Judge trims Goochland TOD lawsuit record to revised documents

A Goochland Circuit Court judge ruled on May 26 that the county does not have to keep every one of the roughly 8,500 documents it filed in the lawsuit over the technology overlay district, forcing a revised record that could make the case easier to follow and more expensive for neither side to litigate than a sprawling paper dump.

Judge Timothy Sanner ordered Goochland County to pare down the filing and submit a revised set of TOD-related documents for review in the case brought by Cynthia Haas, Peggy Knisley, Virginia H. Reed and Gail A. Minnick. Their complaint asks the court to declare void and block enforcement of the Board of Supervisors’ Nov. 6, 2025 adoption of the Technology Overlay District, arguing county leaders did not lawfully explain the move and did not comply with Virginia statutory and constitutional requirements.

The county, represented by Michael Finney of Gentry Locke, argued the court should see the full legislative record because the challenge targets a legislative decision. Finney also said the plaintiffs had not yet filed opposition to the county’s demurrer, the county’s bid to dismiss the case. That hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20, keeping the challenge in an early but consequential procedural phase.

The ruling matters beyond courthouse mechanics. A record trimmed to the documents the judge actually wants to review can sharpen the public’s view of how the county built the TOD case, while cutting the cost and confusion that come with sifting through thousands of pages. For residents trying to track the county’s growth strategy, the order forces the dispute back onto the question at its center: whether Goochland followed the law while drawing the lines for future development.

County materials say the Technology Zone and Technology Overlay District followed a six-month process of community engagement, meetings and public hearings. The Planning Commission held hearings on Sept. 18 and Sept. 25, then voted 3-2 to recommend approval. Supervisors later approved the ordinance on Nov. 6 after a public hearing. County materials also say the revised TOD ordinance and maps were released Oct. 21, 2025, after outreach that included meetings on July 7 and Sept. 8 and a town hall on Oct. 2.

The district spans about five miles along Route 288 from Interstate 64 south to Patterson Avenue, bordered by Hockett Road and covering roughly 4,400 acres, including about 3,500 acres in West Creek Business Park controlled by Pruitt Associates. County FAQ materials say the TOD is designed to use buffers, setbacks, noise limits and architectural standards to protect nearby properties, while the ordinance also added definitions for small modular nuclear reactor facilities, natural gas peaking plants and utility generating stations. That makes the case about more than one overlay district. It is also about how far Goochland is willing to go to steer data-center growth, power infrastructure and the county’s development future.