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Commission backs four‑lot private subdivision on Terry Lane with waivers, after questions on access and environment
Summary
The commission voted 5‑0 to recommend approval of a rezoning to allow a four‑lot subdivision accessed by a private extension of Terry Lane that seeks waivers from public‑road and turn‑lane requirements. Staff said the applicant will be required to provide engineered plans, VDOT review and a minimum 10,000‑gallon cistern for fire protection.
Goochland County planners and commissioners on Nov. 21 recommended approval of a rezoning and associated exceptions that would allow a four‑lot subdivision served by a private extension of Terry Lane.
Planner Carrie Ragland (S7) described the application and staff’s analysis, explaining that the parent tract has division rights but that access standards in the county code would ordinarily require a public road and turn lanes for additional lots. The applicant proposed proffers to correct a diverted existing roadway to lie within the recorded 50‑foot easement, to provide an engineered plan of development (POD) meeting private‑road standards and fire‑access requirements, and to maintain Terry Lane in accordance with county code.
Key safety and technical details in the staff presentation included a minimum 10,000‑gallon cistern to serve the subdivision for fire protection once the eleventh lot is created and the need for VDOT review of any entrance to a state road. Ragland also noted the presence of hilly terrain and a previously undocumented stream near the easement, which staff said would be evaluated during the POD and permit review process.
Commissioners and members of the public asked about whether the legal easement would obligate other property owners and how a recorded maintenance agreement might relieve an individual owner. Ragland said the proffered conditions run with the land and that a recorded maintenance agreement could ensure future owners meet the required standards.
Neighbors and commissioners raised concerns about sight lines and traffic where the proposed access would meet Rock Castle Road and about whether correcting the roadway might affect other landowners’ access. Ragland said the easement legally permits the access and that some property owners are already served by Terry Lane.
After discussion, a motion to recommend approval of the rezoning with proffered conditions passed 5‑0. The case was scheduled for a Board of Supervisors public hearing on Jan. 7, 2025.
Why it matters: The request seeks exceptions from the county’s public‑road and turn‑lane requirements to allow a private‑road subdivision; approval with proffers will require engineered plans, potential VDOT review and actions to address environmental constraints and emergency access.
Next step: The Board of Supervisors will consider the rezoning and proffers on Jan. 7, 2025.
