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Record of Proceedings

Napa Planning Commission Regular Meeting: January 20, 2022 - Chair Selection, B&B, and Development Report

Planning Commission — Thursday, January 20, 2022
BodyNapa, California
SessionPlanning Commission
DateThursday, January 20, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Everyone.

0:02

Yes, it is.

0:04

Sorry, Honga.

0:06

Are we are we live?

0:15

We should be live, Patty.

0:16

It's three 5 30.

0:18

Is Patty gonna tell us that we're live?

0:21

Well, usually she runs it up, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it's 5 30, we're live.

0:24

All right, very good.

0:26

Um welcome everyone to the regular uh meeting of the planning commission for January 20th uh 2022.

0:36

Um we look a little different to you and we feel a little different or uh coming to you virtually.

0:42

Um I wanted to let everyone know that um because of the uh current uh Omicron um outbreak, um the city will conduct this meeting as a teleconference in compliance with California Government Code Section 54953E.

1:02

Members of the planning commission and city staff are participating virtually.

1:07

City council chambers closed.

1:10

In addition to the Zoom platform, the meeting is broadcast on cable TV, channel 28, and streamed live on the city's website.

1:20

And uh I ask everyone for their patience as we uh did this for a while and then went back to uh regular meetings and and now we're back in the virtual space.

1:30

Um the first item is the uh roll call, and staff may have a roll call vote, please, a roll call.

1:38

Mr.

1:38

Chair, uh Ben Smith Community Development Director.

1:41

Uh Commissioner Heeler.

1:44

I am present.

1:46

Commissioner Hurtano.

1:48

Here Commissioner Masaro.

1:51

Here Commissioner Shotwell, welcome.

1:54

Thank you.

1:55

Here uh Chair Kelly.

1:58

I'm here, thank you.

2:00

All commissioners are present.

2:02

Okay.

2:03

Um our next item is uh the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:06

We don't really have a flag here, so everyone can uh conduct that and we will look forward to bringing that back when we are again in chambers.

2:14

Um item number three is Commissioner Welcome and selection of chair and vice chair.

2:19

Um first of all, you know, I want to welcome Commissioner Hurtado back and congratulations on your reappointment.

2:28

And I would like to introduce uh to the commission, Commissioner Beverly Shotwell, and welcome to the commission over me.

2:38

I am so grateful to be here.

2:40

Thank you all.

2:42

Do you have anything that you would like to share with us?

2:47

I'm not prepared to share anything at this time.

2:52

I'm just very much looking forward to um being part of this and Ricky.

2:57

At some point, I would love to find out.

3:00

Um, your affiliation with Raul Hurtado, and because I know him, and I want to know how you got that fancy background, and you'll need to help me work on that for my future.

3:17

Thank you.

3:19

All right, so we've got a uh an a new look uh to the commission this year, and I'm looking forward to us uh moving forward and doing great things.

3:29

Um so we all know that uh vice chair on Yate uh resigned uh his post with um the planning commission, which leaves us in a little bit of an awkward spot because traditionally the vice chair would be appointed as uh chair of the commission.

3:48

So I think what I would like to do instead is to pull the commission for interested parties for the position of chair and then uh go back to the commissioners and ask them to vote to select a new chair.

4:04

So with that said, are there members of the commission that are interested in in the position of chair?

4:11

Mr.

4:12

Chair, um I think that's very eloquently done.

4:17

Um I um will follow my sword for the commission and volunteer to be the chair, but I think I would also say that we do have some precedent protocol.

4:31

Um traditionally, and it would be I think a matter of well, this is the first time in 17 years that we've been in this kind of weird spot.

4:39

I would like to say that.

4:41

Um, and I think then seniority then would probably reign uh tenure, whatever you want to call it.

4:48

So I would volunteer that.

4:50

Um so I don't know if that means I'm I hate to nominate myself, maybe somebody else might like me too.

4:55

I don't know.

4:56

And then I was going to um nominate for vice chair of commissioner.

5:03

Yeah, before you do that, I would yeah, I would certainly like to take the um a nomination of chair, and I guess as opposed to an official nomination, um, you know, based on going through the recent uh um reappointment of city council that we would we would have interested parties uh uh show their interest and then let's say ask the commission to vote.

5:29

And um I I too would like to throw my my name uh uh into the ring.

5:36

Um I've enjoyed the past year and and uh would also look forward to kind of carrying forward another year.

5:45

So going back to the commission, other are there other commissioners uh wanting to put their name in the room for chair okay so I like the idea of the experience and the seniority of Paul, Commissioner Kelly and Commissioner uh um and Gordon Heuther, I think that uh um I I would be interested in being vice chair, but not chair.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████████38%
Historic Preservation███████████████████████23%
Personnel Matters████████████12%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Parking Management███████7%
Architecture████4%
Zoning Ordinance Update███3%
Affordable Housing███3%
Disability Rights█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Napa Planning Commission Regular Meeting: January 20, 2022 - Chair Selection, B&B, and Development Report

The Napa Planning Commission met virtually on January 20, 2022, at 5:30 PM to conduct its regular business. The meeting included the selection of a new chair and vice chair, approval of routine items, a public hearing for a bed and breakfast use permit, a continuance, and a quarterly development report. All commissioners were present.

Consent Calendar

  • Planning Commission Minutes (December 2, 2021): Approved with Commissioner Shotwell abstaining (she was not a member at that time).
  • Requirements for Remote Public Meetings: Found that the COVID-19 emergency continues to impact the ability to meet safely in person; authorized continued teleconferencing per Government Code Section 54953(e). Approved unanimously.

Consent Hearings

  • Il Posto Liquor Service (4211 Solano Avenue): Approved a use permit for ancillary liquor service at an existing restaurant. The project was found exempt from CEQA under Section 15301. No public comments were made.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke during the general public comment period or on the consent hearings.

Discussion Items

  • Selection of Chair and Vice-Chair: After discussion, Commissioner Gordon Huether was elected Chair (unanimous) and Commissioner Bob Massaro was elected Vice-Chair (unanimous). Commissioner Paul Kelly stepped back from consideration for Chair, citing the tradition of rotating annually. Commissioner Huether's term is the last year of his current appointment.
  • Heath Bed & Breakfast (741 Seminary Street): Applicant John Heath requested a use permit to convert a historic four-bedroom house into a seven-guest-room bed and breakfast with a manager's room. The project would use four on-site and four on-street parking spaces, supported by a parking study that found ample availability. The applicant stated that a portion of profits would go to recovery ministries. A late communication from a neighbor expressed concern about parking, but the commission found the parking sufficient. The project was approved unanimously (5-0) with a resolution finding CEQA exemptions under Sections 15301 and 15303.
  • Cal-West Rentals Outdoor Storage Yard (1890 Pueblo Avenue): The applicant requested a continuance to the February 17, 2022, regular meeting. The commission approved the continuance unanimously.
  • Quarterly Development Report (Q4 2021): Planning Manager Bob Walker presented the year-end report. Highlights: 199 residential building permits issued in 2021 (up from 157 in 2020), 180 development applications submitted, and 334 residential permits finaled. The report also noted a strong quarter for ADUs and multifamily projects, including the 20-unit Caritas and 70-unit formerly Pietro Place projects.

Key Outcomes

  • Chair and Vice-Chair: Gordon Huether elected Chair, Bob Massaro elected Vice-Chair for 2022.
  • Il Posto Liquor Service: Use permit approved (unanimous).
  • Heath Bed & Breakfast: Use permit approved (unanimous, Vote: 5-0).
  • Cal-West Rentals: Continued to the February 17, 2022, meeting.
  • Remote Meeting Protocols: Continued teleconferencing authorized.
  • Quarterly Report: Received and filed.

Meeting Transcript

Everyone. Yes, it is. Sorry, Honga. Are we are we live? We should be live, Patty. It's three 5 30. Is Patty gonna tell us that we're live? Well, usually she runs it up, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it's 5 30, we're live. All right, very good. Um welcome everyone to the regular uh meeting of the planning commission for January 20th uh 2022. Um we look a little different to you and we feel a little different or uh coming to you virtually. Um I wanted to let everyone know that um because of the uh current uh Omicron um outbreak, um the city will conduct this meeting as a teleconference in compliance with California Government Code Section 54953E. Members of the planning commission and city staff are participating virtually. City council chambers closed. In addition to the Zoom platform, the meeting is broadcast on cable TV, channel 28, and streamed live on the city's website. And uh I ask everyone for their patience as we uh did this for a while and then went back to uh regular meetings and and now we're back in the virtual space. Um the first item is the uh roll call, and staff may have a roll call vote, please, a roll call. Mr. Chair, uh Ben Smith Community Development Director. Uh Commissioner Heeler. I am present. Commissioner Hurtano. Here Commissioner Masaro. Here Commissioner Shotwell, welcome. Thank you. Here uh Chair Kelly. I'm here, thank you. All commissioners are present. Okay. Um our next item is uh the Pledge of Allegiance. We don't really have a flag here, so everyone can uh conduct that and we will look forward to bringing that back when we are again in chambers. Um item number three is Commissioner Welcome and selection of chair and vice chair. Um first of all, you know, I want to welcome Commissioner Hurtado back and congratulations on your reappointment. And I would like to introduce uh to the commission, Commissioner Beverly Shotwell, and welcome to the commission over me. I am so grateful to be here. Thank you all. Do you have anything that you would like to share with us? I'm not prepared to share anything at this time. I'm just very much looking forward to um being part of this and Ricky. At some point, I would love to find out. Um, your affiliation with Raul Hurtado, and because I know him, and I want to know how you got that fancy background, and you'll need to help me work on that for my future. Thank you. All right, so we've got a uh an a new look uh to the commission this year, and I'm looking forward to us uh moving forward and doing great things. Um so we all know that uh vice chair on Yate uh resigned uh his post with um the planning commission, which leaves us in a little bit of an awkward spot because traditionally the vice chair would be appointed as uh chair of the commission. So I think what I would like to do instead is to pull the commission for interested parties for the position of chair and then uh go back to the commissioners and ask them to vote to select a new chair. So with that said, are there members of the commission that are interested in in the position of chair? Mr. Chair, um I think that's very eloquently done. Um I um will follow my sword for the commission and volunteer to be the chair, but I think I would also say that we do have some precedent protocol. Um traditionally, and it would be I think a matter of well, this is the first time in 17 years that we've been in this kind of weird spot.

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