Goochland Breaks Ground on New Fire Station 8 in Sandy Hook

Goochland County broke ground April 2 on Fire Station 8 at 3535 Whitehall Road in Sandy Hook, formally launching construction on a multiyear capital project that will give the corridor its first permanent, full-service fire-rescue facility.

Fire Chief Eddie Ferguson called the new station a "huge" step for public safety. The temporary structure Station 8 crews have operated out of has already logged thousands of emergency responses, a figure county officials have pointed to as proof that the Sandy Hook area needs permanent infrastructure. The finished facility will include full apparatus bays, living quarters, and support spaces capable of sustaining around-the-clock fire and EMS operations.

The project is backed by a 2021 public-safety bond combined with county appropriations. The Board of Supervisors previously awarded the construction contract through competitive procurement; site acquisition and initial demolition work were completed before the April 2 ceremony. Attendees reached the project site via shuttle from the Central High Complex, with limited handicapped parking available on site at 3535 Whitehall Road.

The most immediate change residents near the project will notice: construction traffic, site fencing, and staged material deliveries along Whitehall Road in the months ahead. Longer term, the station is designed to reduce emergency response times and expand local coverage capacity in a part of the county that has relied on temporary or split-shift arrangements.

The Board held its April regular meeting the same day at 1800 Sandy Hook Road, taking up budget and fee-setting items that included public-hearing notices on tax and fee changes that could affect household and small-business costs. Those notices set the stage for upcoming hearings where public comment is accepted.

Three questions worth bringing to those hearings: what is the full construction cost and projected completion date, how will Whitehall Road access be managed during active building phases, and how does the bond debt service factor into the county's current tax rate. The full meeting packet, including fee advertisements, is posted on the county's public agenda portal.