Goochland supervisors honor Special Olympics delegation, discuss Valley Link concerns

Goochland County supervisors paired civic celebration with another round of Valley Link scrutiny at their regular meeting in Board Room 250, honoring the county’s Special Olympics delegation while signaling that the transmission-line fight is far from over.

Board chair Jeff Dickerson told residents their concerns about Valley Link “did make a huge impact” and urged them to stay involved. He said public voices still mattered as the county continues to press its objections to the project.

That stance builds on the board’s April 7 vote formally opposing the proposed Valley Link Joshua Falls-Yeat 765-kV transmission line. County documents describe the proposal as a 115-mile project, and say some routes would cut through Goochland County with cleared corridors and steel lattice structures that could reach nearly 160 feet in height. For homeowners, landowners and businesses along those corridors, the issue is not abstract: it could reshape views, easements and the future use of property across parts of the county.

The county also used its Valley Link page to point residents to a special board meeting held May 28 at Goochland County High School Auditorium. Valley Link representatives gave a presentation there before citizen comments, a format that gave neighbors a direct chance to question the project in public before the board’s latest meeting.

Alongside the utility debate, supervisors adopted a resolution honoring the Goochland Special Olympics delegation heading to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. The Games are scheduled for June 20-26 in Minnesota, with events centered at the University of Minnesota and other Twin Cities venues. The recognition put local athletes on the public record as the county’s bigger policy conversation remained focused on a transmission line that could run through the region.

County meeting records show supervisors rely on posted agendas, minutes, livestreams and archived recordings to keep residents informed, and June 2 was already listed as a planned regular meeting date. For Goochland residents watching both county pride and county land-use decisions, the week’s message was clear: one vote celebrated local athletes, while another chapter in the Valley Link dispute stayed open.