Goochland officials to talk divisive zoning changes at upcoming meeting

GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Highly controversial proposed zoning changes meant to make way for data center development will be reviewed by Goochland County officials on Thursday.

On Thursday, Sept. 18, the Planning Commission of the Goochland County Board of Supervisors will meet to discuss a proposed Technology Overlay District. If approved, the district -- which stretches along most of the Route 288 corridor in eastern Goochland -- would support high-tech developments like data centers.

Residents have been outspoken about data center development in the county, expressing concerns about the erosion of the rural character of their neighborhoods. Their worries also include the environmental impacts of these high-tech developments and the noise they can create.

Jeremy Raley, Goochland's County Administrator, said that the district would incentivize development while establishing a buffer between businesses and homes.

Right now, in some cases, developers could choose to build within 50 feet of property lines. According to Raley, with this new overlay district in place, that distance would increase to 300 feet.

"I'm confident we're going to be able to strike the balance between economic development and meeting the needs of our homeowners at the same time," Raley said.

Due to how large the crowd is expected to be, this upcoming meeting will be held at Goochland High School rather than Goochland's county administration building. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the high school's auditorium.

If you'd like to speak, you're encouraged to sign up online, but it's not required.

The Planning Commission won't be making a final decision on the overlay district on Thursday. Instead, its members will vote on whether or not it recommends the proposal be approved by the full Board of Supervisors. The board will then formally approve or strike down the proposal at a later date.