that Firefly sent out notifications to
people who started but did finish registration process to see if they are still
interested. He said that broadband connection questions can be directed to Raley
at jraley@goochlandva.us for action.
Other departmental reports are in the August 5 board packet.
