Written Project Description
Vintage Farm Subdivision
This application requests approval to subdivide a 10.45-acre property at 1185 Sierra Avenue into 53 single family lots and five open space parcels. The subdivision will be served with new public streets and the connection of Sierra Avenue east to the northern terminus of Villa Lane. The proposed homes within the su bdivision will range in size from 1,878 to 2,843 square feet on lots that range in size from 4,823 square feet to 8,247 square feet.
The subject property is located at the eastern terminus of Sierra Drive and along the western edge of Villa Lane. The si te is currently the location of the Vintage Farm , which is owned and operated by the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD). The NVUSD is proposing to relocate and construct a new farm complex within unincorporated County of Napa property north east of Vintage High School. The sale of this property will facilitate the construction and program development of the new Vintage Farm. As such, all of the existing shed and barn buildings on the current farm site will be removed along with several smal l ornamental trees.
The property is currently bordered by single family homes to the south, west, and east across Villa Lane. An undeveloped portion of Garfield Park borders the property to the north across the proposed Sierra Avenue extension. The pro ject site is within a partially developed neighborhood with all public utilities and services in place.
General Plan
This property is currently located within the PS-811 General Plan designation . Under the proposed Napa 2040 General Plan update , the property will be designated Low Density Residential which will provide for single -family residential development with densities ranging from 3.0 to 8.0 units per acre. This classification is mainly intended for detached single-family dwellings. The proposed density of the development is 5.0 units an acre, consistent with the proposed low-density designation.
The Housing Element has policies that encourage the efficient use of land and making every effort to approve well -designed projects in the mid to high range of general plan densities.
This project is consistent with both these policies. Additional policies in the Land Use Element encourage projects to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The applicant believes the proposed single-family use, lot sizes, and density are consistent with the existing development pattern established in this area.
Zoning
The project site is currently zoned PQ, Public Quasi Public; however, based on the proposed General Plan 2040 anticipated designation as noted above, a new residential zoning district will be applied upon its adoption. The adjacent residential properties to the west are Zoned RS-5, and the residential properties to the south and east are Zoned RI -4. In la ying out the proposed subdivision, the project engineer relied on the development standards of the RI-4 ATTACHMENT 2
Zoning District. All of the p roposed lots satisfy or exceed the minimum lot size and development standards of the RI-4 District.
The subdivision application includes a Rezoning request to the RI-4, Residential Infill Zoning District, or applicable Zoning District to comply with the new adopted 2040 General Plan designation.
Access and Street Connections
The proposed subdivision will be served by a looped public street that will connect to the eastward extension of Sierra Avenue and a short stub “Street B” connection to the existing Villa Lane. The connection of Sierra Avenue eastward is listed in the Cit y’s General Plan Transportation Element as a Future Roadway Improvement (Policy T -1.9 g) . This street extension will be constructed to the appropriate City standard width with curb, gutter, planter strip and sidewalk.
With the exception of the Street B , a short street connecting to Villa Lane , all access to the future homes within the subdivision will be from the 36-foot-wide public street with separated sidewalk along both sides, consistent with Public Works Development Standards.
The small portion of Street B will have a right -of-way width of 48 feet and a street width of 28 feet. No homes will take access from Street B.
Flag Lot Development
Proposed Lots 13, 14, 15 and 23 will utilize Flag Lot development standards as provided for in the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed lot configuration, dimensions and building envelope for the Flag Lot are consistent with the City's development standards. Flag lots are required to provide one more parking space on-site that would normally be required to replace the lack of an on-street space. The design of each lot allows for the inclusion of one guest parking space that is located adjacent to the driveway for each lot. The length of each driveway provides adequate back-up length to allow vehicles forward entry onto the public street for the flag lots.
Accessory Second Units
To help address the City of Nap a’s concerns with affordable housing and “fair share” considerations, the applicant has requested approval of 13 accessory dwelling units (ADU) within lots designated with the “Plan 4” house plan. This 406 square foot ADU is located on the ground floor of each Plan 4 house and is provided a separate entrance on the side of the house. As the ADUs are located within the floor plan of the house all yard and setback requirements of the RI -4 Zoning District have been maintained. With the inclusion of 13 ADUs within the 53-home development, 25% of the homes within the subdivision will include an ADU.
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Subdivision Design
The Vintage Farm Subdivision consists of 53 single-family residential lots that will have access from a new looped public street which will be constructed around the center of the property.
The subdivision has been designed so that the majority of the lots have the required 15’ minimum rear yards. oriented to the rear yards of neighboring properties to avoid potential impacts to those existing properties. The subdivision is designed with a rear yard landscape treatment along the east side of Lots 24 to 32 , adjacent to Villa Lane This 5-foot-wide landscaping will consist of a mixture of trees and small shrubs with a six-foot-tall fence. Side- on landscaping is proposed along the north side of Lot 1 and 53 adjacent to Sierra Avenue. A homeowners’ association (HOA) would be responsible for the maintenance of the pro posed landscaping, drainage basins, and common area boundary fences.
House Plans
The proposed house plans within the subdivision feature four model house plans , three of which are two story with one as a single-story design. House sizes range from 1,878 to 2,843 square feet.
The architecture represents a mix of four new single family home designs with a fresh take on some of the eclectic styles currently featured in beautiful neighborhoods of Napa. The new homes offer a variety of lifestyle choices from the potential of a move down couple, a young family, to a multi-generational family and the income generating potential of an accessory dwelling unit. This flexibility and variety are key to fulfilling the needs of our new and existing residents.
The three proposed exterior styles incorporate large sitting porches, one- and two-story roof lines and a variety of materials to provide a unique street scene for this new enclave of homes. The exterior style and materials include:
- Craftsman, with cementitious siding and shingles for a rich texture. Stone is utilized at porch columns. The simple gable roof lines are accentuated with outlookers and vertical trim detail.
- Contemporary Farmhouse, with a mix of cementitious board and batten siding and stucco finish. Stone is utilized at the porch column base. The mainly hip roof is composition shingle with an accent of standing seam.
- Santa Barbara, with a stucco finish, articulated arched entries, shutters and a concrete tile roof. These clean facades incorporate sculpted cantilever details, gable end accents and consistent trim surrounds.
The floor plans offered are:
- Plan 1, one-story home with three bedrooms and two baths , at 1,878 square feet. The secondary bedrooms are paired off the front entry with the primary bedroom suite ATTACHMENT 2
situated to the private rear yard. This great room offers a generous dining space and an open plan for entertaining.
- Plan 2, two-story home with four bedrooms and three baths, at 2,472 square feet. The central staircase provides for sunlight to flood into the first floor, and also creates articulation to the right wall. The great rooms stretch across the rear of the home with connection to the private rear yard. The first-floor bedroom provides a very desirable guest room or a home office.
- Plan 3, two-story home with four bedrooms and three baths, at 2,588 square feet. Many of the desirable features of Plan 2 have been integrated here, with the main difference being the ‘L’ shaped great room, providing for a bit more of a formal dining space.
Flexibility is shown on the second floor with a loft space.
- Plan 4/4 alt, two -story home with the potential of five bedrooms and four baths , at 2,843 square feet. The 4 alt offers a 406-sf accessory dwelling unit as part of the overall square footage. The massing of this home is of note. The second floor is situated 10’ from the rear wall, offering a greater rear set-back to the second floor and a one-story roof li ne. This home offers many flexible spaces with the first-floor suite, first floor bedroom, ADU, and the second-floor loft.
All of the proposed home styles have been designed so that the garages are set back at least 10 feet from the front facade. The house plans have all been designed with a prominent front entry identified by a roofed porch. All of the proposed model homes satisfy the 50% garage width limitation.
Environmental Review
The applicant is working with City Staff in anticipation that the project will be exempt from the requirements of CEQA, in that the project will be within the scope of the Final Environmental Impact Report adopted for the General Plan.
Conclusion
Thank you for your consideration of this application to develop a high quality, residential neighborhood that offers a variety of housing options, while also providing the NVUSD an opportunity to relocate and construct a valuable resource for students and community alike -- a new farm, culinary arts, and education center at their new location.
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