Oak-studded hills and ridgetop woodlands are slated to become permanently protected as greenbelts—land where development is restricted—inside the rural edge of the city of Napa. The 80-acre Napa Oaks lands and 195 acres in nearby Brown’s Valley and Timberhill are now newly designated as greenbelts in the draft updated General Plan land use maps. That’s a total of 275 acres that will be preserved in perpetuity to reduce wildfire risk, provide open space, protect trees and habitat, and increase overall climate resiliency!
“This is a huge win for our entire Napa community,” said community leader Carol Barge.
Greenbelt Alliance bolstered the grassroots campaign to establish the greenbelts and prevent new hillside mansions in a high fire risk area. We urged the city to instead focus on new homes close to the city center to reduce sprawl and wildfire risk.
The new greenbelt designations resulted from months of advocacy, letters and meetings during the public process to update the City’s General Plan that is now underway. The new maps were revealed at the January 11, 2021 meeting of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). Details of that meeting are found here.
“Many of you took the time and effort to write letters, speak up in pre-COVID times and during virtual GPAC and Planning Commission meetings to have your voices heard. The GPAC members and City Staff and their consultants have listened. Thanks to all of you for your efforts!” Barge said.
When the General Plan update began many months ago, the existing zoning for Napa Oaks as Resource Areas was changed to VLDR—very low density residential (allowing from 78 – 156 homes on the hillside). The new greenbelt designation will disallow such home building on the hillside. The actual language describing the new Greenbelt designation will be determined in either the February or March meetings of the General Plan Advisory Committee before it goes to the Planning Commission and City Council for final approval. Click here to get involved.
Of course, Greenbelt Alliance will be watching and updating you all along the way!
