Goochland residents press supervisors over Technology Overlay District, citing noise, emissions and process concerns

Goochland County officials and residents debated a proposed Technology Overlay District that county staff say would concentrate industrial- and technology-related development in the designated growth corridors while adding safeguards for nearby neighborhoods. The Planning Commission voted 3'2 to recommend approval of the overlay and four amendments; residents lined up at the microphone at the town hall to raise technical and health concerns about data centers that could be sited under the new rules.

Why it matters: County staff framed the TOD as a tool to diversify Goochland's tax base, pay down debt in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District and keep high-impact development within designated growth areas. Residents said the draft language leaves gaps on noise enforcement, emissions and water use, and they asked the Board of Supervisors to slow the timetable and adopt stronger, enforceable standards before approving the overlay.

What the Planning Commission recommended: County Administrator Jeremy Raley summarized the Planning Commission's advisory recommendation, which the commission adopted by a 3'2 vote. The four technical recommendations were that energy-generating facilities (primary or accessory) be…