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Goochland EDA votes to send recommendation on floor-area-ratio to planning commission after extended debate
Summary
After hours of discussion about whether the county's floor-area-ratio (FAR) standard impedes development, the Goochland County Economic Development Authority voted to send a recommendation on FAR to the planning commission, following requests from members for more staff analysis of risks and safeguards.
The Goochland County Economic Development Authority voted July 17 to send a recommendation on the county's floor-area-ratio (FAR) ordinance to the planning commission after a prolonged discussion of possible consequences for development and public services.
Jonathan Lyle, District 5 supervisor, addressed the authority in the citizen-comment portion and asked staff for concrete evidence before supporting removal of FAR: "I'm not comfortable taking a leap of faith that says, without the floor area ratio..." Lyle said he supports economic development overall but worries that losing FAR could produce "unintended consequences" unless offsets such as setbacks, height limits and stormwater rules are shown to provide similar safeguards.
Authority staff explained FAR and how Goochland currently uses it. The director described FAR as "a planning tool" that measures building area relative to lot acreage, and said the county's FARs are intentionally low (about 0.4 to 0.6 in relevant districts) to avoid large building mass. Staff noted that buffers, setbacks, parking requirements and stormwater management also limit building size and that neighboring jurisdictions often do not use FAR in the same way.
Several members raised public-safety and infrastructure concerns, including whether local fire-rescue capacity and stormwater systems would be adequate if FAR were removed and larger buildings were sited on small parcels. Members pressed staff for visuals and examples showing how existing controls would substitute for FAR protections.
The planning commission is scheduled to review an ordinance amendment; staff said it could recommend removing FAR, keeping it, increasing it, or limiting it to designated growth areas. After discussion the authority considered a motion to table; when that motion failed to proceed, the authority approved sending its recommendation/letter to the planning commission. Chair (name not provided) said the action would be forwarded: "So it passes. We'll move forward with that, get it out to the planning commission."
What happens next: the planning commission will review staff materials and the authority's recommendation at its upcoming meeting; any change to FAR would require the planning commission's recommendation and final action by the board of supervisors.
Why it matters: FAR affects how large buildings can be on a parcel and can influence which industrial or data-center projects are feasible. The decision to ask the planning commission to consider the issue moves the debate into the formal planning review process rather than ending it at the EDA.
Sources: Remarks and descriptions of FAR by authority staff and public comment by Jonathan Lyle during the July 17, 2024 meeting of the Goochland County Economic Development Authority.
