Skeet Range Proposal Draws Community Meeting, Raises Local Questions
Representatives of Virginia Sports Park and Training Center held a public meeting December 9 to discuss a conditional use permit application for a skeet shooting range on roughly 75 acres on Walton Road. The proposal matters to Goochland residents because it involves agricultural zoned land, a formal county review under Section 15 102, and potential effects on traffic, safety, and land use that the public can weigh during the permitting process.
A public meeting took place Tuesday evening at 5061 Broad Street Road as the Virginia Sports Park and Training Center presented plans tied to CUP application PRE 2024 00054 for a skeet shooting range on about 75 acres on Walton Road. The project parcels are zoned Agricultural, General A 1 and require a conditional use permit under the county zoning code. County staff listed meeting details and a contact phone number on the county event page and invited residents to review materials and ask questions.
Under Goochland County procedures, a conditional use permit triggers a formal review that includes public comment and gives the county authority to attach conditions designed to reduce adverse impacts. The permit requirement stems from Section 15 102 of the zoning ordinance which limits certain recreational and shooting related activities in agricultural zones unless the county finds them appropriate with mitigation. The application file identifies a portion of tax map numbers referenced for the project site.
The proposal will draw scrutiny from neighbors and county officials on issues that commonly accompany shooting range proposals such as noise, traffic on Walton Road, site safety, and compatibility with surrounding rural land uses. Local officials will evaluate the application against the ordinance criteria, permit conditions already available in county code, and any evidence submitted by the applicant on operations, access, and environmental considerations. The public meeting served as an early step for residents to raise concerns, request more information, and understand the technical materials submitted with the application.
For residents who could not attend, county staff posted contact information on the county event page for follow up and to schedule review of the proposal materials. Decisions on conditional use permits are made through the county review process, where public participation and careful documentation of impacts will influence how the permit application proceeds. The outcome could affect land use patterns, recreational opportunities, and expectations for development in this part of Goochland County.
