Design Review Committee approves amended Broad Street auto‑dealership plan with fence and landscaping conditions

Goochland County’s Design Review Committee approved an amended Certificate of Approval on July 16 for SP Real Estate Holdings LLC’s proposed automobile dealership at 12501 Broad Street Road, directing the applicant to work with county staff on fence transitions and supplemental landscaping.

Ray Cash, assistant director of community development, told the committee that the review focused on overlay provisions and design standards for village centers, and that the proposal before the panel makes four principal changes: architecture, building materials, roof treatment and parking. "When we receive a certificate approval, we review it based upon the overlay provisions of each of the entrance corridors with the village centers," Cash said, summarizing how the committee evaluates materials, scale and visual compatibility.

The applicant withdrew a previously approved multi‑story parking deck and replaced it with ground‑level parking, revised island landscaping, and adjustments to dumpster and fence locations. Mike Rotter, an attorney representing the applicant, said the change reflected manufacturer inventory requirements and community feedback: "We're delighted that we don't need to build that right now," he said of the parking deck reduction, arguing the change reduces the structure's visual impact on the Broad Street corridor.

Neighbors and an interjurisdictional correspondent raised concerns about screening and buffers along the eastern property line adjacent to townhouse development. Committee members pointed to a letter asking for a larger (20‑foot) landscape buffer; staff and the applicant replied that site constraints — including a booster station, a floodplain and a central utility easement — limit how much additional buffered width is feasible. Staff advised that a 20‑foot buffer could render the site undevelopable given the parcel's topography and easement constraints.

The committee debated fence type and transition, with staff noting that a mix of a three‑foot decorative aluminum fence down to a six‑foot section where appropriate, combined with larger planting islands and higher‑canopy trees, would soften views from adjacent residences. Staff said final lighting, landscape and plant species details will be submitted for administrative review and that applicants must provide plans demonstrating required screening and long‑term plant maintenance.

The motion approved by the committee directs the applicant to work with staff on the fence layout and on additional landscaping to enhance screening and aesthetics; the transcript records a voice vote in favor but does not list individual vote tallies. The committee noted that many material, color and texture decisions remain consistent with prior approvals and that the revised southern elevation reflects the removed parking deck.

Next steps: staff will require a revised landscape plan, lighting plan and proof of screening details for administrative review; the COA will be updated to reflect the approved elevations and the conditions set by the committee. The meeting adjourned after the action.