Two more members of the Goochland County Planning Commission have decided not to honor the request of the Board of Supervisors and resign.

In a letter sent via email and regular mail Feb. 3, 2012, to County Administrator Rebecca T. Dickson, Planning Commission Chair Courtney Hyers from District 5 and James P. Atkinson from District 1, joined Ty Querry from District 2, who said last week he would not resign, in announcing their decisions.

The letter said that “the Board’s request for resignations of planning commissioners in mid-term implicates state law governing planning commissions. Virginia law requires all jurisdictions in Virginia to establish planning commissions to serve as advisory bodies on land use matters. 

“State law requires that planning commissioners be appointed to specific terms of office and provides that they may not be removed except for just cause. In Goochland County, commission members are appointed to two-year terms, and may serve for a maximum of four terms.”

In a letter from the Board of Supervisors to the commission members Jan. 23, 2012, the resignation of each member was requested by Feb. 3, 2012. One reason given for the request was to reduce the number of members on the commission from 10 to five.

The letter from Hyers, Atkinson and Querry also said that “The Board has the right to replace planning commission members in an orderly fashion, as staggered terms expire, according to law.”

Atkinson, Hyers and Querry’s terms all expire in March 2013.

Five members have resigned. They are Tommy Carter and Derek Murray, District 3; Joe Andrews and James D. Crews Jr., District 4; and Lowe Lunsford III, District 5.
James Melton of District 2 could not be reached concerning his decision, but his term expires in April of this year. Eugene Bryce from District 1, whose term expires in March 2013, declined to comment when reached by phone Monday.