Board approves waiver for Rose Retreat subdivision entrance despite one no vote
March 04, 2026 | Goochland County, Virginia
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The Goochland County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a proffer amendment allowing the Rose Retreat subdivision to proceed without constructing a left‑turn lane at its Poorhouse Road entrance. The developer proffered to build a full right‑turn lane where right‑of‑way can be obtained but asked the board to waive the left‑turn requirement adopted in the county's 2024 access management standards.
The request stems from a subdivision rezoned in 2007 for up to 45 lots; the applicant said adjacent landowners would not convey the additional right‑of‑way required for a left‑turn lane. Planner Jamie Sherry told the board that updated traffic modeling and right‑of‑way evidence were included in the application and that the planning commission had recommended denial at its January meeting.
Applicant counsel Jeff Geiger and traffic engineer Carl Holtgren presented a revised trip‑generation analysis showing about 484 daily trips for the full 45‑lot build‑out (roughly 10–12% of roadway capacity), and a crash‑history search showing three collisions on the corridor over the last eight years; none were rear‑end collisions tied to turning movements, the engineer said. Holtgren also showed VDOT warrant charts indicating the projected driveway volumes fall below left‑turn‑lane thresholds.
Property owner Barbara Cox and several residents urged approval, saying the rezoning was approved nearly two decades ago and the owner had incurred costs and taxes based on that entitlement. Supporters emphasized the local housing and tax‑revenue benefits and noted the applicant will still construct roadway improvements where feasible.
At least one supervisor said safety and long‑term planning weighed against granting waivers broadly on narrow rural roads, expressing concern about future traffic growth and the difficulty of retrofitting turn lanes later. The motion to approve the proffer amendment passed on roll call: Winfrey Yes, Waters Yes, Spoonhauer Yes, Lyle No, Christie Yes.
The decision allows the applicant to move ahead with plan submissions and a plan‑of‑development review, subject to proffers approved in 2007 that remain in force. The board record and staff packet include the revised trip‑generation materials and signed statements from adjacent landowners declining to grant right‑of‑way.
The request stems from a subdivision rezoned in 2007 for up to 45 lots; the applicant said adjacent landowners would not convey the additional right‑of‑way required for a left‑turn lane. Planner Jamie Sherry told the board that updated traffic modeling and right‑of‑way evidence were included in the application and that the planning commission had recommended denial at its January meeting.
Applicant counsel Jeff Geiger and traffic engineer Carl Holtgren presented a revised trip‑generation analysis showing about 484 daily trips for the full 45‑lot build‑out (roughly 10–12% of roadway capacity), and a crash‑history search showing three collisions on the corridor over the last eight years; none were rear‑end collisions tied to turning movements, the engineer said. Holtgren also showed VDOT warrant charts indicating the projected driveway volumes fall below left‑turn‑lane thresholds.
Property owner Barbara Cox and several residents urged approval, saying the rezoning was approved nearly two decades ago and the owner had incurred costs and taxes based on that entitlement. Supporters emphasized the local housing and tax‑revenue benefits and noted the applicant will still construct roadway improvements where feasible.
At least one supervisor said safety and long‑term planning weighed against granting waivers broadly on narrow rural roads, expressing concern about future traffic growth and the difficulty of retrofitting turn lanes later. The motion to approve the proffer amendment passed on roll call: Winfrey Yes, Waters Yes, Spoonhauer Yes, Lyle No, Christie Yes.
The decision allows the applicant to move ahead with plan submissions and a plan‑of‑development review, subject to proffers approved in 2007 that remain in force. The board record and staff packet include the revised trip‑generation materials and signed statements from adjacent landowners declining to grant right‑of‑way.
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