County, cities close to historic
housing deal

Friday, September 12, 2003

By JAY GOETTING
Register Staff Writer

A historic housing deal between the city of Napa, American Canyon and Napa County may put more than $1 million into the city's coffers.

Final touches have been put on the Napa city-county agreement, and the Napa City Council will be the first to pass judgment next Tuesday.

The plan is designed to reduce pressure on the county to meet state demands for development of affordable housing. The state mandates that cities and counties zone for a specific number of new housing units.

At the heart of the deal between the county and the city of Napa is a $900,000 transfer from the county's housing trust fund. The money will offset costs for the purchase of property at 522 Lincoln Avenue. The money also will be used for infrastructure improvements and to invest in multi-family home sites.

In addition, $100,000 will go towards parks and open space in the city.

Meanwhile, negotiations continue between the county and the city of American Canyon, with several areas of contention still being hammered out in closed-door talks.

American Canyon Mayor Don Colcleaser said even though talks continue, he'd like to see the housing deal on every meeting agenda until an agreement is reached. "Let's see it all on paper and talk until the deal is struck," he said. He remains confident an accord will be reached.

Supervisor Bill Dodd agreed the county is close to a housing agreement with American Canyon. "There are a few items that need clarification," he said. "I'm the eternal optimist."

All three entities hope the state's Department of Housing and Community Development buy into the plan so they all gain certification of their respective General Plan Housing Elements. HCD representatives have been watching the process and are expected to go along.

Under the Napa plan, the city would take 664 of the county-mandated housing units. Earlier reports indicated American Canyon would accept 394 homes, which would be credited to the county.

There would be some sharing of development fees, and the county would assist in the cleanup of south county blight.

In downtown Napa, the county would make the current parking area at its administrative offices on Third Street available for a public parking facility. It also would agree not to develop any future office space in downtown Napa unless parking is provided.

Sandy Elles, executive director of the Napa County Farm Bureau, which strongly advocates for preservation of agricultural lands, said her group has begun to look at the proposals but hadn't yet seen specifics. "We're certainly supportive and delighted that the cities and the county are working together," she said.

The Farm Bureau has worked with the League of Governments to further the policies of promoting in-fill of existing residential and urban areas.

Elles is cautious about what may happen in the southern reaches of Napa County. "I imagine we'll see the annexation of some ag lands to American Canyon," said Elles.

Currently, the state's Housing and Community Development Department, along with the Association of Bay Area Governments, mandates the number of affordable housing units that jurisdictions around the state must accommodate. But the state also promotes the preservation of agricultural lands.

Elles said she hopes the conflicting policies put forth by the state can eventually be resolved.

The Farm Bureau's Land Use and Housing Committee will take up the issue and make a recommendation to its full board of directors. The Farm Bureau board meets next Wednesday.

Farm Bureau president Tom Gamble believes the pending agreement is a good thing, but the devil may be in some of the details. "It could be a short-term fix that maybe we need," he said. "It buys some time to get at the long term answers."

If it requires the city of Napa to in-fill existing open space in side the city's rural-urban limit line, that could be a positive, he said. But the higher densities that are sure to follow will not be politically popular, Gamble said.

He also emphasized the Farm Bureau will stand by its historic position of protecting agricultural lands if annexations become an issue.

Along with staff and attorneys, the negotiators for the Napa agreement were supervisors Bill Dodd and Brad Wagenknecht, and city councilmembers Jill Techel and Kevin Block. Dodd and Supervisor Mike Rippey met with Mayor Don Colcleaser and councilman Ben Anderson to work out the American Canyon agreement.