Napa County lists Skyline Wilderness Park section as a potential apartment site

Napa County finally has a list of where to put apartments in rural areas over the next eight years to meet a California housing mandate, with a 5-acre section of Skyline Wilderness Park a controversial inclusion.

The Board of Supervisors passed the list on Jan. 24 by a 3-2 vote as part of its general plan housing element update. The Skyline issue proved a sticking point.

All five supervisors objected to having housing at Skyline. But some wanted the 5 acres near Imola Avenue on the list anyway, given the state says it intends to build housing there and owns the land.

Voting to approve the housing element were Supervisors Joelle Gallagher, Alfredo Pedroza and Belia Ramos. Voting no were Supervisors Anne Cottrell and Ryan Gregory.

"It's hard to stomach any housing going there," Gallagher said. "That isn't anything I support, that I want. But I think the state has taken that out of our hands...we just either get the credits or we don't."

Properties on the high-density list for the 2023–2031 state housing cycle are:

• 5 acres of Skyline Park on a flat section along Imola Avenue with room for 100 units.
• 5 acres south of the city of Napa along Foster Road with room for 100 to 125 units. The county will work with the city of Napa for eventual annexation into the city.
• 10 acres at Spanish Flat at Lake Berryessa with room for 100 to 125 units.

Dropping off the list were two controversial sites near Silverado — the Bishop site on Hedgeside Avenue and Altamura site at Monticello and Atlas Peak roads. Residents mentioned such problems as lack of bus services and stores, as well as potential traffic problems during evacuations in an area threatened by wildfires.

Supervisors did some hand-wringing as they worked on the list. Finding sites in the rural county outside of cities proved to be a challenge.

"This is a constraint for us, every single time," board chairperson Ramos said. "I don't see it as a burden. I see it as a challenge, but not a burden."

A single site could satisfy the state mandate for 61 low-income housing units in rural areas. But county officials and the state want a buffer, in case a site doesn't develop over the next eight years.

The list has the potential for 350 units, if all sites develop to their full capacity and all units meet affordable housing standards. The county also expects to have 58 accessory dwelling units built.

A section of Skyline Park proved to be the biggest topic of debate.

Napa County is seeking to buy the 850-acre park, which is run locally on land owned by California and leased to the county until 2030. The state intends to withhold 5 acres from the proposed sale for housing.

Resident Sue Tredennick asked if the state knows that Skyline Park uses this flat section for community events and for events that raise money for the park and local organizations. She mentioned camping for BottleRock and events for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

"Napa County does need more low-income housing," she said, but added that it's baffling why this housing should go on land already serving the community.

Interim County Executive Officer David Morrison said Gov. Gavin Newsom asked that the state Department of General Services make a statewide list of surplus land available for housing. The 5 acres at Skyline Park is on the list.

"Their intent has been made crystal-clear to us as to their purpose to build housing at that site," Morrison said.

Gregory said he's used Skyline Park for 30 years. There might be a biking event, a Scout gathering and a re-enactment event on the same day on that flat 5-acre section.

"I think having that piece (on the housing list) is us saying, 'We support it'....we're expected to advance those projects aggressively," he said. "... I can't support advancing a housing project on Skyline Park, on those 5 acres."

Other supervisors said they don't want to see housing on the Skyline Park site, but added the county should receive credits toward the state housing mandate if the state builds there. That won't happen if Skyline is off the list.

Pedroza said Newsom is bullish on housing and the county is negotiating with the state to buy Skyline. The county can only buy the sections of Skyline that the state is willing to sell.

"To be able to own the majority of the park I still think is a win for our community, because then it will be protected for generations to come," Pedroza said.

Dropping out of consideration at the last minute was the Altamura property at Atlas Peak Road and Monticello Road near Silverado. Property owner George Altamura, through an attorney, notified the county he doesn't want to build housing.

California requires its counties and cities to make a certain amount of land available for housing construction from 2023 to 2031. The state must be satisfied that the sites have a realistic chance of development during this period.

Napa County was assigned 1,014 homes for the unincorporated area outside of cities, with the county's five cities having their own mandates. The county, through previous agreements, transferred 90% of its mandate to the cities.

"Imagine if we were here trying to figure out 1,000 units," Gregory said.

That left the county with a mandate of 106 homes. Of those, 61 must be for low-income and very-low-income residents, 14 for moderate-income residents, and 31 for above-moderate-income residents.

The state Housing and Community Development Department has 60 days to review the county's housing element, which includes the sites for the state-mandated housing requirement. Morrison said it's possible the state could want the county to do further work on the element.