Technology Overlay District & Technology Zone

February 2026 Update

Last November, after going through a six-month process of community engagement, community meetings, and lengthy public hearings before both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors, the County adopted a Technology Zone (TZ) and a Technology Overlay District (TOD) to encourage economic development in the County’s designated growth area. The TOD established significant setbacks, noise restrictions, and other regulations designed to minimize the impact of new high technology businesses that would be attracted to locate in the new Technology Zone.

Almost a month after the ordinances were adopted, four citizens who live outside the boundaries of the TOD filed a lawsuit in Goochland Circuit Court, protesting and appealing the adoption of the TOD. The Board stands behind its decision to attract economic development to its designated growth area through the adoption of these ordinances and is defending its decision in the pending litigation.

We recognize that some residents disagree with the decision and have raised concerns. During the public process, the County received and reviewed hundreds of comments and questions from residents, landowners, and other stakeholders. Based on that input, the proposed TOD ordinance was revised in ways that directly addressed key community concerns and strengthened the final standards and protections adopted by the Board.

The Board’s action on the TOD and TZ aligns with both the County’s long-range planning direction and economic development goals. The adopted ordinances establish clear, enforceable standards for where technology uses may locate and require measures to reduce and manage potential impacts near neighborhoods. The adopted ordinances focus high-technology development in designated areas, while strengthening protections for nearby neighborhoods, preserving Goochland’s rural character, and supporting the County’s long-term goals.

Adoption of the TOD and TZ establishes standards and expectations. It does not approve any specific project. Any proposed technology development must still comply with all applicable requirements – not just the county ordinances, but also federal and state laws and regulations, as well as the County’s standard review, permitting, and approval processes.

The County remains steadfast in its commitment to being a high-quality place to live, with a strong sense of community, and preserving Goochland’s rural character, while also attracting economic development to the designated growth area to diversify the County’s revenue sources.

Background

A Technology Overlay District (TOD) is a special zoning tool that adds additional guidelines to the existing zoning. It allows specific business uses under certain conditions, including requirements for building setbacks, landscape buffers, and design standards, to ensure compatibility with nearby properties. Establishing a TOD involved updates to both the Comprehensive Plan and the zoning ordinance.

A Technology Zone (TZ) is a separate designation that provides financial incentives to encourage private investment and job creation within the designated area. While the TOD sets the planning and design framework, the TZ offers the economic incentives to attract businesses.

Together, the TOD and TZ work as a coordinated strategy to attract technology-based industries, strengthen Goochland’s economy, and support long-term growth in the County’s planned development areas.

The proposals were first brought to the public in July 2025 and over the next four months, the County extended significant outreach to the community by meeting with homeowner associations, hosting community meetings on July 7 and September 8, and holding two Town Halls. In addition, the Planning Commission also held two nights of public hearings to hear more feedback. Those discussions and feedback demonstrated how much people care about keeping Goochland’s rural character, while planning for smart, responsible growth. Hundreds of comments and questions have helped shape and improve the proposal.

The County’s goal has remained steadfast: to find the right balance between supporting quality economic development and protecting Goochland’s way of life. The approach follows the 2035 Comprehensive Plan, which identifies the eastern part of the county as the best place for business and technology growth.

Based on feedback and in consultation with experts, the final proposal tightened noise limits, expanded buffers and setbacks, limited generator testing hours, and refined which types of facilities could be built. These changes were thoughtful and made to ensure that the new technology businesses can locate in previously identified prime economic development areas while also including additional protections for nearby neighborhoods adjacent to properties in the designated growth area of Goochland County.

Board of Supervisors Meeting - November 6, 2025

At their public meeting on November 6, 2025, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors approved both a Technology Overlay District and a Technology Zone by a vote of 4-1. The motion to approve included additional protections for residential zoned adjacent properties. Specifically, it required any data center use on a base zoning of M-1 to comply with the enhanced TOD regulations and required that adjacent to residential zoning all of the following sound and visual mitigation methods must be used :

separate and shield generators from adjacent residentially-zoned property or mixed-use development with residential uses by a principal building;
locate generators within an enclosed building or manufacturer approved enclosure;
enclose and screen generators through use of opaque masonry or other approved sound minimizing material walls compatible with building architectural design;
use of terrain, landscaped berms or screening, adjacent to residentially-zoned property or mixed-use development with residential uses, to heights and in a manner that will substantially eliminate ground level visibility of structures within the development; and this improvement must be installed prior to construction of any structures; and
use low emission Tier 4 certified diesel generators.

The TOD as approved by the Board enhances protections to the Reader’s Branch neighborhood. It provides protections that would not otherwise exist under the current zoning. Prior to the adoption of the TOD, data centers could have located as close as 50-feet to residentially zoned property with very limited buffers and no sound protections. Under the adopted TOD, data centers are now required to be located a minimum of 300-feet with sound, visual, and height protections.

Below is a comprehensive high-level list of the residential and environmental protections found in the approved TOD ordinance:

Energy Generation

All Energy Generation uses, principal and accessory, permitted only by conditional use permit in entire TOD

Generators

Limited generator testing between 10AM and 5 PM and only 2 hours per day
Generator testing scheduled be posted annually on a dedicated company webpage with at least 48 hour notice of a change in testing
Prohibit generator use outside of testing and emergencies & define emergencies
Minimize sound and visual by:
- separate and shield generators from adjacent residentially-zoned property or mixed-use development with residential uses by a principal building;
- locate generators within an enclosed building or manufacturer approved enclosure;
- enclose and screen generators through use of opaque masonry or other approved sound minimizing material walls compatible with building architectural design;
- use of terrain, landscaped berms or screening, adjacent to residentially-zoned property or mixed-use development with residential uses, to heights and in a manner that will substantially eliminate ground level visibility of structures within the development; and this improvement must be installed prior to construction of any structures; and
- use low emission Tier 4 certified diesel generators.
Generators cannot be in the setback requirements

Height

80’ building height limit adjacent to residentially zoned property and agriculturally zoned property not subject to TOD regulations
No building over 80’ allowed next to residentially zoned property unless through a conditional use permit (CUP)
500’ setback for buildings between 60’ and 80’
Stricter facade standards near subdivisions

Noise

Maximum noise standard of 55 dBA and 65 dBC standard, both measured at property line
Clarified that an environmental noise impact assessment meeting industry standard required, must be prepared by a third party qualified professional and must include modeling in industry standard software. Required before operations, within 3 months of operation and County can request up to 4 times a year
Limit construction hours adjacent to residential for exterior construction from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; require signs be posted with construction hours

Water

Require use of public water and wastewater except that on-site water reuse or pre-treatment is permitted

Setbacks and Buffers

300’ setback and 250’ vegetative buffer required for data centers for properties with base M-1 zoning
500’ setback and 250’ vegetative buffer required for data centers for properties with base A-2 zoning adjacent to residentially zoned property; 300’ setback allowed through a conditional use permit
200’ vegetative buffer for other TOD uses
500’ setback for buildings between 60’ and 80’
Require vegetated buffers of 100’-200’ adjacent to residential or agricultural property for substations

Access/Parking

Prohibit access of any commercial or industrial use through any residential local roads (except for gated emergency access roads)
Reduce required parking from 1/300 square feet to 1/400 square feet for office use and 1/4,000 square feet for other space for data centers

November 6, 2025 Board of Supervisors Meeting TOD-TZ Presentation
Approved TOD Ordinance
Approved TZ Ordinance

Since the July 7, 2025 community meeting, the County has received a tremendous amount of feedback regarding the proposed Technology Overlay District. In response, County staff have attended numerous meetings with residents, neighborhood groups, and landowners to discuss concerns and gather input. The documents below reflect the changes made to the ordinance, changes in the revised ordinance and frequently asked questions are highlighted.

Revised Ordinance
Summary of Changes
Frequently Asked Questions (Updated September 27, 2025)
Technology Overlay District FAQ Handout
Potential Areas for Energy Storage
Potential Areas for Energy Generation

Planning Commission Meeting - September 18, 2025 Continued to Thursday, September 25, 2025

At the September 25, 2025 meeting, the Goochland Planning Commission recommended both the Technology Overlay District amendment and the Comprehensive Plan amendment for approval with a 3-2 vote with the recommendation the Board of Supervisors consider the following:

Make energy generating facility allowable only through a conditional use permit, both for primary and accessory uses.
In the areas of the Technology Overlay District with current base zoning of A2, impose a 500’ setback from residential property for a data center permitted by right and require conditional use permit approval for locating closer in those areas.
Limit by-right maximum building height to 80’ for structures located adjacent to residentially zoned property
Reduce the decibel limits lower than currently proposed 65 dB in the day and 60 at night.

September 25, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Recording

Technology Overlay District & Technology Zone

February 2026 Update

Background

Board of Supervisors Meeting - November 6, 2025

Technology Overlay District and Technology Zone Updates as of August 26, 2025

Planning Commission Meeting - September 18, 2025 Continued to Thursday, September 25, 2025

September 25, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting

September 18, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting

September 8, 2025 Community Meeting

July 7, 2025 Community Meeting

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