Goochland County consultant outlines comprehensive subdivision ordinance rewrite, residents press concerns about family splits and road costs

At a public meeting this month in Goochland County, consultant Mark White and county staff outlined a comprehensive rewrite of the county's subdivision ordinance and invited public comment on proposed priorities and the schedule for drafting and adoption.

White, who said his firm White and Smith LLC was hired for the project, told attendees the county's subdivision ordinance has not been comprehensively updated since 1979 and needs three broad fixes: bring statutory references into conformity with the Code of Virginia (Title 15.2), align subdivision rules with the county's 2015 comprehensive plan and recent zoning updates, and make the text easier for non‑lawyers and applicants to use. "A lot of them make references to statutes that start with 15.1, title 15.1, which doesn't exist anymore in the Virginia code," White said, and the rewrite will update those references and add clearer cross‑references.

Why it matters: subdivision regulations govern how land is divided, how plats are recorded and what infrastructure must be provided before lots are sold. Changes could affect how private streets, public road dedications and family‑transfer exceptions operate countywide and will guide review of single‑family and commercial lot splits.

Ke…