News Flash

“It’s a great day in Goochland County!”, County Administrator, Victor ‘Vic’ Carpenter stated to a room full of attendees during the Goochland Chamber of Commerce’s Gathering at the Residence Inn on February 28 at the beginning of his State of the County Address.

During his address, Carpenter discussed growth trends and impacts to the County, including upcoming transportation projects, public safety impacts, and plans to address these impacts. The County’s population has increased roughly 5% from 2020 to 2022, bringing with it high costs of housing and an increase in age-restricted communities. With the higher costs of housing and the increase in 55+ communities, the County’s population is aging, which places an increasing strain on existing EMS services. 

The increase in population brings an increase in vehicles. This past year, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) completed the Fairground Road & Sandy Hook Road roundabout. Goochland County has been fortunate to secure over $127 million in transportation funding for future projects, which include the I-64 Ashland Road Interchange Improvements, Improvements to Route 288, Oilville Road & I-64 Interchange Improvement, Fairground Road Extension, and Hockett Road Realignment.  While these projects will not be completed for a number of years, it is important to start laying the groundwork and planning for these projects now.

As an impact from the Fairground Road & Sandy Hook Road roundabout construction, Fire Rescue began staffing a daytime ambulance at the future Sandy Hook Station 8.  Daytime staffing during this period helped decrease call response times in the Sandy Hook area on more than one occasion.  The Proposed FY 2025 Goochland County Budget allocates funds to staff this station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Funding to complete the permanent station is anticipated to be allocated in the FY 2029 budget according to the County’s CIP Plan. 

He shared one of the unique aspects about Goochland’s Emergency Services is that five of the six current fire stations are owned by the Goochland County Volunteer Fire Rescue Association. When originally built, these stations were not designed to house a crew 24 hours a day and lacked proper living quarters. Over the past couple years, the Volunteer Fire Rescue Association has been renovating each of the stations to ensure they meet the needs of a 24-hour duty crew. In addition to these renovations, the County is working on the new West Creek Station 7 and has selected an architecture & engineering (A&E) firm that has started work on station design. 

The growth the County is seeing is not just in residential. With over $540 million in capital investment in the last eight years, businesses are making the decision to locate in Goochland County. This past year, the highly anticipated Broad Street Chick-fil-a opened along with other businesses located in the eastern end of the County.   

To help support local businesses, the Economic Development Authority along with Economic Development Department and the Goochland County Chamber of Commerce recently started the Open Rewards program, which allows shoppers to earn money back on purchases made at participating Goochland businesses.  For more information on the Open Rewards program, please visit www.goochlandforbusiness.com.

Carpenter shared some upcoming family friendly events in the County and likened the atmosphere to that of a Hallmark movie. Goochland Day on Saturday, May 18th and the Night at Tucker concert events on Friday, May 31st and Friday, July 26th, and the July 4th Fireworks provide opportunities for residents and visitors alike to get out and enjoy the community. 

He then discussed the priorities for the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget, which are to support public safety and education. The proposed budget, in its entirety is $134 million, which is a $7 million decrease from last fiscal year. The proposed budget can be viewed on the County website at https://goochlandva.us/1165/Budget-Transparency. Carpenter encouraged those interested to participate in the upcoming Town Halls, which will go into more detail on the budget. A calendar with the upcoming budget and Town Hall meeting dates can be found on the county website at www.goochlandva.us.

For residents looking to become more involved, Carpenter mentioned vacancies that are available on various Boards and Commissions. To learn more information on these vacancies, please visit https://goochlandva.us/169/Boards-Commissions. Carpenter encouraged residents to stay connected through use of the County and Sheriff’s Office Mobile Apps. The County app provides the opportunity for direct notifications of news releases and meeting announcements, while the Sheriff’s Office’s app provides updates on road closures and travel impacts. 

Carpenter concluded his speech thanking those in attendance for their efforts, “I thank you for everything you do for this County and everything you do for the Chamber of Commerce.”