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Board grants waiver of left‑turn lane requirement for 45‑lot Rose Retreat subdivision on Poorhouse Road
Summary
The board approved a proffer amendment and left‑turn‑lane waiver for a 45‑lot subdivision on Poorhouse Road after the applicant proffered to construct a full right‑turn lane and supplied a traffic analysis and right‑of‑way documentation; the decision passed by roll call 4–1.
The Goochland County Board of Supervisors approved a proffer amendment and a waiver of the left‑turn lane requirement for a previously approved 45‑lot subdivision on Poorhouse Road at its March 3 meeting.
Planning staff described the application as a request to waive a left‑turn lane that the county's 2024 access‑management standards now require for subdivisions of 10 lots or more on collector roads. The applicant revised the request after the planning commission hearing to proffer construction of a full right‑turn lane and submitted a revised trip‑generation analysis and right‑of‑way documentation showing adjacent property owners would not convey land for a left‑turn lane.
Applicant counsel Jeff Geiger and traffic engineer Carl Holtgren of Grove Slate Associates presented the safety and traffic analysis, arguing the VDOT turn‑lane warrants are not met and that collision history on the Poorhouse corridor shows no rear‑end crashes in the period reviewed. Holtgren said the project would add roughly 484–534 trips per day (presented as the maximum for a 45‑lot build‑out), representing about 10–12% of roadway capacity in the traffic model; he noted the applicant would build a full right‑turn lane as proffered.
Several nearby landowners spoke at the public hearing. Barbara Cox, a longtime property owner adjacent to the site, described her family's history on the parcel and said she would cancel the project if the waiver were denied, warning that denying the waiver could devalue the property. Others, including Louise Thompson, supported the waiver and noted the developer's offer to build roadway improvements and generate tax revenue.
Board discussion acknowledged both safety concerns and vested rights: one supervisor said the waiver meets the ordinance exceptions and praised the local proffers; another expressed concern about narrow road shoulders and the county's future ability to require improvements. The planning commission and VDOT analyses were discussed during deliberations.
The board approved the proffer amendment and waiver by roll call: Winfrey Yea, Rogers Yea, Spoonhauer Yea, Lyle Nay, Christie Yea (4–1). Staff will record the proffered right‑turn lane and proceed with plan review.
