tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870152115683426710.post8774631984252949833..comments2024-03-25T11:56:19.938-04:00Comments on Goochland on my mind: Where the buck stopsS. E. Warwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16617370499414107804noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870152115683426710.post-20327722022581186342012-11-09T09:01:53.722-05:002012-11-09T09:01:53.722-05:00The outcome here was apparently pre-ordained by th...The outcome here was apparently pre-ordained by the all-powerful board. That “grapevine” you speak of told us months ago this was the decision that was coming and it didn’t matter what we did or said. <br /><br />So, if that is true, you may ask yourself, “Why not just get right down to it and vote? Why waste time and ask any questions at all?” <br /><br />-Simple. How could this body make such a decision without clearly demonstrating its own disregard for the wishes of the citizens not to mention the recommendation of its own planning commission and the county’s comprehensive plan? <br /><br />I think they struggled with this and spent so much time Wednesday night “deliberating” because, they had to find a way to justify such an outcome in the face of all the arguments against it. They had to craft some sort of plausible reason to accept the cannibalization of one of Goochland’s oldest, and previously intact neighborhoods. <br /><br />That fact was made clear when Manny Alvarez took the words of P&Z commissioner Ty Query, out of context, stating that during the P&Z meeting Ty had stated this “medical complex” was the “perfect building” and Bellview Gardens was the “perfect” place for it. A fact that Manny conveniently forgot was that Ty had actually followed that comment with that all to-critical-conjunction “but.” <br /><br />You see, Ty, who appears to be a very thoughtful commissioner, spent some time in Bellview Gardens before he voted in September. He wanted to see the location where that “perfect” building would go so he rode into our neighborhood on his motorcycle one summer day and spent about 2-hours observing our community. <br /><br />He noticed us. We noticed him. Ty voted against the rezoning. <br /><br />He made it clear during the September P&Z meeting that he believed the rezoning would have a negative impact upon what he witnessed there; a thriving and diverse community of neighbors who know each other by name. Ty realized during his visit that bringing a commercial development into our neighborhood with all of the transient traffic that would go along with it, would forever alter the nature of our community and our lives here. <br /><br />And that is exactly what you want as a citizen from a planning commissioner; someone who will take the time to delve into the details. He and 4-other P&Z commissioners also voted against this. <br /><br />That didn’t matter to the all-powerful board. They managed to completely maneuver around that inconvenience but it did take some posturing to make that happen. <br /><br />At to Bob Minnick, he betrayed us, the citizens of his district, in favor of developers who don’t even live in this county and don’t even own the land in question. <br /><br />In hindsight it isn’t that much of a surprise he voted against the citizens of his district. I don’t think any of my neighbors nor I voted for him. We all had signs in our yards for Rudy. <br /><br />It is likely that if the polling-place hadn’t been changed to St. Mathews just before the election, confusing many, that Rudy would have prevailed in that last election. If you remember, Bob won by only a handful, less than 10, votes. <br /><br />We supported Rudy Butler because he supported us. Rudy came to our neighborhood meetings, not the meeting required of rezoning applicants by P&Z. He came to that one as well but he also came to our own neighborhood meetings to listen to our concerns. <br /><br />After that last election, my neighbors and I tried to keep open minds about Bob. We talked with him and he seemed to listen, smiling and nodding his head. <br /><br />We invited Bob to similar neighborhood meetings. He never showed though, begging off for one reason or another. The fix was in. Minds were made up. <br /><br />This is the board that completely ignored their own planning commission’s nearly unanimous recommendation to deny this rezoning as well as their own county comprehensive plan. <br /><br />I hope the citizens of Goochland as well as the elected officials of our School Board and other officials in the government take note of the heavy-hand and deaf ears of this body. <br /><br />Watch out for the all-powerful board.Jordan Hedgepethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870152115683426710.post-69521659599204785222012-11-09T07:44:05.193-05:002012-11-09T07:44:05.193-05:00The Goochland Board of Supervisors has voted contr...The Goochland Board of Supervisors has voted contrary to the recomendations of the PLanning Commission several times in the past. They may also have voted against the recomendation of the Planning Commission when the density of Bellview Gardens was raised about eight years ago, again to bring money into the county.<br />S. E. Warwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16617370499414107804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870152115683426710.post-49423929655585407432012-11-09T07:07:51.149-05:002012-11-09T07:07:51.149-05:00I know where the buck stops and it is with the boa...I know where the buck stops and it is with the board of supervisors selling out the citizens of Goochland County.<br /><br />It is a rare event in our country to have a BOS over-ride the P and Z. The planning and zoning commission reviewed the data, listened to testimony and made the decision against changing the zoning in our comp plan and against this spot zoning.<br /><br />Planning and zoning exists for this purpose but apparently our new BOS does not care about it's own p and z commission and certainly does not care about "we the people" of Goochland County.<br /><br />Great job on the article and picking up the details that included Bob Minnick asking for the motion which was inappropriate. <br /><br />The BOS has no regard for Goochland residents or it's own planning board, they would not look into the eyes of their own citizens and I had hoped the corruption in Goochland was gone but now I am not so certain.<br /><br />Thanks for covering this story objectively. "we the people" are still in shock.<br /><br />Jim IngersollAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11522006577170507352noreply@blogger.com