Goochland Planning Commission to make recommendation for Technology Overlay District

GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- On Thursday night, the Goochland Planning Commission will decide whether to recommend rezoning land to incentivize high-tech developments like data centers.

Also known as the "TOD," that land is part of the Technology Overlay District to support economic development.

The meeting set to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Goochland High School is a continuation of a Thursday, Sept. 18 meeting where hours of public comment were made on the current TOD plans.

The big question is whether the planning commission will recommend the board of supervisors to support it.

Goochland waiting for planning commission recommendation on technology overlay district

Those who did not make their opinions heard last week will have their chance, then the board of supervisors will consider approval during its Thursday, Nov. 6 meeting.

For weeks in an effort to modify the plans, some residents have told us their concerns over safety, ability for public comment during data center construction and the required parking spaces for a data center.

"The data centers could be built right here. So, all these houses here will be 50 feet potentially away from a data center with no noise restrictions," said Lee Halvorsen, who lives right outside the proposed district. "There was no word about data centers, but now we've got Eli Lilly, the potential data centers. So, we citizens are the development are no longer required. We're expendable."

Whether the planning commission will be impacted is yet to be announced. That enough makes some disheartened, but not discouraged.

Hundreds turn out as Goochland considers technology overlay district, meeting to continue next week

Halvorsen and Goochland County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley both believe an agreement can be made and balance residents' wants with economic development.

"All of that feedback is extremely welcome because there have been some wonderful ideas that have been shared with us that ultimately are going to make this proposal — pending its approval — better for everybody who is involved in the process from a commercial and residential standpoint," Raley said.