The Goochland County Planning Commission could see a lot of change between now and Friday as the clock ticks on a request by the board of supervisors to have all 10 members of the commission resign no later than Feb. 3.

In a letter to each of the commissioners dated Jan. 23, the supervisors asked that the resignations be effective April 1, 2012, to give the supervisors time to amend the county code to restructure the planning commission and to appoint new members in April.

The supervisors want to reduce the number of members on the commission by half to five members, one from each district.

As of Monday, Jan. 30, five members of the planning commission had indicated they had complied with the request and submitted their letters of resignation. The commissioners resigning are: Tommy Carter and Derek Murray from District 3; Joe Andrews and James D. Crews Jr., District 4; and Lowe Lunsford III, District 5.

Planning Commission Chair Courtney Hyers from District 5 and James Atkinson from District 1 have not decided whether or not to resign.

Ty Querry, a District 2 commissioner, said he definitely will not resign.

“I’ve looked at the Virginia Code and while we are appointed by the board of supervisors, I don’t believe we serve at their pleasure,” he said. “I don’t think they can fire us or ask us to resign. I have talked to people in my district, and they are pleased with the work I’m doing. None of them have asked me to resign, and I have no intention of doing so.”

District 1 commissioner Eugene Bryce said “no comment” about his intentions concerning the letter, and James Melton of District 2 could not be reached as of press time.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Ned S. Creasey said he wasn’t sure about the board’s ability to amend the code if enough commissioners don’t resign. He referred questions about the legality of the resignation request and amending the code to county attorney Norman Sales.

“We’re trying to make this a team effort,” he said. “We want everybody on the same page,” said Creasey of the supervisors’ desire to name new commissioners.

Contacted by email, Sales declined to comment on the question of what happens should several commissioners decide not to resign.