The last minute's the longest minute.

Good evening and welcome to the October 16th, 2025 City of Napa regular meeting for the Planning Commission.

Roll call, please.

Commissioner Eboch.

Present.

Commissioner Masaro.

Present.

Commissioner Myers.

Present.

Chair Shotwell?

Present.

And then I have Vice Chair Owen noted as absent.

Thank you.

Please rise for the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

And to the Republic for which it stands.

The planning commission conducts all meetings in accordance with the Ralph Milton Brown Act.

California Government Code Sections 54950 et set.

And pursuant to the city's rules of order for planning commission meetings, policy resolution 10.

Staff any changes to this evening's agenda or any supplemental reports.

Yes, there is a change to this evening's agenda item 7B.

If you'll see a memo in your packet, staff is requesting that the item be continued to a date certain, November 6th, 2025, to give the applicant team time to provide additional information for staff to render their recommendation.

Excellent.

Public comment.

Public comment provides an opportunity for members of the public to directly address the planning commission on items of interest not otherwise noted on the agenda.

Each speaker's comments will be limited to three minutes and will comply with the rules of order for planning commission meetings.

Do we have any members of the public who wish to provide public comments on non-agenda items?

Okay.

Consent calendar.

These routine items may be approved by a single vote.

However, any member of the public or commissioner may remove an item for consideration during the public hearing portion of the agenda.

This evening we are reviewing the planning commission regular minute meeting minutes for September 4th, 2025.

Do I have a motion to approve?

So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Consent hearings.

These are items that are required to be noticed as a public hearing, but the city is not aware of any interest from members of the public to comment on the item.

However, any members of the public or commissioner may remove an item from the consent hearing calendar, and the item will be considered during the public hearing portion of the agenda.

Tonight we have item 6a, Galpao, Gaucho, live entertainment use permit at 1990 Trower Avenue.

Is there a request from a commissioner or a member of the public to pull this item from the consent hearings?

No.

Excellent.

Do I have a motion to approve the consent hearing as submitted?

So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

I may not be able to pronounce it, but I love the stake.

All right.

Thank you.

Public hearings or appeals.

These are items that are formally presented to the planning commission and provide an opportunity for members of the public to comment.

Applicants or appellants are allowed 10 minutes to present testimony at the beginning of the public hearing.

And if needed, five minutes to present rebuttal at the end of the public hearing.

All other speakers will be limited to three minutes.

Tonight we have the following item.

Thank you.

Item 7A, the Napa Social Food Truck Park at the vacant parcel at the east side of Saskell Avenue, south of Third Street, adjacent to the wine train tracks.

Commissioner disclosures, please.

Commissioner EBOC.

Driven by the site and spoke to staff.

No disclosures.

I am very familiar with the site, and I also spoke with staff.

So we'll now hear a report from Paul O'Neill.

Good evening, everybody.

Um this application requests a temporary use permit to operate 10 food trucks from private property and a design review permit for associated temporary improvements.

The property is located within the corridor mixed use low general plan designation and the gateway mixed use zoning district.

From the applicant team, I have TJ, Chris, and Marcus here, as well as the project's architect Bill Poon.

The property is located on the east side of Saskell Avenue, south of Third Street, between the wine train tracks and the Napa River adjacent to downtown Napa.

The parcel is vacant.

It is almost entirely paved with asphalt.

There's a small triangle of landscaping at the corner, but other than that, completely bare.

The applicant requests a use permit for the operation of 10 food trucks from private property.

This would be a temporary approval for a period of three years.

In addition, they request a design review permit for the design of temporary improvements like fencing, the portable bathrooms, lighting, and the dining area.

This is the proposed site plan.

The 10 trucks would be parked in a horseshoe shape around the dining area with the lighting.

The food truck area would be fenced with low fencing, and then down at the corner at the tip of the site, the three bathrooms would be located.

The project would utilize the existing circulation patterns at the site.

Access and exit onto Saskell and then exit only onto Third Street.

The second existing curb cut at the site is conditioned to either be removed or blocked with bullards with the project.

Here's a closer view of the proposed site plan.

For context, and here is the proposed temporary improvements, string lighting, wood picnic tables, fencing would be temporary.

The applicant would use reclaimed wine barrels and rope.

These are the specifications of the proposed portable bathrooms and hand washing station located at the tip of the parcel.

The project would provide 33 on-site parking spaces.

There's no parking requirement for food trucks or vendors operating on private property, so staff made the determination to apply the same parking requirement that would reply apply to any other food service use.

To calculate the area of the use, staff added the area of the 10 food trucks with the area of the dining area, which equaled 33 parking spaces.

The site would operate from 9 a.m.

to 11 p.m.

Monday through Sunday, so seven days a week.

The applicant proposes beer and wine service only from one vendor, one of the 10 vendors.

In addition, the applicant requests ambient low volume pre-recorded music only until 9 p.m.

Each vendor would require would be required to comply with all environmental health requirements, the California Retail Food Code, and each of the trucks would return to their approved commissary kitchen daily.

In addition, a temporary waste enclosure is proposed with the project.

This would be for customer waste only.

Vendor waste would be hauled off to the commissary and disposed of there, including any grease so there wouldn't be a grease trap at the site.

Um the applicant would hire a site manager um to be present during all operating hours.

Um the manager would be responsible for maintaining the dining areas, um hauling waste to the enclosure and preventing nuisances like litter, access noise, um, any parking issues.

Um the site manager cannot be one of the food truck operators.

The project has been conditioned to make this clear um and this approval would be temporary, um, for three years from the effective date of the permit, um, which would mean the project would expire on October 26, 2028.

Um staff recommends that the planning commission determine that the projects exempt from CEQA.

Um, pursuant to section 1531, which exempts accessory structures, which includes the placement of seasonal or temporary items such as mobile food units.

Um to approve the project, the commission must make the findings for a use permit, a design review permit, special findings for the Sasco Corridor Overlay District, and in addition, um findings required by the interim zoning ordinance.

Um staff recommends that the planning commission adopt a resolution approving the temporary use permit and design review permit to allow the 10 food trucks um to operate from the property and for the associated temporary improvements.

Thank you.

So, Paul, will the applicant be presenting and will they be speaking to the way those food trucks will generate enter energy, whether it will be through generators or provided electricity.

I can address that.

Um the uh temporary submeter would be installed with a project and um each of the food trucks would be hooked up to the submeter, so it'd be all electric.

There would be no generators at the site.

Meaning no sound, loud sounds from great.

I just wanted to make sure that we got that on record, and that was uh I think it's an important detail.

Of course.

Thank you.

So we will now hear from the applicant.

Thanks.

Hello, my name is TJ Devany.

Um thanks, commission for hearing us.

Want to publicly thank Paul O'Neill and the planning department, they've been great since the start, and uh we're happy to be here tonight.

So as Paul mentioned, um there's four of us that are that have been putting this together.

Uh myself, I live um in the Napa Valley.

Christian Osuna, who lives in the Napa Valley with his family, has um two food trucks currently and a construction company.

Marcus Marquez, who's a key part of the team as well, is a Napa Valley resident with his family and uh helped to develop and now oversees all of Brasswood, so has deep culinary background in the valley, big hospitality background.

We thought that was important as we build out something that is a value add for uh the residents and the visitors and uh something that people want to come and visit.

And then Bill Poon has been critical because we wanted to be compliant, obviously, and uh be good citizens with this project.

He's uh helped us from an architectural uh standpoint throughout the project.

Um at a high level, Paul covered some of this, but we wanted to get more into the you know the actual project and and the venue, and we really want to create a culinary culinary destination for friends, families.

You know, they can meet for lunch, they can meet for dinner and create a diverse food offering.

So, you know, there are different food truck parks that have maybe one culinary or one ethnic cuisine.

We want to make sure that we have a diverse offering, you know, different types of food, um, probably a you know, a dessert truck, for example, as well, so that you know a family or a group of friends can split up, get four or five different types of cuisine, come back and meet um you know at the seating with ambient lighting and and everybody has their favorite cuisine and it's a you know it's a very comfortable uh enjoyable place to have a meal with family or friends.

Um we want to support local entrepreneurs.

So, you know, whether it's um food trucks that you know or that um are not yet a part of of um the scene.

We want to work with local entrepreneurs and um and um you know Marcus has highlighted through this that we want to make sure this is a destination where we have a certain amount of standards for the you know the the owners of the trucks, the cuisine, and the look and feel so that it's it's uh you know a very um uplifting place to be and then as Paul mentioned one beer and wine vendor so that that's centralized and that it can be managed um as best as possible for the for the site um some of the log the logistics obviously we we want to make sure that that um of course we meet all code and requirements um commissioner shotwell as you asked all the trucks will use electric power so we've had preliminary conversations with uh PGE and so there will be no generators we want again this to be a very positive addition to the Napa um community and so they will all run on electric and we will work that out with PGE but we've had preliminary conversations with them.

Additionally each truck will have kitchen hoods to minimize odor so that any you know smells really should not leave the truck so we think that's very important as well for the community and for the diners at the site so all trucks will have hoods.

And then again the proposed hours are from uh 9 a.m to 11 p.m.

Not that we will you know meet all those hours daily but that's just um you know applying again continuing with with logistics paul mentioned this and again it's it's very important for the for the site for the organization and whatnot but we will have a site manager overseeing the daily operations you know everything from you know the logistics of the trucks coming and going the sanitation we want to make sure that that is you know addressed and having one point of contact for us one point of contact you know potentially for the city is very important and um that person will be very qualified and very capable.

Public restrooms and ADA compliant we'll have them service regularly Paul showed um graphically where they will be in the site more on the south end of the site I spoke to our uh vendor that we're working with and they've got numerous um uh they've got many locations in the city of Napa so that they said according to our needs for what timing we want the restroom serviced they can match that so obviously we would do that outside of business hours so that it's safe non-disruptive and whatnot so we're you know pleased with that Paul showed some of the photos of seating but we would have the plan is to have you know picnic tables and communal style tables kind of in the middle of this horseshoe but obviously sufficient seating for uh for the diners and then um we had a meeting with um one of the uh um teams within the city and um it's standard but everything you know dinner wear and utensils are all combustible to meet you know current code as well and then um this has been discussed but the the current empty lot you know when we saw it and Christian you know is the one who identified it several months ago um we thought it was a very good location empty lot now we want to build something beautiful something social and uh something that locals and visitors can both enjoy you know thinking creatively you know we we don't have a uh a set um determination yet but you know we we've talked about having guest chefs you know whether that's once a month or things like that to to keep things fresh and some type of culinary entertainment to entertain and to keep keep uh the um keep people coming in and wanting to to go to Napa Social and then we've looked at what San Francisco does we've looked at what other cities do um we've heard a lot about Portland that's a beautiful one as well you know there's a bit there's the ability to rotate some of the trucks just to keep the offering fresh, you know, potentially have a permanent offering and a couple trucks that would that would move.

So those are options as well.

And then for us as we think about next steps just to be transparent with the commission.

Um if uh approved, we you know, kind of the long pole in the tent would be working with PGE to ensure the lead times uh that we need to deliver extra electrical power to each of the stations.

We think the trucks will like that as well, because they won't have to worry about you know generators and things like that, and for the public, it is you know, it's very very it's silent.

Uh we would meet with food truck owners who want to be a part of Napa Social and have some standards for for um who we want to be a part of um of this offering.

Um create a diverse offering and maintain high standards um and then you know work to procure the fixtures, sanitation and uh all of the other things that will be part of this from you know uh to make a very beautiful space, and then we are targeting the spring of 2026 for opening.

So with that, thank you all, and uh that was our presentation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Very nice, thanks.

I think we'll open up public comment before we move to questions, okay.

Do is there anyone from the public who would like to speak on this agenda item?

Come on up, and please please state your name.

Hi, my name is Barbara Walker, and I have a house right across the street.

And initially I thought to myself, oh my god, this is bottle rock every single day, seven days a week, 14 hours a day.

Um I'm already putting up with a lot of noise in the area, and to have something like this every single day is a bit too much, especially right out my front door.

And then I looked up about I looked up the uh about the food trucks and and what they um release into the air and it's not good.

It's nitrogen oxide, which is smog, and yes, it sounds like he has a good idea to put the vents on top to keep the odors down, but I believe that the uh carbon the carbon footprint will go up, and also the nitrogen oxide, which is smog, will also increase in the area.

And then um that whole corridor of Saskell is very crowded already, as it is, so by putting it this place, it will just I think the traffic will back up a lot more than it is right now, and then on the exit, um it's right through the uh wine trains property, and then they'll have to make a everybody will have to make a right turn and they will turn right on to the railroad tracks, and I think that's not safe at all.

Whereas if you're coming from Saskell and you make a right turn and you have to cross over uh the railroad tracks there, the uh at least you have time to s to see the uh thing come to stick or whatever that thing is, the arm to come to down, and you also see the lights.

Whereas if you're coming out of that driveway, you're making immediate right turn right over the railroad tracks.

And I know because I um as far as the the vehicles, they're large.

So it's going to be a lot harder for them to make a right turn.

And I really looked at it and examined it, because I have a truck and I used to haul a horse trailer, and it's gonna be difficult, and especially um if somebody has uh a van or a truck over a food truck over 10,000 pounds, they're gonna have to have a commercial A license.

And I know some people, you know, they may not show up one day, or and they'll send their kids to drive drive drive into the f the the parking lot and put the uh put their vehicle on the property, and maybe that person won't have a a license.

So then who is liable?

That's my question.

Is it the property owner property owner becomes liable?

That's a question.

Because that the person will not be licensed.

So um it sounds like they're gonna be cleaning up the uh you guys are trying to clean up the area of the food trucks, like on Saskell, or what's the purpose of this?

We can't speak to that.

We're the commission, but we'll we'll t your time is almost up.

Did you have anything else to add?

Um, yes.

Um it says uh three years is temporary, and I'd like to know how three years is temporary.

We'll have we'll have staff uh speak to that.

Yeah, and especially when you can, what's the word you can um extend, extend right?

So it just it's continuous.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Barbara.

Is there anyone else from the public who would like to speak?

And I see that Tim Wood is here.

Um, would this be a good opportunity to speak to how the like public works and transportation and how it was addressed or was is that a question for staff?

Do we want to comment on that?

Before we uh staff begins to respond, I recommend that the commission close the public hearing.

Okay.

Oh, sorry about that.

Um, do I have a motion to close the public hearing?

So moved.

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Thank you.

Good evening, commissioners.

Ready to entertain any questions you have for public works.

Well, I just the matter of um accessing and the railroad tracks and what the public comment brought up.

Um a lot of our bigger projects, we'll have them do turning movements.

We'll have them show that on plans.

Um, I don't know if we've had that on our plans.

It may be worthwhile to have that done.

Um, but we I mean, I I think between uh hauling uh automobiles and trucks in and out of there, um I think you know the term moves and can be done.

Um it is restricted to right in, right out essentially.

Um so um, I mean, if you're trying to go the other way, you're gonna have to figure out how to do a U-turn or whatnot.

Uh but this project is small.

You know, we didn't require a traffic study or anything like that pertaining to it.

Um I think it's uh, you know, more of a ministerial type type of use.

I can speak more to that also.

Uh I and Tim could second this.

The the driveway access and the city street are meet all city standards for any vehicle.

Uh the fact that they're food trucks, they're perfectly capable of of accessing that that street as any other vehicle could.

We were looking at what six six vehicles max.

Uh there's nothing in that nothing about this that would trigger any additional uh warrants or uh analysis given that it's operating just like any vehicle would operate.

There was a there was an auto dealer there that used to have big trucks come in and cars come in and out.

There's not gonna be a problem with these vehicles coming in and out, and the fact that they have to make a right turn, that's what every other vehicle has had to do for years.

Uh the food the the wine train is is a private entity.

It isn't like there's train track, trains you know, coming up and down.

There's only so many that happened per day, and they don't happen at night.

So we don't foresee there being any kind of a issue, self-health and safety issue with the train tracks in coordination with this, just as there hasn't been with all the other uses that have been on that site.

We've had restaurants, uh the depot hotel, Green's automotive.

Uh it's it's been used for 50 years for commercial activities.

This commercial activity is far less intense than most of the things that have happened over the years there.

So there's no issues that we see uh with that with regard to who's driving the vehicle.

That's not really the city's jurisdiction.

Uh they have to follow the requirements of the health department and of course motor vehicle department.

If someone's driving the vehicle that's not licensed, that's not gonna be the planning department that's gonna verify that.

That would be up to the health department, environmental health, and also the the police department if there was something to be found uh wrong or legitimate.

Those those vehicles have to be inspected by the health the department of environmental health.

They have to keep their license up for the vehicle.

They're the they're the entity that would monitor whether a vehicle is still up to standard and working operating in a in accordance with their rules.

The fact that those vehicles are operating in this food corral doesn't matter whether they're operating here or anywhere.

Those are the requirements that apply to them wherever they go, and again, that's not the city's uh jurisdiction to review, that's environmental health.

And of course, any moving vehicle would be the police department.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, Tim.

Sure.

All right.

So um we can now um go down the road here and ask questions of staff.

Anyone would anyone like to begin with questions or comments for staff or the applicant?

I don't have any.

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner Masaro.

There we go.

Push the right button.

If maybe if Bill could come up, the architect, and explain just using this map up here, could you kind of walk us through how you plan to load the vehicles and then unload the vehicles?

You mean on-site and off-site?

Yeah.

So I think that the main entrance on uh Saskell Avenue would be used for both incoming and outgoing.

It's a forty-foot wide driveway.

And uh yes, they would need to approach the site from uh from the south, moving northbound, making a right turn into the site.

Uh and then uh uh on egress uh they would use that same entrance to uh make a right turn onto Saskell going northbound, and then you know, they if they need to go southbound, then they can uh make a right turn on Burnell and go the way that the uh vine transit buses go and uh meet with Saskell down at uh eighth street.

When they get to that point of what was called a horseshoe kind of a point, um, how do you foresee those trucks getting into that position?

I mean, it's gonna be, I mean, for you for you guys uh managing the site, it's gonna be um scheduled, I'm sure.

And um and getting in there, but that point just looks like just a little bit tight to it is tight, yes.

Um it's it will be more than a three-point turn.

It may require uh some uh assistance or flagging.

Uh it'll be um it'll be uh it'll be done gingerly.

But yeah, it's a triangular site, and that's sort of the nature of triangles.

If I may, I think it's worth noting that a lot of these improvements are temporary in nature can be moved.

So the barrels and the rope can easily be moved if there is a pinch point.

So the tables can be moved if they're for some reason based off of the timing of the trucks as they've been parked, need to be moved to allow for those turn movements that can all be facilitated.

I mean, timing of the food trucks will be up to the way they manage it, but just from a practical standpoint, because these improvements are are temporary and venting it off.

If adjustments need to be made case by case to allow for the turn movement, I don't foresee that being difficult.

Sure.

So furthermore, for the market, um retention of the uh driveway at the southern tip of the property uh is a worthwhile alternative, meaning because the uh the barrier, which is only merely required for uh beverage control, uh because it's if the barriers are movable, flexible, then it's just a matter of moving a barrel and some rope to allow uh trucks to alternative uh uh negotiate that driveway instead.

Sure.

The way I understand it right now is that the way it's conditioned is that the barriers are not movable.

Is that correct?

Yes, that's correct.

Um there was a concern about um customers or visitors trying to enter the site while it's open using that driveway.

Um so that was the reason for the condition, right?

And uh the so we had two options to deal with the driveway.

One which was to uh replace the driveway apron with the side's turbine sidewalk, or the other to place a barrier behind the sidewalk.

That's correct.

And so let's say if we opted for the second one, the barrier, that it'd be a movable barrier that could be uh maneuvered such that it could allow trucks a secondary way in and out.

Um that would be that could be considered it'd have to be approved by the public works department.

Right.

So right now, the way it's written is it's not movable.

I would prefer well to me it makes a lot more sense if that barrier was movable.

Because then you would be able to load those trucks in a lot easier than having them come down, turnaround, back up, back up, back up, back up, go forward and make that um parking stall, those five trucks parking along Saskell.

So for me, I would feel better about allowing that, um, to the applicant to work that out with public works, but encourage public works to allow that, you know, that and that indirect ingress and egress for loading and loading.

I understand what you're saying.

I apologize.

I didn't understand what you meant by movable.

Um not like the bullets that you can um dip into the asphalt and move that kind of thing.

Is that what you're picturing?

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah, that's what I'm picturing.

Um and then as far as the um manager that you have on site, it's I would imagine this is kind of like a uh this is probably more for the applicants behind you, Bill.

But um I would imagine that it's I would hope that you're building into your operation plan that they're you're building in some type of co-op of people that are working together and that you're all gonna be following the rules and making sure that you have licensed drivers and all of that, correct?

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner Eblock.

Being that this site is so visible from saw school and which acts as a gateway, you know, if you're coming off of the highway into downtown Napa.

I'm curious to know more about the restroom facilities.

So the image that was provided is in black and white, and it was a little bit difficult to visualize what those might look like.

Um can you speak to those in terms of like the color and um and I'm curious if they are that kind of standard green portable restroom, like they look like they might be um if you'd be open to swapping them out with something that's gonna be a little bit more aesthetically pleasing, or alternatively putting some screening in just in that landscape area there to kind of hide those restroom facilities.

Yeah, we could we're certainly open to that.

Um and again we want this to be a you know, a site that is you know pleasing to the eye as well uh to the culinary and we are very open to that.

You know, it's actually something that we did speak with Paul and the commission about is how do we shield that so that it is um um you know not an ice or you know, portable restrooms.

Um we are um we've gotten proposals from two of the, you know, largest um uh sanitary companies in the area, um, as I mentioned ADA and uh uh washing station, you know, outside, and we could certainly put fencing around it.

You know, we've had thoughts of partnering with um, you know, one of the art studios or one of the schools and having it be a you know fun school project for the kids to you know, paint the fence and things like that, and you know, whether it's a Napa theme or something that they create, um just another way to make it part of the community.

But yeah, we we have no problem doing that at all.

I think that would be great, and especially like when you think when the trucks are there, yeah, you're not gonna you know notice the facilities, but when the trucks leave and in the morning when you're going by, it's just gonna look like picnic tables, you know, an empty lot and then some restroom facilities.

So they're your eye is gonna be drawn to them.

Um so I would love to see some kind of wall with, like you said, an art feature um or probably don't want to do planting um since this well, yeah, something.

Yeah, whether it's fencing with, you know, painting and things like that.

But yes, something that's that's uh good looking.

And then the other question that I had is um based on the stuff report it appears that there are only three bicycle parking um stalls that were or not stalls, but um what is the word I'm trying to say?

Thank you, racks.

Um that will be uh installed.

Um are you all open to installing more?

I mean, this is right on the trail, and I feel like it's gonna be not worried about parking at all because I feel like everyone is gonna want to walk around their bike.

Yep, yeah yeah we are very open to that and it's yeah not no question whatsoever.

Yeah.

Okay.

We would we're very open I mean we would start with more than three um and um and then we'll be very flexible if demand is more than that we'll I mean the Vine Trail is getting a lot more use even up north which is fantastic.

I love it.

And and we want to be able to offer what the customers want.

So yeah we would be very open to that.

Do you have a number that you're comfortable with so that way we can fifteen 10 what would you be comfortable I think 10 is great.

Start with 10 yeah yeah that's fine.

Unless any of my colleagues have you know I think something you can always add more by cracks if you if you start with 10 yeah okay great okay no thank you.

Still good great.

So um speaking of the bathroom facilities I know that there are higher end options out there.

The fact that you'll have 10 food trucks from 9 a.m until 11 p.m that's a lot of people that could potentially if you eat maybe you'll have a donut you know truck maybe you'll have a um hot cocoa at the end of the evening so literally you may end up this may be a very popular location and I feel that two portable toilets in in that capacity are not appealing for that amount of traffic that you could potentially have with 10 food trucks and I know that other locations that have similar food courts have better bathrooms.

Right so three was in the proposal and again serviced regularly um off hours um as often as we as often as needed so similar to the to the bike racks we will adjust um you know to more than meet the demand if they're if within the first two days we see that we need more portable restrooms we can add to it very quickly.

And someone will be servicing those on a regular basis like hourly much like every other public restroom that you'll have staff available I'm also looking just you know for the sanitary aspect as well as aesthetic yeah so to let me have Marcus who obviously Marcus Marquez um to answer that question.

Yes we are very fortunate to have best practices and all these other food courts and they give us a numbers of of traffic volume to bathrooms and of other festivals that have happened like that where which is this is not that we have the access to really in real time make a change and speak to sanitation to get more of the uh bathrooms in as a restaurant tour person that's the one thing I'm always focused on is what that is because we all get judged by our bathrooms over than the restaurant so we're gonna be on that for sure.

Okay fantastic thank you all right I have um everyone else uh covered all of my concerns and more so uh do we have any additional comments or concerns before we deliberate I think there was a question that the someone else in the public that staff was gonna address uh regarding expiration yeah oh that's a great thank you for thinking about um so to clarify uh most uh use permits don't have an expiration date um they're permanent so to speak um this use permit does um so it's considered temporary um the uh that's the difference um hopefully that answers the question yeah there is no there is no definition of what is temporary what we know that what what is definitely not temporary is a permanent approval.

So when you normally a use permit when you grant that it runs with the land and it stays there until the time it's revoked.

In this case, this is only has a three-year lifespan.

Therefore, that's temporary.

There's nothing that says temporary has to be two weeks, three weeks, or can't be three years.

It's not permanent, so therefore it's temporary we uh we know this this site is uh has a higher and better value than this property owner is going to want to do something much more grandiose.

We've had an application for you know a mixed use of development at the time.

The wine train was proposing they've walked away from that because they focused their attention somewhere else.

But I know I I'm positive that at one point in time, given the value of that property's location, it's going to become something else permanent at some point in time.

So this is just a temporary use for the time that it's vacant.

There will come a time when the property owner will want to do something more than collect whatever revenues he's collecting from this these applicants for their rent and do something that's more permanent and lasting.

On that, thanks for that.

Um with the three years, assuming you're if we are approved, can the three years would it begin upon opening?

No, so it would be um from the effective date of the permits.

So uh provided there's no appeals ten days from today, if the project's approved.

Okay, okay, thanks.

Um, I just one more.

Not one more, but what I had said about the South Driveway.

Um do we have a consensus among us where we can make sure that that they work with public works and that that can be accessible for loading and unloading those vehicles.

I think having fewer permanent obstructions in place makes a lot of sense.

Agreed.

Yeah, I agree.

If I could clarify, the bollards are actually movable.

They're not they're not being bolted to the ground or instant.

Okay.

They're just very heavy bollards that aren't easy to move, but they can be moved.

Okay.

So there's no condition there that says they can't use that driveway, just that it needs to be blocked during their business hours.

Correct.

Okay.

Okay.

Good.

That's great.

Thank you for that clarification.

Very helpful.

All right.

So do I have a motion?

Yeah, let's see why we have to continue.

I might ask um one more.

Okay.

If we are also on board with the conditions that I had asked for in terms of the 10 um bike rocks and then the screening for the restrooms.

Oh, absolutely.

Okay.

So would you like to make the motion?

Sure.

Okay.

And we don't need to include, sorry, for clarification of staff.

We do not need to change the condition in terms of the bollard.

No, correct.

That's already there.

Yeah.

Okay, yeah, thank you.

Uh staff recommends that the planning commission adopt a resolution approving a temporary use permit and design a review permit to allow 10 food trucks to operate at the site for a period of three years, and for associated temporary approvements at APN 006 190 001, and determining the project is exempt from CEQA with the additional conditions that the number of bike racks be 10, and that screening is provided at the rear of the site for the restroom facilities.

Second.

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

All right.

Administrative reports.

Before we move on, there will need to be a motion to item 7B to continue the project to a date certain.

So wait.

You can make a motion as outlined staff supplemental memo continuing item 7B to November 6, 2025.

Okay, Commissioner Myers, which is a second.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Thank you, writer.

Administrative reports.

Please hold.

Administrative report items include reports and recommendations from city staff that do not require public hearing prior to action by the commission.

The commission may take action if the agenda description provides for it.

Only the planning commission may authorize public input for these items.

It is within the discretion of the chair and commission to allow public testimony testimony.

Tonight we have item 8A, the quarterly development report.

We will now hear a report, the report from Michael Walker.

Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the commission.

Uh again, no formal presentation for this.

This is the quarterly development report for the third quarter of a rapidly coming to an end, 2025.

The report is intended to inform the commission and council and members of the public of the status of development projects submitted to the planning division uh each quarter.

The report also breaks down residential permits issued by the building division.

Uh as you can see in the report, uh a couple residential projects of note.

We've had two design review and administrative permits, one multifamily design review permit, which uh proposes 230 units.

So that's good.

Uh non-residential projects, we had five use permits, two design review permits, and a zoning text amendment, and two certificates of appropriateness for historic property alterations and six Mills Act applications came in in this last quarter.

We totaled seven this year uh that were uh uh forwarded by the commission last week to city council for approval.

Uh 36 uh residential building permits were issued in quarter three, which includes 22 uh single family or town home permits and 14 ADUs.

Um with that, I'm happy to answer any questions you have on uh the third quarter report.

Go ahead.

I don't have any questions.

No questions.

Well, I uh how's it looking for those mills at contracts?

Do you think there will be any issues?

I mean, I know you're not a psychic, but I don't.

Uh they were all unanimously approved on consent at CHC.

Uh so we'll see going to council on the fourth.

So what do you think the uptick is?

Um I'm so happy that people are actually applying for those.

What and why why the uptick?

Well, I can say two things this year that happened.

Uh the county assessor's office did a kind of a uh educational series, I if you will, on uh the mills act and the and the benefits to historic property owners uh within Napa County.

And after that, I noticed an uptick in questions and calls and and whatnot.

Uh Commissioner Karen Weston and I also spoke to a group of realtors uh about the uh benefits of owning uh historic properties and what it takes to you know keep them up and improve them over time.

And she did a whole uh presentation on the Mills Act as well.

So I think there were two uh opportunities there for the public to learn a little bit more about the program, and thus we see the uptick in applications on that.

That's fantastic.

If I can add the uptick, it's because there's a savings and property tax.

Yes, that too.

Right.

That's the big thing.

But you know, we've always encouraged people to do that.

You know, the Cultural Heritage Commission, but I but it we never had this kind of traction.

So that's wonderful.

Well, thank you, and thanks to Karen Wesson.

All right.

Well, and thank you for that presentation.

On the I was gonna say on the uh uh quarterly development report going forward.

Um this is something that I thought maybe it'd be a good time, a good opportunity for you guys to be thinking about.

This is something that we just bring to the commission.

Uh I created this back in 2019-ish, I think, and obviously the makeup of the commission has changed.

I think the development happenings in the city have changed, you know, quite a bit in those years.

Uh, and you know, we've we've made some adjustments to this report over time based on commissioner feedback.

So now's a good time as we're approaching me handing it off to someone else and starting a new year next year.

Are there things uh that would be helpful for the commission to see in a report writer and I write over there?

Writer and I met uh a couple weeks ago to kind of talk about things, and I this is one of the things I mentioned that this is a good opportunity for this to evolve into something uh, you know, more than just kind of a data dump.

Uh if there's things in this that you would like to see enhanced, you know, now's a kind of a good time to be thinking about that.

So no need to decide tonight.

Just think something to think about uh as we've you know looked at these reports for several years and and if there's things that would make sense that we can easily pull um based on the information and systems we have now or new systems that we should be having uh get in place uh uh here soon uh that may be able to query some better data.

So just be thinking about it.

One thing I could just say off the top of my head, because I seem to always ask it.

What did you know I was going to have a question?

Is that no?

Um is that the fact that like e if it's whether it's ADUs or some areas that seem to be more highly developable developed, you know, or the applications are coming in from specific areas, you know.

But if it's very spread out, you know, I'd like to know, or is it concentrated in a couple of different areas in terms of where a lot of the new development or applications or, you know, what you're seeing in terms of the areas.

Could be a good way to further disseminate that information.

Like whether it's old town is it the historic area?

Is it Browns Valley?

Is it you know that that it might be fun to see?

All right.

There's no simple way to track that though.

That would require some laborious work.

We don't have a way of in any of our systems tracking where they are versus someone just looking at all the applications and plotting where they're located at.

Which is something that can be done, but I'm just sharing that it's not that we have the ability to just correlate where what the you know, geographically where they're happening in the city.

Yeah, I know we've had we've had those questions come up before, and it's just right now our systems aren't aren't uh savvy enough to query that data for us.

Hopefully, I bet it eventually, eventually, move into the 2000s will have some uh better uh methods to query that data.

So you'll give us all the algorithms and everything.

Yeah, and I don't want to speak to the definitive nature of um the new systems, but there could be capabilities to do that.

Um not to say they aren't nuanced and and complex to uh to start looking for those things.

Um but the new systems will tie to GIS and could potentially do that, but I don't want to definitively um claim that that's a possibility just yet.

Thank you.

Well, we certainly don't want to put any of our staff out of a job either by going all technical.

All right.

Well, thank you.

You're welcome.

All right, so there we have that.

Uh do I have any commissioners or staff members that would like to make any comments outside of the agendas?

No staff comments.

No, yes.

Oh, you have them okay, great.

I do.

I just um at some point I'd like us to figure out where we are in our zoning update and our um, yes.

And our um objective design standards.

I feel like we're a little behind in the work on the planning commission side.

So uh, good question and good good timing uh as far as where we are.

The admin draft of the uh uh new zoning ordinance along with the um objective design standards administrative draft will be available to staff in probably two to three weeks.

Uh we'll be early November getting that to key staff and we'll be looking at that, and uh that will be the time for um our current planning staff to really dive in and take a look at uh the changes that we're making to the zoning ordinance, making sure we're hitting all of the the things.

Uh that review will likely go through the end of the year and into January because it is going to be a pretty big document as you can imagine, uh, and it's very detailed.

So we'll have lots of sets of eyes on it, looking at it chapter by chapter.

So I would ex anticipate that after the first of the year we will be getting ready to tidy that up, make those edits based on staff comment and get it ready for uh a public review draft, in which that's when the commission's gonna be a lot more involved, the members of the public will be a lot more involved, there'll be you know workshops and and all sorts of uh other outreach activities to get the word out about the the new zoning ordinance that's coming so we're not too far behind schedule but along with the holidays coming up and everything like that it's it's it that review time for staff is probably gonna bleed into the uh first part of next year all right thank you welcome yeah one more one more um as we're coming into the end of the year where um some of us are gonna be reapplying and some of us are or may not whatever we're just at the end of the year um I have a term that is gonna continue in for the next two years and Aaron's got a term that continues in for one more year and last year because it was so late in um getting appointed to the planning commission she and I missed out on going to that um conference that they have for planning commissioners and I would just want to make sure that y'all know that I'd like to go to that conference um next year.

So noted we will we will make sure to re to ping you when it when we're ready for the next uh commission seminar.

I believe that every year that I've been on on the commission each year everyone is invited.

It's standard practice.

It's just a matter of some often we don't get everyone that uh participates.

So we're we're happy when everyone wants to go.

Yeah I have a just a comment on the hearing tonight.

Um I'm really happy that we as a commission I think the reason I wanted to make a comment is because frequently in the Napa register Facebook comments or next door or public sentiment at large a lot of things you hear is well well why don't they ever do anything for the locals all this is for the tourists and you know we are responsive to the applications we receive right I mean we don't create them we just react to them but I think this was a great example of something um much like the sports complex that we had last month that is specifically great for locals for families for um fostering a sense of community for you know mobilizing bike riders and walkers and neighborhood residents and not just you know funneling people into hotels and into tasting rooms and the reason that I want to point that out is because um we exercised a lot of restraint I think also in kind of an unspoken recognition of that that hey look uh they've got a good team of experienced hospitality professionals they're gonna do a good job you know they want their business to succeed we could have drilled into the nitty gritty of well how are you gonna fix the rope to the barrels and how are you gonna what's the pattern that the lights are going to be strung in and well what is is your you know if you're gonna have um artificial grass is it gonna be more like a fescue or a Kentucky blue awesome I mean the things that were discussed were important and and I think we'll improve the project in terms of accessibility and visibility um but we didn't bog ourselves down and make things harder or more app or more onerous for the applicant and I'm just really happy about that because you know it's hard to get a project even even only for three years how are they gonna make any money in just three years so it's hard to get a project like that going it's hard to get through you know the the the governmental regulations and so that we sort of said okay we trust that you're gonna do this the right way and we're doing it was really awesome.

Thank you guys and I and I wanted to meant to speak to Ms.

Walker who who left and maybe she'll watch this on TV.

She did have legitimate concerns I do feel that they were adequately addressed.

I think that change is always a little bit scary um especially if you're gonna live within sight I don't think she'll right across the street because you know I've been there and there's there's some distance, but hopefully she will see in the near future that her concerns were not so uh realize that this the project is actually very nice and she'll like it, and then three years when they come up for a newal, she'll come back and say, Hey, this is a place is great, and I eat there three times a week.

So, anyway, thanks everybody for for that.

Was it was really nice, and hopefully, uh we'll all have a fun place to go in the evenings soon.

Another fun place to go in the evenings soon.

Thank you.

And I I do appreciate all of that, especially because it's not necessary for us to respond to public comment.

It's our at our discretion, and we don't, and you know, staff is not required to address it either.

And the fact that we did shows that we are um proactive and responsive, and we are and we care, and we're also locals ourselves, so thank you.

All right.

Well, uh, the only thing I have to add is Radio Bobcat's playing tonight at the Fink from 7 30 to 9 30.

Uh the next that I've never done before, and I just thought of it off the top of my head.

Uh, the next regularly scheduled meeting for the planning commission of the city of Napa is November 6th, 2025.

We are adjourned.