New leadership in Goochland
Rebecca T. Dickson took the oath of office as county administrator from Lee Grubbs Turner, Clerk of the Goochland Circuit Court on Monday, July 20. It is the first time in 23 years that the county has changed administrators.
The board meeting room was filled to overflowing with dignitaries from neighboring jurisdictions, Dickson’s friends, colleagues from Chesterfield, family, county staff and citizens. An atmosphere of hope, good will and optimism prevailed.
Dr. John Thomas, director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Policy spoke of his love for local government and its role in our culture.
He pointed out that the devastating consequences of failed institutions, shown during the financial meltdown, illustrate the importance of effective management in a functioning society.
He contended that effective professional government management needs strong political leadership to produce sound policy decisions, transparent operation and a relentless focus on positive outcomes to succeed.
The task of local government, said Thomas, is to deliver scores of public services, often in partnership with other groups. It is government’s role to bring all of the players to the table in a mutually beneficial collaboration. This cannot succeed under a command and control model.
Government managers must be team players to implement a shared vision.
Virginia, said Thomas, is blessed with outstanding local governments run by people who represent the best of their profession.
Board of supervisors’ chairman Andrew Pryor welcomed Dickson and thanked interim county administrator Lane Ramsey for bringing new ideas and a professional way of doing things to Goochland.
Pryor said that Dickson made a strong and positive initial impression on the supervisors. It was soon apparent that she was the best candidate to help move Goochland forward.
Choosing a woman as Goochland’s sixth county administrator signals a change of heart by a board that all too often expressed virulent misogyny. Dickson’s impeccable credentials and track record happily trumped all other considerations.
Dickson expressed eagerness and excitement about becoming a part of the Goochland team, itself a new term in the county government lexicon. She said that she was humbled by her selection and pledged to use her passion for excellence in public service to the benefit of all. She is eager to build on the county’s successes and deal with its challenges.
Dickson said that it was clear from the first meeting how much the supervisors care about Goochland and its future.
She thanked the county staff for her warm welcome and commended Goochland employees for their dedication to serving the citizens.
Dickson spoke about her journey in life to the Goochland administration building.
“You end up where you should be in spite of yourself, but it all comes down to grace,” she said. “The grace of others that provided me with opportunities, the grace that provided safety nets, the grace to forgive and to continue to work with me when I was clearly out of line. We all need grace and should grant and receive it when we can.”
Dickson acknowledged that Goochland has some sticky situations to work through, but is optimistic that positive open collaboration coupled with mutual respect will find sound solutions.
Ramsey recalled first meeting Dickson about 20 years ago and how impressed he was with her passion and dedication to public service.
“I have never seen anyone fall in love with local government like she did and apply her passion to achieve goals,” said Ramsey.
Dickson’s selection by a board wracked by internecine strife is a signal that the supervisors can work together for the greater good of Goochland. It’s time for them all to stop sniping at each other, roll up their sleeves and get down to business. Going forward, all county business must be open and transparent, a word that formerly was code for “let’s do this in secret.”
From now on, things should be done right the first time so everyone can take pride in the result.
Dickson has her work cut out for her.
One of her first and most important tasks is to dispel the malignant mistrust and resulting dysfunction that nearly crippled the county staff. Confidence of Goochland’s citizens and employees must be earned, not claimed by fiat.
Dickson has been exploring Goochland since her appointment was announced in May. She needs to see for herself how the land lies and gather input from all quarters, including her predecessor. She must evaluate all of the advice she receives and make her own judgment about its soundness.
Her people and fiscal skills will be put to good use getting the county’s finances organized and facilitating a cohesive and collaborative county staff.
As Goochland and its government grew, functions were expanded or created in a reactive manner. Like an old house whose wiring cannot quite keep up with modern power demands, the county blew a fuse earlier this year. Now it’s up to Dickson to not only rewire the government, but upgrade to the equivalent of a high capacity circuit breaker. The mechanisms to accomplish that are in the works.
Hopefully, Dickson’s experience in Chesterfield will help Goochland to copy its success and avoid its failures.
The future is bright.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Country life
Why does a rural county need parks?
Most people in Goochland believe protection of our rural character is vital. Rural, however, is a concept defined by the beholder. Denizens of River Road with public utilities and high speed internet believe that they live in the country.
Residents of the upper end of the county, far from the madding crowd and just about everything else, know that they are in the country and like their isolation just fine. Interestingly, neither group wants more new subdivisions in Goochland.
Why do people move to the “country” anyhow? Peace and privacy are high on the list followed by a simpler way of life and a better place to raise a family.
Kids. There’s the rub. Their needs are often best supplied by a community. Schools, playing fields, places to socialize so they don’t get into trouble are large-scale projects, which are often best provided by local government.
Never mind that in prehistoric times — when adults were young and everyone walked six miles to school in the snow uphill both ways — school, church, scouts and Four H provided ample diversion for the young. Times and expectations have changed.
Teams sports including soccer, softball, baseball and football build character, social and leadership skills and get the kids away from their computers and game consoles. The fellowship among the children and their families that is a by products of the activities builds and strengthens the community.
Thanks to the dedication and hard work of local citizens Goochland has a fine YMCA, another community builder. The gyms behind the administration building and former middle school also offer opportunities for organized recreation.
While the supervisors seemed to agree in theory that more fields were needed, until the recent purchase of parcels of land in Courthouse Village for a soccer complex and river front park, there was little action.
To his great credit, District 5 supervisor Jim Eads repeatedly advocated creation of a long term master plan for the county’s recreational needs complete with a cost estimate that can be used as the basis for a inclusion of a recreational bond referendum on a November ballot. Given the current economic climate, that referendum is a long way off, but the plan is in process.
The county invited citizen input on recreation needs and used that information to craft a Parks and Recreation master plan.
A meeting to discuss the plan, which can be viewed in its entirety at the Parks and Recreation portion of the county website www.co.goochland.va.us, will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21 in the county administration building.
The plan examines and addresses everything from soccer fields to a dog park. Using a level of service approach, needed facilities are quantified on a per capita basis. A cost estimate is also included.
Some of the facilities that are included in the master plan provide interesting insight about the county’s people.
If people move to Goochland for more land, why do they need a dog park, usually found in urban areas populated by apartment dwellers. Although high density housing options would address the paucity of workforce housing in the county, Goochland currently permits neither apartments nor townhouses, but a dog park is in the master plan.
On the other end of the spectrum, riding trails are included for the equestrian community. Many people seem to believe that they can buy a few acres here, get a horse and trespass on the neighbors’ property. Owners of ATVs have the same attitude.
Friction between those who would range freely and property owners who do not want their land trespassed on must be addressed.
Another beneficial aspect of this plan is that it gives a locus for development of future recreational facilities and the amount of land they will need.
A complete inventory of land owned by the county, including preservation tracts that are part of rural preservation subdivisions is part of the plan.
Under current Goochland ordinance, preservation tracts may be turned over to the county if a homeowner’s association decides that it no longer wishes to assume maintenance. While this loophole could provide additional recreation space, it could also plunk a soccer field in the middle of an otherwise quiet residential community.
The Plan talks about annual festivals and parades. Many people were disappointed that this year’s spring festival, a successor to Goochland Day, did not include a parade.
At the March, 2009 supervisors’ meeting, the parade was discussed. Sheriff Agnew pointed out that since the last Goochland Day parade was held in 2001, Courthouse Village has changed dramatically.
The new library, YMCA, Goochland Farmers Market and both traffic lights did not exist back then. The Courthouse Commons Shopping Center had not been built and River Road West had little traffic on Saturday morning.
Now, there is a lot going on. The traditional parade route that began at Company 5 and concluded at the Courthouse green, where Goochland Day was traditionally held, would be a mess. As the festival is centered on the football field on Sandy Hook Road, ending the parade at the Courthouse would create wide scale confusion.
A new route must be devised and planning for the parade should begin well in advance of the event to ensure robust participation. Why not have a homecoming parade, or one on the Fourth of July?
The Plan is an excellent start to what will be a long and fruitful conversation about recreational facilities in Goochland. Come to the meeting and add your thoughts.
Most people in Goochland believe protection of our rural character is vital. Rural, however, is a concept defined by the beholder. Denizens of River Road with public utilities and high speed internet believe that they live in the country.
Residents of the upper end of the county, far from the madding crowd and just about everything else, know that they are in the country and like their isolation just fine. Interestingly, neither group wants more new subdivisions in Goochland.
Why do people move to the “country” anyhow? Peace and privacy are high on the list followed by a simpler way of life and a better place to raise a family.
Kids. There’s the rub. Their needs are often best supplied by a community. Schools, playing fields, places to socialize so they don’t get into trouble are large-scale projects, which are often best provided by local government.
Never mind that in prehistoric times — when adults were young and everyone walked six miles to school in the snow uphill both ways — school, church, scouts and Four H provided ample diversion for the young. Times and expectations have changed.
Teams sports including soccer, softball, baseball and football build character, social and leadership skills and get the kids away from their computers and game consoles. The fellowship among the children and their families that is a by products of the activities builds and strengthens the community.
Thanks to the dedication and hard work of local citizens Goochland has a fine YMCA, another community builder. The gyms behind the administration building and former middle school also offer opportunities for organized recreation.
While the supervisors seemed to agree in theory that more fields were needed, until the recent purchase of parcels of land in Courthouse Village for a soccer complex and river front park, there was little action.
To his great credit, District 5 supervisor Jim Eads repeatedly advocated creation of a long term master plan for the county’s recreational needs complete with a cost estimate that can be used as the basis for a inclusion of a recreational bond referendum on a November ballot. Given the current economic climate, that referendum is a long way off, but the plan is in process.
The county invited citizen input on recreation needs and used that information to craft a Parks and Recreation master plan.
A meeting to discuss the plan, which can be viewed in its entirety at the Parks and Recreation portion of the county website www.co.goochland.va.us, will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21 in the county administration building.
The plan examines and addresses everything from soccer fields to a dog park. Using a level of service approach, needed facilities are quantified on a per capita basis. A cost estimate is also included.
Some of the facilities that are included in the master plan provide interesting insight about the county’s people.
If people move to Goochland for more land, why do they need a dog park, usually found in urban areas populated by apartment dwellers. Although high density housing options would address the paucity of workforce housing in the county, Goochland currently permits neither apartments nor townhouses, but a dog park is in the master plan.
On the other end of the spectrum, riding trails are included for the equestrian community. Many people seem to believe that they can buy a few acres here, get a horse and trespass on the neighbors’ property. Owners of ATVs have the same attitude.
Friction between those who would range freely and property owners who do not want their land trespassed on must be addressed.
Another beneficial aspect of this plan is that it gives a locus for development of future recreational facilities and the amount of land they will need.
A complete inventory of land owned by the county, including preservation tracts that are part of rural preservation subdivisions is part of the plan.
Under current Goochland ordinance, preservation tracts may be turned over to the county if a homeowner’s association decides that it no longer wishes to assume maintenance. While this loophole could provide additional recreation space, it could also plunk a soccer field in the middle of an otherwise quiet residential community.
The Plan talks about annual festivals and parades. Many people were disappointed that this year’s spring festival, a successor to Goochland Day, did not include a parade.
At the March, 2009 supervisors’ meeting, the parade was discussed. Sheriff Agnew pointed out that since the last Goochland Day parade was held in 2001, Courthouse Village has changed dramatically.
The new library, YMCA, Goochland Farmers Market and both traffic lights did not exist back then. The Courthouse Commons Shopping Center had not been built and River Road West had little traffic on Saturday morning.
Now, there is a lot going on. The traditional parade route that began at Company 5 and concluded at the Courthouse green, where Goochland Day was traditionally held, would be a mess. As the festival is centered on the football field on Sandy Hook Road, ending the parade at the Courthouse would create wide scale confusion.
A new route must be devised and planning for the parade should begin well in advance of the event to ensure robust participation. Why not have a homecoming parade, or one on the Fourth of July?
The Plan is an excellent start to what will be a long and fruitful conversation about recreational facilities in Goochland. Come to the meeting and add your thoughts.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Mice in the pantry
Excrement hits ventilation device
Revelations about Goochland County finances that keep bubbling to the surface are troubling at best.
Information presented at Tuesday’s monthly Board of Supervisors’ meeting was like a report on the aftermath of tiny rodents in a pantry. A nibble here, destruction there, mouse manure everywhere!
Following a detailed description of the tasks to be undertaken by the county’s newly retained auditors KPMG, the first time in many years that fresh eyes have gazed on county finances, acting county administrator Lane Ramsey dropped a bombshell.
The operating funds for at least two of the county’s utility entities, the Tuckahoe Creek Service District and James River Sanitary District are inadequate to meet operating expenses. The TCSD is in the hole $125,000, James River $20,000.
Ramsey recommended a 16 percent increase in rates for the TCSD, which he contended would result in uniform water and sewer charges throughout the county. He explained that, under terms of the bond agreement between Goochland County and the Virginia Resources Authority that funded the TCSD, the county administrator must certify that utility rates are sufficient to cover operating costs of the system and that debt service payments are funded. Ramsey said that the ad valorem tax has generated sufficient funds to pay the debt service, but the rates do not cover operating costs.
Residential customers of the TCSD in attendance groaned aloud at the suggestion of yet another increase on rates that were raised by three percent just last year.
One member of the TCSD Advisory Committee left the room stone-faced at the conclusion of Ramsey’s remarks.
District 4 Supervisor Rudy Butler argued that residential connection fees in the TCSD should also be increased to generate additional funds. The board is expected to hold a public hearing on the rate increase at its September meeting. The matter will undoubtedly be discussed further at the August 4 board meeting.
In another agenda item, Ramsey urged the board to develop a comprehensive plan for county utilities looking out as much as 40 years in the future. The county has no system in place to ensure that utilities are financially self-sustaining; schedule and fund routine maintenance to safeguard system reliability nor make provisions for proper controls, processes and procedures to make all of that happen.
However, the plan’s price tag, which Ramsey speculated could be $250,000, puts it out of reach at this time.
A long-range county wide utility plan should have been a precursor to creation of the TCSD. Its absence is more mouse manure.
It seems that either no plans for routine maintenance of the various components of the TCSD, such as the massive pumps that move wastewater through the pump station on Route 6, were included in the rate computation formula or returns from the few users do not cover costs.
Right now, it is imperative for the county to get the TCSD accounts in order and do whatever it can to encourage development there.
In addition to the rate increase, Ramsey reminded the board that it approved funding construction of a water line in Henrico County on Three Chopt Road between the Gaskins Road water treatment plant and Thamesford Way. The cost, $3.8 million will come from the county’s general fund. Postponed during the initial construction of the TCSD, failure to pay for the line will jeopardize the county’s ability to obtain additional water.
This was initially included in the $63 million obtained from the bonds, but the money was spent on other construction projects.
Touted as an economic engine that would provide additional tax revenues to fund the needs of a growing county, the TCSD is in danger of becoming a bottomless pit. This did not occur overnight. What happened? Did someone forget to carry the two? The TCSD was supposed to be funded entirely through the bond issue, ad valorem tax, connection and user fees, not with county funds.
The three county employees most responsible for the TCSD have left the building. While county staff scrambles to pick up the pieces and make sense out of the mess, it’s hard to tell if supervisors, Eads, Quarles and Pryor, who defended the status quo, were duped by the trio, or complicit with their shenanigans.
Don Charles, Director of Community Development, who won the task of mucking out the utilities department, reported that the checks have been accounted for and almost all users are up to date on their utility accounts.
A report on the forensic accounting will be presented at the August 4 meeting. No criminal activity is believed to have been uncovered, just massive amounts of mouse manure.
The auditors will be take a good thorough look at all county financial operations, including the school system. They will look for possible fraud and make recommendations to improve operations. The auditors expect to present their final report to the Board near the end of the year.
In the evening, the board voted to make real estate assessments annual. That will keep property values more in line with prevailing conditions in the real estate market. Given current economic conditions, it will also result in lower tax revenues. To ensure funding for the current fiscal year, which ends after the first tax payment for calendar 2010 is paid, Ramsey recommended that the county reserve $1,172,000 of the general fund balance to cover an optimistic projection of 9.4 percent decrease in property valuations.
Given the number of area homes on the market for months if not years, and drastic price reductions, the actual decrease in property valuations may be much greater. The board, of course, can just dip into the general fund again to make up the difference.
Just how much is in the county’s general fund? Hopefully, the auditors will nail that down and make the number public. How exactly did all of that money accumulate? Have we been paying more taxes than were needed to fund a reasonable level of county services, or did someone again forget to carry the two?
The board needs to exercise caution with the general fund. It is doubtful that the miracle of the loaves and fishes will be repeated in Goochland.
The massive incompetence and abysmal stewardship of public funds, like mouse manure in the pantry, must be swept away and the shelves disinfected so that the county can move forward.
Revelations about Goochland County finances that keep bubbling to the surface are troubling at best.
Information presented at Tuesday’s monthly Board of Supervisors’ meeting was like a report on the aftermath of tiny rodents in a pantry. A nibble here, destruction there, mouse manure everywhere!
Following a detailed description of the tasks to be undertaken by the county’s newly retained auditors KPMG, the first time in many years that fresh eyes have gazed on county finances, acting county administrator Lane Ramsey dropped a bombshell.
The operating funds for at least two of the county’s utility entities, the Tuckahoe Creek Service District and James River Sanitary District are inadequate to meet operating expenses. The TCSD is in the hole $125,000, James River $20,000.
Ramsey recommended a 16 percent increase in rates for the TCSD, which he contended would result in uniform water and sewer charges throughout the county. He explained that, under terms of the bond agreement between Goochland County and the Virginia Resources Authority that funded the TCSD, the county administrator must certify that utility rates are sufficient to cover operating costs of the system and that debt service payments are funded. Ramsey said that the ad valorem tax has generated sufficient funds to pay the debt service, but the rates do not cover operating costs.
Residential customers of the TCSD in attendance groaned aloud at the suggestion of yet another increase on rates that were raised by three percent just last year.
One member of the TCSD Advisory Committee left the room stone-faced at the conclusion of Ramsey’s remarks.
District 4 Supervisor Rudy Butler argued that residential connection fees in the TCSD should also be increased to generate additional funds. The board is expected to hold a public hearing on the rate increase at its September meeting. The matter will undoubtedly be discussed further at the August 4 board meeting.
In another agenda item, Ramsey urged the board to develop a comprehensive plan for county utilities looking out as much as 40 years in the future. The county has no system in place to ensure that utilities are financially self-sustaining; schedule and fund routine maintenance to safeguard system reliability nor make provisions for proper controls, processes and procedures to make all of that happen.
However, the plan’s price tag, which Ramsey speculated could be $250,000, puts it out of reach at this time.
A long-range county wide utility plan should have been a precursor to creation of the TCSD. Its absence is more mouse manure.
It seems that either no plans for routine maintenance of the various components of the TCSD, such as the massive pumps that move wastewater through the pump station on Route 6, were included in the rate computation formula or returns from the few users do not cover costs.
Right now, it is imperative for the county to get the TCSD accounts in order and do whatever it can to encourage development there.
In addition to the rate increase, Ramsey reminded the board that it approved funding construction of a water line in Henrico County on Three Chopt Road between the Gaskins Road water treatment plant and Thamesford Way. The cost, $3.8 million will come from the county’s general fund. Postponed during the initial construction of the TCSD, failure to pay for the line will jeopardize the county’s ability to obtain additional water.
This was initially included in the $63 million obtained from the bonds, but the money was spent on other construction projects.
Touted as an economic engine that would provide additional tax revenues to fund the needs of a growing county, the TCSD is in danger of becoming a bottomless pit. This did not occur overnight. What happened? Did someone forget to carry the two? The TCSD was supposed to be funded entirely through the bond issue, ad valorem tax, connection and user fees, not with county funds.
The three county employees most responsible for the TCSD have left the building. While county staff scrambles to pick up the pieces and make sense out of the mess, it’s hard to tell if supervisors, Eads, Quarles and Pryor, who defended the status quo, were duped by the trio, or complicit with their shenanigans.
Don Charles, Director of Community Development, who won the task of mucking out the utilities department, reported that the checks have been accounted for and almost all users are up to date on their utility accounts.
A report on the forensic accounting will be presented at the August 4 meeting. No criminal activity is believed to have been uncovered, just massive amounts of mouse manure.
The auditors will be take a good thorough look at all county financial operations, including the school system. They will look for possible fraud and make recommendations to improve operations. The auditors expect to present their final report to the Board near the end of the year.
In the evening, the board voted to make real estate assessments annual. That will keep property values more in line with prevailing conditions in the real estate market. Given current economic conditions, it will also result in lower tax revenues. To ensure funding for the current fiscal year, which ends after the first tax payment for calendar 2010 is paid, Ramsey recommended that the county reserve $1,172,000 of the general fund balance to cover an optimistic projection of 9.4 percent decrease in property valuations.
Given the number of area homes on the market for months if not years, and drastic price reductions, the actual decrease in property valuations may be much greater. The board, of course, can just dip into the general fund again to make up the difference.
Just how much is in the county’s general fund? Hopefully, the auditors will nail that down and make the number public. How exactly did all of that money accumulate? Have we been paying more taxes than were needed to fund a reasonable level of county services, or did someone again forget to carry the two?
The board needs to exercise caution with the general fund. It is doubtful that the miracle of the loaves and fishes will be repeated in Goochland.
The massive incompetence and abysmal stewardship of public funds, like mouse manure in the pantry, must be swept away and the shelves disinfected so that the county can move forward.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Happy Birthday America
Time for a new look at Common Sense
Our hearts go out to the valiant young Iranians as they are slaughtered by a repressive regime that probably stole an election. Their emails and Tweets reach out for help and support and get a tepid response from Washington.
As Americans, we identify with underdogs. Our cultural memory instinctively knows when it’s time to stand up for what’s right and roots for those who do so.
Unfortunately, that memory is starting to dim. Our moral compass spins with no sense of direction. We’ve become anesthetized by a pop culture that turns gruesome killing into video games and deifies entertainers and athletes whose exploits would earn them prison terms instead of fortunes in a sane world.
Though many of us profess pride in our freedoms and try to live moral and decent lives, it’s hard to swim against the tide.
We get our information from carefully crafted sound bites. Today’s mainstream media mavens may well be just too intellectually lazy to ask the hard questions. There is little doubt that they have forgotten that the primary duty of the media in a free society is to protect the people from government.
The scary part is that too few of us have even noticed or care that the media is now the mouthpiece for government instead of its watchdog.
Far too few people want to think for themselves. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are only too glad to step in and fill that void. As voters ignore elections in disgust, leaders are chosen by a select few with a narrow agenda.
Those who fear for their constitutional rights are often ridiculed.
Gun owners who take their second amendment rights seriously are perhaps the best example.
At the monthly luncheon of the Goochland Republican committee on Tuesday, June 30, area gun owners confronted Lynwood Cobb, the chairman of the party’s seventh district, about his decision to hold the annual Republican Roundup at the Innsbrook Pavilion.
The event, used to attract new members to the GOP, has been held at that privately owned facility, which does not permit firearms, for several years.
Cobb defended the choice contending that the location and amenities provided by the Innsbrook Pavilion are not available anywhere else in the area. Private property owners, he said, have the right to decide what sorts of activities are permitted at their facilities.
While on the surface this seems like a reasonable attitude, it also looks like a way for the Republicans to have it both ways with the firearms folk.
Republican legislators tend to support gun rights, but the party all too often tries to keep gun owners out of the limelight lest they be labeled gun nuts.
We will never know what might have happened if some students at Virginia Tech on that fateful day had been allowed to carry firearms in their backpacks.
Instead, the actions of a deranged student are cited as justification for diluting one of the most important rights guaranteed by our Constitution.
Perhaps if the Republican Party sponsored family events where responsible gun owners were free to attend with a firearm on their hip, others could meet people who understand that with rights come responsibilities.
If gun rights are taken away, can other freedoms that we take for granted be far behind?
Two hundred thirty-three years ago a group of influential men gathered in Philadelphia and signed a document that changed the course of human events. Though the signers are venerated by history, many of them faced personal ruin for their action in their lifetimes.
One of the precursors to that momentous gathering was the publication of a pamphlet, an ancestor of the blog, called Common Sense by Thomas Paine in January of 1776. It soon sold over 100,000 copies in a country whose population was about three million.
Paine, tired of the abuses of a distant king aided and abetted by a greedy parliament, was unabashedly in favor of independence. He outlined his perception of grievances in detail. Many of his sentiments could apply to our contemporary situation.
Read it for yourself at: www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/commonsense. It’s a long read. Print it out and take it to the beach. Think about it.
As you watch the local fireworks show on the Fourth(visit the county website at www.co.goochland.va.us for detailed information,) recall the words “rockets red glare” from the Star Spangled Banner. That was written when Baltimore was under attack in the War of 1812.
We were attacked eight years ago. Except for the people of New York who deal with the gaping wound at the foot of Manahttan, the rest of the country has gone about its business, but we are still at war.
Listen to the words of the Declaration of Independence, which will be read at the Goochland Farmers Market at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Try to imagine you are a farmer hearing the words for the first time on your normal market day.
Is anyone ready to stand up for what they believe in today? Or, do we just go along to get along?
Will the greatness of America go out with a whimper rather than a bang? Unless we are watchful, our cherished freedoms will erode, drop by precious drop, until they are gone. Will we even notice?
It’s past time to pay close attention so the land of the free and the home of the brave will endure for a long time to comep.
Our hearts go out to the valiant young Iranians as they are slaughtered by a repressive regime that probably stole an election. Their emails and Tweets reach out for help and support and get a tepid response from Washington.
As Americans, we identify with underdogs. Our cultural memory instinctively knows when it’s time to stand up for what’s right and roots for those who do so.
Unfortunately, that memory is starting to dim. Our moral compass spins with no sense of direction. We’ve become anesthetized by a pop culture that turns gruesome killing into video games and deifies entertainers and athletes whose exploits would earn them prison terms instead of fortunes in a sane world.
Though many of us profess pride in our freedoms and try to live moral and decent lives, it’s hard to swim against the tide.
We get our information from carefully crafted sound bites. Today’s mainstream media mavens may well be just too intellectually lazy to ask the hard questions. There is little doubt that they have forgotten that the primary duty of the media in a free society is to protect the people from government.
The scary part is that too few of us have even noticed or care that the media is now the mouthpiece for government instead of its watchdog.
Far too few people want to think for themselves. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are only too glad to step in and fill that void. As voters ignore elections in disgust, leaders are chosen by a select few with a narrow agenda.
Those who fear for their constitutional rights are often ridiculed.
Gun owners who take their second amendment rights seriously are perhaps the best example.
At the monthly luncheon of the Goochland Republican committee on Tuesday, June 30, area gun owners confronted Lynwood Cobb, the chairman of the party’s seventh district, about his decision to hold the annual Republican Roundup at the Innsbrook Pavilion.
The event, used to attract new members to the GOP, has been held at that privately owned facility, which does not permit firearms, for several years.
Cobb defended the choice contending that the location and amenities provided by the Innsbrook Pavilion are not available anywhere else in the area. Private property owners, he said, have the right to decide what sorts of activities are permitted at their facilities.
While on the surface this seems like a reasonable attitude, it also looks like a way for the Republicans to have it both ways with the firearms folk.
Republican legislators tend to support gun rights, but the party all too often tries to keep gun owners out of the limelight lest they be labeled gun nuts.
We will never know what might have happened if some students at Virginia Tech on that fateful day had been allowed to carry firearms in their backpacks.
Instead, the actions of a deranged student are cited as justification for diluting one of the most important rights guaranteed by our Constitution.
Perhaps if the Republican Party sponsored family events where responsible gun owners were free to attend with a firearm on their hip, others could meet people who understand that with rights come responsibilities.
If gun rights are taken away, can other freedoms that we take for granted be far behind?
Two hundred thirty-three years ago a group of influential men gathered in Philadelphia and signed a document that changed the course of human events. Though the signers are venerated by history, many of them faced personal ruin for their action in their lifetimes.
One of the precursors to that momentous gathering was the publication of a pamphlet, an ancestor of the blog, called Common Sense by Thomas Paine in January of 1776. It soon sold over 100,000 copies in a country whose population was about three million.
Paine, tired of the abuses of a distant king aided and abetted by a greedy parliament, was unabashedly in favor of independence. He outlined his perception of grievances in detail. Many of his sentiments could apply to our contemporary situation.
Read it for yourself at: www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/commonsense. It’s a long read. Print it out and take it to the beach. Think about it.
As you watch the local fireworks show on the Fourth(visit the county website at www.co.goochland.va.us for detailed information,) recall the words “rockets red glare” from the Star Spangled Banner. That was written when Baltimore was under attack in the War of 1812.
We were attacked eight years ago. Except for the people of New York who deal with the gaping wound at the foot of Manahttan, the rest of the country has gone about its business, but we are still at war.
Listen to the words of the Declaration of Independence, which will be read at the Goochland Farmers Market at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Try to imagine you are a farmer hearing the words for the first time on your normal market day.
Is anyone ready to stand up for what they believe in today? Or, do we just go along to get along?
Will the greatness of America go out with a whimper rather than a bang? Unless we are watchful, our cherished freedoms will erode, drop by precious drop, until they are gone. Will we even notice?
It’s past time to pay close attention so the land of the free and the home of the brave will endure for a long time to comep.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Getting started
All journeys begin with the first step
Everyone has an opinion of what this county needs. Some have quietly begun to make things happen.
On Saturday, three of those groups will be doing their thing in Courthouse Village. Come learn what they’re all about.
Although the James River forms the southern border of Goochland, thanks to the CSX railroad tracks, there is little public access to the water. Last year, the county bought the only riverfront land that does not require crossing the tracks. Although the property lies in the flood plain, it was earmarked for recreational use and eventually dubbed Tucker Park at Maidens Crossing.
A public-private task force, whose members represent county staff, the Chamber of Commerce and interested individuals, are developing a vision for the future use of the park.
Beth Moore, chair of the Tucker Park at Maidens Crossing task force, has already mobilized a corps of volunteers who spent at least one sweaty Saturday on the banks of the river clearing brush and collecting trash. They not only believe in the future of the park, but are willing to pitch in and make it happen.
There will undoubtedly be many more sweaty Saturdays, but on June 27, the Task Force invites everyone to welcome the Batteaux when they arrive at the Maidens boat landing across the river in Powhatan.
Those festivities will start about 11 a.m. Music will be provided by the White Hawk Music Café, another wonderful addition to Courthouse Village, and the Ol’Time Pickers Association. If you’re so inclined, bring your guitar and join in the fun.
The Park is located off of Route 522 just south of the intersection of Maidens Road and Route 6/River Road West. Go towards Powhatan
County and look for signs to the park site. For more information visit
www.maidenscrossingpark.com.
The Batteaux are reproductions of the wide shallow draft boats that were used to transport crops from interior Virginia to the port of Richmond long before there were railroads or even barge canals. The boats are an early example of the American ingenuity.
Each year, the batteaux make the journey from Lynchburg to Maidens. Talk to the crews of the different boats, they all have great tales of the journey. It’s hard enough coming downstream with the flow of the river, especially in times of low water. In their heyday, batteaux moved cargo in both directions.
Batteaux travel on river time, no timepieces allowed on the water, so they get there when they get there. Enjoy the day, catch your breath and try to imagine what life was like back then. Enjoy the river it is truly one of Goochland’s treasures.
Then there is the Goochland Farmers Market on the grounds of Grace Church on River Road West that starts at 8 a.m. each Saturday through October 31.
In addition to vendors who bring locally grown food, crafts and other wonders, this week there will be lots of organized activities for kids.
Sponsored by the Center for Rural Culture (www.centerforruralculture.org,) the GFM came into being to fill a need for an outlet for local products and a place to build community. The GFM has grown by leaps and bounds. Stop by and see what’s going on. Come back often.
(Full disclosure, the author of this blog is a member of the CRC board.)
Perhaps the best example of local people using their skills to benefit the community are the members of the Goochland Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES.) Thanks to their ham radio skills and community spirit, these are the folks that keep us connected to the world after the power fails. They work closely with the county’s emergency services team and are ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice to keep Goochland communications open locally and globally.
This weekend ARES members will be at the Courthouse Company 5 fire-rescue station on Fairground Road from 2 p.m. on Saturday until 5 p. m. on Sunday participating in a field day competition to see who can make the most contacts in North America.
Learn how amateur radio operators using small, simple, self-contained radios and power supplies can contact people around the corner or around the world using equipment that requires little infrastructure and can operate independently.
This all happened because a few people stopped talking and started doing. Others joined in and look what happened. It’s all part of the journey of Goochland. Come see what’s going on and start something yourself!
Everyone has an opinion of what this county needs. Some have quietly begun to make things happen.
On Saturday, three of those groups will be doing their thing in Courthouse Village. Come learn what they’re all about.
Although the James River forms the southern border of Goochland, thanks to the CSX railroad tracks, there is little public access to the water. Last year, the county bought the only riverfront land that does not require crossing the tracks. Although the property lies in the flood plain, it was earmarked for recreational use and eventually dubbed Tucker Park at Maidens Crossing.
A public-private task force, whose members represent county staff, the Chamber of Commerce and interested individuals, are developing a vision for the future use of the park.
Beth Moore, chair of the Tucker Park at Maidens Crossing task force, has already mobilized a corps of volunteers who spent at least one sweaty Saturday on the banks of the river clearing brush and collecting trash. They not only believe in the future of the park, but are willing to pitch in and make it happen.
There will undoubtedly be many more sweaty Saturdays, but on June 27, the Task Force invites everyone to welcome the Batteaux when they arrive at the Maidens boat landing across the river in Powhatan.
Those festivities will start about 11 a.m. Music will be provided by the White Hawk Music Café, another wonderful addition to Courthouse Village, and the Ol’Time Pickers Association. If you’re so inclined, bring your guitar and join in the fun.
The Park is located off of Route 522 just south of the intersection of Maidens Road and Route 6/River Road West. Go towards Powhatan
County and look for signs to the park site. For more information visit
www.maidenscrossingpark.com.
The Batteaux are reproductions of the wide shallow draft boats that were used to transport crops from interior Virginia to the port of Richmond long before there were railroads or even barge canals. The boats are an early example of the American ingenuity.
Each year, the batteaux make the journey from Lynchburg to Maidens. Talk to the crews of the different boats, they all have great tales of the journey. It’s hard enough coming downstream with the flow of the river, especially in times of low water. In their heyday, batteaux moved cargo in both directions.
Batteaux travel on river time, no timepieces allowed on the water, so they get there when they get there. Enjoy the day, catch your breath and try to imagine what life was like back then. Enjoy the river it is truly one of Goochland’s treasures.
Then there is the Goochland Farmers Market on the grounds of Grace Church on River Road West that starts at 8 a.m. each Saturday through October 31.
In addition to vendors who bring locally grown food, crafts and other wonders, this week there will be lots of organized activities for kids.
Sponsored by the Center for Rural Culture (www.centerforruralculture.org,) the GFM came into being to fill a need for an outlet for local products and a place to build community. The GFM has grown by leaps and bounds. Stop by and see what’s going on. Come back often.
(Full disclosure, the author of this blog is a member of the CRC board.)
Perhaps the best example of local people using their skills to benefit the community are the members of the Goochland Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES.) Thanks to their ham radio skills and community spirit, these are the folks that keep us connected to the world after the power fails. They work closely with the county’s emergency services team and are ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice to keep Goochland communications open locally and globally.
This weekend ARES members will be at the Courthouse Company 5 fire-rescue station on Fairground Road from 2 p.m. on Saturday until 5 p. m. on Sunday participating in a field day competition to see who can make the most contacts in North America.
Learn how amateur radio operators using small, simple, self-contained radios and power supplies can contact people around the corner or around the world using equipment that requires little infrastructure and can operate independently.
This all happened because a few people stopped talking and started doing. Others joined in and look what happened. It’s all part of the journey of Goochland. Come see what’s going on and start something yourself!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Rites of spring
The sludge question
Farming is a tough business. The real high rollers in this country aren’t in Vegas—they’re in barns an fields across America. Each year they literally “bet the farm” hoping that the year’s profit exceeds expenses by enough so that they can come back and do it all over again during the next growing season.
High oil prices have driven fertilizer prices through the roof. Some farmers spread biosolids, the processed end product of sewage treatment plants, on their fields and pastures.
Farmers get the stuff at little or no cost from companies paid to dispose of the residue. Use of biosolids can mean the difference between fiscal survival and disaster for farmers.
The practice has supporters and detractors.
Biosolids distributors such as Nutriblend, which delivers the stuff to farmers in Goochland, contend that its product is an environmentally safe and beneficial soil amendment. The Nutriblend website www.nutri-blend.com extols the virtues of using its product to enrich farmland while disposing of the end product of sewers and septic tanks. Soil bacteria, one of God’s many miracles, is capable of digesting and rendering harmless some pretty nasty stuff. For that bacteria to do its job, however, biosolids must be incorporated into the soil, not just slathered over the surface so it can move wherever rainwater takes it.
Detractors contend that, in addition to the possibility of bacterial contamination, biosolids contain heavy metals, synthetic hormones, pharmaceutical residue and other substances not good for children and other living things.
The Cornell Waste Management Institute website (cwmi.css.cornell.edu) provides detailed information about the contents of sewage sludge.
Recently, some residents noticed that biosolids were being applied on sloping land south of Rt. 6 west of Georges Tavern when the county was expecting heavy rain.
They contacted county administration requesting that application be halted until Hugh Hardwicke, the county’s biosolids monitor, could ensure that all pertinent regulations were being observed and the biosolids were not washing into the James River. Eventually, the matter was referred to the health department and application continues.
A few years ago, an Amelia County ordinance banning biosolids application was declared invalid by the courts. The ruling stated that while biosolids could not be prohibited, their application could be regulated.
Regulations included in pertinent Goochland County ordinances are pretty specific but may not have been updated to follow changes in state law.
Even so, the existing laws give a good picture of what is permitted. (The ordinance can be seen in its entirety on the county website www.co.goochland.va.us.)
County rules for application of biosolids seem straightforward. The question is, were the rules followed? Did anyone bother to check?
A very troubling aspect of biosolids use in Goochland is that the chairman of the board of supervisors and former county administrator are believed to be among those who apply sludge to their fields and pastures. There is nothing wrong with that.
Unfortunately, this gives credence to allegations that biosolids application rules are being ignored.
Use of biosolids is one of those sensitive areas where government must find a delicate balance between the property rights of landowners and protecting the health, safety and welfare of citizens.
There are just too many allegations of improper biosolids applications for comfort. Reports of pond ecosystems being destroyed by biosolids runoff from adjoining parcels of land are very disturbing.
Although the Nutriblend website indicates that the biosolids are highly processed, citizens report seeing what resembled used toilet tissue, massive clouds of flies and a suffocating stink following applications of sludge.
It’s one thing to use biosolids on your own land, quite another to allow their residue to slosh onto someone else’s land. That’s just plain disgusting.
Although permits must be obtained well in advance of biosolids applications, it is nearly impossible for county residents to learn when and where the substance will be applied. Often, the only notice citizens receive of biosolids application is from their noses after the fact.
There is also a universal disconnect between the use of biosolids and all of the environmental whacko clean water hullabaloo.
A few months ago, the county presented a new water quality protection ordinance to the planning commission that would require landowners to leave buffers of at least 100 feet around all ponds and streams. The premise is that the vegetation would filter runoff trapping harmful substances that could pollute the water. So any landowner, including those upstream from the fouled water flowing under the closed landfill at Hidden Rock Park, who dared to cut the grass too close to a pond or stream would be in violation.
That ordinance reverted to county staff for revision.
Yet, the county seems, at best, lackadaisical about enforcing its own biosolids application rules.
This is not just a problem for Goochland.
Remember those cute television spots that asked people not to fertilize their lawns in spring to protect the fragile crab population of the Chesapeake Bay? The federal Environmental Protection Agency produced them.
If lawn fertilizer is bad, biosolids, which have a much higher concentration of nutrients, are probably more of a threat.
Yet, searches of websites of several clean water organizations yield zero results for the term biosolids. It could be that those groups believe that, because biosolids application is supposedly carefully regulated and monitored, it is outside their scope of operations.
Last week’s James River clean-up got lots of media attention. Pulling old tires and other junk out of the water is a great photo op. There was no mention of the invisible water pollutants. City folk probably dismiss the whole notion of sludge on farmland, if they ever give it any thought, as not being their problem.
In this part of the world, a significant portion of drinking water comes out of the James River. Hefty doses of chlorine kill the bacteria. The other stuff, however, could come right through the tap.
Regardless of applicable laws, there is no reason that the county cannot list of biosolids application permits on its website giving the location and approximate schedule. Those with health issues that make them especially sensitive to biosolids applications could check and make sure that they keep their windows closed and avoid the areas during time of applications.
There is common law and common decency. Those who spread sludge should do so responsibly and be held accountable for their actions if they do not.
The stuff has to go somewhere and it is naïve to expect a country awash in red ink to implement a program to incinerate sewage sludge any time soon.
In the meantime, it is imperative that the county not only trust that its farmers are using biosolids in a responsible manner, but verify compliance with all applicable laws.
Farming is a tough business. The real high rollers in this country aren’t in Vegas—they’re in barns an fields across America. Each year they literally “bet the farm” hoping that the year’s profit exceeds expenses by enough so that they can come back and do it all over again during the next growing season.
High oil prices have driven fertilizer prices through the roof. Some farmers spread biosolids, the processed end product of sewage treatment plants, on their fields and pastures.
Farmers get the stuff at little or no cost from companies paid to dispose of the residue. Use of biosolids can mean the difference between fiscal survival and disaster for farmers.
The practice has supporters and detractors.
Biosolids distributors such as Nutriblend, which delivers the stuff to farmers in Goochland, contend that its product is an environmentally safe and beneficial soil amendment. The Nutriblend website www.nutri-blend.com extols the virtues of using its product to enrich farmland while disposing of the end product of sewers and septic tanks. Soil bacteria, one of God’s many miracles, is capable of digesting and rendering harmless some pretty nasty stuff. For that bacteria to do its job, however, biosolids must be incorporated into the soil, not just slathered over the surface so it can move wherever rainwater takes it.
Detractors contend that, in addition to the possibility of bacterial contamination, biosolids contain heavy metals, synthetic hormones, pharmaceutical residue and other substances not good for children and other living things.
The Cornell Waste Management Institute website (cwmi.css.cornell.edu) provides detailed information about the contents of sewage sludge.
Recently, some residents noticed that biosolids were being applied on sloping land south of Rt. 6 west of Georges Tavern when the county was expecting heavy rain.
They contacted county administration requesting that application be halted until Hugh Hardwicke, the county’s biosolids monitor, could ensure that all pertinent regulations were being observed and the biosolids were not washing into the James River. Eventually, the matter was referred to the health department and application continues.
A few years ago, an Amelia County ordinance banning biosolids application was declared invalid by the courts. The ruling stated that while biosolids could not be prohibited, their application could be regulated.
Regulations included in pertinent Goochland County ordinances are pretty specific but may not have been updated to follow changes in state law.
Even so, the existing laws give a good picture of what is permitted. (The ordinance can be seen in its entirety on the county website www.co.goochland.va.us.)
County rules for application of biosolids seem straightforward. The question is, were the rules followed? Did anyone bother to check?
A very troubling aspect of biosolids use in Goochland is that the chairman of the board of supervisors and former county administrator are believed to be among those who apply sludge to their fields and pastures. There is nothing wrong with that.
Unfortunately, this gives credence to allegations that biosolids application rules are being ignored.
Use of biosolids is one of those sensitive areas where government must find a delicate balance between the property rights of landowners and protecting the health, safety and welfare of citizens.
There are just too many allegations of improper biosolids applications for comfort. Reports of pond ecosystems being destroyed by biosolids runoff from adjoining parcels of land are very disturbing.
Although the Nutriblend website indicates that the biosolids are highly processed, citizens report seeing what resembled used toilet tissue, massive clouds of flies and a suffocating stink following applications of sludge.
It’s one thing to use biosolids on your own land, quite another to allow their residue to slosh onto someone else’s land. That’s just plain disgusting.
Although permits must be obtained well in advance of biosolids applications, it is nearly impossible for county residents to learn when and where the substance will be applied. Often, the only notice citizens receive of biosolids application is from their noses after the fact.
There is also a universal disconnect between the use of biosolids and all of the environmental whacko clean water hullabaloo.
A few months ago, the county presented a new water quality protection ordinance to the planning commission that would require landowners to leave buffers of at least 100 feet around all ponds and streams. The premise is that the vegetation would filter runoff trapping harmful substances that could pollute the water. So any landowner, including those upstream from the fouled water flowing under the closed landfill at Hidden Rock Park, who dared to cut the grass too close to a pond or stream would be in violation.
That ordinance reverted to county staff for revision.
Yet, the county seems, at best, lackadaisical about enforcing its own biosolids application rules.
This is not just a problem for Goochland.
Remember those cute television spots that asked people not to fertilize their lawns in spring to protect the fragile crab population of the Chesapeake Bay? The federal Environmental Protection Agency produced them.
If lawn fertilizer is bad, biosolids, which have a much higher concentration of nutrients, are probably more of a threat.
Yet, searches of websites of several clean water organizations yield zero results for the term biosolids. It could be that those groups believe that, because biosolids application is supposedly carefully regulated and monitored, it is outside their scope of operations.
Last week’s James River clean-up got lots of media attention. Pulling old tires and other junk out of the water is a great photo op. There was no mention of the invisible water pollutants. City folk probably dismiss the whole notion of sludge on farmland, if they ever give it any thought, as not being their problem.
In this part of the world, a significant portion of drinking water comes out of the James River. Hefty doses of chlorine kill the bacteria. The other stuff, however, could come right through the tap.
Regardless of applicable laws, there is no reason that the county cannot list of biosolids application permits on its website giving the location and approximate schedule. Those with health issues that make them especially sensitive to biosolids applications could check and make sure that they keep their windows closed and avoid the areas during time of applications.
There is common law and common decency. Those who spread sludge should do so responsibly and be held accountable for their actions if they do not.
The stuff has to go somewhere and it is naïve to expect a country awash in red ink to implement a program to incinerate sewage sludge any time soon.
In the meantime, it is imperative that the county not only trust that its farmers are using biosolids in a responsible manner, but verify compliance with all applicable laws.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Citizens in action
Making waves
About two years ago, efforts began to rezone the parcel of land around and behind Satterwhite’s restaurant in Centerville with the stated intent of building a shopping center.
This came just a few months after the southeast quadrant of the Broad Street and Manakin Roads interchange was zoned for both age-restricted residential and retail use. To date, that retail parcel is still for sale.
Last Thursday night (May 28,) the latest of several community meetings about matter was held at the Company 3 fire-rescue station. Although attendance was lower than previous meetings, those who came expressed thoughtful and, for the most part, constructive comments about the latest iteration of the proposal.
The initial concept, your basic strip shopping center dumped on the property, has morphed, in response to vigorous constructive criticism from area residents, into an upscale commercial enclave. Proposed proffers, which, if the rezoning is approved, will become law and must be observed when developing the land regardless of who owns it.
One element that no amount of appealing architectural detail or lavish landscaping can change is its location.
According to Darvin Satterwhite, counsel for the owner Richard Nuckols, private traffic engineers and those from VDOT concur that an access point (represented by a stake with an orange streamer just west of the restaurant) on Rt. 250 that includes both left and right turn lanes is safe.
Area residents disagree, contending that the dip in Rt. 250 just west of the location and the tendency for motorists to drive well above the posted 45 mile-per-hour speed limit make the proposed access point a potential death trap.
The intersection of Rt. 250 and Manakin Road is already a dangerous bottleneck at many times of day. This development will add more cars to that mix.
People who use the intersection believe that a traffic signal there is badly needed. The county has the money to pay for the signal, but VDOT, which has the ultimate authority in the matter, contends that the traffic levels have not reached the thresholds that indicate the need for a traffic light. County officials have little to say in the matter. Other than begging VDOT for action they are helpless in the matter.
Changes in the concept of the proposed retail area are quite amazing and happened because a group of concerned citizens would not give up. The concession to build right and left turn lanes on both Manakin Road and Rt. 250, a pricey proposition, is a significant achievement.
Not too long ago, rezoning applications slipped though the county process with few ripples. Citizens might object at public hearings, but, the rezonings went through with little or no modification.
A few years ago, the board of supervisors mandated that developers hold community meetings with nearby residents before any rezoning application reached the public hearing stage.
Kudos to Paul Costello and his group from the Centerville area for thoughtful, careful research and constructive criticisms that “encouraged” the developers to go back to the drawing board.
Money talks. During the meeting, Nuckols indicated that if anyone wanted to buy the land and keep it in agricultural use, the price is $3 million.
Conceptually, the retail project would be similar to an upscale shopping center on Robious Road in Chesterfield, which will undoubtedly make it expensive to lease. It is important to remember that the attractive photographs are merely conceptual, there is no guarantee that a future developer will use the same architectural styles.
However, the county’s Design Review Committee, which oversees application of the village overlay standards, is quite adept at its job.
One major question about this project, which has yet to be answered, is who will locate there? If it is built, will it be leased?
With the myriad retail delights of Short Pump only a few miles down the road, it’s hard to imagine what sort of business would invest there.
The Chesterfield center, which is accessed from a signalized subdivision road, is quite charming.
Although its remote location has little competition, is not fully leased. Tenants include two medical offices, a day spa, a bank, several restaurants, a dry cleaner and a gourmet food and wine store.
If you can drive another few miles to Short Pump, and make no mistake most of the patrons of whatever businesses locate here will drive, why stop in Centerville?
The developer is not evil. Were it not for developers rezoning land from agricultural to residential use, few if any of the people protesting the rezoning would live here.
A larger question is why was that parcel included in the Centerville village in the first place? Manakin Road would seem to make a good natural western boundary for Centerville. Regardless of how many sidewalks any retail use there contains, traffic on both Manakin and Broad Street Roads will discourage anyone from walking into the rest of the village. Pedestrian access and walkability are supposed to be one of the hallmarks of a village. This falls short.
Nuckols has every right to develop his property profitably. The fault in this process is that his choices for development were limited to what he proposes.
The planning commission, which will hear the case on June 18 and the supervisors who will make the final decision on the application after their own public hearing, must balance the property rights of individual landowners with the health, safety and welfare of county citizens.
Thoughtful public comment is a valuable part of the process. People are too often discouraged if they do not get their way. If citizens had not objected to the original rezoning plan, it would be on the books by now. As it is, their input has given the developer more hurdles to cross. It’s too bad that the developer had so few options for his land.
About two years ago, efforts began to rezone the parcel of land around and behind Satterwhite’s restaurant in Centerville with the stated intent of building a shopping center.
This came just a few months after the southeast quadrant of the Broad Street and Manakin Roads interchange was zoned for both age-restricted residential and retail use. To date, that retail parcel is still for sale.
Last Thursday night (May 28,) the latest of several community meetings about matter was held at the Company 3 fire-rescue station. Although attendance was lower than previous meetings, those who came expressed thoughtful and, for the most part, constructive comments about the latest iteration of the proposal.
The initial concept, your basic strip shopping center dumped on the property, has morphed, in response to vigorous constructive criticism from area residents, into an upscale commercial enclave. Proposed proffers, which, if the rezoning is approved, will become law and must be observed when developing the land regardless of who owns it.
One element that no amount of appealing architectural detail or lavish landscaping can change is its location.
According to Darvin Satterwhite, counsel for the owner Richard Nuckols, private traffic engineers and those from VDOT concur that an access point (represented by a stake with an orange streamer just west of the restaurant) on Rt. 250 that includes both left and right turn lanes is safe.
Area residents disagree, contending that the dip in Rt. 250 just west of the location and the tendency for motorists to drive well above the posted 45 mile-per-hour speed limit make the proposed access point a potential death trap.
The intersection of Rt. 250 and Manakin Road is already a dangerous bottleneck at many times of day. This development will add more cars to that mix.
People who use the intersection believe that a traffic signal there is badly needed. The county has the money to pay for the signal, but VDOT, which has the ultimate authority in the matter, contends that the traffic levels have not reached the thresholds that indicate the need for a traffic light. County officials have little to say in the matter. Other than begging VDOT for action they are helpless in the matter.
Changes in the concept of the proposed retail area are quite amazing and happened because a group of concerned citizens would not give up. The concession to build right and left turn lanes on both Manakin Road and Rt. 250, a pricey proposition, is a significant achievement.
Not too long ago, rezoning applications slipped though the county process with few ripples. Citizens might object at public hearings, but, the rezonings went through with little or no modification.
A few years ago, the board of supervisors mandated that developers hold community meetings with nearby residents before any rezoning application reached the public hearing stage.
Kudos to Paul Costello and his group from the Centerville area for thoughtful, careful research and constructive criticisms that “encouraged” the developers to go back to the drawing board.
Money talks. During the meeting, Nuckols indicated that if anyone wanted to buy the land and keep it in agricultural use, the price is $3 million.
Conceptually, the retail project would be similar to an upscale shopping center on Robious Road in Chesterfield, which will undoubtedly make it expensive to lease. It is important to remember that the attractive photographs are merely conceptual, there is no guarantee that a future developer will use the same architectural styles.
However, the county’s Design Review Committee, which oversees application of the village overlay standards, is quite adept at its job.
One major question about this project, which has yet to be answered, is who will locate there? If it is built, will it be leased?
With the myriad retail delights of Short Pump only a few miles down the road, it’s hard to imagine what sort of business would invest there.
The Chesterfield center, which is accessed from a signalized subdivision road, is quite charming.
Although its remote location has little competition, is not fully leased. Tenants include two medical offices, a day spa, a bank, several restaurants, a dry cleaner and a gourmet food and wine store.
If you can drive another few miles to Short Pump, and make no mistake most of the patrons of whatever businesses locate here will drive, why stop in Centerville?
The developer is not evil. Were it not for developers rezoning land from agricultural to residential use, few if any of the people protesting the rezoning would live here.
A larger question is why was that parcel included in the Centerville village in the first place? Manakin Road would seem to make a good natural western boundary for Centerville. Regardless of how many sidewalks any retail use there contains, traffic on both Manakin and Broad Street Roads will discourage anyone from walking into the rest of the village. Pedestrian access and walkability are supposed to be one of the hallmarks of a village. This falls short.
Nuckols has every right to develop his property profitably. The fault in this process is that his choices for development were limited to what he proposes.
The planning commission, which will hear the case on June 18 and the supervisors who will make the final decision on the application after their own public hearing, must balance the property rights of individual landowners with the health, safety and welfare of county citizens.
Thoughtful public comment is a valuable part of the process. People are too often discouraged if they do not get their way. If citizens had not objected to the original rezoning plan, it would be on the books by now. As it is, their input has given the developer more hurdles to cross. It’s too bad that the developer had so few options for his land.
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