Napa Planning Commission Regular Meeting - September 16, 2021
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Napa Planning Commission Regular Meeting - September 16, 2021
The Napa Planning Commission held a regular meeting on September 16, 2021, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. Vice Chair Reed Oñate presided in the absence of Chair Paul Kelley. Commissioners present: Gordon Huether, Ricky Hurtado, Bob Massaro, and Reed Oñate. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, agenda review, and public comment. Three items were moved to the consent calendar, and one public hearing was held on a variance request.
Consent Calendar
- August 19, 2021 Planning Commission Minutes: Approved unanimously.
- Pozzan Wine Tasting Room (1205-1207 Randolph St): Use Permit to allow wine tasting by appointment at an existing winery administrative office. Approved.
- Napa Valley Distillery on First Street (1149 First St): Use Permit for liquor service. Approved.
- Bounty Hunter Building Extension II (1005 & 1025 First St): Second two-year extension of a Design Review Permit for a mixed-use building. Approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during general public comment or on the Brumm variance hearing.
Discussion Items
- Brumm Variance (1500 Seminary Street): The applicant requested a variance to construct a 167-square-foot addition to an existing residence, with 77 square feet encroaching up to 7 feet into the required 20-foot rear yard setback within the RT-5 zoning district. Staff recommended denial, finding no special circumstances applicable to the property, that the variance would constitute a special privilege not enjoyed by other properties, and that the applicant could still develop the property without the variance (e.g., via a second-story addition or interior remodel). Applicant Eric Brown stated that neighbors support the project, the addition fits the neighborhood better than a second story, and the lot is an irregular corner lot. Commissioners discussed the request: some supported it due to neighbor support, the lot's shape, and the quality of design; others opposed due to concerns about setting a precedent for encroachments and the lack of supporting findings. A motion was made to continue the item to October 21, 2021, directing staff to prepare a resolution for approval based on findings that special circumstances exist (corner lot, irregular shape), those circumstances were not created by the owner, the variance does not constitute a special privilege, and it is not detrimental to adjacent properties. The motion passed 3-1, with Commissioner Massaro dissenting.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar items approved unanimously.
- Brumm variance continued to October 21, 2021, with a directive to staff to return with a resolution for approval.
- Commissioner Massaro raised interest in improving bicycle parking standards for new developments, with staff indicating that such changes would be considered after the General Plan update and subsequent zoning ordinance amendments.
- The next regular meeting is scheduled for October 21, 2021 (no meeting on October 7).
Meeting Transcript
Well, good evening. Uh welcome to the September 16th City of Napa regular meeting for the Planning Commission. I would like to call this meeting to order and ask staff to conduct roll call. Commissioner Heather. Present. Commissioner Urtado is uh absent for the moment. He's on his way. Uh Commissioner Masaro. Here. Vice Chair Onyate? Here. And Chair Kelly is noted absent. Okay, we have our Pledge of Allegiance is next. To the flag of the United States of America. To the Republic for which it stands. One nation, undervived, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Let's see. The Planning Commission conducts all meetings in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. Uh California Government Code Sections 5950. And pursuant to the city's rules of orders for planning commission meetings, policy resolution number 10. Staff, uh, are there any changes to the um this evening's agenda or any proposed by um my fellow commissioners? None. Mr. Vice Chair. Um let's see if I have any support from the two of you, but I I would like to see the item 7a B and C even go under consent. 7A is the distillery. So I guess I could have made it easier. So that would be the Napa Valley Distillery on First Street, Bounty Hunter building extension. It's the second extension and the Brum variants that had to do with the setback on an addition. All three to go to um is the so the proposal on the I'm proposing that these three be put on consent, yes, sir. Okay. Um any discussion from my uh fellow commissioner staff, if could staff clarify something about the brum variants that's recommending denial. You really can't put a denial on consent. Then I'll withdraw that one. Um sorry, then it's the other two, and then I would propose that just the brum variants be um for a full hearing. Just the just 7A and 7B. A and B. Correct. And let the record show that uh Commissioner Hurtado has joined us. Uh Commissioner Hurtado, we are in the middle of uh discussing the agenda tonight. So we are um we're on item uh three, and so the proposition on the table right now is for us to move items 7a, the distill Napa Valley Distillery and 7B, the Bounty Hunter building extension to um consent. So um I think we need to vote on that. Yep, and so excuse me. And so if we could entertain a vote, Chair. Before the commission proceeds with a vote, I recommend checking with the public to see if there's anyone here that would like to comment. Is there anybody here that would like to speak on those um on those items? 7A or 7B. Is there anyone here for the distillery? Or is anyone here for Bounty Hunter?
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