Attracting visitors

 

The "men's farm" on Rt. 6 would make a great state park

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Tourism is touted as one of the best forms of economic development. People come, enjoy the local sights, spend money, and go home to educate their children and grow old elsewhere.

Visitor spending for Goochland County reached $62.4 million in 2025, a 5.4 percent increase over 2024. According to a recent press release from the county, (https://www.goochlandva.us/m/newsflash/home/detail/1458) tourism supported 463 jobs in Goochland and generated $2.5 million in local tax revenue. (Go to http://www.exploregoochland.com/ to see all that the county has to offer.)

On September 19 farm tours (https://exploregoochland.com/192/2026-Goochland-County-Farm-Tours) provide a glimpse into local agriculture.

Our potent potable—wine, whiskey, and cider—establishments bring visitors to the county. The annual Deep Run Horse Show attracts equestrians from all over the country, as do Goochland Day, the Fall Festival, and our Fourth of July fireworks.

Event venues are another tourism-based local industry.

“Get Hitched in Goochland” (https://www.exploregoochland.com/155/Get-Hitched-in-Goochland) brings lovers to unique local settings that range from a barn to a castle and everything in between for their special day. This also gives their guests a look at Goochland.

The exquisite grounds of Rassawek Vineyard, https://rassawek.com/  offer a unique setting for events and festivals and overnight lodging in antique train cars.  

Dover Hall https://www.doverhall.com/blog, The Estate at River Run https://www.theestateatriverrun.com/ and Virginia Barn Weddings at the Adams International School are other choices. These venues host other kinds of gatherings and events that bring visitors to the county.

A proposed polo facility could further enhance Goochland’s equestrian tradition.

The 2027 legislative agenda, the county’s “wish list” for help from the state, included a request by the Economic Development Authority to transfer ownership of closed Department of Corrections property, “men’s farm”, and the vacant Reynolds Community college campus, to the county along with transition funding.

The state farm property, a good part of which is in flood plain, is an ideal site for a state park along the James River. It has buildings of historical significance, which the state has left to molder, which could be restored and repurposed for community use. This might also be a suitable location for a shooting range.

The Reynolds Community College property, 90 acres of prime real estate in the center of Courthouse Village, which has been mostly empty since before Covid, could soon become a pharmaceutical manufacturing training center to complement the Eli Lilly facility coming to West Creek.

Tourism helps landowners use their property to generate revenue and resist the siren song of developers to keep 85 percent of Goochland rural.

Turn, turn, turn

 

Green T intersection (VDOT image)

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Tract, the entity that filed a conditional use application to build a data center campus on more than 800 acres roughly between Hockett Road and West Creek in the county’s east end, held a second community meeting on September 14 to explain and discuss changes made to the initial CUP application following the first meeting held in July.

Go to https://www.youtube.com/live/YQ_zk0LHj_Y to view a recording of the meeting. Also, see https://www.tuckahoetechparkinfo.com/facts for updated details on the proposal.

Unlike the first meeting, which seemed dismissive of citizen comments, on September 14 the Tract representative, Erin Fosdick, tried to address and respond to questions and concerns. Opponents will only be satisfied if the proposal is withdrawn.

Revisions to the CUP application including more robust and binding requirements for setbacks, sound mitigation, water use, and generator testing for end users, which could be several entities that have not yet been identified, were shared. The focus was on the operational phase of data centers, years in the future.

The initial CUP pre-application—for the record any landowner in Goochland is entitled to file a pre-application to request land use changes, with no guarantee it will be approved—showed the main access point to the proposed data center campus on the north side of Rt. 6, just east of its intersection with Hockett Road. They could not have chosen a more treacherous location.

The revised CUP application moved the main access point to Hockett Road, a couple of miles north of Rt.6 for all construction and operational traffic. Something called a "green " intersection, allegedly approved by the geniuses in the VDOT—the state agency whose motto is “Oops!”—bunker somewhere under Richmond, will improve safety and traffic flow. This right in, right out configuration could require fully loaded dump and logging trucks to make U turns, should they need to go east. Fosdick said that traffic from the site would be required to travel south only, with no mechanism for enforcement.

There is no mention of any improvement to the narrow, winding section of Hockett Road to accommodate the multitude of heavy equipment needed to build the proposed data center campus. Construction would begin at 7 a.m. just in time for big trucks to mix with commuter traffic. Who will pay for the pavement damage caused by all that heavy truck traffic on Hockett Road? Fosdick seemed to indicate that there could be further discussion on this matter but did confirm that all road improvements must be complete before any data center construction starts.

Regardless of whether the data center campus is approved, at some point those 870 acres will be developed. Currently the property is heavily wooded. It seems likely that the justification for land use tax status on some of its parcels is that they are in forestal use, trees grown for commercial purposes.

Where will all those trees go after they are felled? How will the land be cleared?  Fosdick touted the low floor area ratio (FAR), the percentage of land to be covered by buildings, but the actual acreage expected to be clear cut is still quite vague.  The application includes open space—areas with no buildings—percentages but does not specify if that means trees removed.

The Tract application includes sound abatement measures for data center and generator operations, Fosdick contended that those same noise standards would apply to construction activity. There was no mention of enforcement of sound mitigation during construction. Are there quiet chainsaws and bull dozers?

Rather than dump heavy construction vehicles into Hockett Road traffic for the next several years, Tract should build a new, straighter, wider and safer roadway along its frontage as a show of good faith.

 

 

Never forget

 

Evert year on September 11, Goochland Fire-Rescue sponsors events commemorating the terrorist attacks on American soil that forever changed the world.

A morning service geared to the sacrifices made by those in public safety—law enforcement, firefighters, Emergency Medical responders, animal protection—was held at Courthouse Company 5, in the shadow of Old Glory deployed from its ladder truck.

In the evening, a more general observance took place at Manakin Company 1, home to Goochland’s 911 memorial, which contains steel from the Twin Towers in New York. It included a presentation about the Freedom Flag (https://www.freedomflagfoundation.org/) that honors all who died at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

During the morning session, the names of all NYFD firefighters, EMS personnel, and law enforcement officers who were killed on that horrific day were read to make sure they are never forgotten.  Some of the readers had not yet been born on 911. Vignettes about heroes who died helping others, their dedication to service, and how they ran toward danger were shared. Names of those who perished during the past year from 911 related illnesses that continue to kill, were also read.

Following fire service tradition, a bell was rung to honor the fallen.

National media was filled with stories about the fallen and images of their still grieving families. We must never forget any of the people who were killed during the 911 attacks and make sure that the millions of young people who have been born in the last 25 years know their stories.

Those who choose public safety careers are unique individuals. They train hard to learn how to run toward emergencies, bring order out of chaos, and give aid to those impacted with grace. They never know what their next shift will bring and shrug “what if?” to the back of their minds. Their families send them off, proud of their accomplishments and dedication to service, with prayers for their safe return.

The morning event concluded with the placement by members of Goochland American Legion Post 215 of a memorial wreath at the base of the Company 5 flagpole to honor the heroes of 911 near the marker honoring Michael “Tink” Sims, the was the only Goochland Fire-Rescue volunteer to die in the line of service.

Angels walk among us. They travel in Sheriff’s cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. They give us their best on our worst days and deserve our prayers for their safety.

Learn what Goochland is all about

 

An exquisite finish to the GLE dinner with Supervisors prepared by the GHS Culinary Arts Students

Goochland Leadership Enterprise, GLE, began educating citizens about the county 30 years ago. In the intervening decades, hundreds of Goochlanders have participated in the program gaining deep insight about the workings of local government, and how to get involved with organizations that build and enrich the community. Some graduates have gone on to hold elected and appointed offices, many have and do fill leadership roles in community organizations, while others are informed citizens.

Interacting with people from all walks of life and all parts of the county that they might not otherwise encounter gives GLE participants perspective on Goochland as a whole, not just their individual “flight paths”. It also dispels incorrect preconceived notions.

Matthew Wenzel, who recently succeeded Pete Williams as GLE Planning Committee Chair, first learned about GLE after moving here in 2017, but his travel schedule made participation difficult at that time. Early encounters with “official” Goochland, which Wenzel and his wife found welcoming compared to Henrico, made him want to learn more about the place he now called home.

He signed up for the 23^rd class, which formed as the world crawled out of the pandemic, with neighbors, who carpooled to classes and had lively discussions about the sessions on the way home.

After completing GLE, Wenzel and fellow class members met with Williams to discuss ways to enhance the program. According to Wenzel, Williams’ superpower is his ability to listen and implement constructive feedback. This led to Wenzel’s increased involvement in planning GLE sessions and succeeding Williams.

The next class, the 28^th, is forming and kicks off on October 14 with orientation, a pictorial tour of the county, and its history.  The program consists of twelve classes, held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at various locations around the county. GLE graduates, some relative newcomers, others lifelong residents, lead and organize sessions.

Topics include Goochland history; fire-rescue; Constitutional Officers; education; agriculture and natural resources; ways to get involved with local organizations; dinner with the Board of Supervisors catered by the Goochland High School Culinary Arts Department; meeting with our delegation to the state legislature in Richmond; and a graduation dinner. It’s not too late to join.

Go to https://goochland.ext.vt.edu/get-involved.html for the brochure and application. Follow Goochland Leadership Enterprise on Facebook.

 

Enhancing community

 

At the start of their evening meeting on September 1, Goochland supervisors recognized two extraordinary men for their contributions to the community.

 

Vernon Fleming

Vern Fleming (l) Board Chair Jonathan Christy (r)

Each year, a Goochland resident is honored with inclusion on the Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame. This award recognizes a Goochland resident with longstanding humanitarian commitment to addressing community needs. It brings to light community service as an important element of the humanitarian mission, and highlights individuals whose actions are examples of social responsiveness on behalf of Goochland County. The award recipient must have demonstrated broad-based commitment to community service as reflected in a variety of programs and initiatives which are responsive to community and social needs.

Vern Fleming, whose quiet presence and hard work has influenced excellence in many community organizations in Goochland and regionally, is the 2026 inductee.

After retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army, Fleming used his more than 30 years of professional leadership experience in roles that include President of the Board of Directors of Goochland Cares; President of the Goochland Rotary Club; President of the Board of Directors of the Louisa Historical Society; interim member of the Goochland School Board; past president of the Board of Directors of the Shady Grove Rosenwald School in Gum Spring;  and secretary of the Goochland Recreation Center where he was instrumental in the installation of a historical marker.

Fleming spearheaded vital relief initiatives during the Covid 19 pandemic. He has championed local youth through the YMCA’s Bright Beginnings Program; funding scholarships and organizing Christmas Mother gifts and supplies. His exemplary hands-on commitment to volunteerism, deep compassion, and service above self, have fostered a stronger, more resilient, and united community. In short, if something good is happening in Goochland, Vern Fleming helped make it happen.

 

Fire Marshal Doug Davies

Doug Davies (l) Jonathan Christy (r)

Douglas H. Davies, who retired as Goochland Fire Marshal, earlier this year, was honored for his achievements in that role.

His commitment to public safety began in 1976, when as a 15-year-old, he joined the Lakeside Volunteer Rescue Squad where he held many leadership roles and earned life-member status.

Davies pursued careers in both the fire service and law enforcement. He served with both the Henrico and Richmond Sheriff’s Offices, including assignment to the FBI fugitive task force. He joined the Henrico Division of Fire in 2002, rising to assistant fire marshal.

 In 2012, Davies was hired as Goochland Fire Marshal, where he rebuilt the office, which had been vacant for several years due to budget constraints, strengthening relationships with county departments, local businesses, and citizens. As Fire Marshal, Davies administered the Virginia statewide fire code through education, engineering, and enforcement.

As Fire Marshal Davies conducted more than 500 annual fire inspections, and development review process to ensure compliance with fire codes.

He conducted more than 800 fire investigations, including those with fatalities, using advanced investigative science and best practices.

Davies created and enhanced fire safety programs for adults, seniors and children, including the fourth-grade fire-safety curriculum in all county schools, scenarios, and barn fire programs. He managed the county smoke detector program and secured a children’s safety trailer for educational programs.

He managed the Knox box program, which enables first responders to access secure location during emergencies without waiting for a keyholder to arrive. As fire marshal Davies oversaw the county’s dry hydrants, which enable fire engines to draw water from ponds and streams.

David held the rank of chief officer in Goochland Fire-Rescue and is a nationally registered paramedic and maintains respected professional affiliations at both the state and federal level.

He was commended by the supervisors for having selflessly served Goochland County for 14 years as Fire Marshal, modeling servant leadership and contributing significantly to community safety.

Best wishes in your next chapter Doug!

 

 

Chatting with our Delegates

 

Delegates Tom  Garrett and May Nivar listen to Goochland officials

Virginia is Dillon’s Rule state, which means that localities like Goochland have only those powers specifically given to them by the General Assembly. Each of the 100 members of the House of Delegates represents about 85,000 people; the 40 state senators about 215,000. As Goochland’s population is approximately 29,000, we share representatives with other jurisdictions.

District boundaries are revised after each decennial U S census, the most recent in 2020. Currently, Goochland is represented in the House of Delegates by Democrat May Nivar, whose 57^th District includes parts of eastern Goochland and western Henrico; and Republican Tom Garrett, whose 56^th District includes most of Goochland and Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Cumberland, and part of Prince Edward County.

Go to https://vga.virginia.gov/ to learn more about the General Assembly.

Each year, Goochland prepares a legislative agenda, a list of issues of concern to the county that could be negatively impacted by General Assembly actions and meets with our deletion to share insights into these matters. The 2027 Goochland Legislative Agenda is included in the September 1, 3 p.m. agenda packet available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ under the “watch county meetings tab”.

On September 1, Nivar and Garrett—State Senator Luther Cifers, whose 10^th District includes Goochland, was unable to attend—met with the board of supervisors, members of the school board, Economic Development Authority, and Constructional Officers Amanda Adams Clerk of the Court and Commonwealth’s Attorney John Lumpkins, Jr. The 90-minute session was a good conversation among those who represent Goochland at various levels. Highlights follow.

The legislative agenda is broken into broad themes that include: protect and preserve local governing authority over land use, revenue collection; oppose unfunded mandates, and support Second Amendment rights; support measures to mitigate the effect of state facilities and exempt property on the local tax base and provide a detailed plan regarding removal and/or adaptive reuse of Department of Corrections installations; fully support transfer of the Reynolds Community College property in Courthouse Village to the exclusive ownership of the county for workforce education including advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing training; and support of fair and sustainable funding formulas that do not place an undue burden on localities.

Garrett lauded Goochland for holding the session, which helps him understand how specific legislation either helps or harms the county. He believes that decisions directly impacting communities should be made locally, not “by people who will never drive through your county.”  He said the best he can do is fight for these decisions to be made close to home, not by the State Corporation Commission, because each locality has different needs.

Garrett cited a bill that would have determined siting of large-scale solar facilities and accompanying battery storage at the state level as an example. He also said that “very clear lines” need to be drawn around the use of Flock cameras to protect individual freedoms.

 State legislators wade through thousands of bills during annual sessions that vary between 45 and 60 days. Garrett contended that Goochland is blessed to have GA representation on both sides of the aisle.

Nivar concurred that learning firsthand about issues that concern Goochland helps her evaluate bills during a session and encouraged Goochland to keep her office informed about county concerns with pending legislation. She contended that both sides of the aisle agree on many topics but have different ideas on how to achieve specific goals. Nivar contended that Virginia’s energy future is one of the most important issues currently facing the state. She has great appreciation for the work of the State Corporation Commission in the energy sphere but did not go into detail. Despite common themes, Nivar acknowledged that “one size does not fit all.”

County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley welcomed the delegates and gave a brief history of the Central High School Educational and Cultural Center, which was built as an African American high school before integration, served as the county middle school and was renovated for its current function as a vital county facility.

Raley echoed comments made by both Garrett and Nivar that decisions relating to Goochland are best made locally, not in Richmond.

Of major concern is pending legislation to mandate collective bargaining for government employees and the significant fiscal impact that could have locally, especially on the school budget. Pushback against the Valley Link transmission line, is another hot topic.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5 wanted to know if sales tax collected by the state for e commerce, and transient occupancy tax for Air BnBs goes to the locality that generates it. Goochland has many homes with out of county zip codes, homes in Mosaic, for instance have Richmond addresses. Lyle wants assurance that the Virginia Department of Taxation does indeed have a method to determine the exact locality in which these sales taxes are generated and remit them accordingly. “If we’re going to tax people, let’s make sure that the people who pay the tax get the benefit,” said Lyle.

He too expressed concerns about the collective bargaining issue. While collective bargaining might make sense in larger localities in Northern Virginia, it does not here. “Teachers like teaching in Goochland. I absolutely want to compensate our teachers well.” He prefers making this a local option, not a state mandate.

Lyle said that counties do not have the power to require property sellers to disclose things like the ad valorem tax levied on property in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District or details about nearby properties to enable buyers to make informed decisions before signing on the dotted line. He would like to see that removed.

Garrett opposes an initiative to allow localities to add one cent to their sales tax rate to build schools because not everyone is able to shop where they live. Indeed, many Goochlanders who shop in Short Pump or Zion Crossroads help other localities build schools.

Garret said that the money Chesterfield County would spend on collective bargaining would fund more than 300 teachers. He said that Goochland has done things right and should not be punished with another unfunded mandate. He contended that the GA understands just how onerous collective bargaining for public employees is because it carved out an exclusion for its own staff from the measure.

Nivar agreed that Goochland and Henrico are doing the right things for their employees, but not all localities are. She believes that public employees should have a seat at the table to have the ability to negotiate what fair pay is and have their voices heard. She supports the collective bargaining mandate and noted that the one percent extra sales tax levy is a local choice.

Goochland School Superintendent Dr. Andy Armstrong thanked Garrett and Nivar for being engaged with Goochland Schools. He said that school divisions where teachers are not paid well work in mold infested schools need collective bargaining; Goochland does not. Collective bargaining would cost Goochland about $1million in administrative costs.

The School Division would prefer the state move to a student-weighted funding formula for public schools that prioritizes funding based on student needs and recognizes unique characteristics of local, especially rural communities. Armstrong contended that each of Virginia’s 131 school divisions has a unique character and giving them more flexibility will enable them to better serve the unique needs of their students.

The dreaded local composite index (LCI) was a thread that wove through the discussion. LCI is the mechanism used to calculate the percentage of school and constitutional officer costs paid by the state government, essentially the ability of a county to pay its own way. It is a source of fiscal heartburn for most localities in the Commonwealth,

Goochland’s LCI is 80, which means that we pay 80 percent of local costs, the same as Alexandria and Fairfax. Henrico’s is 43. The LCI formula uses real property value, adjusted gross income, and retail sales to determine local ability to pay. It takes relatively few affluent taxpayers in a small population to make the adjusted gross income component meaningless.

“Decisions made in Richmond with all good intent are masked by the local composite index,” Raley observed.

Neil Spoonhower, District 2 expressed frustration that the LCI also impacts Contutional Offices leaving the county to make up the difference often after the local annual balanced budget is approved. “If the General Assembly decides that certain employees get a $1,000 bonus, Goochland has to come up with $800.”

Nivar, who sits on the counties, cities and towns subcommittee, said she was not familiar with the LCI and asked for help in understanding how it works for Goochland in a separate meeting.

Board Chair Jonathan Christy, District 1 expressed frustration that power hungry data centers in Northen Virginia can despoil rural land for Valley Link without any mandate requiring them to generate power closer to where it is needed.

Garrett said that the fight against Valley Link is a math game. Most GA reps, including powerful committee chairs, come from a few counties in northern Virginia, which benefit mightily from data center revenue.  “It doesn’t have to be there,” he said of the proposed power line route. He contended that 80 percent of the state is getting told what to do by the other 20 percent. “Land use decisions should be made at the local level. I have opinion on lots of stuff, but it’s not my job to tell localities what to do. This is not a republican or democrat issue it’s what important to the people I serve.”

Nivar said that the voices of Goochland residents who have made it clear that they don’t want Valley Link is important. She pointed out that ultimately the Valley Link decision will be made by the SCC.

The supervisors unanimously adopted their agenda later in the day. It is included in its entirety in the September 1 board packet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark your calendars

 

Labor Day is late this year, but there’s lots going on locally in September.

·         September 10- Goochland Fire-Rescue partners with Inova for a blood drive in the Sports Complex, 1800 Sandy Hook Road (behind the admin building) in Courthouse Village from noon to 5 p.m. This is the entity that supplies us with whole blood used by our EMS providers in pre-hospital emergency care. Since Goochland implemented this procedure on September 17, 2025, 12 units of low titer O+ whole blood have been administered, most recently to patients experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding. To sign up for the blood drive go to https://tinyurl.com/GCFR0910.

·         September 11-Goochland will mark the 25^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania with two observances. The first, primarily for first responders, will be held at Courthouse Company 5 fire-rescue station beginning at 9:45 a.m. This ceremony will include reading the names of those in the public safety community who made the ultimate sacrifice on that horrible day. The second will be held at the Manakin Company 1 fire-rescue station at 180 Rover Road West in Manakin Sabot beginning at 7 p.m. This community observance will include a presentation about the Freedom Flag and the Goochland County 911 memorial built with steel from the twin towers. Both are open to the public.

·         September 12- The Goochland Ag Fair will be held at “the old GES field” (please give this nice outdoor gathering space a new name) from 10-3 to celebrate our agricultural heritage. The event will include a livestock show. This is a great way to find out what “rural” is all about.

·         September 19-A commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of Goochland Courthouse will be held on the Courthouse Green from 10-12. The free family friendly celebration of Goochland’s rich history will include reenactments, a historical play, a commemorative brick laying ceremony, an interactive walking trail on the green, and the opportunity to write notes for inclusion in a time capsule to be placed in the not yet built new courthouse to be opened in 100 years.

·         September 19-Goochland Farm tour- several local agricultural operations will be open for tours. Go to https://www.exploregoochland.com/192/2026-Goochland-County-Farm-Tours for details.

·         October 5-Fire-Rescue Show 5-9 p.m. behind Goochland High School. Free family-friendly event. There will be demonstrations, food trucks, an opportunity to meet the people who save lives and protect property in Goochland and fireworks!

Back to the drawing board

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Goochland County is going back to the drawing board to revise the ordinance that created the Technology Overlay District (TOD) last November. A letter was mailed to every household in Goochland announcing the initiative and inviting residents to a community meeting on August 27.

There was no agenda for the meeting, which filled the high school auditorium and was facilitated by County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley. His opening remarks explained the zoning amendment process. Going forward, language amending the TOD, M-1 and M-2 zoning districts will be crafted, using input from the session and to align it with state law that recently went into effect regarding energy.  The zoning amendments will allow data centers only in the TOD footprint, which he contended is the only place in the county with infrastructure to support them.  Basically, no data centers west of Hockett Road.

As is required of all zoning changes, the proposed amendments, which are expected to include specific standards for data centers, will then be referred to the planning commission for its recommendation after a public hearing and then on to the supervisors for a final vote. This is why yellow “zoning action” signs have been deployed around the edges of the TOD.

The TOD was created to impose greater restrictions than in existing M-1 zoning for hi tech companies provided.  Since the TOD was approved last November, citizens have repeatedly asked that strict and very specific standards for data centers be added to the ordinance.

(Two planning commissioners, Amanda Kowalski, District 2 and Jess McLaughlin, District 2, submitted their resignations after last week’s marathon meeting about a proposed shooting range in District 1. For those interested in filling these vacancies go to https://goochlandva.granicus.com/boards/w/6b9d5c7521fc8c16. Given the complicated nature of recent land use cases and the vitriol directed at planning commissioners, it’s miracle that anyone would be willing to serve.)

Citizen remarks made during more than three hours could be condensed into “prohibit data centers anywhere in Goochland County and permanently banish them to the seventh circle of hell”.

Earlier in the month, the county received a formal conditional use permit (CUP) application for TTP, a data center campus proposed on the 871 acres zoned A-2, known as “TOD west,” between Hockett Road and West Creek. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1480/Tuckahoe-Technology-Park.  The Tuckahoe Technology Park (TTP) project has become a test case illustrating the need for clear, specific standards in the TOD.

Raley explained that while the county is obligated by state law to accept and review land use change applications, there is no guarantee that they will be approved.

The county’s response to TTP about the completeness of its submission, also available on the above link, pokes so many holes in application that it resembles a colander. At best the submittal is sloppy, at worst an insult to Goochland. Another TTP community meeting has been scheduled for Monday, September 14, hopefully to address inadequacies.

The list of deficiencies cited by the county in the initial application is nine pages long. Some seem rather basic, for instance, the correct legal name should be VALCO2. Corrected State Corporation Commission Article of Corporation and other legal documents relating to the several entities involved in the application are needed. It is unclear if the owner of one of the parcels is living or dead. Operating agreements and related documents including signing authority for the several entities involved are also needed.

Other information needed to evaluate the application include updated noise studies and modeling; the total number of generators; updated water and wastewater studies to reflect the change to an air-cooled loop system; a health impact assessment; environmental impact study; and air quality impact study, all of these must be performed by qualified professionals.

A plan for decommissioning the site when it is no longer needed was also requested.

VDOT did not approve the bizarre and treacherous citing of the main entrance on the north side of Rt. 6 in the dip east of Hockett Road but prefers that the main access point be on Hockett Road well north of Rt. 6. A condition the county could impose here would be to require TTP to widen Hockett Road from the access point to Rt. 6 and permanently signalize the intersection. As all the land is owed by the entities involved, there would be no wrangling for easements. The improved road would be built faster and cheaper than if done by VDOT. This is typically part of residential rezoning projects.

Then there is the money. There were several questions about the methodology used to arrive at revenue projections, including rollback taxes for properties currently in land use.  A “more accurate estimate of real estate value should be based on our County Assessor’s assumption of $343,200,000 for 780K square feet of data center” would help clarify these projections.

The county also wants assurance that future individual operations in TTP will comply with all conditions and regulations stipulated in the CUP.

There were also questions about how construction would be managed to minimize impact on the surrounding community.

Comments in the nine-page response suggest that the TTP applicant, whoever that may be, file a new application correcting the deficiencies and start the approval process all over. Looks like this will be the focus of the September 14 meeting.

 

Sporting clays in Goochland

 

 

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Goochland supports the Second Amendment rights of its residents. Intermittent gunfire is a familiar sound in the more rural parts of the county, but how close to homes should a shooting range be located?

At its August 20 meeting, around 3 a.m., the Goochland Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend denial of a conditional use permit application filed by Virginia Sports Park to build a recreational sporting clays shooting and archery range facility in western Goochland. Commissioner Amanda Kowalski District 2 was absent.

The application, which had been repeatedly deferred from the planning commission hearing at the request of VSP since January 2026, is currently scheduled to move on to the board of supervisors for final vote in October. In the interim, additional community meetings and resulting revisions to the application, including moving the site, occurred.

The location of the proposed facility is a 125-acre portion of 359 acres owned by Luck Stone, located just north of I-64 on Old Fredericksburg Road near Hadensville. Luck was granted a CUP in 1997 to operate a quarry on the site that allowed blasting from 9:30 to 3:30 Monday through Friday. The staff report indicates that Luck could submit a plan of development to the county to begin quarry operations at any time.

As presented, the proposed use is for a “Non-Profit Youth Oriented Sporting Clays and Archery facility. This facility will be open to the public with specific programs and benefits to the youth in general to include youth groups such as, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Young Life, Scholastic and Collegiate, and youth Archery groups,” which VSP contends would bring recreational opportunities and tourism revenue to the county.

During the public hearing, a wide range of comments were made both in support and opposition to the application. Noise, proximity to existing homes, traffic, and environmental threats posed by lead leaching into ground water were the main objections. The county wants the site fenced to prevent people wandering into the line of fire, but VSP contended it is not necessary.

Guy Kemmerly, District 1, said he believed that the sound studies performed to gauge the impact of the sound of shooting were flawed and that obtaining an accurate, impartial measure is complicated and difficult. Curt Pituck, District 4 observed that the repetitive shooting sound is annoying. Martin Dean, District 5 asked if an environmental cleanup bond should be included as a condition. VSP said that its lease with Luck required an environmental stewardship plan, which does not require a bond. The staff report wanted a clearly defined plan to remove lead from the site.

VSP’s sound engineer said that sound mitigation could be verified in the CUP area. He opined that distance and berms take out the lion’s share of the noise and that modeling of a specific site could provide more detail.

Hours of shooting, days when shooting is allowed, numbers of stands allowed to be built and how many of them may be in operation at one time, were also revised. As most of the shooting seems to be scheduled for daytime weekdays when kids are in school it seems contradictory that this will be youth oriented.

VSP contended that the proposed facility will boost tourism revenue for the county but gave few specifics. There are few businesses nearby. The nearest hotel is in Centerville. Food trucks, ideally Goochland based, would feed patrons of the facility. On-site restroom facilities would be built for regular attendance but would need to be supplemented with porta potties for tournaments, which could draw more than 100 participants.

It will be interesting to see what, if any, revisions VSP makes to its application on the way to the supervisors’ vote. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

Courthouse 200th celebration

 

Goochland Courthouse 200 Birthday Celebration

 

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Goochland Courthouse. The community is invited to join the celebration of this historic milestone on September 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the Courthouse Green, located at 2938 River Road West.

The celebration will be a family-friendly community event featuring a variety of activities and opportunities for participation. Highlights include historical plays and reenactments, a commemorative brick laying ceremony, an interactive historic walking trail, and the opportunity to write notes for inclusion in a time capsule that will be placed at the new courthouse, when it is built, to be opened in 100 years.

Don’t miss this special occasion to honor Goochland’s rich history and celebrate this special occasion with residents, visitors, and community partners.

In the event of rain, the event will be moved to the sports complex gym at 1800 Sandy Hook Road.

See https://www.goochlandva.us/1468/Goochland-Courthouse-200-Birthday-Celebr

 

 

Wither Goochland

 

Dr. Tom  Epperson facilitates strategic planning retreat

On August 12, the Goochland Board of Supervisors met at the Luck Stone Studio in Manakin for a retreat to begin an update of the county’s strategic plan, which was last overhauled in 2013. Sessions where the entire board—more than three supervisors together at the same time constitutes a meeting—sit down to share their thoughts and concerns about issues facing the county are rare, due to statutory restrictions.

County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley said the goal of the meeting was to “zoom out” from pressing matters and take a long term look at what is important to the community, to local government as an organization, and where the county wants to be going forward. The process to revise the strategic plan will include conversations with the community and focus groups to craft a long-term road map to get everyone on the same page about the future direction of the county. Adoption is expected in the next six months or so.

The session was facilitated by Dr. Tom Epperson, Vice President of Culture at the Luck Stone Companies and a founder of the Innerwill Leadership Institute https://innerwill.org/, a philanthropic arm of Luck Companies.

Epperson explained that a strategic plan should help set goals; identify major projects and tactics going forward; and most important, to get everyone on the same page, aligned “with where we’re going” and how we’re going to get there. Ideally, this will have everyone, government and citizens, who should have a loud voice in this, moving together.

He segued into a SWOT—strength, weakness, opportunity, threat—analysis.

The following offers a few highlights. Go to the “watch county meetings” tab at goochlandva.us to view the entire session.

Goochland’s strengths are many. They include engaged citizens; current financial position; excellent schools, fire-rescue, law enforcement; a do more with less philosophy; proximity to major metro area; James River and interstate access; and lowest tax rates.

Weaknesses included underutilization of bond rating to finance capital projects; small size and scale that makes competing with large jurisdictions like Henrico difficult; thin staffing; resistance to change; need to communicate better to help citizens understand the rationale behind decisions; legal constraints on board collaboration; east west tensions; and staff lacking some tools needed to support its workload.

Opportunities include generation of flow charts for response to issues like power transmission lines; rebuild public trust; clearly define role of county government and communicate that to the citizens; find the sweet spot between costs and services; educate newcomers about rural living like sharing the road with farm equipment and hunting season, AKA the fall festival of firearms; leverage our history for tourism; limit annual population growth to  certain percentage, equally across all districts; and explore additional public-private partnerships.

Threats include the cumbersome, slow, and expensive nature of working with VDOT on road projects; poaching of staff by neighboring counties; negative local impacts of state legislation; growing too fast; attracting and keeping the best teachers; need for strong revenue sources to build infrastructure; and crafting multi-year fiscal flexibility to deal with the uncertain revenue streams caused by factors outside county control.

A recurring theme in the session was frustration about statutory barriers that hobble effective and transparent communication among themselves and with citizens.

The supervisors voiced their appreciation for the opportunity to sit down face to face and talk, which is pretty much prohibited by state law. Between monthly board meetings, they have “two by two” meetings, where two supervisors meet with Raley and members of staff to discuss pending issues. Raley then shares those conversations with other board members. This hub and spokes method is cumbersome, things will “drop through the cracks” along the way. Supervisors said they would welcome more opportunities for “cross pollination” to explore in detail issues facing the county.

Erosion of public trust was identified as a major threat. This was attributed to doing a poor job of helping citizens understand rationale behind decisions. Information vacuums tend to be filled with rumors, speculation, and conspiracy theories. If people do not like or understand a decision, they assume that the supervisors are being paid under the table for “done deals”. There are very mixed attitudes about attracting more outside investment to the county. Many citizens, busy with their lives, find that local government is hard to understand and access, which complicates communication and undermines public trust.

Newcomers from other states may not realize that Goochland is governed by part-time elected officials, only has about 28,000 people, and cannot operate on the same level as say, a Henrico, whose budget is about $1.4 billion versus Goochland’s about $107 million.  

Disclosure is a perennial frustration. Virginia is a caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) state, which prohibits jurisdictions from requiring realtors and developers from telling buyers about things that could discourage a sale. Goochland, for instance, was recently prohibited by state law from accepting a proffer from a developer to inform buyers in a new subdivision that the land on the opposite side of the road is zoned M-1. That was not always so. Deeds for homes in Manakin Farms, which is on the opposite side of Rt. 6 from Luck Stone, included warnings that they would be living near a large quarry.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5 contended that anyone who buys property in Districts 4 and 5 should be aware that is in proximity to an area that has been designated for high growth for decades, but there is currently no way to share that knowledge. The TCSD was created to attract commercial development, but previous boards decided to put residential development there, creating conflict, with which the current board must deal.

When there is a proposal that citizens do not like, they show up to voice their opposition. While there was acknowledgment that supervisors could do a better job of explaining their votes, they cited a philosophy expressed by former District 5 Supervisor Ken Peterson that after listening to the comments of a room full of opponents to a proposal at a public hearing, he also needed to consider the other 26,000 citizens not present.

There was acknowledgment that the board needs to do a better job of communicating with citizens, but no clear-cut way to do it was identified.

Supervisors said that rather than focusing solely on their district, each of which has distinctive characteristics, they try to base their decisions on county wide impact. However, restrictions on board internal collaboration give the perception that this is not the case.

There was some discussion, and there needs to be more going forward, on the role of local government and finding the sweet spot between too much and not enough. Seems simple in theory, in practice, not so much.

The relative inexperience of supervisors and staff was identified as a challenge, but also an opportunity. Since taking the helm of team Goochland—there will be sports analogies—14 months ago, Raley has reorganized county government and brought in many new, and well-qualified people, who got right to work but are still getting acclimated to Goochland. Raley began his tenure by meeting with a wide range of residents to learn about their view of local government. He continues to do this and welcomes citizen feedback.

The strategic plan update holds great promise to help citizens understand the role of local government, where Goochland needs to go as a county, and how to get there. This will be a challenging task; there are about 29,000 people in the county and probably almost as many opinions. Stay tuned and be engaged.

By now, every household in the county should have received a letter announcing an August 27 meeting to be held at Goochland High School beginning at 6 p.m. to discuss proposed amendments to the TOD to prohibit data centers outside of the TOD boundaries and align the ordinance with state law on high energy use facilities. Go to https://goochlandva.us/OrdUpdate for details.

 

 

 

 

 

Road work

 

VDOT

Philip Frasier, Administrator of the Ashland VDOT residency began his monthly update to the Goochland Board of Supervisors at its August 4 meeting with a sobering announcement that a VDOT employee in the Hampton Roads district died after being struck and killed in a work zone on Rt. 460. Frasier urged everyone to respect VDOT construction zones and the people who work there. “They support our transportation network and deserve respect of drivers and space to do their job safely,” said Frasier. VDOT employees’ lives are endangered by people who drive distractedly with their noses in their phones and speed through work zones Some of the bravest people in the world face oncoming traffic armed only with a stop sign on a pole. Frasier asked all to respect work zones so VDOT employees can go home to their families at the end of the workday.

Frasier reported that the Oilville roundabout, at the top of the westbound I64 off ramp. will go to advertisement next week.  This project expected to ease dangerous congestion on the westbound off ramp from I64 onto Oilville Road. (Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1255/10781/Oilville-RdI-64-Westbound-Ramp-Roundabou for details)

CVTA

You’ve probably seen the “buy your gas in Goochland” messages urging us to fill our fuel tanks locally to help fund road projects and not given it much thought.

Chet Parsons, Executive Director of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA), explained how that tax collected from local fuel sales translates into county road improvements.

He began his presentation with an overview about the CVTA, click on  https://cvtava.org/  to watch the video.

In 2020, Parsons explained, the Virginia General Assembly created the CVTA, comprised of nine jurisdictions in the region—Richmond City, Town of Ashland, Henrico, Hanover, New Kent, Goochland, Chesterfield, Powhatan, and Charles City—to “fund critical transportation needs across Central Virginia. CVTA drives priority projects that improve long-term accessibility, economic development, mobility, and quality of life across Central Virginia.”

Goochland roads are built and maintained by VDOT. We compete with jurisdictions across the Commonwealth for scarce road dollars. The CVTA administers revenues generated by wholesale fuel taxes and sales and use taxes to fund transportation projects in its region that are prioritized using data driven scoring.

Since 2023, said Parsons, that revenue, about two thirds from sales and use tax, has grown from approximately $211 million to more than $229 million and continues to increase. Those dollars are divided into three buckets; 50 percent goes to the locality where is was generated. Of the remainder, 15 percent goes to GRTC (Greater Richmond Transit Company) for regional public transportation, and the other 35 to fund projects that benefit the region as a whole, including the diverging diamond project currently in the works on Ashland Road, which cannot be funded in other ways. Regionally, Parson said, 77 regional projects have been funded since 2020, supported by $862.6 million. Funds applied locally include $33,669,829 for the Ashland Road diverging diamond; $606,000 for the Oilville Road roundabout; and $7,500,000 for improvements to the   Rt.288/Rt. 250 interchange.

“Goochland gets a sizable monthly check from CVTA, for use on any transportation project that has been identified by the county,” said Parsons. Since 2021, he reported that Goochland has received $15,738,482 in CVTA funds.

Since 2021, Goochland has received CVTA funding commitments for $59,267, 935, about 7 percent of the total, making the county very competitive for its size, in getting projects funded. The priority now is to get projects shovel ready, which helps move them forward.

In addition to funding projects, CVTA contributes matching funds to support “Smart Scale” applications, one of several competitive VDOT processes used to distribute transportation dollars throughout the Commonwealth. Central Virginia “has done very, very well” in the last round of Smart Scale funding, Parsons said.

The CVTA is also authorized by statute to issue bonds to fund huge regional projects beyond the typical “pay go” scope. CVTA is busily looking forward to future projects.

Tom Winfree, District 3, who currently represents Goochland on the CVTA board, commended Parsons and declared that CVTA is a government program that really works.  He noted that the degree of matching and leverage of funds helps Goochland to pull off significant projects. Winfree commended Neil Spoonhower, District 2, a founding member of the CVTA board for his important work, and significant input that is still bearing fruit.  Winfree also noted that County Engineer Austin Goyne’s leadership role on the Technical Advisory Committee, which does the legwork for CVTA projects, also stands Goochland in good stead on the transportation front.

Prioritizing road improvements and finding ways to pay for them is a complicated process. Kudos to all who navigate the labyrinth move us forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animals

 

During the afternoon session of their August 4 meeting, Goochland supervisors congratulated the Goochland Department of Animal Care and Protection for earning a fourth consecutive no kill award from the Best Friends Animal Society, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. The No-Kill award is given annually to organizations that have achieved a save rate of 90% or higher.

Deputy County Administrator for Operations Elizabeth McDonald said that the Goochland shelter achieved an outstanding 97 percent survival rate. “This is no small accomplishment and reflects the commitment, compassion, and professionalism our staff supported by volunteers and dedicated veterinary partners.”

If you’re looking to add a furry friend to your family, please visit the Goochland Animal Sheler. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/299/Animal-Protection to learn more. Also visit https://goochlandpetlovers.com/ the site of the local non-profit that works with the shelter.

During its evening session, the Board held a public hearing on proposed animal code ordinance amendments. Job Greene, Director of Animal Protection, explained that the amendments were proposed to restore legal enforceability, decriminalize minor infractions, and maintain officer discretion when dealing with animal control issues.

Greene explained that the revisions would make the ordonnances work the way they were intended, in a clear, fair, and effective way while preserving the department’s ability to educate and work with residents. The ordinance revisions will give animal protection the tools it needs. Over the years, Green explained, ordinances as written, are difficult to enforce, inconsistent with the way that animal protection approaches compliance, or unnecessarily challenging for officers and citizens.

The first three infractions are regulatory. They are failure to inoculate dogs and cats against rabies; dogs running at large without a license fixed to their collar; and failure to pay a license tax for dogs. The proposed amendment revisions change the penalty for these infractions from a Class 4 misdemeanor, which imposes fines, but not jail time and are noted on an individual’s criminal record, to civil penalties with escalating fees for initial and subsequent violations.

The revisions would improve compliance by resolving violations quickly with civil citations; reduce demands on court and related law enforcement resources; allow enforcement resources to focus on cases involving cruelty, neglect, dangerous animals and other threats to public safety; provide penalties proportionate to offenses while maintaining accountability; and preserve criminal penalties for serious or repeat offense that warrant stronger enforcement.

Changes to chapter 3 of the animal ordinance states that “livestock, poultry, and other fowl must remain on the property of owner. It is unlawful for any person to allow or permit any livestock or fowl owned by him or her or under the control of him or her to stray to any highway, public property, or private premises of another.”

The proposed amended removes the requirement for three prior violations and makes each violation separately enforceable. Greene said that animal protection officers would continue to use discretion to issue warnings of violation depending on the individual circumstances. The change would restore enforceability of the ordinance while giving officers the flexibility to seek voluntary compliance whenever possible. Virgina law does not authorize counties to impose a civil penalty for this kind of violation, so explained Greene, retaining criminal enforcement is necessary.

Greene said that officers typically give people time to rectify a violation after issuing a warning before they return to ensure compliance.

A local fourth generation farmer said that it is important to him to own livestock and keep the community safe. He raised concerns about the timeline as most farmers must have jobs that take them away from their farms, making it difficult to immediately correct problems. He cited weather related conditions like destruction of fences that could make it hard to return the animals to their rightful place. Some farmers pasture livestock on widely separated parcels of land that make it hard to check on all of their animals in a timely manner.

Another speaker wondered if it is a per penalty. Owners of animals that damage other people’s property or cause accidents by being on a road must be held accountable. Circumstances of how animals escape might also need to be considered when determining culpability.

Greene said that an officer must see the animal out to justify a summons. “This is for us an issue of people who do not keep their animals contained, repeated negligence. We understand and make allowances for weather related incidents.”

Enforcement is complaint driven to correct problems, like a neighbor’s chickens repeatedly pooping on your porch, or someone else’s pig eating your cucumbers. Cows and horses in the middle of a road are a safety concern, but sometimes, they get out. Citations are given per incident, not per animal.

Greene said that currently animal control has no enforceable code to bring offenders into compliance and that hobby farmers tend to cause more problems than commercial farmers, who value and care for their livestock.

The supervisors took the concerns of the farmers to heart and voted unanimously to reduce all noted penalties to civil violations and encouraged animal control to have further discussions with local farmers, perhaps through Goochland Farm Bureau, to look for other ways to address the matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proffers

 

At their August 4 meeting, Goochland supervisors announced that they will hold a strategic planning retreat on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, starting at 9:00 a.m. at Luck Stone, 343 River Road, Manakin-Sabot. See the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ for details.

Following a presentation by Principal Planner Ramzi Farhat about an update to the county’s capital impact model, which is used to determine cash proffer amounts, the board voted unanimously to deny adoption pending further analysis.

Farhat thanked all who provided input in the almost yearlong update project including department heads, staff, the county attorney, and stakeholders.

The capital impact model is used to determine the real cost burden that new residential development, as the result of rezoning, places on infrastructure including schools, roads, parks, and public safety. These costs are used to calculate impact fees, including “voluntary” cash proffers, paid by developers to offset increased need for public facilities.

Goochland adopted a cash proffer policy in 2002.This is a per home amount a developer may “volunteer” to pay to have a residential rezoning project approved. In theory the policy is voluntary.

Cash proffers are a small part of an overall funding strategy and should not be regarded as a total solution for infrastructure financing needs. Therefore, other strategies and revenue sources are needed to offset the impact on infrastructure from new homes.

Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1463/Proffers to https:

This policy applies only to residential rezoning. Commercial rezoning applications, which do not add children to the school system, typically proffer site specific upgrades to infrastructure including roads and utilities. Impacts must be attributable to a specific development. For instance, as age restricted communities are prohibited from having residents under 19 years of age, school proffers cannot be attributed to them.

Following a 2016 change in state law, Goochland County compiled a 25 year look ahead capital improvement plan. This included projected needs for schools, fire-rescue stations, roads, parks, and items costing more than $50k with a useful life of more than five years like fire-rescue apparatus. The data in this CIP, which is periodically updated to deal with inflation, is part of the computation of the impact model.

The proposed update to the policy includes a detailed study of all the components and conditions that apply to calculation of proffers. The document begins on page 85 of the August 4 board packet.

Farhat explained that a student generation rate was used to determine residential rezoning impact on schools and that a new category for age restricted multifamily was added. As school funding is a significant part of the county budget, this is important. Age restricted communities have dramatically increased the volume of EMS response, which was underweighted in previous iterations of the impact model. A geographic component was also added to consider the differing demographic trends in each part of the county.

When land is rezoned for a subdivision, the proffer amount in effect on the date of approval becomes part of its creation ordinance and includes an escalator clause. Lots already approved are not impacted by this update. It would apply to future rezonings only.

According to Farhat, the median house price in Goochland in 2019 was $391,000, making the $23,706 average cash proffer 6.1 percent of the house price. In 2026, the median house price is $646,935 making the average cash proffer of $31,704 4.9 percent of the price.

The supervisors commended Farhat and his team for the thoroughness of the report. However, there was discussion about how proffers impact housing prices and residential growth.

Charlie Vaughters District 4 asked how jurisdictions across the country deal with the issue. Virginia explained the consultant from Tischler Bise, which was retained by the county for the study, is unique in the trigger methodology it uses to assess proffers. Other places use a similar mechanism to calculate a static impact fee schedule applied to all new construction. These are dynamic models that analyze both operational and capital expenditures needed by new development. Virginia just looks at capital impacts.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5 pointed out that a developer could decline to offer cash proffers during a rezoning action, leaving it up to the supervisors to decide whether to approve the rezoning without offering any funds for capital impact mitigation. This has never happened. He said that it is appropriate for people moving to the county to help pay for the increase in capital costs generated by their arrival but the should be as little as possible.

Vaughters contended that more detailed discussion about conflicting data on the impact of cash proffers on assessment versus escalating new home costs is needed. “At the end of the day, in my mind, this is a tax. We want to make sure that the taxes are collected appropriately and do not price people out of the market. Assessments are also an ongoing issue. There is a lot to look into. We cannot say that approval of this will solve the problem.”

He commended Farhat and staff for putting together a diverse stakeholder group of residents, developers, and businesses to provide positive meaningful feedback and analysis. He said that the capital impact model data should flow through all development discussions.

Spoonhower contended that this is not the right tool to recover costs and manage growth. “This creates a bad product in my district.”

He said that the cash proffer policy, access management, and other development fees discourage orderly development in the western part of the county. “Instead of having folks clustered together you get driveway after driveway on main thoroughfares. Ending the policy is not going to make or break Goochland’s budget. Let’s get something that ensures that the people move in here pay a fraction of the cost incurred.”

Board Chair Jonathan Christy, District 1 agreed that the capital impact model is a critical tool to analyze the true cost of residential development and the deficit that each new home creates and that the county needs to find a way to fill that hole. He said that the proffer policy does not slow residential growth but incentivizes by right development.

It seems likely that this subject will be addressed during the August 12 retreat.

The next skirmish

 

Ad hominem—look it up—attacks in comment will not be published. The anonymous commenter who called GOMM a coward for not posting their ugly remarks might want to check the definition of irony.

So tired of  the arrogant condescension of people who bought into developer fables that a townhouse in a business park is rural. 

On July 23, we got some details about the pre-application filed by Tract for the Tuckahoe Technology Park (TTP) on approximately 871 acres east of Hockett Road, north of Rt. 6 and west of Mosaic, the 55+ residential enclave in west Creek, at a community meeting.  This is the first step in the process to secure a conditional use permit (CUP) to build a data center campus there.

Go to https://www.tuckahoetechparkinfo.com/ for details.

It seemed like most of Mosaic and Readers Branch, attired in cute red tee shirts, turned out for the event. At a rally they contended that the county should grow tomatoes not data centers. This illustrates profound ignorance about Goochland—crops here include soybeans, corn, and wheat. There is a large dairy farm in Manakin Sabot. Cattle are raised and a meat processing plant is under construction. These keep much of the county rural, but are taxed at land use rates, a per acre amount determined at the state level; to help them stay in business so they’re not tempted to sell their land to developers.

The initiative to increase the county’s commercial to residential tax ratio from its current roughly 82/18 to 70/30 has been a goal of the supervisors for some time to pay for needed services and infrastructure without increasing tax rates. Until the more than 1,000 vacant, zoned residential lots are built out and the tax ratio is much closer to 70/30, the county needs to “pause” all residential rezoning applications. One more time for the refugees from Long Island, houses consume more in local government services than they generate in real estate taxes.

Goochland has enormous capital needs, something that data center opponents ignore or do not care about.

The July 23 session provided some, but not enough, clarity on the proposal. At least one more community meeting, ideally to share revisions made in response to community input, is needed before a formal CUP application is filed. This is how the process works. There were at least three community meetings for the Highfield subdivision over a period of several years before a final vote was taken.

Kara Bowyer, director of entitlements for Tract, said that data centers built in TTP will be air cooled, a requirement that will be part of the CUP language, making it law. She also estimated that the amount of water used during construction and ongoing operations, for things like restrooms, would be roughly the equivalent of 36 homes, using a 333 gallon per day average. All water servicing TTP will be municipally supplied by the Tuckahoe Creek Service District, which is surface water drawn from the James River. It will have no impact on groundwater. So, opponents can stop posting photos of icky water coming out of faucets on social media.

Speaking of groundwater, how is it affected by the herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and other “cides” that maintain the sodded lawns and landscaping in the enclaves for the affluent that leach into the soil? Why is no one asking that question?

Bowyer also said that there will be no natural gas power generation on the site, which is curious given that the site is bisected by a natural gas line.

Tract, according to the presentation, is in the business of building pad ready sites for data centers. This was likened to shopping center developers who rezone land, build parking lots, road access, and structures for future tenants. The TTP, as presented in the pre app, is a “conceptual master plan” that applied the requirements of the TOD/TZ to the subject parcels, probably using software. That explains the vagueness of the “conceptual bubble plan”. The exhibits for TTP are “conceptual” in nature, which is why there are no “elevations” to illustrate future buildings or where they will be placed. Bowyer said that the floor area ratio (FAR) of buildings to land area will be low, estimated at about ten percent of the 871 acres.  Even estimates for building locations would be helpful.

 Bowyers explained that vertical construction will not start until a source of adequate power to the site is identified and secured, which will take at least three years.  The power line extension recently approved to service the Eli Lilly facility in West Creek, is the “best guess” for the most likely connection, said Bowyer. Three power substations, each with a 300-mw capacity, would be needed to run the data centers. Potential locations for these are illustrated.

Tract will clear the site, build road access, infrastructure, and maybe pour concrete pads for buildings, whose use, construction, and precise location would be determined by end users as yet unknown. Conditions of the CUP become law. Any changes would require another full CUP process.

What happens in the meantime? If Tract clears the land, puts in roads and other infrastructure, but the demand for data center sites goes away, what will Goochland be left with? How much of the site will be clear cut? We don’t need a Motorola redux.

The zoning will not change from its current A-2. Projections for tax revenue generated by the project suggest that assessed valuation will increase when the use changes from A-2 to “commercial” after the first building is occupied. Does this mean that the county gleans little additional revenue apart from various permit fees on the land in the interim? Tax revenue projections indicate that assessed valuations will increase from the 2025 amount of $13,954 to $22.9 million in “year 1” which is the first year after a building is constructed.  The most significant tax revenue will be generated by personal property tax levied on the equipment in the buildings, again with significant increases after ‘year 1” whenever that is.

No answer was available to the query about land use taxation “clawbacks” for some of the parcels. Typically, when property in land use taxation— used for agricultural or forestal  purposes— is rezoned for a higher use, a “clawback” payment of the difference between land use taxation, based on a per acre rate determined at the state level, and taxes based on fair market valuation for the previous five years is due. If the CUP is approved, the “highest and best use” of the property has changed, and the assessed value should increase accordingly.

Eli Lilly recently closed on the West Creek parcel for about $38 million, an increase of about $13 million over its assessed valuation as of January 1, 2026, which should impact county tax revenue in the coming months.

When will an increase in local tax revenue for the 871 acres kick in? This information needs to be part of the calculus used in the final decision. This land has been designated for economic development for decades.  It was referred to as SPEDA (southern economic development area) for decades and featured prominently in the southern infrastructure study begun in early 2023.

In response to a question about posting bonds to fund decommissioning of data centers at the end of their useful life, as is required of cell towers, the Bowyers contended said that data centers are warehouses full of computer equipment and when that equipment is removed, they can be used for other purposes.

Opponents would prefer the site to be used for office buildings, for which there is little current market demand. For example, the former Federal Reserve facility in West Creek, a beautiful turnkey headquarters, has been on the market for a while.

Serious concerns about sound, including constant humming and especially from generators were raised. The explanation was that generator use is regulated by the state, but data centers must operate 24/7, so in emergencies, generators would run continually, not for intermittent testing. More detail on this is needed. Many of the examples cited by opponents seem to be based on older facilities and those that were retrofitted from other uses.

Concerns about emissions from data centers and generators were glossed over by saying that they will dissipate in the air. Really?  This reply was lame at best. The impact on air quality within perhaps a half mile of generators running for extended periods should be compared to that within the same distance from vehicle emissions on 288 during high traffic periods to put it into perspective.