News Flash

Goochland County will be holding a Community Meeting to discuss 3 proposed ordinance amendments on Wednesday, June 12^th at 6:00 PM in Room 270 of the County Administration building.

The Community is invited to join County staff to discuss the following proposed ordinances:

Stormwater Management and Erosion and Sediment Control Amendment

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has mandated that localities consolidate Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Management statutes, essentially combining these two ordinances into one.  Accordingly, the County needs to update its ordinances and fee schedule to conform to the new state laws and regulations for managing land-disturbing activities.     

The draft ordinance can be viewed at: https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/10993/Goochland-County-Stormwater-Management-and-Erosion-and-Sediment-Control-Amendment

Questions or comments can be sent to comdev@goochlandva.us.

The Stormwater Management and Erosion and Sediment Control Amendment are not in the Zoning or Subdivision Ordinance and as such, it will go straight to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.  It will not be heard by the Planning Commission.

It is important to note that consolidation of the Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Management statutes have been reviewed and vetted through VDEQ which mandates the items in this ordinance.

Floodplain Zoning Ordinance Amendment

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently completed a multi-year project re-examining Goochland County’s floodplain map and is proposing updates to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Goochland County.  

Goochland County has participated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) since 2008. Participation in this program allows homeowners, business owners, and renters in Goochland County access to federally backed flood insurance, certain federal grants & loans, and disaster assistance.  As part of this program, FEMA provides localities with maps that show the location of FEMA’s designated 100-year floodplain within Goochland County.

FEMA has given the County approval to adopt the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and associated ordinance updates. Aside from terminology and mapping updates, there are no other substantive or procedural changes to the ordinance.

The draft ordinance can be viewed at: https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/10994/ARTICLE-28--Floodplain-zoning-ordinance-amendment

Questions or comments can be sent to comdev@goochlandva.us 

Draft FIRM Maps are included as a layer that can be viewed in Goochland County’s Geographic Information System (GIS) parcel viewer, which is accessible at https://gis.co.goochland.va.us/GoochlandPV/Account/Logon.

The Floodplain Zoning Ordinance Amendment is in the Zoning Ordinance and will be heard by the Planning Commission and then will go to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.  It is important to note that the Floodplain Zoning Ordinance Amendment has been vetted and reviewed at the State level and contains mandated information.

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) ordinance amendment removing FAR from Industrial and Commercial Zoning Districts

The proposed ordinance would remove the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) from industrial and commercial zoning districts.   FAR measures bulk coverage on a property. FAR is determined by dividing the gross floor area of a building by the area of the parcel lot. 

The draft ordinance can be viewed at: https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/10995/Floor-Area-Ratio-FAR-Ordinance-Amendment

Questions or comments can be sent to comdev@goochlandva.us. 

The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Ordinance Amendment is in the Zoning Ordinance and will be heard by the Planning Commission and then will go to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.