City Clerk, are you by ready? I am ready if you are, Mayor. All right. Well, if the city clerk is ready, we are ready. So if I can ask you to find your seats, we'll get this show on the road. So welcome. Welcome to our June 24th special called meeting the Napa City Council City Clerk, can we have roll call, please. Council members, Dean Atolley here. Narvaya's here.
Are there any changes or supplemental reports to the agenda?
There aren't. Sorry, there with me, just a second. Mayor, there are no changes to the agenda. We do have supplemental reports for item 5A. We have PowerPoint presentations from city staff as well as the applicant team.
And then we'll receive from city staff with a revision to one of the attachments. I believe it was as if it, hey, I don't have it in front of me.
Exhibit K and then we also received 28 written communications via email as well, which have all been distributed to council.
Yes, we have seen them. Thank you so much. Public comment, our normal general public comment doesn't happen during special call meetings.
So any public comment tonight will be regarding our agenda item on that particular 5A. And so you will have a chance for public comment, but just note general public comment during a special meeting.
Our next item 300 agenda is our consent calendar consent calendar items are considered routine and may be approved by a simple vote of the council.
Members of the public or city council may request that a consent item be pulled for discussion. There are three consent items identified on the agenda items a 3A through 3C.
I didn't receive a request to pull in the agenda item.
I have no comment cards for no comments on that. I will. I would like to make a comment on a consent 3C, but I don't really need to pull it just a comment. That's okay with council.
Well, with that, I would make a motion to approve consent calendar items 3A, B and C.
Okay, so I have a motion and I have a second.
All in favor, I suppose, carries unanimously. So with that said, you know, I think all of us on council, we really want the Franklin station post office to be renovated and move forward, right?
That's a goal of all of ours. And that that item tonight on consent calendar was to restate and the purchase sales agreement and a development agreement. I support those items, but you know in the past that I've always watched those as we we extend those development agreements and those entitlements.
That's okay. I understand that these projects are complex.
But council, we should expect developers to follow through with their promises.
And so I wish the developer on this particular project all the best.
We have throughout town and I won't waste your time identifying all of those parcels and projects that are entitled and not being developed.
But I think our council's goal should be to try to move those along for the benefit of our entire community. So those are my comments on that item 3C. So we're moving to we have a consent hearing consent hearings.
Our items are considered routine and maybe approved by a single vote of the council, however, members of the public or council may request that consent hearing item be pulled towards the session.
There's one item on the consent hearing calendar for the meeting this afternoon.
First reading of an un codified ordinance, there is a request, is there any request for the council to pull any of the items on the consent hearing.
So what this item is about is just because of our general plan update, we are now updating all our ordinances and things. So we need to do that by action.
So if I have no council member to entertain a motion to approve the consent hearing.
The motion by vice mayor Lerals second second by council member Dina Talley all in favor.
Any opposed carries unanimously.
I imagine this is why you're all here item 5A our first street nap of phase 2. So we have a few actions tonight.
I won't go through all of them but what will happen is first we'll hear a report from staff.
Then the project applicant will will disclose council member disclose any information they've learned outside of this hearing.
We'll give an opportunity for the project applicant to present.
Then we'll have question and answers. We'll give an opportunity for public comment and we'll close the public comment.
So we're going to start with our team that's done an outstanding job all along. Always. Thank you.
Thank you. Mayor sidely members of the city council. Molly Radigan wearing my interim community development director hat here this evening.
Here we are. Like you said we've been talking about this for quite some time and as you can see by the public and attendance there's quite interest and amount of interest in this project.
I just wanted to kick this off by acknowledging that with your 23 attachments and hundreds of pages of staff reports and reports that go with this.
The tremendous amount of work that staff has put into bringing this item to you here today.
I especially want to acknowledge Ricky Caperton our planning manager who was the one who pulled this all together and unfortunately couldn't be here with us this evening.
No, no need to worry he's doing fine, but just couldn't be here today. And also thank Mike Walker and writer dilly who are here. I'm sorry Mike Allen and writer dilly who are here tonight who have stepped in to lead us through this presentation. So I'll kick it over to Mike Walker Mike.
I keep doing that. Sorry. I respond anything you call me.
I don't know what mayor members of the city council the project before you tonight is the first street napa phase two project.
The application is that is requesting a development agreement specific plan and the zoning amendment applying development overlay and a tentative parcel map to facilitate the development of the former coal site.
And then the whiteberry plaza into a up to 161 room hotel with answering a retail amendment and other amenities up to 78 residential condominiums and approximately 30,000 square feet of non residential uses on the ground for primarily.
The project location as you can see is is the sandwich between first street, Pearl Street and first street, fronting on Main Street.
The red dotted line indicates the building form the yellow dotted lines indicate the proposed open space that would be a long ground street and then done the center of the project.
This is a representation of the the policies and documents that led us to this point first we have the general plan which oversees the entire city with the general statements as how we wish to see the city developing.
In our downtown we the city adopted a downtown specific plan back in 2012 which focuses on our downtown in that downtown specifically on there were three focus areas.
The project is located in the really central focus area the town center focus area face to and so that leads us to the actual application project which is proposing the development application within that area that.
As we go through this we'll see is consistent with the goals and policies of the jump downtown specific plan.
This is again just shows you the location it gives you identification of the downtown core commercial district which is identified by the.
The salmon color the focus area is the red dots and you can see there's three focus areas there's the downtown.
The downtown center there's the synodometopia this one's located in downtown.
Just to briefly go through these specific plan policies and goals that this project appears to be applicable to these are all directly out of the downtown specific plan where they seek to.
The historic buildings and new buildings that embody the best of sustainable design and architecture they seek to have a wide range of high quality housing choices in the downtown to make it a livable space.
The downtown is a plan looks to provide interconnected network of trails and pathways areas that use a pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages.
The downtown be a prosperous hope for hotels restaurants and shopping and other services that draw people to the downtown and including luxury hotels and B and B's and wine train world class entertainment venues and other outdoor amenities that would draw people to the downtown.
They also look for the development of this area specifically that through a through a refined design and review process which is what this development agreement is proposing to implement for the project.
It's also considered the commercial heart of the city and is intended to promote the mixed use development which this project is intending to be a mixed use development.
The other designations of the downtown occur to gather in place of the downtown redesign of that of a reactivate the Dwightberry Plaza with an open inviting town square style which is project is proposing to do in a new configuration.
The key project components are up to a 78 residential market rate kind of any project which would include 110 parking spaces up to a 161 room hotel.
It would be a total of 200,000 square feet including 10,000 square feet event space, 1900 square feet of outdoor terrace would serve the event space, 2000 square feet for a fitness studio and other amenities would be for restaurants and other outdoor amenities and retail.
It would be a 129 parking space as we produce a project that would be subject to a future agreement when the project should the project go forward and move on that would be handled under the development agreement.
More than likely with using the Pearl Street garage is entering the agreement similar to what we have done with the other downtown hotels.
It also includes 30,000 square feet of non-residential so it could be food beverage and other commercial amenities on the ground floor that would be bordered by all of the new public open space areas sort of intended to create.
Recreate similar similar to what the former downtown look like with the streets or funnages they're found along commercial uses.
A lot of the public benefits are redesigned in constructive brown street corridor a new pedestrian per se of between the buildings to drop off area behind a leg area.
Next to the and also improvements of the 911 more the more you'll guard which would also include some enhanced public art amenities that would be providing with the project and be to find the area making it more of a park like setting.
See here requested entitlements again are the development agreement that would regulate the project give assurances to the both the applicant team and the city that would help the timeline performance measures milestones public benefits.
The plan development overlay is essentially a zoning overlay that allows for a little bit of variation in the downtown specific plan downtown form to development standards which primarily it is consistent with but there's a couple minor variations that would be.
A lot in the overlay and then a specific plan in the zoning amendment to amend the downtown entertainment district to encompass this area so that it would it would.
Further enhance the potential for nightlife and other other downtown amenities that we want to see in our downtown for entertainment for visitors as well as residents.
And then it's also attended a parcel map to reconfigure the existing seven parcels creating three three parcels with one company of space and a space parcel for the condos.
The condominiums going back with the development agreement has key components of is the the affordable housing alternative equivalent they're requesting is they would be proposing to allocate two million three the thirty seven thousand dollars to the previously approved affordable housing project over the church.
In addition they also have a one time payment two dollars per square foot for each condo unit.
They also it would also include a city to reimburse up to 33 million over 10 years for the construction of the new public spaces that the development would provide that would be available to the public.
They also include a $500,000 public art contribution that would be used that the app the intent is the applicant team would come in with a public art proposal.
They've hired local artists that we all know that would be the curator of that and and work on that public art which would be probably over a broad range of the area in the public realm.
They're also a new pedestrian drop-off near the allegorya.
They would also relocate revitalize well the whiteberry plaza would go away and there would be the new pedestrian walkway between the building and a long ground street.
I think the city's been aware that the whiteberry plaza for years, there's been always a desire to modify that and update it.
It is a relic of the 70s and has been very underutilized over the years, but for a lot of reasons probably a lot of is the configuration of it now.
So the intent of this project is to create a new or vibrant exciting pathway that actually creates linkages that are reminiscent of the original street configuration.
I'll be giving another outdoor area in the community that could be used for public gathering.
There's also going to be parking under the under the building and also the the future utilization of the Pearl Street garage and it also allows the city manager to make a decision making for the actual final design review of the projects.
Design.
This is just a prepared amount of go passes.
This is also just showing the plan development overlay modifications.
The far right is what the proposal is.
It's pretty consistent with both downtown one and two, so it was very little that's actually being modified by the plan development overlay.
But basically essentially the PD allows for the development to occur in the form that is proposed and also it would allow for uses that might normally require.
Conditial use permits become just permitted so therefore it would help facilitate getting a lot of the the proposed commercial uses and other type of activities within the center much easier.
And paste them in the normal way through their path.
Public hearing process. Key components, our plan uses modified over the PDE district. I've already covered
that. Let's skip that. This is just showing you the modification of the plan to
tell me the zoning amendment. The to the left is where the current downtown entertainment district
is. Project site is over here in the yellow. They're proposing to include it in the downtown
entertainment district, which is something that I think will probably see in the future. They might
need to see further expansion. That's something that's going to be talked about. In this case,
this applicant team is looking to get it done with this project, which would help
again, like I mentioned earlier, facilitate a lot of the uses in the down in the project,
minute gets built. The 10 of the map is showing that, as you can see here, there are seven
parcels that exist. They're looking to reconfigure it into three parcels. There's also
an air space parcel and a condominium parcel. The findings are located in all the attachments
that the council has before you. Staff leaves the findings to be made and they're in there for
the council's purview. This project would implement many of the general plan in downtown
specific goals and policies in a way that we probably haven't seen in a recent project, so it's definitely
a good thing. At the June 5th Planning Commission meeting, Planning Commission reviewed the project. They
recommended approval. I voted a four to one. They had a few suggestions for the council. They asked
that the city, that the council consider something and a requiring advisory committee to
made up of comprised of two planning commissioners to help the city manager make those decisions on
the design of the project and also they wanted to expedite the timeframe from which the project must
move forward. Moving it from was been proposed at 18 months and reducing it to 12 months. The intent
is to hopefully, like I said, expect the project moving along. I should identify or just point out that
prior to what you're seeing today, back in 2020, the city council approved a purchase agreement with the
former applicant, the prior for the purchase of Pearl Street Garage in 2022. That agreement was amended
and transferred to the current applicant team in a 2024 agreement for a purchase exchange of the
whiteberry plaza was approved by the city council. Those actions were a public hearing that was
noticed like any public hearing would be, so it's wanted to be clear that this project has had public
involvement. Public hearings going back five years, so this is not the first time that this project
has been kicked around at the city hearings. It's just an important factor because the perception is that
this project is kind of appeared on a note where I want to be clear that it has been in the works.
Under the applicant team talks about being in the works of over six years, but from the city,
it's been in the works of at least five. Staff recommends that the city council, I'm not going to read
everything that you've seen before. If the city attorney is allows, I'll just briefly overview that we
approve the first reading and introduction of an ordinance approving a development agreement
that would authorize the development of this project as we've discussed and also approve the first reading
and introduction of an ordinance for a planned development overlay that would allow the
modification of the downtown entertainment district and then approve the first reading and introduction
of an ordinance extending, I'm sorry, I already said the entertainment district. The PD, I'm sorry,
the other one would be the planned development overlay and then also approve a resolution,
approving the 10 of the parcel map, reconfigured the seven existing parcels into three parcels
when one time any and one airspace parcel. I'm here for any questions you may have,
we have the deputy city attorney slash public works director, I'm sorry,
committee general director, Molly Rattigan here as well as writer Dilly from the planning division,
we've got some of the consultants that have worked with staff on this project available in the applicant team
has an army of consultants with them to answer any of your questions. Thanks, Tim.
Tim Mike, you know, Walker Allen, it's all good.
My fault, yeah, I was looking at the agenda. So the closures, if the council member has received
information prior to this hearing that is important to the decision-making process of this hearing
such as information learned during site visits or discussions with constituents and if the
information is not included in the written matter for this item please disclose the information at this time.
So participants in this hearing can have an opportunity to consider that information going down to
council member Dina Talley. I've met with the development team and done a site visit.
I have met several times over the years with the applicant and their representative. I also
worked previously with Todd Zipalsky for several years during the very early stages of considering new
uses at this site. I was 2017-2018. So a number of years ago it doesn't present a conflict but it
does mean that I have a rather detailed understanding of the existing conditions and I do have
knowledge of the very early planning efforts. Also listen to the planning commission meeting where
there were detailed questions and recommendations which we may be discussing this evening.
Thank you. I have the common disclosures met with applicant site visits,
discussed the concerns with some constituents over the project that nothing really of substance
outside of this hearing. Same for me. I listen to the planning commission meeting. I've met with the
developers team several times over the years and I've spoken with staff about some different
options and discussed concerns with some constituents but nothing of substance.
Similar I met with the development and their representatives several times over the last few
years. I did attend that open house. I spoke to some business owners and other constituents
guarding this and I also watched the planning commission. Thank you. At this time we'll
receive our opening statements from the applicant. So I think the center stage podium is for
the opening comments 10 minutes. If you could introduce yourself would be great. All right. Good evening
honorable mayor members of the council. My name is Jerry Hunt for for Fort Taylor Road.
It's an honor and a privilege to be here tonight to share with you this incredible project and
represent our ownership team on a project I hope you conclude will help complete the city's vision for downtown.
I like to start by thanking the city council for your commitment to the downtown vision
and for your service to your community. I would like to thank and acknowledge the city manager's
office and staff Molly and Ricky in particular who I can report has represented and negotiated vigorously
for the city's interest for the document and the application that we have in front of you today.
And I'd like to thank the Napa community who has really just been wonderful for with us. We started as
investors in 2022. We became guests in this community and now we're members of this community.
We have met with many community members over the course and most recently had an open house that was
reference where I think we have between 125 people do 150 people and the support was overwhelming.
We did have some questions and concerns which we answered.
We can go to the next slide please. We're here tonight because the city of Napa for a variety of
reasons I'd like to touch on tonight. Not the least of which is the 2012 specific plan which is mentioned
earlier by Mike and the staff report. Specific plan for people like us and the development
business is an open for business sign that cities put up. Specific plans are not only specific but
very aspirational documents we read them all the time and I can tell you that many cities lay out
these specific plans and the dreams are too big and they never realize their dream that are in
this specific plan and I would also say in that specific plan as mentioned it had a town center
focus area that was identified as the commercial heart of the downtown next slide please Mike.
This is the town center focus area and of the objectives that were identified in that specific plan it
had a number of lofty goals and it including respecting the historic buildings and proving
the pedestrian connections that Napa promoting mixed use development gathering places reactivating
brown street, Dwight Murray Plaza, does 9-11 memorial, high quality housing, Napa Creek focus,
network of pedestrian pathways, luxurious hotels, and a gateway for first and main street. Next slide please.
What preceded this moment is the city and the community already started executing on the plan
prior to our arrival, you know the flood project, the oxbow commons, two-way streets, the river walk,
the redevelopment of the first street shops, the archer hotel and I can't say enough about the rich
fabric that your community has organically grown in the stores and the restaurants that really make
downtown Napa such a unique and wonderful destination and of course the 9-11 memorial. Next slide please Mike.
We hope that you conclude tonight that our application and our project meets or exceeds all of
those objectives that are stated in that specific plan. Starting here this is the building that sat on
what is now Dwight Murray Plaza, the Miglia Vaca building and as a famous world famous artist here in
town Gordon says we're redeveloping what the redevelopment agency tore down in the 70s. Next slide please.
This is a perspective from first street, the building consisting with the guidelines
comes up to the street and what we have introduced in this plan is really an inviting
semi-pilbolic but really civic space. Next slide please. And this conservatory, this conservatory is
4,000 square feet and as you can see from the image there we started this with it being open to the sky
and then it turned into this. I'll get into that a little later. Next slide please.
Here's some other semi-pilbolic civic spaces. This is a rooftop terrace next slide.
And this is a perspective from Main Street looking at the project you can see the hotel on the left side
and the residential project on the right side. What divides it is mentioned is this really grand
per se. It's 45 feet wide. It's not an alleyway. It's not a breezeway and we're very excited how that connects
to the Napa shops to the rest of downtown through the 911 Memorial which we were so delighted when we
got involved with this project that you have this really wonderful memorial, this sacred space that was
really behind a cold building with brutalist architecture it's called. And now it will be
honored at the main gateway at the entry to Napa. Next slide please. These are good perspectives because
it shows how this project really completes the intersection of that pedestrian connectivity.
And you can walk all the way from Oxford Commons and all the way deep into first street by only
crossing streets. You can see on the slide on the right the public space offering at the grade level.
To put it in perspective that's about 34,000 square feet of public space area which is about three
quarters of a football field that is distributed throughout that front edge in that grand entry there.
Let me just check one out soon. And next slide please. Here's a perspective sitting inside that
main street entry. The 911 is just behind you in this perspective but you can see how this really will
activate brown street. It engages that to say oh it engages Napa Creek and will really be a significant
civic and public gathering place. Next slide. And I'll close since I was given 10 minutes for 30
minute presentation that at a personal level I've been in this business longer than I care to admit. I've
been involved in many development projects, redevelopment agency projects that are all really civic
pride community sense of pride type of projects. We can do the easier route and do cold storage
facilities and storage facilities and office buildings and suburban offices that nobody cares about.
These projects take great care and passion and collaboration with the community and we hope you
conclude that we have done that here with this. I would also say that none of this would be possible without
our capital partner and investor Chris George who's here this evening. Chris has been involved
with us at this since the inception and like us grew a passion for this and really demanded a level of
excellence.
That I've never seen before. He has trip in us to go further. There's many examples of projects were reviewing something. He says that's not meaningful enough to do a better job, and that's what you'll see in all of the imagery that we have.
Then I'll close with, I can't help myself. If you really look at it, you have the oxbow commons, trails that dead end into a cold wall. You have the napas shops that dead end into a wall, a brutalist architecture, and so I'll just close with Mr. Mayor, members of the council, tear down this wall.
Thank you, Mr. Hunt, and thank you for staying on time.
So, at this time we will open public testimony to the audience, submit speaker cards if you haven't already, please.
Time is limited to three minutes. The speaker will sound when your time is a little light, we'll leave that to you.
City Clerk, do we help speak your cards?
We do, Mayor, we have a total of 22 cards, so I will start by calling the first calling them in a group of five and just come up as your name is is called.
J. Bradshaw, Jessica Owens, Chris Palomo,
Hullindo Afaro, and Katie Stuponon.
All right, good evening, Honorable Mayor and City Council members. It's an honor to be here tonight.
My name is J. Bradshaw. I'm proud to serve as the Executive Officer for the North Cal Carpenter's Union, which represents 38,000 hardworking men and women throughout Northern California.
Many of who work and live in this area in generally come into you in strong support of the Sponsors project and just to serve from our perspective.
You know, we've had a presence in Napa County for over 100 years helping uplift workers create opportunity and build this fantastic community and we continue to do that.
This project in particular, developer and project sponsor and also with their partner general contractor approaches workers and the community and a positive manner creating good, great union jobs.
There will uplift a lot of folks from the local area in the hundreds, possibly up to 500 construction jobs.
But also from us, to give you a little insight on that, it will create dozens and dozens of new apprenticeship opportunities as well.
That we are hyper focused on uplifting particularly the underserved communities and we are a strong supporter of stimulus that continues to give to the community and uplift all.
So we are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the developer and with the City of Napa and continue our long history of working collaboratively to make sure that all prosper.
And on a side note, looking at this project design, it's also very environmental and supports one of our primary missions as the North Cal Carpenter Senior is delivering workforce and affordable housing.
So our hats are off to you and your hard work here and the staff and of course to our partner developer and to our general contractor to deliver one of the best projects Napa has ever seen. Thank you for your time.
Thank you Mr. Bradshaw and thank you for your team showing up here. Looking good.
Good evening Mayor and council members. My name is Jessica Owens and I'm a proud apprentice carpenter with a North Cal Carpenter Junior.
I am here tonight to speak in full support of the first straight Napa phase to project and urge you to adopt the resolution and move forward.
As a woman entering this trade, I worked hard to earn my place in this field project like projects like this one don't mean just jobs they mean opportunity opportunity opportunity for people like me to build a career support our families and contribute to our community with pride.
The developers going are doing that the right way by parting with partnering with build group as the GC they are bringing skilled local union workers that ensures safety quality and area area standard wages and benefits.
This project will help strengthen Napa's economy and give workers like me the chance to thrive. Please vote yes on the resolution. Thank you.
Thank you Jessica.
Good evening Mayor council members and staff. My name is Chris Plomo and I'm the senior organizer with a North Cal Carpenter Junior and a local 751 representing Napa County.
I'd like to thank you guys for allowing me to speak tonight.
I'm here tonight to speak in strong support of the first straight Napa phase to project.
I would like to thank the developer for their commitment to use build group who's a reputable general contractor throughout California and the neighboring states.
The project represents more than destruction as a commitment to strong labor standards exceptional craftsmanship and a stronger more resilient Napa.
For our members this project means good paying jobs access to quality health care and the dignity of knowing their work is helping shape the future of their own community.
The projects like this ensure that apprentices will get hands on a training under experience journeymen allowing the next generation of Napa's workforce to grow into lifelong careers.
This is exactly the kind of opportunity that keeps young people rooted in our region and lives working families into the middle class.
The first straight Napa phase 2 project will deliver economic activity, walkable housing and jobs that stay in the community.
It reflects a smart future facing approach to development.
One that does not come at the expense of the workforce but instead of lifts it.
I urge you to support this project and the positive momentum of my brings for both workers and the city of Napa.
Thank you for your time.
Thanks Chris.
Good evening council members. My name is Arlene Lothado.
I'm a field representative for the North Cal Carpenter's Union.
I'm also a lifelong Napa resident, raising born.
I now have a privilege to raise my kids here.
I'm here to express strong support for this development.
This would bring years of work for all construction workers that live in the area.
Keeping them close to home and avoiding hours of traffic.
With the responsible general contractor like bill group, carpenters will be able to be paid.
To be paid a livable area standards wages as well as medical and retirement benefits that allows workers and their families to live in the communities that they work in.
This project will bring pathways to our community and economic growth as they spend their earnings.
And their tax dollars will help fund local schools and government.
I am excited to see our city grow and respectfully urge the council to adopt this resolution.
Thank you.
Good evening.
My name is Katie Stupian and I'm here as a journeyman carpenter.
I'm a journeyman carpenter with North Cal Carpenter's Union.
Local 751.
I'm here tonight to speak in strong support of the first straight nap of phase 2 project.
And I urge you to adopt the resolution in front of you tonight.
This project represents more than just economic development.
It represents for all opportunities for blue collar workers like me.
And all my brothers and sisters here behind me to keep working close to home earning good wages and building a better future for our families.
So please do the right thing working for our working families and for our community support the first straight nap of phase 2 project and adopt this resolution.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Okay, next five names.
Gordon Huther, Jerry Hansen, Christine French, Eric Tepher, and Rich Tuppet.
Thank you Mr. Mayor, council members.
My name is Gordon Huther, 1041 McKenzie Drive, Napa resident since 1962.
1962 I was two years old and is when my parents brought me here against my will.
But I'm very grateful that they did because like all of you I just love Napa.
I like to offer my comments of support on this important project.
And in the interest of full transparency and as he board, I was already been mentioned.
I'm indeed the artist for this project and I'm the leading creative effort of upgrading and improving the 911 Memorial Garden.
As we all know, our downtown is experiencing amazing, amazing transformation over the past 20 years.
And we've managed to transform our downtown from a boarded up dead in dark downtown to a vibrant destination for both visitors and locals.
All this work of the past 20 years has created the fertile ground and attracting a half a billion dollar private investment.
Thanks Chris.
Love you.
That in my opinion is the proverbial cherry on the Sunday for our beloved downtown.
This cherry on the Sunday far exceeds anything that we had hoped for when we created the downtown specific plan.
This project represents the redevelopment of the disastrous redevelopment of the 70s and we should all be super excited and supportive.
Project has been 13 years in the making and six years in the city process and we're so close now to breaking ground and with your support, we hope to see this project completed third quarter last quarter of twenty twenty seven and hopefully we can tear that cold down.
Maybe as soon as next month that would be amazing so appreciate it.
Thank you Gordon.
Good evening Mayor Sedgley and members of the Council.
I'm Jerry Hansen, I am the CEO of the Napa Chamber of Commerce.
This project represents more than just new buildings.
It's a forward looking investment in the future of our community while also recognizing our past.
This parcel is a cornerstone of our downtown high visibility prominence, but for far too long its potential has been under utilized and unrealized.
Now we have an opportunity to transform this space into a vibrant welcoming and more productive part of our town.
This development also brings a thoughtfully integrated mix of uses and importantly as you've heard a dynamic public plaza and public spaces offering long-term community value.
Inviting both connection and connectivity.
These elements together are more than the sum of their parts.
They represent smart, intentional, place-making that will breathe new life into this area.
From an economic development perspective the benefits are compelling.
The financial commitment to support the housing being developed at the Methodist Church helps address local demand by adding much needed and critical supply of housing.
And this support is for a housing project that is shovel ready and is actually going to be built not just planned.
This kind of private investment signals confidence in our community.
It shows that we're open for business that we are planning intentionally for growth and that we're committed to innovation yet with still a strong regard for our history.
And you heard tonight economic development was mentioned several times and it occurred to me through the comments prior.
Economic development isn't just about the economics, it's about housing, it's about jobs, it's about upward mobility and lifting people and it's really about not just building a project but building a community.
I urge you to support this project so that the process and the progress begins straight away and brings this exciting vision to life.
Thank you.
Good evening, Mayor and council members, my name is Christine Madrid French, I'm the executive director of Napa County landmarks, a proud and a president.
I also have 33 years experience in architectural history and preservation nationwide and advanced degree from the University of Virginia and I meet the Secretary of Interior Standards for Architectural History.
I'm here tonight to speak in support of the project while also highlighting a few key areas of focus collaboration that will protect the historic structures of downtown Napa.
This development does offer an opportunity to reinvigorate a portion of downtown that has remained underutilized the historic street grid and storefront alignments will be restored which increases pedestrian flow through new public spaces.
Elements that will reconnect people with the heart of our city.
But that said we do have concerns, we want to ensure that all historic structures particularly the first national bank and the Gordon building are appropriately accommodated during the design and construction phases.
We have met productively numerous times with the 300 venture group and their engineers to discuss mitigation and protections for these historic structures.
Our goal is to secure proper buffer zones and vibration monitoring to protect against any unintended damages to these irreplaceable historic structures.
Also to that end we are documenting the first national bank building which we have owned for three decades as an organization.
Using 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry to ensure that the original structures conditions and character defining features are recorded before any demolition or construction begins.
In addition, we are working with the development team, the city and our valued long-time tenant.
Resuronte, Allegria, to reinstate outdoor dining options for the restaurant, find solutions for shared waste disposal for the local businesses and accommodate deliveries with minimal economic impact to their operations.
Let's work together to ensure that as we build for the future, we honor the stories and structures that make downtown Napa to these special.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you for having us here. My name is Eric Effer and the owner of Coles Chophouse.
I thought it was amazing when.
And I was looking at those slides, and we saw them one of 2012.
2012 was a long time ago. And the portion that caught me a little off guard was the mayoral's building.
I've lived in Napa for 47 years. I've seen changes from when I was a child that Napa was a military town.
People forget Merrillon was the first military base on the west coast of America.
I was established, I want to say in 1868. When I was a child, we were almost a military town.
Unfortunately, the military base closed and seen the transformation that the city of Napa has gone through is mind-boggling.
If you would have asked anyone in this room 25 years ago, could you have imagined a project like this coming to Napa?
Honestly.
No. Not of us good.
I mean, if I might father pass away 10 years ago, and he lived in Napa in the 60s, and he told me about all these incredible buildings that were torn down during the 70s.
And if he would have seen something like this, he might have had another hard attack return over in his grave.
It's an incredible accomplishment that the investment is coming to the city of Napa.
I've seen the transformation from the last 25 years.
But the one thing I did want to make sure to mention is the reason that the success of this community has happened is the businesses that have been here for the last 25 years.
You know, we can all confess this is going to blow everyone's mind away when it's completed.
But there are certain businesses, and the one that's definitely going to have the biggest focus on is restaurant allegria.
They've been established now for 23 years, and I believe strongly that the developers are willing to work with them to make sure that this project is going to have the least impact on them.
The one thing that I have to say is, I want to implore on every city council member, every city official.
This is going to affect restaurant allegria more than anyone. Everyone knows and two and a half February 27 or 27.
But these two years are going to be a little bit challenging.
So I ask the city, whatever you can do to make sure that fast-track permits help them out as much as you possibly can.
Breation has brought the road to employ 65 employees.
During this construction, they're going to lose a certain percentage of their seating.
Please try to help them to get everything back.
Although this project is going to be incredible for Napa, but it is going to affect individuals.
And I'm going to have full confidence in the developers that they're going to do everything they can to make this project as seamless as possible.
Now I just ask the city, please try to help them out also to make sure that when they're ready to open back up, help them out with the permany process also.
Thank you.
Good evening Mayor city council staff.
I'm Richard Tippett, local here on East Street.
I'm here to speak on sport of this project in sport of this project.
It's a good project that will be a huge asset for our town for generations to come.
I'll admit that I don't agree with all the aspects of the project and the things that I would change.
But if we wait for everyone to agree with every aspect of this project, we continue to lose jobs, continue to lose population, and be in the same spot 10 years from now.
So let's move forward this project as is and not delay.
It's time for an app and move forward and say yes to our backyard.
Thank you.
Next group of names, Bill Tuica, John Sensenbaugh, Greg Hamtil, Chris Craker and Lisa Stockton.
Good evening Mayor and council members, staff.
My name is Bill Tuica.
I've been a Napper residence since 1989 by how time flies.
Many of you know me as I am currently on the Cultural Heritage Commission.
And for 30 years I was a city planner.
I retired seven years ago.
So now I have a little more free time to look at plans like this.
Most of my career I was involved with reviewing historic preservation projects.
However, I remember back in I think it was 2015 or 2016 the city had prepared a plan to rehabilitate the Dwight Murray Plaza.
And that plan brought it up to a great level and made provisions for outdoor dining for not only the restaurant that's in the first national bank building but also other restaurants that are that were in the area and made it.
I remember at that time they said it made it very European and feel this 2016 plan assumed that the existing buildings were there for a while and of course we know that never happened.
So what I see tonight is really a huge step forward in downtown plans.
However, I'm a little disappointed that the space along First Street with the current Dwight Murray Plaza is going to be narrowed.
And my suggestion would be there's an area where there's a notch in the building if you look on the site plan.
And if that was just moved a little bit further to the West say 20 or 25 feet, the gathering space of Dwight Murray Plaza would still be there.
That would give at least 80, 90 or 100 feet up to 100 feet of space that would be available to have a very European feeling and a very open feeling on First Street.
Now, you know I know there's a passeal that's planned in the back but you know how that went before we tried the town center and there for many years nothing was in there and it was you know a dark space behind the you know the main street.
My feeling is that having something on First Street with you know First and Main that's the most important part of downtown Nappa and opening that up to be a more European facility.
And also if you were to have retail or restaurant spaces in the corner of the building as you see where the curve is and maybe move the entrance to the hotel back a little further up to where the parking is the drop off parking I think that would make a more successful project you could actually have as you look from the Opera House as you look towards the hotel you could have a grand entrance there that would be you know quite elegant.
Anyway, it's really what I think would make this more successful project to really take a look at and maybe the council can you know consider putting some of that square foot is that's lost by moving the building back in another area either granting a little extra height or putting a bridge over that passeal and back somewhere where they could recapture that square footage. Thank you. Thank you, Bill.
Mr. Mayor and Nappa Council members. My name is Sean Sensenbott. I want to echo a lot of what the previous speaker just said.
I think that we lose too much of that gathering place right up front. I went to the open house week or two ago and learned that there's no dimensions on any of the plans that they submitted that I saw.
But I did ask him what the the distances between the allegory of hotel and the eastern end of the proposed hotel the allegory of restaurant should say and a 65 feet.
Well, I did a scale kind of a rough scale of the hotel that be facing first street the southern portion of the building and that looks like it's approximately 150 feet long. I worry that we lose that retail flow that we have done a good job of developing and so forth.
By not having any of that a long first street there. We also have to think ahead a little bit. We know that the county would like to someday move out of the old careers building across the street, which is another brutalist building.
And I presume that we would want to continue the restaurants and the retail along that side of the street too that we have developed to the west.
And I just do worry that we don't have any that in this plan. It's a great plan. It's a great improvement to the whole area.
But I do think like the previous speaker we do need a little more community space common area some retail some restaurants to continue that flow on first street. Thank you.
Good evening Mayor and city council members. My name is Greg Hampton. I'm a local resident. I agree with the previous speakers about the impact it's going to have on allegory.
It's a successful business that we've had in Napa for quite some time and we really need to consider their impact it's going to have on the restaurant.
I'd like to share my thoughts on the proposed project. I noticed that the current plan does not include any new public features along first street.
Particularly where the existing town square areas now. I believe the city should strongly consider and corporate dedicated town square either as part of this project or in future development.
Many thriving downtown such as those in Vacaville. San Luis Obispo Santa Monica have bright vibrant public squares that serve as gathering spaces for locals and visitors alike.
In fact some of the most beloved cities in Europe are built around beautiful town squares for that foster community and event life.
Downtown Napa deserves the same. A town square would encourage more locals to visit and engage with the heart of our city.
I'm not just terrorists. I'm all for this project. I think it's a great project but I'd like to see consideration for the down.
Allegria and first street. I think they should move it back a little from first street. I think it's crowd in first street and I agree with the previous speakers.
There should be like cafes. Incorporate first street into the not just the surrounding area. Thank you guys.
Appreciate your help.
Thank you.
Hi. My name is Lisa Stockin. I am an appernative who is now raising her own kids here.
And I'm also a writer and I've had the opportunity to work on some historical research projects throughout the valley. One of which was on downtown Napa.
So I just came to share that perspective.
When Napa was founded in 1847 the first structure built here was a saloon and quickly added to that was a hotel.
By 1854 when our population was just over 300 there were 40 buildings four of which were hotels.
Napa back then was said to be one of the busiest little towns in California with mercantiles, a theater, music and a jockey club.
Over the next few decades the valley advertised itself as a tourist destination and the hotels downtown got larger and more luxurious.
An example of this is the palace hotel which had 70 rooms all of which had a private bath and fireplace.
Tourism jobs grew in number from 250% from 1852 to 1872 and by 1907 we had at least 14 hotels in our prosperous city center.
Prohibition and the depression slow tourism year a bit of course and the growth of downtown.
But Napa had become fairly industrialized by this point and was home to several factories which kept locals afloat.
In the 1940s our population grew rapidly as people moved here to assist in the war efforts at Maryland and also here in town.
The borders of our town were expanded a few times as new subdivisions and shopping centers popped up quickly.
Deluding downtown is our main hub by the late 1960s downtown was no longer the epicenter and no longer thriving.
To address this in 1969 the city formed a redevelopment plan for downtown.
Unfortunately this led to the destruction of 40 historic buildings.
Even with the addition of a new shopping center and a public plaza downtown continued to struggle.
Although by the 90s the valley was alive with tourism again Napa didn't reap the benefits.
In fact from 1979 until the opening of the Napa river in 2000 we only had one hotel downtown.
Residents alone weren't enough to reinvigorate and keep downtown vibrant and like it's early decades and we didn't have enough on offer to keep visitors coming here.
So it has only been since the redevelopment of first street more recently and the addition of those two hotels that Napa has started to resemble the once vibrant and prosperous city center for tourists and locals like.
Thank you.
Thank you Lisa.
I'm Chris Craker I'm a local architect.
Mr. Mayor and council.
The residents have been waiting for some time to see the downtown Murray Plaza revitalize along with the Coles British ugly architecture.
We've had multiple artists competitions to resuscitate this very soul of the town but now a big polish project is going to wipe it out forever.
Seeing the resurrection of the macula vodka building is going to be restored that's ridiculous.
Now I'm not against this project I'm not.
I'm anxious and concerned about the process moving forward.
I see the lack of public input and design processing that's my biggest concerns right at this point time.
Planning Commission had one meeting on June 5th to reduce the project.
The one commissioner asked serious questions about the project and was chastised by the city attorney.
That's unnecessary.
This project has been going along behind closed doors for too long.
Not only are we eliminated.
We're also eliminating two surface parking lots for an unknown future parking agreement. It's going to be subterranean.
Is it going to be another parking structure? The city's been so skittish about parking meters, and yet you're going to allow a developer to decide how we're going to park downtown. Is that really what we want?
Murray Plaza will be erased, and a long horizontal access considered to be a Paseo is going to replace it, joining one into the 9-11 Memorial.
It's not the same. It's not a Paseo. It's going to be a long alleyway, and it's not going to be seen by the streets or by pedestrians.
Now, I've been going through the plans on this, and I only found one elevation of this built project.
Now, tonight, they brought a bunch more project exterior elevations, renderings, but they were not in part of the applications.
There's a lot of 3D renderings. They're cool. Lots of diagrams on page 234, 234.
There's one elevation exterior elevation of one part of the building that is interesting, but who knows? This could be New York or could be Omaha, Nebraska. Sorry Omaha.
Now, don't get me wrong. Again, it could be a great project. I just don't think it's there yet, and I think it still deserves and requires more public input.
Then you need more drawings. I have to do more drawings for this planning department, then for a garage conversion for a commercial project, then they've provided so far.
I don't think that's correct. I found a landscape plan. Final landscape plan on page 236, which suggests that there'll be an open spaces between the buildings, but there's no plans.
Now, it could be great. Who knows? They also show examples of 250 year old olive trees. Give me a break. I've got olive trees. That's not going to happen.
The applicant says that the improvements are all going to be approved ministerially by the city community development of construction documents, construction documents.
That's how we're really what you want to have them approved. You need public input on this project. You need the planning department to do a stop. They do a very good job of reviewing projects and reviewing the designs, and I think they should be continued to do it, but I think they should do it with the public input.
Thank you, Chris.
Next five names, Cole Johnson, Dave Whitmer, Ryan Gregory, Mike Holcomb, and Jacob Rodriguez.
Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, city council members. Good evening, staff. My name is Cole Johnson. I live in back ofill.
I'm a father of two, and I'm a veteran. I recently completed my tour of active duty with the Air Force, and then I heard about the helmets to hard hats program.
So I decided to join the union as a carpenter's apprentice, and for the last few months I've been doing some classes down at the schoolhouse, learning the trade, and tonight I want to speak in full and strong support of this project.
First and foremost, because I think it's a great opportunity to train apprentices like myself to get valuable on the job training.
We've been in the classroom learning how to properly perform the skilled labor, and now we have the opportunities to get on the job training.
For the past few months, I've been looking for work, and I've got some few leads, but I haven't had any opportunities to be on the job yet, and I think this project gives me hope that I just need to keep looking and get out there and a project like this is going to help me do that.
When I first completed my tour of active duty, the union really appealed to me because of the focus on craftsmanship and the pride of in what we build, but also taking care of the people that build those projects.
I think that's where the city of Napa and this project really meet is the fact that it would be built with union labor, that we would take great pride in building this project in the city that we know and the city that we love, and we'd be able to enjoy it for years and years to come, and it would be able to fit right in with the downtown architecture that you see.
This project gives me hope and I appreciate you giving the time for me to speak tonight. Thank you.
Thanks, school.
Good evening, mayors, actually, and members of council and staff. My name is Dave Whitmer, Lifetime resident of the city of Napa.
I suppose you know I'm here tonight. I've spoken to just about all of you about the first United Methodist Church workforce housing project and I represent the first United Methodist Church in the work up on that plan.
It's entitlements, which I think the city for their help with.
As I was thinking about what to talk to you about tonight, you've received the letter from me by the way, and I'm not planning on reading it.
The word that came to mind was gratitude, seems to me that we don't often stop and take count of our blessings.
I feel gratitude a number of ways.
Your support for our project and moving it forward through your staff, the work of the city staff, I'm grateful.
The community came out in support of our project and the idea of building housing for workers in downtown Napa was something that appealed to people and having someplace that might be walkable or bikeable was something that we heard a lot about.
I'm grateful for Kevin Teague for introducing me and the first United Methodist Church team to this incredible group through VG and the Coomstreet LLC.
I'm grateful for their vision for this project, for their commitment to workforce housing through their development agreement and contribution to our project.
I'm really grateful that the Council has been so thoughtful and not only determining the vision for our downtown, but for working through the process in just a way.
I've heard that there hasn't been enough public comment, quite frankly, I don't agree with that.
I think you have been very astute in the way you've worked through the process and I'm grateful for that.
I am grateful for a development team who strives for the excellence that all of us in Napa strive for.
I was fortunate enough to work with the wine industry here and they work every day to try and be the best of the best of the best and what I see out of this development team is to try and bring that to Napa as well.
Thank you.
Good evening, my name is Ryan Gregory. It was 15 years ago you all convened the downtown specific plant steering committee. I had the honor of being appointed to it.
A few of the folks in the audience were on the committee with me. We drank big and we could only imagine at that time what would come from it.
It was 13 years ago then we were here. We finished the plan before you asking you to endorse it and approve it. You did.
Right away, you got into converting the one way streets to two way, which was huge piece of infrastructure that underpinned all these changes coming.
And then came archer hotel open 1617 something like that. It was mentioned earlier as a milestone, but those of us that live here know how consequential the archer hotel was phase one of this project because we had this going on over here this energy formed around the on does and Norman rose.
We had what's going on in Main Street, but it just it didn't connect because of all the empty storefront between so archer came along and unified all that.
This is phase two just finishing the job. It's in my view exactly what I imagined when I sat on the specific plant committee 15 years ago.
A new better building to replace the old mervin's goals replaced the grid and create a modern and usable process for for an apple. It's exactly what I had in mind.
Vision was set 15 years ago. We're just finishing the job today. So I asked for your vote tonight in favor of the project. Thanks for your time.
Thanks Ryan. Good to see you.
Hello mayor council staff Michael Hulcomb just wanted to come here and and just say that I support the project and actually just really really excited about the project.
We're a lot of hats in downtown sit on a lot of different boards chamber the peabid and I just keep thinking about how much how exciting this project is for all the people that are in downtown and and also in the community.
Do brokerage as my primary job and I talked to a lot of the tenants on a daily basis. I at least you know work with landlords I work with with tenants and this project is going to be a very very big impact to bring in more people downtown living there visiting there and just think it's going to be really exciting.
I also want to say that I think that to kind of echo Eric's comments as far as like trying to do whatever you can to work with.
Restaurant allegory I think we we do that I don't think that there's can't think of any other tenants that have worked as hard as a pretty soon.
But I think this project as much as we can do to get this going. This is just incredible opportunity and we're really lucky to have it. Thank you.
Thank you Michael.
Good evening there in council members. My name is Jacob Anthony Rodriguez. I'm an apprentice carpenter with the NorCal Carpenter's Union at a local 1.80 in Bale.
I'm here tonight to speak in strong support of the first street Napa face to project and I ask you to adopt this resolution.
As someone who just start as someone just starting out in the trades opportunities like these mean everything this project creates real hands on experience for apprentices like me.
Helping us build our skills learn from experience during and grow into the next generation of carpenters who will continue to build this community.
The more projects like this time we forward the more doors open for local workers to succeed not just with a job but with a long term career and construction.
That's what this project represents for me and for so many others please. Well, yes on this resolution your support helps us helps us build not only the project but also our future. Thank you.
Thank you David.
Okay, last three cards that I have up here. Todd's the Polsky Chuck Shinniman and Jostlin Lynn.
Good evening everybody. Todd's the Polsky first street Napa Gordon building.
How many people were here? May 2nd 2012.
I think it could be guys were here right in the middle.
So it started then it was a community decision to have a specific plan. It was ambitious. It was crazy.
It was big. But we believed in it and we started in 2012 with first stream.
And then we did Gordon building and then we bought the calls building with the idea to finish it.
Unfortunately little thing came up with called COVID.
And so our sort of dream to be part and be leading the phase two was handed to a great group.
They had the time and resources to take it on after we will lost three or four years in our program.
So without question obviously I support this and I ask you tonight to finish the job.
We've done a lot to get it here before me with all the people like Barry Price and others who did so much to start turning around to Napa at the product country.
But now's the time for you to vote to finish up. Thank you.
Thanks Todd.
Hi. Good evening Mayor Sedgley members of the City Council and staff.
My name is Joss Lynn Lynn. I'm the Chief Real Estate Development Officer for Birmingham Housing.
And I'm here to express our support of the arrangement made under the development agreement for the affordable housing contribution,
which will be used for our project that we are partnering with the Napa Methodist Church on.
And so I just want to let you know that this contribution is important.
It will jump start our project. It will serve as a key early source of funding that will allow us to leverage additional funding sources through state programs and low income housing tax credits.
And so you know I'd like to thank the city and KVG and the Napa Methodist Church for considering our project as a recipient for the affordable housing contribution.
And just really you know want to thank you and really look forward to working together. Thanks so much.
Thanks Joss Lynn. Thank you.
Good evening.
Thank you.
Since then, both professionally doing it building apartments myself, but you have a lot of folks here tonight who are rightfully going to be benefiting from construction of the hotel.
But they have a whole bunch of employees who aren't here tonight. The folks are actually going to be doing the cleaning of the rooms, doing the engineering in the hotel and all the rest.
There's somewhere around by the developers' count somewhere between 85 and 90 employees who qualify for affordable housing.
So I sent you an example using the hourly rates for the workers in the hotel, presuming husband and wife team working there has been working as an engineer, the wife working in the front office.
They're both working full time. They have two kids or three kids. I don't know.
But they qualify at 65% of AMI. They qualify for affordable housing. They can't afford to live in Napa.
I'm very supportive of the arrangement with the Methodist Church. I love what the Methodist Church is doing. I love the idea of housing, having housing downtown.
But the fee being paid to help that along is woefully inadequate. Let's not kid ourselves. There's no federal money coming our way. The chance of state funding coming in our way is just about zero.
And let's stop pretending. The NLU fee in our ordinance is so out of date and so unbelievably low it in some ways is almost laughable.
That the county right now is going through an update of their housing fees. They're having a nexus study that's in process right now. That is going to be coming to the board of supervisors probably next month.
As I said in my letter to you, I would love to have this developer have some connection to that in some way.
The development agreement that you and your staff have negotiated with the developer, the developer is getting any number of concessions from you and appropriately so.
But a development agreement also allows you to ask for things from the developer. I think this one is really important.
I think you need to ask for more. We need to we need to get that project across the goal line. The amount of money going to the project this before you.
And fortunately, in my opinion, isn't going to let it happen. Thank you.
Thank you, children.
First applause we've had during.
Okay. I have no more cards, Mayor.
I was just going to thank everybody. That was for 23 speakers.
23 speakers, a little bit of clapping at the end, which is a little bit expected, but thank you for everyone in your.
So, there is an opportunity still for public comment. If you didn't submit a card.
Mr. Dunbar apparently did not submit a card.
So, I don't follow rules well. I'm sorry, Mayor.
John Dunbar, Napa, Mayor and Council and staff. I just want to share a little perspective.
I was on the town council on y'all for 18 years and mayor for 12.
We went through a similar process back in 2007 and eight.
Where we had a bold vision of finding an identity for the center of our small community.
It was the y'all feel community center project.
Some people said it was too expensive. It was too big.
It was too this. It was too that. It was too new.
It is now the heart and soul of y'all feel.
And residents come there even more than visitors, but it serves multiple purposes for the community.
And it's probably one of the best things that ever happened to y'all feel.
I see this as a similar project, giving downtown Napa a core identity, a real heart and soul for the city.
As the mayor recently reminded me in a public setting.
You have a Main Street here. We have a Main Street here.
This really helps identify where Main Street is.
And so I could very easily and strongly recommend you support this project.
Thanks.
Thanks, John.
Greetings, Mayor Sedgley, and council members.
I'm Karen Werner with the Napa County Bicycle Coalition.
And I'm here tonight not to weigh in on the project as a whole, but just to draw your attention to some of the bicycle aspects of the project.
And reviewing the documents.
It was really unclear to me what the intentions are, particularly around bike parking.
I found in the environmental document that was submitted for the planning commission was that the corridor was going to be a bike corridor, but tonight in the presentation, it's just pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian.
So what I request is that that you ask for some clarity around the intentions there.
When it comes to bike parking in particular, we ask that you do not approve this project unless it includes Adam minimum.
The building standards, the state building standards for bike parking that will be mandatory come January 1st.
Those standards will include bike parking requirements for residential, commercial, and hotels.
The state study this the last three years.
This is the result of their study from the opinion of the bike coalition.
It's rather conservative.
We would like to see them require much more.
But what I could find in the documents.
The one specific thing was that there would be 34 bike parking spaces for the residential.
That doesn't meet the state code.
So the state code if it's 78 units would require 39 long term parking spaces.
When they see spaces, I don't know if they're envisioning you or acts in some paint.
Or if they're actually talking about long term bike parking.
There's three types.
They're defined in the codes, but all of them are lockables.
So long term biking means storage lockers.
It means locked corals, et cetera, but a locking mechanism other than a bike lock.
So again, don't want to weigh in.
You know, sticking within the bounds of our of our mission.
We just really ask that those minimum requirements that will be law at the state level come January 1st.
Be included in this project.
That is certainly the intention of the general plan and this project has the, you know, so much potential to get people out of cars to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Given where it's located, given the density.
But people will need to have access to bikes.
They will need to be able to park their bikes, bikes are becoming heavier and more expensive just like cars.
And people don't want to leave their bikes in short term bike parking.
They need long term secure bike parking, especially for those marks and civility bikes.
Thank you so much for your consideration.
Thanks, girl.
Good evening mayor, council and staff and carabronzel lived on B street since 2003.
I too think this is in many ways a beautiful project, particularly appreciative of the exterior architecture of the hotel and the hotel lobby.
And I think a lot of thought has gone into those pastails.
And I'm excited to see the connectivity restored.
But I would I do have some concerns.
I would like to echo some some comments made by those who came before me.
We need to pause and think this through and get this right because this is a huge project for Napa.
And we need to make sure we have something that works for the community for the long term.
And for the tourists who will be able to use it as well as penciling out for the developer.
I agree completely that historical resources need to be front and center.
This is right next to the National Register listed first national bank building.
You know, and those the business owners there are pioneers who who believed in downtown Napa before anybody else did.
But the historic research needs to be protected the Gordon building.
It's also very close to other community treasures like the Opera House.
I also would like to see if there's an opportunity to work in more public plasma space.
It's what's there is not attractive, but it is heavily used and you know, I agree with what was said by some others about that.
And by parking is essential.
We we're going to have the connectivity and we need to be able to use it for bikes as well as pedestrians.
And then I most of all want to echo what Mr. Chinaman said.
It's great that we're having these donations.
But we need to think about whether it's enough.
And we need to think about actually putting housing in some of these things we build and really making sure we're giving people places to live.
And not just donating to a fund where they may or may not get built or it may take a long time to get built.
So thank you for listening to my comments.
Thanks, here.
Mayor council staff, my name's Brendan Molteck, my family's been in the valley here for 35 years.
I grew up here, graduated of NHI 2006.
I'm here in full support of the project.
I've seen the incredible transformation of downtown Napa in my life.
And I think this project completely adds to that.
And it really kind of adds to a space that has been frankly like underutilized for a long time.
I'm also particularly excited because I work for Union subcontractor.
That should this project move forward.
I'm going to be involved in being able to help create like a lasting positive impact community I grew up in.
So I really appreciate it.
Thank you for your time.
Good evening, Mayor and council members.
Staff, my name's Chris George.
And I guess I'm the reason that you're spending two say night here talking about this wonderful project.
We about three years ago embarked on what you see up on the screen.
I'm joined here with virtually every single member of the team that has produced this incredible drawings and work of this project we're about to embark on.
I'm humbled and frankly honored that the rest of the trade is here to support this.
I sometimes it's easy to understand where you're going from to understand where you've been.
So I was born and raised in Martinez, California, not too far from here.
A five brothers and sisters, both my parents were school teachers.
My father worked for 39 years at Richmond Unified School District.
His claim to fame that he was the principal for coach Carter.
If you've seen that movie.
I'm the kid that flaunt his way out of high school.
My dad taught my brothers and sisters and I that hard work works.
And so along the way I stumbled into the mortgage industry for the last 43 years that's all I've done.
We're the fifth largest lender in the United States. We employ about 4,400 employees and about three years ago.
I was introduced to this project.
My fine friends over at 3vg.
My project manager, Onicle Wassert Falls said this is something we should do and we came and visited.
And we stuck and centered around the 9.11 memorial and it bought me back to my days at 9.11 in Washington, DC and watched the smoke below from the Pentagon.
Some of the time I'll tell you how I almost stepped on Flight 77, which was the flight that went into the Pentagon.
But I have a lot of connection to 9.11.
As a result we started this process with what we wanted to accomplish in the end.
Before we put it in the paper or started drawing anything, we started talking about what we wanted this thing to be.
What we wanted it to be was something extraordinary for ordinary folks.
People from Belgium, people from Germany, people from the United Kingdom, people from 3rd Street, 5th Street,
or a law school avenue or Oakville or Yachtville.
We wanted people to come here and experience a family, a community, a place where you can exchange ideas, a place where you could call home.
We think we've accomplished that.
We spent a lot of time talking about the conservatory.
We spent a lot of time talking about the lobby of the hotel in the rooftop bar.
We have spent, there have been statements that we've spent more than $10 million on this thing even beyond what we bought the land for.
That's not right.
It's actually $12,375,938.
What we've spent so far of what we want to see this thing done.
I'll quickly end.
You guys said, or the planning department said, they wanted to move the entitlement from 18 months to 12 months.
You could move it from 18 months to 12 months to 12 days.
If you guys get me going on this thing and help me speed this process, I assure you is a lender.
I'm ready to go.
I don't need to go borrow money.
That's all done.
I'm ready to get rid of the coal's plaza tear down that...
All in build you a world-class location, not just a destination location but a location that both people from near and far we proud of.
Thanks for letting me hear.
Thank you, Mr. George.
All right. Seeing no one else approach the podium, I'll entertain a motion to close public testimony.
It's so moved.
I'll second move by Councillor Paine or second by Councillor Nerviah's own favor.
Aye, opposed.
Thank you so much.
We anticipate a short break but I think I'm going to give the applicant an opportunity to review any comments that they want to respond to.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Council.
Kevin Tee, I think you all know me, Napa.
Plasa 88, Napa High.
I don't want to respond to all the public comments.
We've got a team of consultants. We'll come up as you ask questions.
Go over 80 of the details. You want to get into a lot of great comments.
I'd like to talk about any and all of them.
I just want to touch upon three things that I think will help going into your break on some of the items that came up for that discussion.
The first, you know, there's some talk about Dwight Murray Plaza, what to do in First Street.
Just want to remind, and I think most of you other than Chris was there.
Part of the purchase agreement on Dwight Murray that we worked on for three years because of our HCD review.
Really contemplated all this.
Moving away from Dwight Murray and back into the connections and just reminding that that was part of that process.
Happy to talk about it more, but that's been around for a while.
There's some questions about the what gets shown on these plans.
Just want to remind because it's a fairly complicated entitlement package.
What the planned development does is replace the two pages of focus area guidelines in the downtown specific plan with I think we're up to 50 pages or so.
Somewhere in that of very specific guidelines and the proposal in the DA is if the project fits those guidelines.
Identically, right, not as it kind of like it, but identically, then it can be approved in the next 12 months at that staff level with the committee and working through.
So I just want to clarify, these are detailed guidelines.
I think even more detailed than even Stanley Ranch, what we had, those were pretty detailed.
And then finally, the other point just for discussion later is it is on on housing.
It's always a challenging topic on projects.
So it's not the first time we talked about it.
Just want to remind the council, this this project we always try to do is can we fund a meaningful project downtown.
So a real project is going to happen and luckily I was working with with the first method of church and Dave and was able to connect them and to make a real project happen with a lot of units.
And it's really about getting that seed money going, but you've got.
Molly knows way more about housing I do.
We've got bourbon here, they can ask answer detailed question how that's going to work.
We've got additional money going in the trust fund and the one I just want to remind is what what.
The public adopted as part of housing is your 1% like TOT that goes the fund.
So project like this is going to generate.
4 to 500,000 dollars every year that goes in the trust fund forever.
So what does that mean every four to five years.
And whether the feet now is too low or not.
The same amount of this feet every four or five years without a new project being proposed or developed gets thrown that trust fund forever.
So I just want to put the housing conversation we're happy talking about housing more.
But just put it in context of.
It does more than any other project I've worked on and we've been a lot over over the years and we're always trying to raise the bar.
And I just want to put that in context for the discussion we're going to have with with that.
I think it's more productive get into question answers.
We can have our consultants come up and get into any level of details.
And I want to thank the public great questions and comments tonight and thank you for.
Listening to us tonight.
Thanks, Kevin.
Thanks everyone.
I'm going to call for quick break for council districts their legs.
We will come reconvene at 815 on the dot.
And I always like to be in style.
Well, can any kind of a crowd.
I call it a crowd.
All right.
It's a big clerk. Are you by ready to reconvene?
I'm ready if you are.
All right. I am ready.
Apple time is 815 that clock is a minute.
It's pretty close.
So thanks everybody.
We will we finish through our public comment and our applicants.
Presentation and so now we will bring it back to council for.
Deliberation which could include questions and clarifying thoughts and comments and.
Whatever else comes out of council tonight.
So council.
We've heard we've read and we've read that's probably one of the biggest.
Longest council of packets that we've had quite some time.
After you after you've been up here while you learn how to you learn how to get through it.
Pull out the key points on the summaries and get to where you want to be.
So let's let's go ahead and see how we going to want to kick this off.
First maybe any clarifying questions or comments we can go right there.
So you want me to call on you or do you want to light your light up.
I was waiting to press my button.
I was hoping somebody else would press their button first.
I just actually only have a few questions.
First of all, I have to show everybody this is just part of the packet for this item.
I didn't even print at all.
But I did read it all.
So thank you to Michael and writer for stepping in at the last minute for Ricky.
That's very appreciated.
Thank you Molly for everything you've done to get us to this point.
I only have a few questions which is kind of surprising for all of this.
But one of the questions I had in article six talking about public benefit obligations talking about the plaza.
There's a line in here that says the developer can retain limited rights to exclusively occupy the new plaza at certain times.
Related to the project use consistent with the DMP and then later in the exhibits it clarifies that it's up to six times per year.
I'm just curious what are some examples.
What is the situation in which we don't have access to that public space that they would have exclusive use.
I'm not sure if the development team wants to answer where they envision the types of private events that might occur.
But there will be, especially in the Paseo piece, some connection into the hotels.
Maybe there would be something a party a tasting dinner that might spill out.
And to that, I don't know if you have any more specifics to what is envisioned for that site.
Kevin T. again, we don't have like a specific program to talk to you about it.
It was more or less whether it's maybe there's a special wedding or some big event a couple times a year that we would come to the city and say, can we close, close it down for this big function that's happening.
That day or for these hours there's not sort of a regular program type thing, maybe we coordinate with like the table event or something like that that it's a private event that may occur.
So it's not a program where we're thinking about and we kind of just said there might be six and we would work with the city on on doing that sort of program.
Okay, thank you and that's kind of kind of what I was getting at is that is that something that we're going to hear more about is like something you're going to work with us on to kind of clarify what that uses.
Yeah, we would we would work in the process with something comes up apply to the city's here, this is when we want to do it here is what the event is with playing a time for feedback.
Perfect, thank you.
And then this is more for staff looking at exhibit e on page e5 talks about projects specific parking and at the very end by very bottom of that page it says, if the city requests that the project provide valley parking for non hotel visitors.
Arriving at the new drop off an additional 30 stalls should be reserved in the Pearl Street Garage for such non project valley operations and this isn't really a question I just want to clarify my expectation and hopefully get clarification from other council members.
But my expectation is that anybody who wants to validate their car whether their hotel guests or not would be able to.
And maybe it's paid you know the developer can figure out that aspect of it, but I just want to clarify that that is something that I would expect.
Sure, we the like the existing agreement with the archer for example does not allow for them to valet anybody but hotel guests so if that is the desire of the council as we are negotiating the parking agreement.
Whether we add the 30 more spaces you know and peak times or what not that's something that we can look at that that the intent of this council if that has had not had yes is that.
Valet occurs from more than just hotel guests regularly. Okay. Great. Thank you.
And then my third and last question has to do with the development impact field list so on we're looking at building to the residential side.
It has listed as the affordable housing impact fee it says residential multi family and I see on the description of fees that there's also a condominium affordable housing impact fee.
And just kind of confused why we did the residential multi family, which is four dollars and five cents versus the condo rate, which is four dollars and 75 cents.
And maybe this is just something that gets clarified later, but I want to draw your attention to that.
Sure. No, I appreciate that and I was sitting here doing math as well and the the charts and exhibit effort intended to be illustrative.
We weren't necessarily we were going off of examples of estimated square footage provided by the developer we weren't walking these particular fees into place.
So I do see that we did capture the four dollar and five cent rate rather than four dollars and 75 cent rate regardless all of the numbers in the illustrative examples only add up to one million six hundred and ninety six thousand dollars when the proposed in Lewis two million thirty seven thousand dollars.
Plus some additional numbers so I don't I think that was just an error on staff's part in terms of two different purposes.
The actual purpose that we calculated be a new fee and then the illustrative purpose that we just didn't catch so we can correct that when we bring back the final final documents and the exhibit.
Okay, great. Thank you.
And then do you want me to go to comments or you want to just do questions first.
I'll let's go around the questions if they're I don't anticipate like you you very good questions and always concise and so we'll go now to councilmember nirvana.
Thank you mayor and thank you staff for others work and everybody came here a couple questions and this might be for the applicant.
And the developer maintenance obligation so looking at exhibit exhibit G touch and 12 so it talks about me and I bring this up because the psal and branch rate.
Corros such a big part of this project I just want to clarify the maintenance obligations of the public right away so there's part this is the developer.
If the developer fails to repair and also says green versus city within 60 days of the notice I just want to make sure.
When the city would be improving the sites versus developer because I know in the past especially 9 to 11 when the lights have gone out there's trash or garbage.
You know we have city that that works and that but I just want to to what extent.
The developers are going to be involved in maintaining this space versus when the city steps in city staff goes into space.
I'll take that one first and.
Staff can embellish so the idea here is right this is highly improved space next to.
Great new hotel so that the developer will take on the maintenance responsibility of it to maintain it at a high high level and I think.
For the life of the project and I think that the language you're referring there if it's later on if the developers not doing it you give us notice we don't cure it the city could step in and say.
We're going to fix this now and then the developer pays for it obviously we don't expect that to ever happen but the the concept is we're not going to just build this really high in space and I'll say city it's your your problem to keep it at the standard that we all agree to build it to developers going to keep doing that.
Thank you.
The next one is there's some comments about funding a project ready downtown.
There's we talked about the first method is church being part of that.
I know there's a time limit on that what happens if they're not able to build within a certain time.
I just want to make sure that we're clear what the funds what what happens if funds and how we intend to use that in case the project doesn't move forward.
I do mean the hotel developer bill.
There is always the option so the idea is is that funds will revert to the project if the first method is project method is church project.
We always have the opportunity to bring them back into our affordable housing fund if they do not proceed with construction or something what a fall apart.
With that project and there's also the opportunity if say the hotel development was moving more quickly.
Then the affordable housing project was we could also place those funds in an escrow account to be drawn down when the method is church was ready.
In this case we're expecting that the hotel will start construction and that's be ready to pay the fee maybe before the developers ready to start construction of the housing project.
However one of the things that works like that type of timing in terms of dedicating to a specific project is it actually gives a burbank now and enforceable commitment via RDA.
For them to say we have this $2 million already committed to us and that is what scores you points when there are state and federal applications is a local investment of sorts.
If the city were to take the funds it would be collected at the end.
Time of building permit issuance. Go into our trust fund. We would do a request for proposal. All projects
would compete for it. And then we would award based on that. So it's been enforceable commitment faster
for Burbank, or quickly and allows them to use it to their advantage as they're applying for other
funding sources or seeking tax credits to develop the affordable housing.
Thank you. I have full faith in Burbank and First Miss Methodist. I move forward with the project.
I just kind of want to clarify, you know, how that money is going to be used. And so I, all that questions I have for now. Thank you.
Council member Dina Thalley. Thank you. I also had questions about the use of public space beyond the six-time
of peers. Who would manage if other groups wanted to use it? Is that a possibility as far as programming that area
with the lack of space downtown for community groups to use?
Yes. So we have a process that runs jointly through planning in the Parks and Recreation Department for any time
anyone wants to use a public space. Whether it be to close it to the public to have a rally of some sort
or have like music or an event. So that process would apply for any of the public spaces.
Because there are adjacent buildings nearby. We would definitely check in to make sure it doesn't interfere with some of
the activities going on, you know, in the commercial space and whatnot. But we're used to doing that with when people
want to use a sidewalk in front of the uptown theater or people want to use Veterans Park, the Oxbow Commons etc.
And there's no different facts. I saw that it was looking for them to manage the space. I thought that was referenced
or did I misread that hotel was managing this space in some way. So wouldn't change anything for
public use of the space? It'd be the same process.
Yeah, the the sale might be a little, I can we can check the language on that and just give me a moment
and maybe Kevin knows off the top of the head. Definitely the Brown Street space will still be maintained
as public space by the city. It's the Paseo that's a little, it will still be maintained for maintenance purposes
by the hotel developer but it remains public space on Brown Street so the city has control over it.
The Paseo might be a little bit different. It's through an easement process.
Yeah, there's opportunity in the Paseo to have this public vents but we want to make sure there's a little more of a
check-in just with, you know, the dynamic around there. But again, the opportunities there.
So just to reclareify the space where the stage area is that would be the similar process already, but the
Paseo's there. And we should just quite when we say the Paseo, we mean the walk. The that is between the two buildings
that connects first street, but yes, the Brown Street remains public space and is a little bit more
flexible for the city to manage. And then my other question is any additional plans to mitigate
disruptions to our nearby businesses. We've done so much to downtown. So anything you can speak to during
construction. Yeah, let me, business is usual down here. Thank you. Let me bring up Cameron.
Can you, because you've been having all those conversations with downtown businesses?
Sure. Thank you, Council. I think if the question, you know, part of what we do is just outreach,
community outreach, fielding concerns, putting them into our plans and doing that swiftly and effectively.
I think there's two kind of categories you can throw this in. We have our neighbors that
are going to be impacted by some of our interim construction conditions. We want to leave
much of their infrastructure in place for as long as possible. We are at the forefront of a lot of
this planning. You know, there's certain districts like in the Napa Sanitation that will inform our
plans even further, so there's some things that are unforeseen, but we've built partnerships with everyone around us.
So we can pick up the phone and dial as soon as we find that new information. I think, you know,
just as we are building infrastructure and restoring the grid, we find that, you know, pedestrian
pathways are very important during construction. They're just as important. That's why we're committed to
protecting first street for the entirety of that construction period with the exception of the course
when we're pouring new sidewalk and only necessary closures. Similar conditions can be said for
all four corners of our project. But again, I think that the biggest thing and what is
paramount is just communication. So we're making ourselves available. Thank you.
I would also, if I could just add to that as well, the city staff has been participating in discussions,
particularly with Elegria. There are a lot of questions we do not have answers to right now. This is a
conceptual development agreement. There are a lot of details that will come later. There is a
submitted demolition permit still going through the process back and forth with the developer on
that. So we have committed to keeping, continuing working with Elegria and the owner of the building
landmarks about what will happen to them and around them as this is going on. I do know the developer
has committed to try to make sure that the patio is maintained for as long as it can, the
Elegria patio is maintained for as long as it can and construction has sort of been around it.
I would also say that we've met several times with downtown Napa Association and I've talked on the
phone with Jerry Hansen from the Chamber of Commerce and just really talked about ways that we can
make sure that we're communicating with the businesses downtown. The impacts that construction might
have at various stages throughout the process so that we're being transparent about it. We're working
with the developer and we're all on the same page of what the impacts might be or will be.
And if I could add to that, it's like to redirect the council to what what occurred with the
archer hotel being constructed. It's in closer proximity to the Gordon building and also there's
the preservation of the portion of marils. Those were conditioned in some mitigations that
our public worship department looks at with construction the construction division. So we would work with
this team the same way we did there and utilize the same measures whereby we kept first street open as
best be could. If you recall that during that time there was you know a little bit of little dirt.
But we would use our same measures with this project and those conditions would be applied upon
the designer view permits for each of the buildings. So we've got some experience at that and
working with the applicant team will do our best also work with the neighboring businesses to keep
them from being interrupted.
Thank you. Go from our painter. As everyone else said thank you so much for all of the
information in the 23 attachments and hundreds of pages. But and several of my questions were asked but
I just wanted to follow up on a couple of things you know in no particular order first the dedicated drop
off zone. I think it's a great addition not just for this project but for downtown as a whole. I see
people using right share services and coming in and being dropped to go to restaurants to shows
to all kinds of things and I'm assuming that that is the intention if you're using right share. So I would also
support you know taking a look at some VLA services for non hotel guests and you already spoke to that.
I just want to reiterate that you know similarly to the questions on how we can move faster how we
can do more how we can keep coordinating. This is more of a comment than anything unless the
applicant wants to add anything and that is is there anything else that you see on your list right now
that we can discuss tonight that would help this project move faster in terms of coordination that council
could help and direct staff anything else. It's been going great so far but I think just you know
make sure we have open communication check-ins which we're already doing but throughout the process.
This is a big important process that needs to go smoothly. It may not be the typical way we see projects go
because of the the with the overwhelming support downtown also came the overwhelming get it done fast so we're
not down in business. So that means it's really working together in a sequencing order that may not
be the typical way but make sure we have those check-ins I think with the process right through the
manager's office it's built to go that way but just having the openness and flexibility to stay on it and
solve problems quickly. Yeah I think being a you know solutions based
mentality on this project you know we there's a lot of challenges that come up with any
but permitting plan check process coming to the table with solutions as opposed to maybe just
policy always expedites kind of resolving matters typically plan reviews are within 30 day
cycles a lot of the time the more time you a lot to that cycle you'll use every bit of it so limiting
some of those plan review cycles would be helpful as well as potentially if they're a third
party plan check is utilized then maybe doing a flat rate and limiting the time for for their
review as well. Okay yeah well I'm sure that the communication is going to continue so I just wanted to
hear that and then the planning commission had a couple of recommendations you know I certainly heard
tonight that not only 18 months going to from 18 to 12 months is fine but you know go even less and
I really appreciate that for the shortened time line but I think it would be important for us as council
to get some kind of a report back after maybe six months so that we can make sure this is moving and we
can just have a quick opportunity for a check-in is that possible that I mean it would be an
administrative sort of thing but just so that you know we can continue to keep working together
and get those reports you know I'm thinking six months from the time we have our final
ordinance approvals we can certainly add that to our list just got to all in about six and then and then
last we've got actually two other questions on the ad hoc committee that was recommended by planning
commissions how would that be memorialized is that just sort of a recommendation do we need to do anything
about that tonight? I'm going to let right our answer that question. Just one moment while I upload
up but it is reflected in one of the ordinances that that planning commission voice interest in creating
an ad hoc committee including one design professional and one non-design professional from planning commission
appointed by city manager during the night one of the ordinance. Okay I missed that piece.
The commission has been modified since commission and then we did hear from the bike coalition about
how they want to see the project meet what is coming for twenty twenty six mandatory bike standards you know
what's coming is harder for us to sort of put our arms around right now but I want to just understand
how we can incorporate that intention as the project moves towards a design review. I don't know that
we can apply a code this thought in effect yet but I believe the applicant team is more than willing to
entertain more more bike racks maybe did the same number that that would be applicable but the language is what
we're looking at and not a condition requiring it to meet twenty twenty six as code but just by
their acceptance of of submitting I believe the number would be thirty seven or thirty eight
parking of bikes racks thirty nine thirty nine okay so we could more a lot to finish yes yeah I mean I
think the notion is eight and it is important to look at local facilities for bikes so if that can
be incorporated into design that would be great those are my questions right now
and then just to follow up it and related to the ad hoc committee it's reflected in attachment
two just the ordinance for the PD overlay perfect thank you yeah I didn't see that either I saw it
in the review of the planning commission minutes I read it there but thanks for being right on top of
that right or you know when we started out on this council and there was discussion about
documentary the big discussion around documentary Plaza and I was was really concerned about losing
public space but then when this concept came forward well it's we're going to we're just going to maybe
move it a little bit more than exchange and so I assume that the Brown Street pedestrian corridor in the
Paseo would be public space and there would be some involvement of city maintenance of those properties
because they are basically it's park right I think we're it'll eventually be park space so I think the
private use of it or reserveing of it would go through the normal process as Molly said as a as a
use permit for that space but it's fifty four thousand square feet I think is what the end of public
space isn't so that has to be the Paseo also right it's not just Brown Street crack okay and so
yeah so that's if if if we group because we I think in the past right Marie Plaza was even you know used for
certain kind of quasi private events on but Marie Plaza in the past so so that was my expectation on those
use permit square footage of that the drop off zone currently it's in front of the old clock tower
right that's the pull out that's the drop out drop off zone for downtown and is that staying
or will that curb line be straightened out there so that that line Mr. Mayor is getting straight now one
of the desires and the working through this process is there's just too much traffic on for a street
plugging up and right our design team getting details but the idea is that goes away to make
ubers make hotel visitors make it up go over to Main Street drop off there and start their adventure
downtown there and not clogged up first street so it's too and Tim I don't think that's changed
right that we're still straightening that out not having to drop off there to force folks over to the
area on Main Street and it's a delivery drop off spot now to the one currently there and to add to
that it's not a typical for some of those right share apps to program drop off locations happens every
year during bottle rock there's select locations throughout downtown where it'll direct drivers to
drop off passengers so it's it's it's common and actually utilize within the city of Napa thank you
councilmember bias thank you I'm a couple questions just follow up some previous comments
So the design review, we talked about adding that with the Plan Commission, which I support, I think that's
a good idea. How will we handle any public feedback during the process? I mean, it's just emailing
us, hey, checking houses going, maybe at the 6th month checking, that's a good idea too. Is there
any way to handle any public feedback? I know there's going to get an interest throughout the process,
if somebody says, you know, what's the design, whatever that may be? Sure. You know, and one of
the city attorneys involved in our city attorney or the attorney's involved in, can jump on on this
two, but one of the conversations we've been having is of the ad hoc committee was a Brown Act
committee, or not, and we think that probably one of the best ways to handle it, regardless of whether or not we
have to, is to have a public meeting where the committee members can advise, dislike a committee and
members, can advise the city manager, but we also notice it for the public to come in comment,
as well, it will be a little bit simpler of a process than posting a full meeting agenda like we
would for the council, or the Planning Commission, but just making sure that we follow the Brown
Act even if we're not required to, by the make up of the committee, just makes it cleaner all around,
and then the public has the opportunity to weigh in, if they'd like to. Thank you.
Alex, Mayor Lerals.
Didn't even press my button that time. Okay. Well, I apologize for reading from my notes on this.
It's just too much to cover, and I don't want to miss anything. So first and foremost, I think the proposed
development agreement is consistent with the general plan and the downtown and the specific plan.
The project would create a dynamic and sustainable urban core. It's everything that we dreamed about.
It will economically speaking, it'll increase tax revenue, create jobs, stimulate local spending,
and attract investment. It's whatever city dreams of, and right now in a soft and somewhat uncertain
economy, I am really grateful that we have this opportunity and a desire to invest in our city.
Having a vibrant downtown, I think has become a bit of a buzzword, but this kind of a project will truly
enhance downtown vibrancy in the pedestrian experience. There's been a lot of talk during
public comment about the loss of Dwight Murray Plaza and what that means to make this kind of a swap.
I don't believe that a pit and a ground with a weird rock formation should be the center of our downtown.
What it really takes to create that kind of a gathering place is a well designed public area for residents
and visitors that foster community interaction, it hosts events and it creates a sense of place.
And that's what I envision looking at the renderings of the public space. I think about how our
lighted art walk is going to look and how more people will walk through the area. It's not going to be awkward.
It's going to be dynamic and I think that's what our downtown core deserves.
We also deserve to have a beautiful downtown. I think that's what I appreciate the most from this proposal.
It is thoughtfully designed the renderings that we've seen and we didn't even get to see them all tonight,
but there's more in the packet. There are architecturally stunning. I think it will define our modern
architectural landscape in downtown Napa and I think the incorporation of public art and landscaping adds to
that as well. I do support the planning commissions proposal of creating an ad hoc committee to help
advise on design issues. I think that's a great idea. I also wanted to comment that I really appreciate the
incorporation of the Miglia Vaca building into the design. I thought that was really cool.
When that building was torn down, a local architect and former city planning commissioner, Jay Golik,
took some of those sandstone blocks from the building and he used them to build his home
up on red. A pretty far-up red would road. Unfortunately it burned down in the 2017 fires, but I know
those stones are still there and it might be really cool to try and incorporate them into this project.
I asked Jay about it and he knows that your question is coming if that's something that you
was interested in doing, but I think that would be a really cool incorporation of history into the project.
All of the gushing aside, I do have some concerns about the project. Generally speaking at this point,
we've heard all the public comment, I do support the project, but I do have some things that I think we should
talk about and potentially ask for adjustments or maybe even conditions of approval.
I've tried to organize them into three main categories, so parking, TOT share and housing.
So parking first and it's somewhat minor, but I am concerned about whether all of the parking
needs can be accommodated. I think this concern is mostly alleviated by the downtown drop-off area,
which I do think is brilliant. Not only is it valuable to the people who will stay at the hotel,
but I think it helps us reduce traffic congestion by getting people off of first straight and having one
single well-marked location for ride sharing. I've seen these drop-offs and use them when I visit other cities
and it really helps the whole ride share experience. I think it creates clear expectations for riders and drivers.
It makes everything just more consistent and predictable. And I think having that kind of central drop-off could
also potentially reduce the demand for downtown parking, which makes me feel better about the
parking needs associated with the project. I do wonder about the volume of ride share drop-offs,
what that's going to be and whether we can really, this is really going to be able to accommodate that,
but I think at this point we just, we don't know what we don't know, so we'll have to keep an eye on that,
but I think that that's going to be a really exciting change downtown just that drop-off area.
I do also support the NAPA bike coalitions request that we meet the new state standards for bike parking.
It sounds like that's not going to be an issue. I would also maybe throw in, let's throw in a bike rack
in the ballet area so that it just makes it easier for people to come downtown on their bikes.
So that was it for parking for the TOT share. There is, I think a sense of urgency for all of us,
for the city and the developer to get the project done as quickly as possible.
Prolong construction empty businesses that's going to have the opposite effect to our economy of what we want.
I think it's in our best interest that the project be completed when you say it's going to be completed.
I did notice on that last slide, it said 2027, I don't know if that's really when you expect to be done,
or if maybe it'd be a little bit more realistic to say 2028, but that's that is something for you guys to
figure out. I think the way that it's currently worded, the TOT share will start when they get their
certificate of occupancy and will end 10 years after that. There's suggesting they're going to be done in
27, maybe 2028. I'm going to suggest that we add, as a condition for approval, that the TOT share
continues for 10 years from the date of the first TOT payment, which is what it says now, or that the
TOT share period ends by 2038, whichever comes first. So the idea is that this would incentivize
the developer to open, when they say they're going to open, it would help avoid the situation that we don't
want, which is a big empty downtown, perhaps a big construction site with no end in sight.
There are a lot of potential reasons why the project could be delayed if there are concerns about the
timeline being held up because of the city's responsiveness and improving permits and things like that,
we could include language that the no later than date of 2038 could be adjusted if both the city
and the developer agree to that. I think even if the project is delayed and the 10 year TOT share becomes
an 8 year TOT share, for example, I think it's still likely that the developer is going to hit
33 million dollar reimbursement cap, but this at least provides us some protection for us as a
city that this project happens in a timely manner. And I know that that's the developer's goal too,
but we have entitled hotel projects all over town that are sitting there, as I was mentioned earlier
today, and there's not a lot we can do about it. I think if we approve this project tonight, without this
condition approval, there's nothing to guarantee that the project will happen as quickly as we'd all
like to see it happen. So the DA gives them 10 years to make it happen, let's try to incentivize everyone
to stay on target and get it done. So that was one thing, and then finally housing, and probably the most
serious concern that I have of the three, I am concerned about the 78 residential condominium units. These units
can be occupied by an owner, but they're also available for short-term rentals. And when housing units
can bypass our vacation rental ordinance and effectively act like a hotel room without any limitation
on the number of units that can be rented out, or any limitation on the number of days, a unit can be
rented out. That's not the kind of housing that we need a Napa. That's not designed for permanent residents.
I think this kind of model incentivizes investment and not residency. And we have a long list of people
who've been waiting patiently to get a vacation rental permit. We've said no to them, but tonight the
way this is drafted, we'd be effectively more than doubling the amount of vacation rentals that we
have on the market. My biggest concern with this situation is that a fractional ownership company like
Picasso or a real estate investment trust is going to buy up these condos and they're going to become
hotel rooms in that homes. We have struggled for years to try and limit the impacts of short-term
rentals on our housing market. I feel like it's appropriate to try and put some guardrails on this part
of the project. There's also nothing that I'm aware of that I saw in the documents that would prohibit
the developer from simply not selling the condos and just renting them out on a short-term rental market.
And then we have, in effect, another 70 hotel rooms. Another issue with this, I kind of brought it up earlier,
but the affordable housing impact fee. For a condo, it's $4.75 square foot. I mentioned earlier,
we're calculating it at 405. It sounds like that's not what we're really doing for a hotel.
It's $6 a square foot. So if we're really talking about what is, in effect, a hotel room,
I think they should be paying the higher impact fee that a hotel would be paying or at least that difference
between the two. So if you look at the impact fee list, all of the impact fees that we charge developers are
higher for hotel space that makes sense. The impact is higher. So I had a few ideas on how to limit
the impact on our housing market. I would admit that they are not all good. The first is probably the
worst option. I think it's kind of a nuclear option that might kill a whole project, but we could in theory
restrict the number of condos that could be rented out of short-term rentals, or we could
restrict the number of nights that anyone condo could be rented out. I think that would probably
significantly affect the economics of the project overall. It's within our ability to do that,
but I would want to hear more from the developer about whether or not that's feasible. And then the
second idea I had was that we could specifically limit who can own a condo, similar to what the California
tenant protection act does. You could specify that, for example, a real estate investment trust can't own a condo
that it basically has to be owned by an individual or a family or a trust or entity that is primarily
owned by an individual or a family. That wouldn't keep out companies like Picasso that have the
fractional ownership models. I don't know if we could even say specifically say that fractional ownership
is prohibited. I think this whole area is fraught with legal complications, so this may not be a
possible solution that we can do a lot about, but that was one option I had. The last option is to
do nothing and let it stand the way it's presented. I think we've said for years that we want
residential mixed use downtown, maybe this is the only way that that works economically right now
and it's going to have to be okay because we're going to get a huge economic boost to the downtown,
our TOT, one percent of which goes into our affordable housing fund, and maybe the developer
acknowledges that there are impacts to our community from the 78 units that are more like a hotel than a condo.
And developer makes adjustments to what they're contributing towards these impacts. I think it would
not be unreasonable to ask the developer to increase their affordable housing feed to add the
difference of what they would pay for a hotel, which is $6 a square foot instead of what they're paying
for condos given the circumstances. According to my math, that's an additional approximately 234,000.
I might be a little off on that, but I think it's about that amount. Those are my main three concerns,
parking TOT share and housing. I look forward to more discussion on potential solutions to those
issues and I would also welcome comment from the developer team about specifically the TOT share
and housing issues specifically. Thank you. Wow. I know it was a lot. I had to read it.
That was pretty good. I don't know if you want to address any of that now or we'll go to other
comments by council members. It was, you know, the council, Vice Mayor put a lot into that one.
I understand the concern there. It seems though that that's the model and some of the other
projects we have in the works. The first in Silverado Trail, second in Franklin,
I think they're going to be the same type of model right that they work in conjunction with a hotel
as far as I think that seems to like the model. I'd probably be a question more for the developer.
I know it's only ran just kind of the model that they're basing it on, but there are impacts to that.
Oh, yeah, most definitely. I thought you're articulated the TOT share on how to tighten that up
by your date certain or when it starts is a pretty good idea. Yeah. And well, it starts at either the
certificate of occupancy or the first TOT payment, right? Or are they the same thing? I guess
are the same thing? I would have Molly Wayne on this. We discussed this and she had kind of come up with
maybe a suggestion. Yeah, thank you. Council Member Leroy, Vice Mayor Leroy. Mary did reach out to me today to
talk a little bit more about this and for simplicity of what to write in the exhibit of the
development agreement, we would propose that it would be a sunset date when I heard a Vice Mayor
Leroy suggest was December 31, 2038. Our attorney Mary Wagner, if she wants to add anything,
can, but she did develop some language that basically adds a sunset saying that in no event to the
city's obligation to make any payments to the developer extend beyond insert date, whether or not the
tenure period has expired or whether or not the developer has been fully reimbursed for the costs.
So that could be a line added to exhibit J on this.
Section, about the revenue sharing structure.
Okay. Well, thanks for having that work down. Thank you for bringing that ahead.
I think it will go to Council Member Deanathalee, thank you.
I do also support creative and essential for urgency to get the timing done.
I think it's essential that this gets done in a timely manner and allows us as little holes
in downtown as possible. I also support the design review committee and I do support also making
it public even if it's not a brown committee. And speaking to Dwight Murray Plaza, I support
the move of it. When Dwight Murray Plaza was built in 1970, there was not much on the other
side of the main. I think there were some higher shops in a wrecking yard. So I think moving
it to that side and connecting the city together is right. I too had concerns about parking,
but the idea of making the valley open to everybody I think does mitigate some of my concerns around
that. I also support adding the bike in closures and adding more of that and putting it in line
with how the law is going to change. Thank you. Kelsman and painter. Okay. Thank you. Yeah, I'll start with
my gushing comments and then I want to maybe just sort of follow up and help try to set some framework
around by smearlerosis comments. You know, first of all, you know, our planning commission did review
this in great detail. I think we all listened to the meeting on June 5th and I think you're hearing pretty
strong alignment with the comments. So I just want to express my thanks to the commissioners who put
you know, significant work into looking at this and all the staff because that was a productive and
meaningful meeting. So thank you to that. We've already heard tonight that the framework for this
is really started with our downtown specific plan, which was adopted in 2012. So this has been many
years in the making and you've already seen that this particular site is really critical to our downtown.
You know, I know it's called that focus area. I kind of think of it as the center of a wheel
because all these things radiate out from that spot. So it is a very critical location.
In terms of a Dwight Murray Plaza, you know, it's not just this council, but it's previous councils,
you know, who have weighed in on what should happen to that space. We don't have the kind of space
that you might use to develop sort of a synoma square or a heel sprook square. I don't think that's
really what our goal is. What we do have is this amazing opportunity to create these civic spaces
that will enhance our ability to connect all of our downtown, including all the way to the oxbow
and maybe even ultimately all the way to Jefferson Street. So I'm really excited to see that that vision
is coming to fruition. I think that is our civic space. And I think that's what we're going to be known for
in terms of the uniqueness of our civic space experience. I understand the discussion about first street,
but really kind of the way that I see it is the old development that we had that had that pull out and had Dwight
Murray. Everything was kind of turning its back to the Napa River and by moving and taking this
Paseo and creating the space on Brown Street and creating the connection to the oxbow district,
we're now sort of incorporating the Napa River in a much more holistic way to how we all will experience
our downtown. And it turns really the Paseo experience more towards a focus to the river. And I think
that is a part of our identity. And I think this project creates that by taking that center wheel of the
Spoke and creating those connections. I understand the documents that we're considering tonight are
really complicated, but that's how we need to approach this kind of development. We need a really strong
development agreement. We need a well-defined and specific PD. We need the details of the tentative map.
We need to complete the SQL process and ensure consistency with our downtown specific plan in general plans.
So I think all of that works together really well. I'll give one example. I think the PD
ordnance did a really nice job. Not only in providing all of that detail and images that will help with our
design review effort, but even went to the extent of comparing what's being proposed to the existing zoning. So it's
easy to read and it's easy to understand and I really appreciated that. Let's see.
So the Affordable Housing Alternative Equivalent, you know, I think it works well for our community.
I do want to get into the notion of the residential units and what they are. I do want to also
acknowledge that we're going to get the ongoing 1% from TOT every year from both the hotel units and whatever
we might get from the rental of those condo units. So there is some additional ongoing
and perpetuity that we will get from those units and I think that's really significant.
So with that, I think the three areas that Vice Mayor Leros talked about parking, I think we're kind of
done. I think that's pretty clear and we've heard a agreement on that particularly. I like the idea
of some bike racks in that pull out area because I think we will have people coming down and using that.
The TOT share, I think, you know, kind of without saying end of 2038 kind of does that but if we
can memorialize that, I think that would be beneficial to all parties. I'm hearing that we're ready to go.
So let's do that. You know, the Housing Impact fee, I think you went through three different options. The first two,
the first one was kind of nuclear and I would tend to agree with that. I think we would have trouble
trying to figure out who can own a condo. I think that puts us in a really difficult place to try to
manage that. So I think the only thing we could potentially do is look at how the fee is calculated based
on the condo fee versus $6 a square foot. I'd be open to that but I also want us to really
think about the notion that what's the bigger picture for housing is the ongoing one percent of
TOT from any rental of those units. And what I would also say is I think from day one, the applicant has
been pretty open and transparent that these are branded residential units. That's what they are. That's what
they are as a part of this project. I understood that coming into this. I would hope and I'd like the
applicant to confirm that the units certainly could be sold as standalone residential where
somebody does not at all have to participate in the rental program. How many will decide to do that?
We don't really know. Maybe that's a report back. We could get in a year or a couple of years.
But I think for me, I want to hear from other council members. I might be willing to look at a
little bit of an incremental increase in the square footage costs. But I think we need to allow
the process to move forward and we can see how many of those units sell as standalone residential
versus the branded units that would go back into the rental pool. I don't have any additional
changes that I would propose making. I'm in favor of this project moving forward and seeing it get
started as quickly as we can. Thank you. Mr. Mayor, if I may jump in on the three options that
Vice Mayor Laura has laid out and then that Council Member Panor just commented on. My only concern,
I understand a, the thought is it might not, it just might not financially be feasible. Be gives me a
little bit of pause without looking very closely at fair housing laws and I didn't have time to do that
prior to this meeting. There is potential that restricting who you can sell to might run against fair
housing laws, particularly if we're taking regional housing needs credit for these units. Again,
we're taking it for moderate above moderate units, so it's not something. We really need more of
when we're putting in rain. But it would just be something that I would like to look into or consider
a little bit more because I don't have a solid answer on that at this moment.
Maybe if you could, would we have the option to look at using the hotel rate square footage versus
the condo rate? Yeah, I had the opportunity to talk with one of our attorneys about that. I think it
would have to be at the developers discretion, the developer would have to agree to it. I'm not sure
that legally and and Mary or Chris, I'm not sure if you there if you want to chime in. You know, we have
an ordinance written. They are able to provide an in lieu. It has to be equal to or more.
So I would say that the cleanest way to do that also would be to have the developer buy in and
a great involvement and offer to do it essentially. Yeah, because those things seem plain. I don't know
but by project by project whether we can set impact fees. So for this project we want to pay more
impact fees but we do have established fees structure of these schedule right now and I don't know that
can we unless we change that fee schedule would be difficult to do it by project by project.
Well, so in the few structure in general, the city is going through an excess study similar to what
the county was mentioned earlier that the county is doing but that yes, that wouldn't be retroactive to
projects that were already approved. I'm just going to I'm going to look to Chris and see if he feels
differently about it but I think that it would be an ask of the developer. I'm not sure how it would
become a requirement from the affordable housing perspective. No, thank you Molly for the question. Yeah,
I know I totally agree with your assessment. I think it needs to be at the developer's discretion to
say yes to that. If we wanted to impose a different impact fee, we'd have to go back and look at the
ordinance update that and make sure it's it's it's square away so that before this item gets to you,
essentially we have the ability to do that and impose that higher impact fee. Okay, can I ask one more
question, might help try to frame this. Is that fee paid at the time the unit is built or the unit is sold?
So there's there's two parts of the affordable housing proposed in this. The first is the in lieu,
which is based on the square footage of all of the buildings that is proposed to go directly to
Burbank housing either at the time of pulling building permits or if Burbank needs it sooner potentially that
on top of that so already above that is a $2 per square foot which was offered by the developer
at the time of sale of the condo units. So it's on top of the fees which were calculated would be calculated
using condos for condos retail for retail hotel for hotel per our ordinance but that $2 was an extra
that was offered by the developer that would be paid at the time of the sale of the condo that follows the
model that we used with Stanley Ranch and so we are actually now just starting to see those dollars
come in for Stanley Ranch as their units are being our being sold. I just wanted to jump in really quick and maybe
ask the developer to weigh in on this you hear us struggling with this issue and maybe you can can help.
Mayor, if that's acceptable to you. Councilmember Loro should write up three issues I may take a
little out of order and then I'll focus on the housing one. The TOT one in of 2038 and I agree with Molly I think
the rather than condition of approval let's put in the TOT share agreement that's probably the cleanest
place to put it and we can we can do that between now and second reading.
On parking we had in and it was a huge volume of materials in the guidelines we were planning on the
additional bike parking actually being on the other side of the bridge over the creek so sort of that
pearl main street lot but that can get figured out in design review we were planning for extra the additional
parking we talked about we just had it there was some really cool spots over there to put it but that that will be
worked out in the design review process so sort of housing complicated issue I mean we've been talking
about this stuff councilmember Loro's back to stay in the ranch and others right and it is a tough one
the objective of this project and it's housing peace for the city was to create activity right and to
do that it's bodies on on the street whether you're a full-time resident part-time resident or a
guest of the residential unit or the hotel so that's that was the the intention get those bodies there
what we've seen and it's not unique to napa but it's it's impacted napa standing ranch for one there's other
other projects and throughout the state and we've got our financial experts here that go into more details I'll
just give you that the high level what owners demand in buying a unit and these projects are all built
around selling a unit is optionality they want to know I can live there I can live their part-time
and rented out or I can rent it out if I'm not around and what what often happens in the marketplace is
that buy I want to live there and then decide I want to buy something else and couple years later I want
to put it in the room pool and they're welcomed into that under under the arrangements so it's sort of
an influx but what we find is that buyers don't buy these with additional restrictions even if they don't
have the intention of renting it out all the time or staying there all the time it just impacts
the ability to sell these and these projects are all designed around the ability to sell
that's key to the level of quality we're looking at to be a much different project if it didn't meet
being able to sell these so under first couple of items they're difficult what worries me beyond the
for housing laws is just the the the challenge of restricting sales and ownership these things get
complicated to get involved in various areas of law when is it real estate winners investment you fall
in your security and and how you restrict ownership goes into that so those are just giant you know I'm not
smart enough to anything about securities all I know is to be scared of securities and so we want to stay away from
that side of of of trouble if we can but still deliver that vibrant where people can live there
live their part time or rent it out and if they do run it out it's all through the hotel mechanism
so you're not going to have a cup
So, when there would be MBA or something, it's all through that system in the hotel.
And so I hate to sit here and say, all those first two options are tough, but they are for us.
So when it comes to feet, the question is, is it voluntary and no developer wants to spend more money on fees if they don't have to, right?
Because these are tough projects. But at the same time, we've given a big presentation how we're committed to housing.
And what we'd like to see is if bringing it up to that six dollar amount, if we can run it through and make an amendment to with direction, if it's, if it's workable to our alternative equivalent,
how that's approved and flow it through that, we'd be willing to put in that extra money as part of our commitment to housing in this town.
It's just that's the easiest mechanism of control. So if that were accessible, we'd like to put that additional dollar amount that you're talking about.
And we would accept that and we can clean that up between now and second reading.
So that would be exhibit H and increasing the dollar amount on exhibit H.
I believe that it comes to be about two hundred, so two million, two hundred and sixty three thousand two hundred and thirty six dollars.
But I would, we'll do the math.
We'll have to do the math.
So I would suggest that you that if that is included in the motion to direct staff on the six dollars and have us calculate it, recalculate it.
You may want to direct them to accept on the flight.
I think that works Chris, that's something along those lines.
And I'm okay with that.
One of the things I just want people to keep in mind is that, you know, that the issue with Picasso was almost being bought in residential neighborhoods, right?
This is downtown.
This is where you want activity to occur.
And, you know, we're talking about dollars and cents.
It's really important because the impact to our community impact to infrastructure.
And we're building a pretty unique project here.
But I want to to think, I want you to think about some of the purchases property that may not be wanting to visit.
Maybe we can't control a second house here, right?
Second ownership.
They're only there six months of the year, then six months is empty.
I want, I want bodies in those rooms to be able to go down and shop and eat and spend their money.
So, also because it's a little bit more attractive when you have that because they can sell it.
And we tend to, we sell it.
There's dollars per square foot.
Back to our TOT.
So there's a lot of benefit I think to having this structure.
So I'm not worried about because it's not in the neighborhood.
This is downtown.
There's the quart downtown.
I think this will help really increase more foot traffic in that area.
Had this been a model in the neighborhood?
I would feel very, I would feel very, very different.
But I'm comfortable with the way it is.
And, you know, appreciate bringing that dollar up to help with that impact.
If I have other comments, but was there any, to want to make sure that we're good and that part on this?
We can take if you have another comment or I'll have a few comments too before we start to really take action.
But if you have more comments.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Thank you.
Dwight Murray Plaza has, you know, a very sentimental connection to our community.
Both Chris and I served on Parks and Rec.
And for so many years we talked about how can we really activate the space.
And we tried so many different things and it hasn't really worked.
It has not, we've, we've gone through the Bell water.
Remember that?
I didn't, I didn't like the idea.
It was approved.
And it didn't happen due to, to number of factors.
There was a water feature there.
Then the state law changed and we're able to do that.
And we've used it here and there for events, but really when I look at, you know,
Think about the questions about first treat and that being a gathering space versus our downtown specific plan.
And when I look at that, you know, that plan that was made and very intentionally to help our downtown be where it is and where it's headed.
I think about the gatherings places.
And one of the comments and, and actually text and the downtown specific plan is specifically Coups.
We designed Coups Street Plaza to allow future two way,
Hold on, just here.
Do we design Coups Street for a garden places, outdoor seating areas, public spaces?
So I, you know, the space for, for,
Brown Street, going back to Brown Street.
You know, we've talked about active in that space for so many years and also has been the challenge.
I really see this project as being a call as for for Brown Street, connecting Brown Street down to third street up to Pearl and Clinton.
That's actually based on the drawing is going to be wider, right?
That that that series is going to be wider.
So naturally, I see that as a gathering space as a as a place where you have a lot of pedestrian.
Not only the, the drop-off area, but the connection to Oxford Commons.
We've talked about that.
Brockston, again, I mean, I go back to, you know, the improvement of our open spaces.
Connectivity talked about connected for so many years.
And I say, Oxford Common and, and the Brown Street corridor as a.
The next phase and connecting completing a lot of that area.
Right now.
You know, you see the traffic on first street.
But once you open up that that pastel and I do see that it's not being a breezeway.
That's, you know, one of the things that I expect to see is a really well designed.
Matching that picture or better.
So people can visit and walk down that and connect it to the other shopping areas.
So I get the, some of the comments and concerns about potential losing fursures because we're used to seeing Dwight Murray Plaza.
I'm first street, but naturally, you're going to see the gathering that pedestrians that activity on Brown Street.
And that's what we want to see.
We want to see a north and south connection that east and west through the Pesale.
And that's going to bring more people in.
One of the things we talked about the bike racks.
Part of the downtown specific plan is pedestrian bicycle activities.
So appreciate addressing the, the bicycle.
Whether it's a rack or they talked about security a certain way.
That's beyond my expertise. So I'll just say, you know, it's the best to be able to track not just pedestrians by bicyclist.
I'm hoping that the parking the man is not as high as we think it is because with the drop off with pedestrian.
Walkability and and bicycle enhancement people will want to go there not driving and and going through the drop off.
So helping maybe the non residents with the drop off through.
The ballet I don't know that could be a fee base or something that we can consider.
But I just want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to have people not drive their vehicles and and park downtown.
The T share and and that the end of that I think that that that's good with me, you know.
I've heard a lot about speed and efficiency and appreciate the.
Your your excitement for this project and moving forward.
Because I think it's going to set the tone for future development.
You're using the bar, you're raising the quality you're you're raising that that the.
What we expect to see we've talked about projects like this and I think we very like you to have something like this that we're going to.
You know see in the near future.
I do want to make sure that we continue to work with the businesses there's going to be some impact.
So I heard that earlier.
I also chime in and say I agree with that.
So I just don't want to lose sight on on housing downtown.
We're going to help affordable housing, whether that that project first methods happens or not.
And it's going to be there.
We have a improved housing department that's really focused on providing a housing throughout our community.
I don't think that was the case 15 20 years ago.
So then Luffy is those dollars that we get to a housing fund has been more impactful recently that ever.
So that the money coming in into our pot and give it to our team to make it happen.
It is something to have a lot of confidence in we've seen the land trust model occur earlier this year.
So and we have other opportunities in the near future.
So however that money.
It goes to affordable housing, whether it's a project or our team or housing team.
I'm I'm fully confident that will utilize it to the best.
You know for those resources.
I like this project.
I think it fulfills the vision of the downtown specific plan.
I would say that.
There's a lot of history in in Napa.
They're preserving the history through some of the design.
You know, some of us like to write Murray Plaza, but we were evolving into a design to fulfill what people wanted with the downtown specific plan.
I really think this will do that.
Not only on the Brown Street, but this project by south of a first street.
We need to activate that too.
There's there's some buildings there that I think will there be more motivation to utilize those spaces.
When you have something like this project.
And it tells people that we're we're continuing to invest.
There will open for business that come in and build.
And put it through housing support current businesses.
So I think all around this is a really good project.
The development agreement is very comprehensive because it's a big project.
And I appreciate staff really working through that.
So I'm supportive of this.
With those few amendments, but the TOT make sure that.
You know, we call account with the timeline.
But thank you very much.
Thank you.
Just confirm the council.
It seems like we have agreement on and was staff on the 2038 kind of the tax here.
And date to help.
And then also maybe.
Well, we also agree.
I think that the developers willing to.
We work to impact these on housing that can make come to the end number.
I think if Molly you got that too captured.
I'm not sure if there was one other in that, but I'll go on.
And we can finish this up.
I want to first thank three VG.
Thank you for investing in our community.
I mean, that means a lot to us.
It's a big big step to take in this environment.
And this, you know.
This kind of political world we're in right now.
So.
And this is going to send a message.
The NAP is open and NAP will be open in the future.
So I support the project.
You know, with three VG teaming up with our.
Our own first United Methodist church.
On their housing project, which I think was out of the box thinking on their part.
And I know we've supported that.
And we're going to do everything we can to get that housing project across the finish line.
You know, this this project is an investment in creating jobs.
And thanks to my brothers and sisters in the Carpenters Union out there,
for showing up tonight, sticking in here.
Those jobs are a little wage jobs with pensions and health care.
You know, it's it's a high quality architecture and it's going to be compatible with the downtown there.
We're in goodman the Gordon building and then first national bank.
I think it's all going to tie in very well.
So.
When my children were small, they would say this is a heck of a good plan.
So I think it is a heck of a good plan.
I'd like to move forward with it.
Council member Painter had something to say on.
Yeah, I just had one minor addition to your very comprehensive list.
And that is that.
It would be great if we could get a report back six months after adoption of final adoption of the ordinances.
If we could include that in our recommendations.
We're well.
Yes.
Can I ask just clarifying is that in addition to the one year annual review.
Well, the one year annual review the way that I read it was internal for the city.
And it would only come to us if there was a disagreement or some.
Issue that we had to resolve.
And hopefully that's not going to happen.
You know, I'm talking more about something administrative that is just a report out.
Okay.
But to us.
Okay.
Great.
We appreciate that also.
We're in support of that.
So.
Do you need a motion.
We need a motion.
I think Vice Mayor is going to take a stab at it.
I have.
I believe we want for separate motions one on each action and I have been writing down the language for the one for number one.
If you'd like me to read it.
Otherwise.
Or to vice mayor.
I say council member.
Three ordinances and resolution.
You know, throughout this discussion.
I just want to know Mr. Chris George for.
Looking at an app coming in here and willing to invest.
And and look at our downtown specific plan.
Because we've looked at the building for so long.
And you know.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to work.
I deal as work.
Good for us as a win-win situation.
And I just want to make sure that you know everything's clear here.
That you know.
This is the collaborative effort that you looking for.
Because we're going to be married on this for quite some time.
So Mr. George, do you have any comments on this?
I want to make sure that before we move forward that.
You know, we're we're a partner here.
We're going to be married on this for a long time.
And we can sort of any challenges through this process.
But make sure that we have a successful project.
Do I get three minutes again or can I.
Sorry.
You're welcome and I I have to tell you that.
This started out is something that what we thought it was going to be.
And it is turned into just an unbelievable labor of love.
You know, it's one of those things that we're just so committed to.
And you know, just listening to you guys and talk about the depth of the way you've thought through this.
I'm surprised your deck is that small.
I mean, he has like 12 of these things on my desk.
And so I just, you know, listen.
And this has been a big group community project and it's nice to listen to you guys talk about it the same way we've been talking about it for three years. So, thanks so much. We're proud to be a member of your community and we will, we will absolutely make sure you're very proud of what we finish here. Thank you.
Thank you.
Ms. Miller, take a stand. We're looking forward for motions on three ordinances and resolution.
I'll take a stab at the first motion, but it sounds like Molly has language she wanted to.
I believe the recommendation language would be to approve the first reading and introduction of an ordinance of proving development agreement as described in recommended action number one.
But including the acceptance of revised exhibit K which stuff provided to you earlier today.
Adding sunset language to exhibit J for the TOT of December 31st, 2038.
Adding an ensuring that the number of bike storage numbers is 39 and exhibit I and there's one more.
Adding to exhibit each ensuring that the calculation represents the six dollars per square foot for the hotel.
And then adding a therefore clause or a clause to return to the council in six months with a red mid year or mid report of the process.
Yeah, go ahead.
Mayor, members of the council on Mary Wagner and with Burke Williams and so on and worked on the development agreement.
For the city, I just wanted to also clarify whether we were changing the 18 months to 12 months in section 8.1 point something.
I would accept that friendly amendment to the motion and I will very happily make that motion with a very big thank you to the developers you had a that was a voluntary contribution and it is much appreciated.
So, so moved second.
Move by vice mayor and lower second by councilmember painter. All in favor.
Aye. Aye. Any opposed.
Here's unanimous lead.
There are no changes to the next three actions based on your conversations.
And then I will move.
Staff's recommendation for item two incorporating the exact language that is up there.
There's a motion from vice mayor.
Second by councilmember and vice.
All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed.
Here's unanimously.
And then I will move. Staff's recommendation for item three also incorporating the exact language that's up there.
Yeah, I'll second that.
We have motion by vice mayor.
Lower second by councilmember Dina Talley.
All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed.
Here's unanimously.
Resolution.
And then finally, I would move item.
Staff's recommendation for item four again incorporating the exact language that's up there.
Motion by vice mayor.
Lower second.
Second by councilmember painter.
All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed.
Here's unanimously.
Thank you.
Thank you everybody.
Thank you for your participation in the public process.
And we do have a little bit left in our meeting.
So we're going to ask the city attorney to provide any announcements before we go to closed session.
Or do you want to take a minute for a room clear out the room?
Mayor, I'll go ahead and make the announcement.
Just to get us back in the closed session room.
I'll be loud.
So we have one item in closed session conference with me.
Where's the meeting's not over yet?
So please stand back guys.
Hey, let's just take a short break.
Pele we clear it out and then we'll start back in again.
Quick.
It's on now.
Yeah, it's on.
All right.
Well, thank you.
Good job council.
Good job staff.
So I will now ask city attorney to make the reported announcement for closed session.
Thank you, Mayor.
Just wanted to announce for the public that the council will be convening in a closed session to consider one item.
Conference with legal council existing litigation.
pursuant to government code section five four nine five six point ninety one.
And it's the ally versus city of Napa.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Children in the closed session and they will be at un expected report out.