Agricultural Commitment

Goochland County supports its agricultural community through a myriad of methods. One method is through County zoning and planning. Goochland County’s comprehensive plan calls for the maintenance of an 85/15 rural versus designated growth policy.  This policy provides guidance to the Board of Supervisors as they review planning, zoning, and development cases.  

The County has applied this perspective, most recently through the review of the Tuckahoe Bridge rezoning case (reduced density and alignment with Comp Plan) as well as with the development and adoption of the Capital Impact Model. 

The County’s Comprehensive Plan does promote strategies to support balanced growth initiatives.  Those strategies are as follows: 

  - Utilize the Comprehensive Plan to determine appropriate densities for certain areas. 

  - Targeting new growth to Designated Growth Areas or Major Villages. 

  - Encouraging more density towards the center of Villages and reducing density along the fringes. 

  - Providing buffers at subdivision entrances and along roadways. 

  - Comprehensive Plan included a section on the Deep Run Hunt Community to protect rural uses and encourage equestrian uses 

  - Encouraging the use of existing buildings. 

  - Zoning Rewrite includes a Minor Plan of Development to make this easier and reduce costs 

  - Review zoning ordinance to determine if typical suburban style development are appropriate within Rural Crossroads. 

  - Zoning Rewrite will allow gravel instead of pavement. 

  - Encouraging the development of agri-businesses 

  - Created a Rural Plan of Development Process 

  - Zoning Rewrite adds a number of new Agricultural uses 

  - Encouraging open space in new development. 

  - Establishing riparian buffers along streams and wetlands 

  - Limiting uses within 100 year floodplain to agricultural, passive recreation, and open space