A 110 acre horse farm on Maidens Road cleared its first hurdle last Thursday, and it did so by getting smaller. Richmond BizSense reporter Jackie DiBartolomeo reported that the Goochland County Planning Commission voted 2 to 1 to recommend approval of Serenity Trail, a rezoning that would allow up to nine single family homes at 2453 Maidens Road on lots running from roughly five acres to almost fourteen.
The number matters because of what came before it. Per DiBartolomeo’s reporting, the same site came forward last year at up to 24 homes, was recommended for denial, and was then voted down by the Board of Supervisors after residents raised traffic on Maidens Road and the loss of the county’s rural character. The applicant, Wonderview LLC, came back with less than half the density.
What was actually approved, and what was not
This was a recommendation, not a decision. The deciding vote sits with the Goochland County Board of Supervisors, tentatively on 4 November. Commissioners Curt Pituck and Martin Dean voted in favor of recommending approval and commissioner Amanda Kowalski dissented, which is the same split the commission produced the same evening on a second Goochland case.
The plan is eight new lots plus the existing residence, a single entrance onto Maidens Road, and a new internal public road ending in a cul-de-sac. Roughly 34 acres, about 30 percent of the site, stays as open space. The proffers include preserving a 0.01 acre cemetery parcel sitting in the middle of the property, forming a homeowners association, and dedicating right-of-way along the frontage for a future widening of Maidens Road. Keri Ragland, the county’s assistant director of planning and zoning, told the commission the proposal complies with the comprehensive plan, which designates the property a rural enhancement area.
Scott Courtney of ARM Group, the civil engineer, described a ten foot wide trail usable for walking or horseback riding. On lots this size in Goochland County, that is a realistic use rather than a marketing line.
What this means if you are the buyer
Three things follow from the plan that are worth knowing before the first lot is listed.
Every home is on private well and septic. There is no public water or sewer here and the plan does not propose any. That is normal for this part of the county and it changes your inspection list, your closing timeline and your ongoing maintenance. We cover what to check in our guide to buying a home with well and septic, and the wider picture of which areas are on public utilities in our roundup of where the Richmond region is on public water and sewer. Septic systems in Virginia are permitted through the Virginia Department of Health, not the county building office.
Lot size changes the financing conversation. A five acre lot is straightforward. Approaching fourteen acres, some lenders start treating the property differently, appraisals lean more heavily on land value and comparable sales get thin. Rural addresses in Goochland and Powhatan County can also qualify for USDA financing, which is worth checking early rather than late. See which addresses actually qualify.
The road dedication is a signal. Dedicating right-of-way for a future widening of Maidens Road tells you the county expects more traffic on that corridor over time. Weigh that in both directions: better road capacity later, more development nearby meanwhile.
The second vote nobody is talking about
Goochland commissioners also recommended approval, on the same 2 to 1 split, of Tuckahoe West, a 38 home neighborhood on two acre minimum lots at 2161 Manakin Road put forward by Main Street Homes. We covered that filing when it was made in our post on what Tuckahoe West would mean for the area. It also goes to supervisors on 4 November.
Two rural rezonings recommended on one night, both by 2 to 1, both with organized resident opposition on traffic and rural character, and both landing on the same supervisors agenda. Whatever happens on 4 November will say more about Goochland’s direction than either case does alone. If acreage is what you are shopping for, our Richmond area homes with acreage search is the place to start while these play out. The full county picture is in the county’s own materials.
Following Goochland
We can set up a saved search for Goochland acreage listings so anything new in this corridor reaches you as it comes up. Ask us to set one up.
Questions about the Serenity Trail rezoning
Has Serenity Trail been approved?
Not yet. On 17 September the Goochland County Planning Commission voted 2 to 1 to recommend approval of the rezoning. The Board of Supervisors holds the deciding vote, tentatively scheduled for 4 November 2026. A recommendation from the commission is advisory, and this same project was recommended for denial and then voted down by supervisors in its earlier and larger form.
How many homes would actually be built?
Up to nine, which is eight new lots plus the one existing residence already on the property. Lot sizes would run from roughly five acres to almost fourteen. The earlier version of the project proposed up to 24 homes.
Would the homes be on public water and sewer?
No. All homes would connect to private well and septic systems. That is standard for this part of Goochland, where public utilities do not extend, and it affects inspections, the closing timeline and long-term maintenance costs.
What is a rural enhancement area?
It is a designation in Goochland’s comprehensive plan that allows low-density residential development paired with a significant amount of preserved open space. County planning staff told the commission that Serenity Trail complies with that designation, which is part of why staff analysis supported it even as residents objected.
What happens to the cemetery on the site?
A 0.01 acre parcel used as a cemetery sits in the middle of the land proposed for rezoning. It is not part of the rezoning proposal, is designated semipublic, and its preservation is written into the proffers.
Why does the right-of-way dedication matter to a buyer?
The applicant proffered right-of-way along the property frontage for a future widening and improvement of Maidens Road. That does not mean a widening is funded or scheduled, but it does tell you the county is planning for more traffic on that corridor. Weigh it as both a future benefit and a signal about growth nearby.
Is this the only Goochland rezoning moving right now?
No. On the same evening the commission also recommended approval, on the same 2 to 1 split, of Tuckahoe West, a 38 home neighborhood on two acre minimum lots at 2161 Manakin Road from Main Street Homes. Both cases are set for the supervisors’ 4 November meeting.
