Citizen Service
The Goochland Board of Supervisors approved a new process for filling county boards and commissions at its February 7 meeting. An application is available on the county website, www.co.goochland.va.us) that any citizen may complete and submit to indicate their interest in a particular appointment and their qualifications to hold that position.
The website will also include a list of pending vacancies on boards and commissions.
Over the years, Goochland has been blessed by the efforts of citizens who volunteered their time and talents to serve in an advisory capacity. It has also been cursed by clueless people put in place to further an agenda with little regard for the impact on the county as a whole.
Ideally, an advisory committee or commission is charged with making impartial recommendations to the supervisors following an in depth review of a particular matter. As the board has the final say on most matters, it needs all of the objective evaluation possible to make sound, informed decisions.
Sounds good in theory, but reality, at least in the past, is quite different. The current planning commission is simply an embarrassment. The seven commissioners who complied with a request for their resignation from the new supervisors should be commended for their exit.
The supervisors are expected to change the number of planning commissioners to seven, one from each district and two at large, in April.
Appointing people to advisory bodies who go through the motions and rubber stamp whatever comes before them is a waste of time and money. The new board needs to be mindful of this.
Another case in point is the county’s Design Review Committee, which is charged with ensuring compliance with design standards in the county’s overlay districts.
Overlay districts were created to give the county control over new construction in certain areas including the Centerville and Courthouse Villages.
The overlay districts sort of include the “gateways” to Goochland along Broad Street Road and Patterson Avenue, which are characterized by attractive new construction and grandfathered eyesores.
The entire concept of design standards and overlay districts is controversial. Some believe that the design standards, which include acceptable building materials, signage and landscape buffering, should apply to any new construction in a village. Others contend that the entire process is just another method to discourage expansion of business in the county and should be discarded.
As the overlay districts extend only a certain distance from the roadway, they are kind of a joke. For instance, because the Goochland Library sits on River Road West it is subject to all of the requirements. The YMCA, however, is back just far enough that its space ship design gets a pass even though it is just as visible from the street.
Since its creation, the DRC has been comprised in the majority by serving members of the planning commission. This, according to John Lewis, who has served District 5 on the DRC for eight years, questions the possibility of impartial review. Lewis has never been on the planning commission.
The DRC’s task is to objectively consider plans for a proposed use and decide if it adheres to the design standards.
On the one hand, the DRC ensures attractive and high quality construction. On the other hand, it can and has, been used as a bludgeon to discourage enterprises from locating here.
In the February 7 evening citizen comment period Lewis urged the supervisors not to appoint planning commissioners to the DRC.
Lewis contended that the DRC was created to advise the planning commission and that a board cannot advise itself. He also said that the DRC is not an arm of the Economic Development Authority and is charged with ensuring that design standards set for the county’s overlay district are met, nothing else.
At the March 5 DRC meeting Lewis contended that concurrent service on the planning commission and DRC could give the appearance of conflict of interest. He made a motion, which died for lack of a second, to recommend amending the ordinance governing the DRC to prohibit concurrent membership on both bodies. (His comments begin about minute 52 of the meeting recording, which is available on the county website under the DRC page.)
Other members of the DRC, most planning commissioners, pooh-poohed his objections, contending that the new board of supervisors will appoint sympathetic persons to the planning commission to rubber stamp its agenda. They defended concurrent membership on both bodies and denied that their decisions on one board were influenced by actions on the other.
If DRC review is destined to become little more than going through the motions, it should be eliminated.
The new board is anxious to encourage economic development to offset falling real estate values and deal with escalating debt service for the Tuckahoe Creek Service District. Care must be taken to ensure that development is high quality and appropriately located.
Let’s hope that the Goodwill store coming soon the Broadview Shopping Center is not a troubling portent of things to come.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Trudging through the jungle
Highlights of March BoS meeting
Goochland County’s new board of supervisors is hard at work untangling the knot of snakes it inherited. The tasks are many and difficult.
At their March 6 meeting, the first to be streamed live over the internet, the supervisors continued to chip away at their colossal to-do list. Some highlights follow.
Jonathan Lyle, one of Goochland’s newly elected directors of the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District, briefly addressed the board. He said that the MSWCD exists to protect natural resources and is eager to offer assistance to Goochland.
Herbert R. Griffith chairman of the county electoral board reported that as of 3 p.m. less than 10 percent of registered voters had cast ballots in the republican presidential primaries. If political parties insist on holding primaries, they should foot the bill instead of passing the cost along to overburdened taxpayers.
Manuel Alvarez Jr. District 2 supervisor announced that he is forming a project committee to study deployment of high speed internet throughout the county. The committee will be comprised of about five to seven citizens with information technology expertise, including District 2 school board member Kevin Hazzard. It will spend about six months gathering information and evaluating possibilities for deploying broadband in Goochland.
If you are interested in serving on this or other boards and committees please go to the supervisors’ page on the county website www.co.goochland.va.us, scroll down until you see the “serving Goochland” tab on the left and follow the instructions.
County assessor Glenn Branham unveiled the new website for property values. It is located on the assessor tab on the county website. If you do not have high speed internet, be patient, it takes a while to load.
Branham explained that the new web site is a search engine and property records include a photo and sketch of buildings.
He also said that there are faint signals that real estate valuations may be nearing their bottom.
Goochland treasurer Pam Johnson reported that she has hired Pam Duncan as deputy treasurer.
The fire-rescue chief reminded everyone to check their smoke alarms when they turn their clocks forward next Sunday.
Sheriff James L. Agnew reported that deputy Chris Cranor school resource officer and other members of the Sheriff’s Office took spoke to 14 classes at the middle school about bullying. Hopefully, this effort will greatly reduce or eliminate incidents of bullying in our schools.
Rob Crandol P.E. programming director of VDOT presented an update on the Broad Street Road widening aka the “Centerville speedway” project. He explained that the difficulties with the curve in northbound turn lanes at the Broad Street and Manakin Roads intersection occurred because the engineers “downtown” used what turned out to be an incorrect design template.
The VDOT engineers used what Crandol described as the WB 50 template, the second largest in their toolkit, which was inadequate because “people did not behave the way we expected them to.”
The intersection is in the process of being redesigned using the WB67 turn lane template, which, said Crandol, is the largest and accommodates a semi-tractor with a 53 foot trailer. He is “confident” that this “one time fix,” which involves moving concrete curbs and guttering about 12 feet west and reworking the entire surface will solve the problem. Stay tuned.
Crandol did not mention the cost of the remedy. This is a good time to insert adages like “measure twice and cut once” or “penny wise and pound foolish.”
District 4 Supervisor Bob Minnick has been meeting with VDOT to mitigate the impact of the concrete median on westbound access to the Shell station. Why was any of this necessary? Surely the VDOT engineers “downtown” could see the Shell station using Google Earth.
(Updates from VDOT on this project are forwarded to those on the GOMM notification list. To be added to the list, post a comment and include your email list.)
A bit later in the meeting, Crandol and other VDOT representatives reviewed the county’s secondary six year road improvement plan. Funds allocated to Goochland County by VDOT will be no more than $80,000 annually for at least the next six years. The cost, presumably in today’s dollars to improve the two intersections of Manakin Road with Hermitage and Three Chopt Roads is $3.2 million. So it will take about 40 years to accumulate enough money to complete the project. A public hearing will be held on this plan on May 1.
Why can’t our state legislators forego social engineering to concentrate on civil engineering and “fixing” VDOT?
The supervisors voted unanimously with little discussion to allocate the $500,000 withheld from the school budget in 2011. This is a positive practical manifestation of trust and collaboration between the supervisors and school board that was long overdue.
County Attorney Normal Sales discussed pending revisions to county ordinances. These include creation of a multi-family zoning district; dark sky compliance; changing the due date for personal property tax and vehicle registration fees; the bio solids ordinance and EMS cost recovery. See the board packet for the complete list. The supervisors must hold a public hearing before voting on any ordinance changes.
The county needs to implement a village plan for Centerville while it works on the multifamily zoning ordinance. Ideally this plan would create a matrix for appropriate development to encourage the maximum success for all involved. The previous regime repeatedly declined to craft a village plan to the detriment of all.
The most sobering item on the agenda was authorization of advertisement for the 2012 proposed rates for real estate and ad valorem taxes and utility rates. These will be established when the supervisors vote them into place on April 17 but cannot be higher than those advertised. A public hearing will be held on these rates on April 3.
All supervisors have scheduled town hall meetings in their districts later in March to discuss the budget and all other citizen concerns. Please try to attend the meeting in your district. You voted in a board that pledged to be responsive. Now it’s your turn to let them know what concerns you. Citizen engagement is crucial to the success of government.
The schedule follows:
District 3, Monday, March 12, 7P, Board Meeting Room
District 5, Thursday, March 22, 7P, Co. 1 Firehouse
District 1, Saturday, March 24, 9A, Byrd Elementary School
District 4, Wednesday, March 28, 7P, Co. 3 Firehouse
District 2, Thursday, March 29, 7P, Old Goochland Middle School
Goochland County’s new board of supervisors is hard at work untangling the knot of snakes it inherited. The tasks are many and difficult.
At their March 6 meeting, the first to be streamed live over the internet, the supervisors continued to chip away at their colossal to-do list. Some highlights follow.
Jonathan Lyle, one of Goochland’s newly elected directors of the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District, briefly addressed the board. He said that the MSWCD exists to protect natural resources and is eager to offer assistance to Goochland.
Herbert R. Griffith chairman of the county electoral board reported that as of 3 p.m. less than 10 percent of registered voters had cast ballots in the republican presidential primaries. If political parties insist on holding primaries, they should foot the bill instead of passing the cost along to overburdened taxpayers.
Manuel Alvarez Jr. District 2 supervisor announced that he is forming a project committee to study deployment of high speed internet throughout the county. The committee will be comprised of about five to seven citizens with information technology expertise, including District 2 school board member Kevin Hazzard. It will spend about six months gathering information and evaluating possibilities for deploying broadband in Goochland.
If you are interested in serving on this or other boards and committees please go to the supervisors’ page on the county website www.co.goochland.va.us, scroll down until you see the “serving Goochland” tab on the left and follow the instructions.
County assessor Glenn Branham unveiled the new website for property values. It is located on the assessor tab on the county website. If you do not have high speed internet, be patient, it takes a while to load.
Branham explained that the new web site is a search engine and property records include a photo and sketch of buildings.
He also said that there are faint signals that real estate valuations may be nearing their bottom.
Goochland treasurer Pam Johnson reported that she has hired Pam Duncan as deputy treasurer.
The fire-rescue chief reminded everyone to check their smoke alarms when they turn their clocks forward next Sunday.
Sheriff James L. Agnew reported that deputy Chris Cranor school resource officer and other members of the Sheriff’s Office took spoke to 14 classes at the middle school about bullying. Hopefully, this effort will greatly reduce or eliminate incidents of bullying in our schools.
Rob Crandol P.E. programming director of VDOT presented an update on the Broad Street Road widening aka the “Centerville speedway” project. He explained that the difficulties with the curve in northbound turn lanes at the Broad Street and Manakin Roads intersection occurred because the engineers “downtown” used what turned out to be an incorrect design template.
The VDOT engineers used what Crandol described as the WB 50 template, the second largest in their toolkit, which was inadequate because “people did not behave the way we expected them to.”
The intersection is in the process of being redesigned using the WB67 turn lane template, which, said Crandol, is the largest and accommodates a semi-tractor with a 53 foot trailer. He is “confident” that this “one time fix,” which involves moving concrete curbs and guttering about 12 feet west and reworking the entire surface will solve the problem. Stay tuned.
Crandol did not mention the cost of the remedy. This is a good time to insert adages like “measure twice and cut once” or “penny wise and pound foolish.”
District 4 Supervisor Bob Minnick has been meeting with VDOT to mitigate the impact of the concrete median on westbound access to the Shell station. Why was any of this necessary? Surely the VDOT engineers “downtown” could see the Shell station using Google Earth.
(Updates from VDOT on this project are forwarded to those on the GOMM notification list. To be added to the list, post a comment and include your email list.)
A bit later in the meeting, Crandol and other VDOT representatives reviewed the county’s secondary six year road improvement plan. Funds allocated to Goochland County by VDOT will be no more than $80,000 annually for at least the next six years. The cost, presumably in today’s dollars to improve the two intersections of Manakin Road with Hermitage and Three Chopt Roads is $3.2 million. So it will take about 40 years to accumulate enough money to complete the project. A public hearing will be held on this plan on May 1.
Why can’t our state legislators forego social engineering to concentrate on civil engineering and “fixing” VDOT?
The supervisors voted unanimously with little discussion to allocate the $500,000 withheld from the school budget in 2011. This is a positive practical manifestation of trust and collaboration between the supervisors and school board that was long overdue.
County Attorney Normal Sales discussed pending revisions to county ordinances. These include creation of a multi-family zoning district; dark sky compliance; changing the due date for personal property tax and vehicle registration fees; the bio solids ordinance and EMS cost recovery. See the board packet for the complete list. The supervisors must hold a public hearing before voting on any ordinance changes.
The county needs to implement a village plan for Centerville while it works on the multifamily zoning ordinance. Ideally this plan would create a matrix for appropriate development to encourage the maximum success for all involved. The previous regime repeatedly declined to craft a village plan to the detriment of all.
The most sobering item on the agenda was authorization of advertisement for the 2012 proposed rates for real estate and ad valorem taxes and utility rates. These will be established when the supervisors vote them into place on April 17 but cannot be higher than those advertised. A public hearing will be held on these rates on April 3.
All supervisors have scheduled town hall meetings in their districts later in March to discuss the budget and all other citizen concerns. Please try to attend the meeting in your district. You voted in a board that pledged to be responsive. Now it’s your turn to let them know what concerns you. Citizen engagement is crucial to the success of government.
The schedule follows:
District 3, Monday, March 12, 7P, Board Meeting Room
District 5, Thursday, March 22, 7P, Co. 1 Firehouse
District 1, Saturday, March 24, 9A, Byrd Elementary School
District 4, Wednesday, March 28, 7P, Co. 3 Firehouse
District 2, Thursday, March 29, 7P, Old Goochland Middle School
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Mucking out
More pain ahead
The initial proposed $44.8 million Goochland County budget for fiscal year 2013, which begins on July 1, was publicly presented to the supervisors last night. This included drastic increases in county utility rates and another hike in the ad valorem tax levied on land in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.
County administrator Rebecca Dickson stated that there may well be changes before the final budget is adopted in April. Public input is encouraged and welcome, she said. The proposed budget with extensive background material will soon be available on the county website www.co.goochland.va.us. Please take a look at this document. It provides good insight about county operations.
Residents from the Parke at Centerville and Kinloch expressed their outrage at both the ad valorem tax and utility rate increase.
These folks have every reason to be furious about the ad valorem tax. They bought homes in good faith and learned only at closing that they had another tax to pay.
Of greater concern are the homeowners in the older subdivisions of Hickory haven and Sammary Forest who were bamboozled into joining the TCSD about ten years ago. These folks were led to believe that the ad valorem tax would be around 15 cents instead of the 50 cents that showed up on the tax bill. These communities pay full ad valorem tax but have only water service.
Residents of the Parke urged the supervisors to spread the ad valorem tax county wide contending that all Goochland taxpayers should share the burden. Aside from the fact that the ad valorem tax can probably only be legally levied on landowners in the TCSD, the county collects real estate tax on only 45 percent of any increase in TCSD land value over the 2004 base year. The remainder is used for debt service. So the whole county is contributing.
To add insult to injury, a significant sewer overbilling came to light, to the tune of about $200,000. The county has made adjustments, but the change had a negative effect on assumptions for the entire system. Haven’t they found all the inconsistencies in utility billing yet?
To mitigate utility rate increases, a consolidation of all county utility systems was proposed. This would establish one set of user rates county wide resulting in bimonthly water bills of $52.96 and sewer bills of $76.88 for an 8,000 gallon minimum use. That is a total bimonthly increase for the TCSD of $29.16 and $8.44 for other users. Several speakers contended that they use far less water than that and resent being billed for something they do not use.
For unknown reasons in the past utility rates did not factor in the cost of routine maintenance and eventual replacement. Going forward, the administration is working hard to make utilities self-sustaining and wean them off of general fund support, of about $400,000 annually. This is yet another way that the entire county chips in to fund the TCSD.
“This will be a bit painful for TCSD users whose rates did not increase all along as did those in Courthouse Village,” Dickson explained.
The real problem with the utility system is that is far too small to be run efficiently. According to information in the budget, there are only 1,187 utility customers county wide, 942 residential and 123 commercial.
A four cent increase in the ad valorem tax to 38 cents was also recommended by staff. Aggregate property values in the TCSD fell from $777 million in 2009 to $661 million in 2012.
More users are needed forthwith. The county must be fiercely proactive in finding ways to increase the utility customer base. A plan to add more than 300 apartments to the TCSD is wending its way to the supervisors. Speeding this along could nearly double the current TCSD customer count of 345.
Residents in Kinloch and the Parke at Centerville were instrumental in the election of supervisors Ken Petersen District 5 and Bob Minnick District 4. They pretty much accused the other board members of not caring about the TCSD mess. Board chair Ned Creasey District 3 assured them that the entire board is very concerned about the situation.
The whole board does seem concerned about the TCSD, but it cannot dig out of this mess overnight, especially in this fragile economy.
In March, all supervisors and school board members will hold joint town meetings in their Districts. Please try to attend or let your supervisor know your thoughts on the budget. They really do want to hear from you.
Based on a 53 cent per hundred dollar of valuation real estate tax, the proposed budget includes new approaches to funding some segments of county services.
For instance, a cost recovery program for EMS is expected to generate approximately $271,000 for the last half of the fiscal year assuming a January 2013 implementation.
Insurance of patients transported to area hospitals by Goochland rescue squads will be billed for the service. Details of the plan will be forthcoming in community meetings and public hearings. A “soft billing” collection method will be part of this policy in which charges for the uninsured or unable to pay will not be aggressively pursued. No one will be denied EMS transport.
Personal property taxes will be collected twice a year, which is expected to result in a one time “bump” of $2.6 million. This windfall will be used to build a new fire-rescue station, probably at Hadensville.
A major emphasis will be put on economic development next year. Hopefully, this will attract new business to the TCSD to deal with the burgeoning debt burden and utility costs.
The supervisors seem mindful that they must keep tax rates competitive to attract new business. This will be a delicate juggling act.
Dickson said that shrinking real estate values are expected to decline an additional three percent next year. We’re not out of the woods yet. Keeping tax and utility rates competitive and adequately funding county services will be a delicate juggling act.
The initial proposed $44.8 million Goochland County budget for fiscal year 2013, which begins on July 1, was publicly presented to the supervisors last night. This included drastic increases in county utility rates and another hike in the ad valorem tax levied on land in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.
County administrator Rebecca Dickson stated that there may well be changes before the final budget is adopted in April. Public input is encouraged and welcome, she said. The proposed budget with extensive background material will soon be available on the county website www.co.goochland.va.us. Please take a look at this document. It provides good insight about county operations.
Residents from the Parke at Centerville and Kinloch expressed their outrage at both the ad valorem tax and utility rate increase.
These folks have every reason to be furious about the ad valorem tax. They bought homes in good faith and learned only at closing that they had another tax to pay.
Of greater concern are the homeowners in the older subdivisions of Hickory haven and Sammary Forest who were bamboozled into joining the TCSD about ten years ago. These folks were led to believe that the ad valorem tax would be around 15 cents instead of the 50 cents that showed up on the tax bill. These communities pay full ad valorem tax but have only water service.
Residents of the Parke urged the supervisors to spread the ad valorem tax county wide contending that all Goochland taxpayers should share the burden. Aside from the fact that the ad valorem tax can probably only be legally levied on landowners in the TCSD, the county collects real estate tax on only 45 percent of any increase in TCSD land value over the 2004 base year. The remainder is used for debt service. So the whole county is contributing.
To add insult to injury, a significant sewer overbilling came to light, to the tune of about $200,000. The county has made adjustments, but the change had a negative effect on assumptions for the entire system. Haven’t they found all the inconsistencies in utility billing yet?
To mitigate utility rate increases, a consolidation of all county utility systems was proposed. This would establish one set of user rates county wide resulting in bimonthly water bills of $52.96 and sewer bills of $76.88 for an 8,000 gallon minimum use. That is a total bimonthly increase for the TCSD of $29.16 and $8.44 for other users. Several speakers contended that they use far less water than that and resent being billed for something they do not use.
For unknown reasons in the past utility rates did not factor in the cost of routine maintenance and eventual replacement. Going forward, the administration is working hard to make utilities self-sustaining and wean them off of general fund support, of about $400,000 annually. This is yet another way that the entire county chips in to fund the TCSD.
“This will be a bit painful for TCSD users whose rates did not increase all along as did those in Courthouse Village,” Dickson explained.
The real problem with the utility system is that is far too small to be run efficiently. According to information in the budget, there are only 1,187 utility customers county wide, 942 residential and 123 commercial.
A four cent increase in the ad valorem tax to 38 cents was also recommended by staff. Aggregate property values in the TCSD fell from $777 million in 2009 to $661 million in 2012.
More users are needed forthwith. The county must be fiercely proactive in finding ways to increase the utility customer base. A plan to add more than 300 apartments to the TCSD is wending its way to the supervisors. Speeding this along could nearly double the current TCSD customer count of 345.
Residents in Kinloch and the Parke at Centerville were instrumental in the election of supervisors Ken Petersen District 5 and Bob Minnick District 4. They pretty much accused the other board members of not caring about the TCSD mess. Board chair Ned Creasey District 3 assured them that the entire board is very concerned about the situation.
The whole board does seem concerned about the TCSD, but it cannot dig out of this mess overnight, especially in this fragile economy.
In March, all supervisors and school board members will hold joint town meetings in their Districts. Please try to attend or let your supervisor know your thoughts on the budget. They really do want to hear from you.
Based on a 53 cent per hundred dollar of valuation real estate tax, the proposed budget includes new approaches to funding some segments of county services.
For instance, a cost recovery program for EMS is expected to generate approximately $271,000 for the last half of the fiscal year assuming a January 2013 implementation.
Insurance of patients transported to area hospitals by Goochland rescue squads will be billed for the service. Details of the plan will be forthcoming in community meetings and public hearings. A “soft billing” collection method will be part of this policy in which charges for the uninsured or unable to pay will not be aggressively pursued. No one will be denied EMS transport.
Personal property taxes will be collected twice a year, which is expected to result in a one time “bump” of $2.6 million. This windfall will be used to build a new fire-rescue station, probably at Hadensville.
A major emphasis will be put on economic development next year. Hopefully, this will attract new business to the TCSD to deal with the burgeoning debt burden and utility costs.
The supervisors seem mindful that they must keep tax rates competitive to attract new business. This will be a delicate juggling act.
Dickson said that shrinking real estate values are expected to decline an additional three percent next year. We’re not out of the woods yet. Keeping tax and utility rates competitive and adequately funding county services will be a delicate juggling act.
Bringing history to life
Next Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 3 p.m. Roxane Gatling Gilmore, former First Lady of Virginia, will discuss her 2011 book “Restoring the Governor’s House” at the Goochland Branch Library, 3075 River Road West in Goochland Courthouse Village.
Gilmore brings a unique perspective to the task of writing an account of this restoration. The Virginia Governor’s House is the oldest continuously used state executive mansion in the country. As the Commonwealth changes governors every four years lots of families have lived here including Gilmore’s.
Having actively participated in the restoration, she brings a personal and detailed knowledge of updating an historic structure for use in the 21st century from the cultural and practical considerations to the problems encountered along the way and their solutions. The book is the result of notes she took during the restoration process.
An assistant professor of classics at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Gilmore is an engaging speaker and no doubt her talk will include many anecdotes about the Governor’s House.
Please join the Friends of the Goochland Branch Library for this very special event. Refreshments will be served.
Gilmore brings a unique perspective to the task of writing an account of this restoration. The Virginia Governor’s House is the oldest continuously used state executive mansion in the country. As the Commonwealth changes governors every four years lots of families have lived here including Gilmore’s.
Having actively participated in the restoration, she brings a personal and detailed knowledge of updating an historic structure for use in the 21st century from the cultural and practical considerations to the problems encountered along the way and their solutions. The book is the result of notes she took during the restoration process.
An assistant professor of classics at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Gilmore is an engaging speaker and no doubt her talk will include many anecdotes about the Governor’s House.
Please join the Friends of the Goochland Branch Library for this very special event. Refreshments will be served.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Breaking eggs
Facts were as scarce as hen’s teeth during consideration of a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would permit apartments in a morsel of West Creek at the February 16 meeting of the Goochland planning commission. The commissioners danced around the chicken/egg conundrum of which should come first, homes or businesses.
After a bizarre but relatively brief public hearing the commission split its vote five to five on recommending approval of the amendment. The tie vote moves the matter to the board of supervisors for final disposition.
At issue was a proposed amendment to M-1 zoning that applies only to 60 total acres in the West Creek business park. If approved, this change will pave the way for construction of a gated upscale apartment complex, some sort of retail operation and medical offices.
The 30 acre parcel of land currently under the microscope is located east of Rt. 288, south of Broad Street Road and west of Tuckahoe Creek opposite of the Wawa gas station. Even though this proposal had been before the commission in December, January and last week, staff should have had a map that clearly illustrated the location.
The three commissioners who rejected a request to resign from the commission from the new board of supervisors— James Atkinson District 1; Ty Querry District 2 and board chair Courtney Hyers District 5—worked hard to stall the matter.
Atkinson indicated that he and Hyers had previously discussed the matter “on the telephone.”
In previous sessions, the commission raised concerns that the apartments might exceed the utility capacity of the Tuckahoe Creek Service District. Principal planner Tom Coleman reported that the TCSD currently uses 13.5 percent of its water capacity and one point five percent of its sewer capacity.
Atkinson got snippy because the change would apply to 60 acres, down from the initial 75 acres, but still more than he requested at a February 8 workshop. He seemed unaware that the ordinance change applies only to M-1 zoning in West Creek, not the entire county. If only 30 acres was included in the ordinance amendment, West Creek would need to repeat the process for additional acreage. This is the kind of attitude that drives development dollars to other jurisdictions.
Hyers contended that any action on multifamily housing in West Creek should be deferred until the county hires an economic development person. She said that position has been vacant since the former economic development director left “six or seven years ago.” He moved to greener pastures in 2010.
Much of the discussion about the proposed amendment to the M-1 zoning that applies only to West Creek revolved around the issue of the number of children a large apartment complex would add to our school system.
It was quite interesting that no one mentioned either the Parke at Manakin or the Parke at Centerville, two relatively high density communities that were also supposed to swamp the local education system. Both of those subdivisions are essentially built out and have brought only a handful of children to county schools. More hard facts omitted from the discussion.
Hyers repeatedly contended that the county cannot afford to permit apartments because our schools cannot handle the significant influx of new students from the apartments. She also argued that the additional real estate tax generated by the increased property value would not be enough to fund the impact of more residents on law enforcement and fire-rescue.
Could Hyers really be unaware that personal property taxes, including those levied on motor vehicles, are a significant funding source for non-school services? A passel of upscale apartments occupied by young professionals who own expensive cars registered in Goochland would add money to county coffers. Now those cars are registered elsewhere.
Lowe Lunsford District 5, who, as a courtesy, tendered his resignation without being asked, deftly shut down that line of thought by reminding his fellow commissioners that they are charged only with making recommendations about land use issues. Worrying about the fiscal impact of a zoning is the responsibility of the board of supervisors because they have to pay for the consequences.
It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate site for upscale apartments in Goochland than this one at the eastern edge of the county, with access to a six lane road, served by public utilities contained from expansion by roads and Tuckahoe Creek. Access to Broad Street Road will be controlled by a traffic signal.
Any project in West Creek is subject to a wide array of proffers and covenants to uphold design and development criteria that exceed those in zoning ordinances. These apartments will set a precedent of high standards to guide any development that follows.
Only a handful of people commented during the public hearing, which seems to indicate that few people are concerned about the issue.
One man believed that the land in question fronted Route 6 and that he would see it from his front window. There are no homes anywhere near the proposed site on the south side of Broad Street Road.
A very confused citizen argued that the county is unable to handle a fire in an “80 story building” because the county’s sole ladder truck is in Courthouse Village.
According to Tommy Carter District 3 commissioner, who is also a past chief of Goochland Fire-Rescue, there are now two 105 foot ladder trucks in the county, one stationed at Manakin on the edge of West Creek. Carter further explained that a new apartment building is required by building code to have a sprinkler system to extinguish fires when they start.
Bob Rich, who represented District 4 on the commission and served as its chair, spoke in favor of the change. “This is a fiscal opportunity for Goochland that will set quality standards for what follows,” Rich said. “Get it done right and get it done now.”
Paul Costello opposed the 19 unit per acre density and contended that the amendment would give too much control of this project to corporate developers. Given the county’s spotty track record of using zoning ordinances as cudgel rather than carrot, an exception in this case is warranted.
Querry seemed to support the idea of using development on the 30 acres as a test case to gauge the impact of multifamily housing on the county but ultimately voted against it.
A planning commission that cannot put aside its own agenda to make land use recommendations based on the merit of the proposal, not the name of the developer, serves no purpose.
After a bizarre but relatively brief public hearing the commission split its vote five to five on recommending approval of the amendment. The tie vote moves the matter to the board of supervisors for final disposition.
At issue was a proposed amendment to M-1 zoning that applies only to 60 total acres in the West Creek business park. If approved, this change will pave the way for construction of a gated upscale apartment complex, some sort of retail operation and medical offices.
The 30 acre parcel of land currently under the microscope is located east of Rt. 288, south of Broad Street Road and west of Tuckahoe Creek opposite of the Wawa gas station. Even though this proposal had been before the commission in December, January and last week, staff should have had a map that clearly illustrated the location.
The three commissioners who rejected a request to resign from the commission from the new board of supervisors— James Atkinson District 1; Ty Querry District 2 and board chair Courtney Hyers District 5—worked hard to stall the matter.
Atkinson indicated that he and Hyers had previously discussed the matter “on the telephone.”
In previous sessions, the commission raised concerns that the apartments might exceed the utility capacity of the Tuckahoe Creek Service District. Principal planner Tom Coleman reported that the TCSD currently uses 13.5 percent of its water capacity and one point five percent of its sewer capacity.
Atkinson got snippy because the change would apply to 60 acres, down from the initial 75 acres, but still more than he requested at a February 8 workshop. He seemed unaware that the ordinance change applies only to M-1 zoning in West Creek, not the entire county. If only 30 acres was included in the ordinance amendment, West Creek would need to repeat the process for additional acreage. This is the kind of attitude that drives development dollars to other jurisdictions.
Hyers contended that any action on multifamily housing in West Creek should be deferred until the county hires an economic development person. She said that position has been vacant since the former economic development director left “six or seven years ago.” He moved to greener pastures in 2010.
Much of the discussion about the proposed amendment to the M-1 zoning that applies only to West Creek revolved around the issue of the number of children a large apartment complex would add to our school system.
It was quite interesting that no one mentioned either the Parke at Manakin or the Parke at Centerville, two relatively high density communities that were also supposed to swamp the local education system. Both of those subdivisions are essentially built out and have brought only a handful of children to county schools. More hard facts omitted from the discussion.
Hyers repeatedly contended that the county cannot afford to permit apartments because our schools cannot handle the significant influx of new students from the apartments. She also argued that the additional real estate tax generated by the increased property value would not be enough to fund the impact of more residents on law enforcement and fire-rescue.
Could Hyers really be unaware that personal property taxes, including those levied on motor vehicles, are a significant funding source for non-school services? A passel of upscale apartments occupied by young professionals who own expensive cars registered in Goochland would add money to county coffers. Now those cars are registered elsewhere.
Lowe Lunsford District 5, who, as a courtesy, tendered his resignation without being asked, deftly shut down that line of thought by reminding his fellow commissioners that they are charged only with making recommendations about land use issues. Worrying about the fiscal impact of a zoning is the responsibility of the board of supervisors because they have to pay for the consequences.
It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate site for upscale apartments in Goochland than this one at the eastern edge of the county, with access to a six lane road, served by public utilities contained from expansion by roads and Tuckahoe Creek. Access to Broad Street Road will be controlled by a traffic signal.
Any project in West Creek is subject to a wide array of proffers and covenants to uphold design and development criteria that exceed those in zoning ordinances. These apartments will set a precedent of high standards to guide any development that follows.
Only a handful of people commented during the public hearing, which seems to indicate that few people are concerned about the issue.
One man believed that the land in question fronted Route 6 and that he would see it from his front window. There are no homes anywhere near the proposed site on the south side of Broad Street Road.
A very confused citizen argued that the county is unable to handle a fire in an “80 story building” because the county’s sole ladder truck is in Courthouse Village.
According to Tommy Carter District 3 commissioner, who is also a past chief of Goochland Fire-Rescue, there are now two 105 foot ladder trucks in the county, one stationed at Manakin on the edge of West Creek. Carter further explained that a new apartment building is required by building code to have a sprinkler system to extinguish fires when they start.
Bob Rich, who represented District 4 on the commission and served as its chair, spoke in favor of the change. “This is a fiscal opportunity for Goochland that will set quality standards for what follows,” Rich said. “Get it done right and get it done now.”
Paul Costello opposed the 19 unit per acre density and contended that the amendment would give too much control of this project to corporate developers. Given the county’s spotty track record of using zoning ordinances as cudgel rather than carrot, an exception in this case is warranted.
Querry seemed to support the idea of using development on the 30 acres as a test case to gauge the impact of multifamily housing on the county but ultimately voted against it.
A planning commission that cannot put aside its own agenda to make land use recommendations based on the merit of the proposal, not the name of the developer, serves no purpose.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Order in the court
Goochland often feels like a small town even though it is spread over 184 square miles.
An example of this occurred on February 14 in Goochland Circuit court when Judge Timothy K. Sanner took time from the docket to recognize Bailiff Horace Herndon who will retire in the next few weeks in a gracious and heartfelt manner.
“Deputy Herndon is one of the finest people I’ve had the privilege to work with and get to know,” said Sanner. “His overriding concern as a bailiff has been the safety and wellbeing of court attendees, which earned him the respect of all, including the commonwealth’s attorney; attorneys; witnesses and even prisoners.”
The judge seemed a bit emotional as he spoke about Herndon, who has served Goochland for the last 12 years and been in law enforcement for 44 years. At his suggestion, all present rose to applaud Herndon.
Sanner explained that bailiffs arrive early to secure the courthouse and stay after court is over, which can often result in long days.
Herndon said that he has thoroughly enjoyed working with Sanner and has great respect and admiration for the judge and everyone who works with the courts. He also holds Sheriff James L. Agnew and all of his fellow deputies in high regard.
Herndon has always treated everyone in the courtroom, whether they appear in business attire or manacles, with respect, which was returned in kind.
Deputies who work court security have a hard job. They are responsible for fetching prisoners from correctional facilities around the state so they can appear in Goochland courts and returning them the same day.
While court is in session, bailiffs must stand for hours wearing a heavy utility belt equipped with weapon, handcuffs and other tools of the trade. They must remain alert to guarantee the safety of the courtroom, which must be demanding during lengthy and sometimes dull trials. Bailliffs must also be discreet.
At the close of the morning’s session, one of the attorneys appearing before Sanner told the judge that it is nice to know that “someone still does that.” Welcome to Goochland where common courtesy is still in vogue.
Sanner has served Goochland well in his years on the bench.
The breadth of issues that come before Sanner is remarkable. He adjudicates both civil and criminal matters that range from land use to murder.
Herndon observed that Sanner has an amazing grasp of facts and is able to retain details about trials for years.
Sanner seems to be just and fair. Not everyone is pleased with all of his judgments, which are pronounced with thoughtful eloquence. Recognizing a fine man like Horace Herndon for doing a tough job well and with grace speaks volumes about both men.
Sanner’s caseload and that of the other judges on the 16th Circuit has been dramatically increased due to last month’s resignation of John G. Berry who presided over last fall’s recount matter. The timing of Berry’s resignation makes it somewhat unlikely that the General Assembly will appoint a replacement this year. There is also some speculation that Berry will not be replaced.
Sanner and the other 16th circuit judges must fill the judicial void left in Fluvanna and Culpeper. That means that civil trials will not be heard before 2013 and lots of calendar juggling will be required to ensure speedy criminal trials.
An example of this occurred on February 14 in Goochland Circuit court when Judge Timothy K. Sanner took time from the docket to recognize Bailiff Horace Herndon who will retire in the next few weeks in a gracious and heartfelt manner.
“Deputy Herndon is one of the finest people I’ve had the privilege to work with and get to know,” said Sanner. “His overriding concern as a bailiff has been the safety and wellbeing of court attendees, which earned him the respect of all, including the commonwealth’s attorney; attorneys; witnesses and even prisoners.”
The judge seemed a bit emotional as he spoke about Herndon, who has served Goochland for the last 12 years and been in law enforcement for 44 years. At his suggestion, all present rose to applaud Herndon.
Sanner explained that bailiffs arrive early to secure the courthouse and stay after court is over, which can often result in long days.
Herndon said that he has thoroughly enjoyed working with Sanner and has great respect and admiration for the judge and everyone who works with the courts. He also holds Sheriff James L. Agnew and all of his fellow deputies in high regard.
Herndon has always treated everyone in the courtroom, whether they appear in business attire or manacles, with respect, which was returned in kind.
Deputies who work court security have a hard job. They are responsible for fetching prisoners from correctional facilities around the state so they can appear in Goochland courts and returning them the same day.
While court is in session, bailiffs must stand for hours wearing a heavy utility belt equipped with weapon, handcuffs and other tools of the trade. They must remain alert to guarantee the safety of the courtroom, which must be demanding during lengthy and sometimes dull trials. Bailliffs must also be discreet.
At the close of the morning’s session, one of the attorneys appearing before Sanner told the judge that it is nice to know that “someone still does that.” Welcome to Goochland where common courtesy is still in vogue.
Sanner has served Goochland well in his years on the bench.
The breadth of issues that come before Sanner is remarkable. He adjudicates both civil and criminal matters that range from land use to murder.
Herndon observed that Sanner has an amazing grasp of facts and is able to retain details about trials for years.
Sanner seems to be just and fair. Not everyone is pleased with all of his judgments, which are pronounced with thoughtful eloquence. Recognizing a fine man like Horace Herndon for doing a tough job well and with grace speaks volumes about both men.
Sanner’s caseload and that of the other judges on the 16th Circuit has been dramatically increased due to last month’s resignation of John G. Berry who presided over last fall’s recount matter. The timing of Berry’s resignation makes it somewhat unlikely that the General Assembly will appoint a replacement this year. There is also some speculation that Berry will not be replaced.
Sanner and the other 16th circuit judges must fill the judicial void left in Fluvanna and Culpeper. That means that civil trials will not be heard before 2013 and lots of calendar juggling will be required to ensure speedy criminal trials.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Rolling up the rug Part II
The Goochland Board of Supervisors is making changes large and small to better serve their constituents as they promised during last year’s elections.
At the Board’s February 7 meeting, there were quite many indications that things are changing for the better. Here are some random observations on the session.
During budget workshops, the board sits at a bank of tables against the conference room wall facing presenters and citizens. This casual atmosphere encourages meaningful and productive discussion, which will lead to good, but hard, budget decisions.
Like their counterparts on the school board, the new supervisors are learning at warp speed while bringing their varied skill sets to the table.
Board vice chair Ken Petersen District 5 suggested that the county be fiscally proactive in good times so it can ensure adequate funding for necessary county functions in an economic downturn. This may not seem like an earth shaking proposal, but it represents a radical departure from the past.
Manuel Alvarez, District 2 announced that he has been researching the best way to implement live internet streaming of board meetings, which will hopefully commence with the March 6 meeting. Yet another campaign promise immediately addressed. The school board started live streaming last month.
When the new supervisors got their first checks—they get paid twice a month—they found $50 more than expected. Seems their predecessors gave themselves an extra $100 a month, essentially a 10 percent annual bonus. How much gas could the county have bought with that $7,200?
County attorney Norman Sales told the board that the county code “is a mess” and replete with poorly drafted ordinances. He plans to redo the laws by revising an entire chapter of the code when updating local laws to reflect changes made by the General Assembly each year. The improvements just keep on coming!
Sales will also work on resolving the boundary issue with Louisa County that has been in the works since the wedding of Pocahontas. It seems likely that impediments to resolution of that issue, at least on the Goochland side, should be few this time around.
Rob Crandol, from VDoT, the state agency whose motto is “oops!” reported that the Broad Street Road project in Centerville will be completed by July.
However, said Crandol, VDoT realizes that the Manakin and Broad Street Road interchange, still under construction, isn’t “quite right” so it will need to be quickly reengineered. Seems it’s too narrow for large trucks and horse trailers to negotiate the corner.
Crandol made this bizarre statement with a straight face. The widening project, whose justification is lost in the mists of time, had been under consideration for almost a decade. During that time, many public meetings were held by VDoT officials equipped with maps and road cross sections of Centerville.
Why didn’t anyone from VDoT bother to research the type of vehicles use the Manakin/Broad Street Roads intersection and design the lanes accordingly? Is that really such a complicated matter? Surely there must be a chart at VDoT central with lane widths and turn radii that will accommodate horse trailers and dump trucks.
These folks, whose jobs should be eliminated immediately, gave the impression that the finished widened road would look very like Broad Street Road east of Centerville with a grassed median.
We were told when construction began that there was some extra money available for amenities including the traffic signal at Company 3, sidewalks and landscaping.
The sidewalks in front of the Broadview Shopping Center are little more than paved continuations of the curb, right at the edge of the roadway. Instead of encouraging “walkability” in what was supposed to be the charming Centerville Village, they dare pedestrians to play in traffic.
The median is an ugly thing that may eventually have some sort of vegetation. About the only thing this median accomplishes is to cut off the Shell station, which has been there for at least 15 years, from westbound traffic. Bob Minnick District 4 asked Crandol to address this issue. Why wasn’t it part of the original plan? The Shell station has been there for about 15 years. Did the great engineers at VDoT miss that too?
Crandol said that completion of most of the project will be delayed until the asphalt plants reopen in warmer weather. This can’t some soon enough so motorists can stop playing dodge the barrels, which is great fun on rainy nights. Crandol expects the barrel maze to be gone by mid-April.
Our state officials must reform VDoT and not just slough off road maintenance and construction to localities.
If the Broad Street Road widening, which has cost about a bazillion dollars and taken far too long, is any indication, this agency is a fiscal and engineering disaster.
At the Board’s February 7 meeting, there were quite many indications that things are changing for the better. Here are some random observations on the session.
During budget workshops, the board sits at a bank of tables against the conference room wall facing presenters and citizens. This casual atmosphere encourages meaningful and productive discussion, which will lead to good, but hard, budget decisions.
Like their counterparts on the school board, the new supervisors are learning at warp speed while bringing their varied skill sets to the table.
Board vice chair Ken Petersen District 5 suggested that the county be fiscally proactive in good times so it can ensure adequate funding for necessary county functions in an economic downturn. This may not seem like an earth shaking proposal, but it represents a radical departure from the past.
Manuel Alvarez, District 2 announced that he has been researching the best way to implement live internet streaming of board meetings, which will hopefully commence with the March 6 meeting. Yet another campaign promise immediately addressed. The school board started live streaming last month.
When the new supervisors got their first checks—they get paid twice a month—they found $50 more than expected. Seems their predecessors gave themselves an extra $100 a month, essentially a 10 percent annual bonus. How much gas could the county have bought with that $7,200?
County attorney Norman Sales told the board that the county code “is a mess” and replete with poorly drafted ordinances. He plans to redo the laws by revising an entire chapter of the code when updating local laws to reflect changes made by the General Assembly each year. The improvements just keep on coming!
Sales will also work on resolving the boundary issue with Louisa County that has been in the works since the wedding of Pocahontas. It seems likely that impediments to resolution of that issue, at least on the Goochland side, should be few this time around.
Rob Crandol, from VDoT, the state agency whose motto is “oops!” reported that the Broad Street Road project in Centerville will be completed by July.
However, said Crandol, VDoT realizes that the Manakin and Broad Street Road interchange, still under construction, isn’t “quite right” so it will need to be quickly reengineered. Seems it’s too narrow for large trucks and horse trailers to negotiate the corner.
Crandol made this bizarre statement with a straight face. The widening project, whose justification is lost in the mists of time, had been under consideration for almost a decade. During that time, many public meetings were held by VDoT officials equipped with maps and road cross sections of Centerville.
Why didn’t anyone from VDoT bother to research the type of vehicles use the Manakin/Broad Street Roads intersection and design the lanes accordingly? Is that really such a complicated matter? Surely there must be a chart at VDoT central with lane widths and turn radii that will accommodate horse trailers and dump trucks.
These folks, whose jobs should be eliminated immediately, gave the impression that the finished widened road would look very like Broad Street Road east of Centerville with a grassed median.
We were told when construction began that there was some extra money available for amenities including the traffic signal at Company 3, sidewalks and landscaping.
The sidewalks in front of the Broadview Shopping Center are little more than paved continuations of the curb, right at the edge of the roadway. Instead of encouraging “walkability” in what was supposed to be the charming Centerville Village, they dare pedestrians to play in traffic.
The median is an ugly thing that may eventually have some sort of vegetation. About the only thing this median accomplishes is to cut off the Shell station, which has been there for at least 15 years, from westbound traffic. Bob Minnick District 4 asked Crandol to address this issue. Why wasn’t it part of the original plan? The Shell station has been there for about 15 years. Did the great engineers at VDoT miss that too?
Crandol said that completion of most of the project will be delayed until the asphalt plants reopen in warmer weather. This can’t some soon enough so motorists can stop playing dodge the barrels, which is great fun on rainy nights. Crandol expects the barrel maze to be gone by mid-April.
Our state officials must reform VDoT and not just slough off road maintenance and construction to localities.
If the Broad Street Road widening, which has cost about a bazillion dollars and taken far too long, is any indication, this agency is a fiscal and engineering disaster.
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