INSIDE Advocates speak out at Pet Rescue Foundation trial > page 5
Volume 57, Number 21 • May 27, 2010
New car wash gets Planning Commission nod By Jim Ridolphi Special Correspondent
Photo by Ken Odor
Goochland Elementary School Principal Dianna Gordon sits in for story time as YMCA Program Director Jan Kenney sits with some of the children. From left are Makayla Devary, Jacob Throckmorten, Austin Grady, Holden Valerie and Shae James.
YMCA takes over Tender Tots Program cut from school budget resumes this fall By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
Dropped from the Goochland School system due to budget woes, Tender Tots has been taken over by the Goochland Family YMCA, which began registration for the preschool program this week.
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Currently housed in the Goochland Specialty Center, the 23-year-old program serving three- to five-year-olds will be in the same building again this fall but will be run by the YMCA instead of the schools. Sandy Wilcox has been with Tender Tots for six years but she will have another assignment with Goochland Schools when the new school year starts in the fall. “I am sad,” said Wilcox. “I’ve been teaching pre-school for 15 years.”
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YMCA Program Director Jan Kenney is looking for a new teacher to take over Wilcox’s position. Kenney has assured Goochland Elementary School Principal Dianna Gordon that the program will have a certified teacher this fall, and the two discussed candidates last Friday when Kenney visited the Specialty Center. Tender Tots is more than just a presee Tender Tots> page 1
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SPORTS GHS track runs in district meet > page 12
Signs of life are emanating from a shopping center project located on Pouncey Tract Road near Centerville. The Goochland Planning Commission recommended approval of a proposed convenience store’s accompanying car wash their meeting last week. The store is the first cog of a 22-acre shopping center development approved in 2006, to be located near the Centerville area. While the convenience store is an accepted use under the new zoning, the car wash requires a conditional use permit. The car wash will occupy slightly more than four acres on an outparcel of the shopping center, and will utilize a rural enhanced design. Commissioners had few questions regarding the project, but there was a sticking point regarding limited access for emergency vehicles. The convenience store will utilize one of the shopping center’s two proposed entrances. Commissioner Ty Querry said that could present a
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problem if there was an incident at that intersection and vehicles had to access the store’s lot. “If there’s a car fire or an overturned truck, that would create a severe bottleneck there,” he said. County planner Tom Coleman said the entrance to the shopping center would be “significant” and said the issue of the access could be taken back to Fire/EMS for further consideration. Bob Hammond said the rezoning already addressed the entrance and exit issues, and two points were approved. Many of those issues will be addressed when a Plan of Development is considered. “Based on my experience with development, you’re probably going to have a difficult time getting another entrance into the site,” commissioner James Crews said. “VDOT is trying to limit the number of access points on a main road,” he added. Crews moved for an approval recommendation, and the motion passed with one nay vote coming from Querry, who stood his ground on the access concerns.
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Fishing fun at Meadow Farm