Napa Valley Register
Napa County holding hearing for The Inn at the Abbey near St. Helena
An artist’s rendering of the proposed Inn at the Abbey by SB Architects. The hotel, if approved, would be near Freemark Abbey winery outside St. Helena.
Courtesy of The Inn at the Abbey
Commissioners begin their meeting at 9 a.m. in the county administration building at 1195 Third St. in downtown Napa, with other topics also on the agenda.
The draft environmental report concludes that all potential impacts for the proposed boutique hotel can be rendered “less than significant.” However, critics have voiced concerns about potential traffic on rural Lodi Lane.
The Inn at the Abbey would be a 79-room hotel on 15 acres near the Freemark Abbey winery, about a half-mile north of St. Helena at Highway 29/128 and Lodi Lane. Jackson Family Investments LLC is the applicant.
Napa County protects most of the rural Napa Valley floor outside of its five cities for agriculture. This site is a rare exception with commercial zoning.
As required by California law, the environmental study examines a range of topics, including aesthetics, agriculture, biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation.
To help ease possible traffic congestion, The Inn at the Abbey would provide at least 10 bicycles for guests, offer free Vine bus passes for employee commutes, and improve the Napa Valley Vine Trail crossing at Lodi Lane, among other measures.
According to the draft report, the hotel would generate 645 daily trips—152 fewer than those generated by the restaurant, motel, and specialty retail shop already approved for the property (though not currently operating).
The report also examines project alternatives. The “environmentally superior” option would scale the hotel down from 79 rooms to 63. However, the report states that the overall differences would be slight, as the proposed project is not expected to have significant impacts.
Napa County will accept comments on the draft environmental impact report through May 26. To view the report and background materials, visit: https://www.countyofnapa.org/1468/Boards-Commissions
Choose Planning Commission, then select the May 7 meeting.
The county’s next step will be creating a final environmental impact report that addresses the public comments. After that, the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors will consider the proposed project on dates still to be determined.
Also on Wednesday, the Planning Commission will review two additional proposals:
The proposed Harcross Winery at 6476 Dry Creek Road, northwest of Napa.
A proposed convenience store and car wash at 111 Howell Mountain Road in Angwin.