Napa County rezones Hess/Laird agricultural land for industry

A route paralleling four-lane Highway 29 is the county’s hoped-for payoff, though much must still happen for this proposed road east of the highway to be built.

“What I’m interested in is that connection south to north … that’s a huge public benefit,” Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza said.

Attorney Clark Morrison, speaking on behalf of the applicants, said no detailed development plan yet exists for the properties. The owners need certainty that the land can be used industrially before investing money into a complicated multi-year effort, he said.

The owners have committed to having the south-north road run through the properties as part of the development, according to Morrison.

That south-north road would continue beyond the already planned Newell Drive extension in American Canyon. Newell Drive begins at American Canyon Road and is to be extended north through the Watson Ranch housing development, with a planned Highway 29 connection at Green Island Road. A small piece of the Hess/Laird properties will be used.

But supervisors and American Canyon officials see a bigger possibility. Keep heading north over the Hess/Laird lands and the road could reach South Kelly Road, which connects to Highway 12.

That would create about a 4-mile Highway 29 parallel route from American Canyon Road to Highway 29 to help serve local traffic.

Usually, Napa County’s Measure P requires a ballot measure to change farming-zoned land to developable land. But the Hess/Laird properties were zoned for industrial uses in 2007 when Measure P locked agricultural designations in place.

Only with the 2008 general plan update did Napa County change the industrial designation to agricultural. The county’s supervising planner Sean Trippi said that was done to match the existing use of the land.

Supervisors heard from several people during public comments.

Watson Ranch developer Terrence McGrath, while not opposing a Hess/Laird project, wanted more work to be done on a Newell Drive extension before the land is rezoned as industrial.

He read from an agreement that helped resolve the growth disputes some 15 years ago between Napa County and American Canyon. That agreement said the Hess/Laird lands can be rezoned from agricultural to industrial — if Newell Drive is extended through them.

“What’s the rush behind this from the applicant’s perspective?” he said. “If that roadway isn’t there, then you don’t have a project. And so what’s the rush? It feels very premature.”

Gregory said the situation is like a chicken-and-egg dilemma. The best chance of extending Newell Drive is to rezone the Hess/Laird lands industrial so the owners can make investments, with perhaps a development agreement assuring the road gets built.

Development agreements can give builders certainty that changing county laws won’t affect their project and can help them obtain financing. Those agreements can also bind developers to provide more public benefits than would otherwise be required.

Scott Thomason of the Napa Sierra Club Group objected that the county used the 2008 general plan’s environmental impact report to satisfy California Environmental Quality Act requirements for the rezoning. Someone buying a house wouldn’t rely on a 16-year-old inspection, he said.

Morrison said he anticipates an environmental report will be done for a specific project when one is proposed. That document will look at such things as archeological resources, transportation, wildlife, and drainage.

Resident Eve Kahn said 101 pages of background information appeared on the Board of Supervisors agenda posting on Saturday. She asked that supervisors delay taking a vote to give themselves and the public more time to read the information.

Resident Yvonne Baginski asked that supervisors postpone a decision until people have a good idea of what kinds of wildlife live on the properties. Perhaps some land might be set aside for habitat, she said.

“Once the quality of life for the animals goes, we’re not far behind,” she said.

Supervisor Anne Cottrell said the idea appeals to her of reaching a development agreement with the Hess/Laird owners to flesh out various issues. “We need some public benefit with this extension of Newell,” she said.

Ramos said she supports the rezoning, so she can someday see the yet-to-be-developed plans for the properties. She mentioned concerns, such as water running off properties affecting subsidence on Highway 29.

“I do believe for a future board, a development agreement is going to be the right way,” she said.

Although no Hess/Laird development plan exists, the owners gave an idea of what’s possible with their rezoning application. The land could host up to 4.5 million square feet of industrial space employing up to 1,250 workers, it said.

The Planning Commission on Oct. 2 recommended the Board of Supervisors grant the general plan redesignation and the rezoning requests.

Hess/Laird owners first brought the idea of rezoning the land to the Board of Supervisors in 2021. At that time, supervisors said they were willing to consider the idea.

Source: https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-rezoning-agricultural-hess-laird-american-canyon-industrial-board-supervisors/article_a88698f4-a147-11ef-b40d-cfe9ea1be2d8.html