Planning Commission recommends 10‑year renewal for Lava Leaf Farm short‑term rental

The Goochland County Planning Commission on June 18 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a renewal of the conditional‑use permit for an unhosted short‑term rental at 3940 Old Stage Road (application CU20266, Lava Leaf Farm LLC), and amended the staff‑recommended expiration to 10 years.

Adam Barber of the county planning and zoning team summarized the renewal request, explaining that condition language was updated in template form but that the substantive limit remains 10 overnight occupants tied to septic capacity. Barber said prior permits used template language, and county attorney guidance recommended modernized wording. Commissioners asked whether the applicant sought a 5‑ or 10‑year renewal; the applicant's representative, Jim Satterfield, indicated he and the property owner had no objection to a 10‑year renewal.

A motion to recommend approval, amended to set the expiration to August 2036 (a 10‑year term), carried on a 5‑0 roll call vote. The case is tentatively scheduled for Board of Supervisors consideration on Aug. 4, 2026.

Key permitting details: staff noted conditions that limit overnight occupancy to 10 people (based on septic capacity), require working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, emergency vehicle access, prohibit amplified sound and require outdoor music to stop by 10 p.m., prohibit on‑site hunting and shooting in relation to the rental, and call for no trespassing signage. The planning commission amended the standard template to extend the permit term to 10 years rather than 5.

Next step: the Board of Supervisors will consider the commission's recommendation at a public meeting scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026.