A conceptual site plan for Tuckahoe West, which got the thumbs-up from county supervisors. (Images courtesy Goochland planning documents)
Proposals for two new housing developments got a green light in Goochland County last week.
Main Street Homes’ Tuckahoe West development and a lower density development called Serenity Trail from the president of builder Wonderview Homes received approvals from county supervisors at their Nov. 4 meeting.
Supervisors voted 3-1 to approve a rezoning of agricultural land to residential for Tuckahoe West, which calls for a 38-home subdivision at 2161 Manakin Road.
The Tuckahoe West development would fill part of the roughly 124-acre property that’s just west of Tuckahoe Bridge, a 98-home community that Main Street Homes completed in recent years north of Sycamore Creek Golf Course. Tuckahoe Bridge was Main Street’s first development in Goochland since builds in communities such as Lanes End.
Tuckahoe West is proposed for lots a minimum of 2 acres, with around 36 acres – or 29% – of the project site set aside as open space. The land is listed as a “rural enhancement area” within the county comprehensive plan. County staff members have said the proposal is “generally compliant” with the comprehensive plan.
Main Street Homes is working on the project with Townes Site Engineering and landscape architect Cite Design.
It’s unclear whether Main Street is under contract to purchase the project site, which county property records show is owned by a trust tied to Michael and Robbin Haydon, who reside in Henrico.
The president of Main Street Homes, Vernon McClure, told BizSense earlier this year that the company had been looking at the property for years and struck a deal with the owners.
Shields Jett of Jett Land and Realty spoke at the Nov. 4 supervisors meeting, identifying himself as the listing broker for the Haydons.
“The Haydons are retired, they’re in the process of selling their estate, and they want to benefit from the growth that is occurring around them. The highest and best use for this property is single-family residential subdivision,” Jett said.
Proffers from Tuckahoe West include the preservation of an existing cemetery along Manakin Road, along with trees that would provide a buffer ranging from 125 to 150 feet. The development would include a central pond with an open-space area at the property’s northern corner.
According to county staff reports, a traffic impact analysis conducted for the project determined that Manakin Road’s nearby intersection with Broad Street Road is operating at an “F” service level and that no improvements to it are planned with Tuckahoe West, which is considered an “off-site improvement.”
“The county cannot require off-site improvements for an already failing intersection,” a county presentation reads.
McClure told BizSense previously that the rating refers to just one of the intersection’s multiple movements. He added that intersection improvements are planned as part of the potential Manakin Towne project.
County residents at Wednesday’s meeting voiced concerns about the project, including traffic and safety, as well as maintaining the area’s rural character.
Several residents mentioned the past approvals of Tuckahoe Bridge in relation to Tuckahoe West now being on the table.
“We need to look at the bigger picture, not just one development application at a time. What will the combined impact of these developments mean for traffic, road safety, drainage, emergency services and the surrounding properties? How much additional residential density can Manakin Road reasonably support? These questions deserve serious consideration before additional development or a change in zoning is approved,” one resident said.
“Rural character can disappear gradually through individual decisions that might’ve looked good in a limited context. But rural character will be gone one little bite at a time,” added another resident.
Yet some supervisors had a different opinion.
“Transition was mentioned a lot and transition from Tuckahoe Bridge is from medium density to low density. It flows,” Supervisor Charlie Vaughters said during board discussion. “I have an incredibly hard time with the term ‘urban sprawl’ being applied to what is being proposed. It’s not urban sprawl, it does provide a transition.”
Supervisor Tom Winfree added that one of the things he discussed with Eli Lilly when the pharma giant was considering bringing its estimated $5 billion manufacturing facility to the county was housing for its employees.
“When I went to Indianapolis to try to reel in Eli Lilly, one of the things they were very concerned about was housing for their 600-and-some high-paid employees that we’re going to have here. … I want those people living in Goochland. … We promised them that we would have housing and so forth,” Winfree said.
Supervisor Jonathan Lyle expressed concerns about how the county comprehensive plan is being applied, adding that he “sincerely wants to see our population grow slow.” Lyle was the sole dissenting vote.
A project schematic for the proposed Serenity Trail subdivision on Maidens Road.
The board also voted 3-1 to approve a rezoning for Serenity Trail, an “equine-themed” low-density project that would create up to nine single-family homes at 2453 Maidens Road with lots ranging from roughly 5 acres to almost 14 acres.
The Serenity Trail project was proposed by Wonderview LLC, tied to David Jinnett, president of locally based Wonderview Homes. The project was previously considered for a rezoning by county planning commissioners and supervisors last year, though at the time plans called for up to 24 single-family homes.
The previous iteration of the project was recommended for denial by the commission and was voted down by supervisors after hearing concerns from residents such as traffic along Maidens Road near the subdivision entrance and, like Tuckahoe West, “diminishment” of the county’s rural nature.
This latest iteration of the project was given the thumbs-up from planning commissioners in September.
The Serenity Trail project site is just east of Maidens Road and south of its intersection with Poorhouse Road. The property is home to Serenity Farm and includes a house near the center of the site with a pool and a garage, as well as some accessory buildings.
The existing 3,500-square-foot home was on the market when the project was proposed last year, and was sold, along with the surrounding 110-acre parcel, for $2.35 million in November 2025 to Wonderview, county property records show.
Proffers for the project include the preservation of a cemetery on the site, the creation of a homeowners association and a right of way dedicated along the property frontage for the future widening and improvement of Maidens Road. The project would have a single entrance onto Maidens Road and create a new public road internally ending in a cul-de-sac.
Around 30% of the property would remain as open space.
Scott Courtney with ARM Group LLC, the civil engineer on Serenity Trail, previously told planning commissioners the project would have a 10-foot-wide trail for walking or horseback riding.
During public comment at Wednesday’s meeting, some Goochland residents expressed continued concerns about preserving the area’s rural nature as well as safety concerns on Maidens Road near the property.
But Winfree said he felt the homes in the area were beautiful, adding that he felt the Serenity Trail project homes would be “compatible or more than compatible” with the area. Vaughters added that he felt the project was “modest development.”
Yet Supervisor Neil Spoonhower said the project was a “head scratcher” for him, as he has publicly stated he wants no additional growth outside of designated growth areas. Spoonhower was the sole dissenting vote.
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