News Flash

During the first month of their terms, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors held a Special Board Meeting in January 2024 to discuss their priorities. During the meeting, the Board agreed that increasing economic development opportunities for Goochland County was a priority as economic development would provide much-needed diversification of tax revenue by increasing the commercial tax base. 

In August of that same year, the Board of Supervisors held a joint meeting with the Economic Development Authority to discuss how to make Goochland more attractive for economic development opportunities. Adopting a Technology Zone was one of the tools discussed in that public meeting.

With that goal in mind, and with the eastern end of Goochland having long been identified as a prime economic development area, staff developed two proposed ordinances as tools to assist in attracting high quality technology businesses to the County: a Technology Overlay District and a Technology Zone. 

The ordinances were prepared over several months and first introduced to the community on July 7, 2025. There has been a great deal of public engagement with Goochland citizens and residents that has strengthened the initial proposal. Goochland County staff and Board of Supervisors have participated in over a dozen different meetings with the community to gather feedback and perspective on this topic. 

During the November 6, 2025, meeting and public hearing, the Board of Supervisors listened carefully as citizens provided feedback on the proposed ordinance. Following public comment, Charlie Vaughters, District 4 Board of Supervisor, made a motion to approve the proposed Technology Overlay District seconded by Mr. Neil Spoonhower, District 2 Supervisor.  The Board then discussed many items they had heard during the public hearing and since the initial community meeting when the ordinance was presented in July. Each Board member took time to explain their perspectives on the proposal and the process. Following their discussion and individual comments, the Board ultimately voted 4-1 to approve the Technology Overlay District as amended with recommendations presented by staff to provide greater clarity and greater protections for residential neighborhoods. The motion also included amendments presented by Mr. Vaughters, increasing the requirements to minimize sound from generators to further strengthen the proposal and provide even more protections for residents. District 5 Supervisor Jonathan Lyle did not support the motion.  

The Board also voted to approve the Technology Zone with a 4-1 vote.

The approved ordinance will be posted on the County’s website.  A recording of this meeting is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKO6lYDfjJ8.