Dear Mayor Sedgley and City Councilmembers,

The Napa Group of the Sierra Club wishes to signal its opposition to that part of the proposed City General Plan that contemplates the annexation and up-zoning of the parcels of land commonly known as the Ghisletta property. We believe, for several reasons, that this property is best treated as Greenbelt land, as proposed by the Napa Planning Commission. (PHOTO by Chris Robbins)

We hold that the highest and best use of all land in unincorporated Napa County is that it be maintained as it is currently; farmlands should remain farmland, wildlands should remain wild. A corollary is that cities should not expand into undeveloped areas of the county and urban sprawl must be curtailed. The proposed General Plan violates both tenets.

Development of the Ghisletta property would replace an existing open space that is an active carbon sink with a heat island. It would bring a tremendous number of new vehicles into the Napa area thereby increasing exhaust emissions. It would require significant investment in new infrastructure. It would strain already stressed water resources and it would expose potential residents to the repercussions of earthquakes as a significant fault line traverses the land. Finally, development of that land will completely and permanently alter the south-western approach to our city.

We believe that the City of Napa should pursue development of all the fifty plus housing appropriate in-fill sites in the city before even contemplating annexation and development of county land. We urge the city council not to adopt the proposed General Plan in its existing state. We urge the city council to abandon the notion of annexation and up-zoning of the Ghisletta property,

Yours sincerely

David Campbell
Chair – Land Use Committee
Sierra Club, Napa Group