Chesterfield Planning Commission member quietly steps down – to go back to school
Tommy Owens has resigned from the Chesterfield Planning Commission after six and a half years, including serving as chairman. His departure comes as he pursues a PhD and after the county concluded a years-long update to its zoning ordinance. During his tenure, Owens played a role in reviews of major projects, including Google's planned data center campuses.
Tommy Owens has stepped down from his position on the Chesterfield Planning Commission, effective earlier this month, to begin a remote PhD program in business administration in August. Owens, who served on the commission for six and a half years and was its chairman, stated that the timing was opportune as the county had recently completed a multi-year update to its zoning ordinance.
Owens described the planning commissioner role as demanding and public, acknowledging that some of his decisions, aimed at aligning county zoning actions with the law, were not always popular. His tenure included involvement in the development and approval of Chesterfield's current zoning ordinance, as well as the review of significant projects such as Google's proposed data center campuses in western Chesterfield and a nuclear fusion power plant in Chester.
The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors, which appoints planning commission members, had not publicly announced Owens' departure as of last week. Supervisor Kevin Carroll, who represents the Matoaca district that Owens served, is currently interviewing candidates to fill the vacant seat, hoping to present a replacement for a vote by July. The five-member commission advises supervisors on zoning cases, ordinance amendments, and land-use planning, with members receiving an annual compensation of approximately $27,400.