1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Cheryl Shaeffer < >
Sent:
Monday, March 18, 2024 12:07 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
Hi there-
I am a close neighbor of this proposed project. At this location, they would like to start with 220 children with 50 staff members and the ability to add another 80-
90 children plus whatever additional staff that would be in an additional 4,000 square foot space. In addition, they would like to have 20+ more children for daycare, a gym, theater and camps 7 days a week. My concern is safety. Safety for the children, my fellow neighbors, those working at the daycare and the neighborhood. If we were to have a fire, a major earthquake or another disaster how would we get everyone out quickly and safely from the entire hill? We also need to consider Alta Heights Elementary school, and how we would get all of those children, teachers and staff out safely? We would have people trying to flee the area on East Avenue with no other way out unless we went back up the hill (from where I live). We would have parents understandably concerned, trying to get into the neighborhood to get their children. It would be chaos and could have dire consequences. That is my concern.
Thank you,
Cheryl Shaeffer
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
roy sobert < >
Sent:
Thursday, March 14, 2024 12:50 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
pL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
This email is to voice my concern over the proposal submitted by Le Petit Elephant child care center and its use at the site of the former LDS church on Chapel Hill Drive. Adding 1000 some odd vehicles throughout the day, even staggering the drop off times and pick up times, is just too much traffic to pour into a small area of the Alta Heights neighborhood. There is already an elementary school and another day care center in close proximity dropping children off at the same time, as well as commute time for people leaving the neighborhood. The last thing I want is to have more traffic sitting at the stop sign on 1st Street and East Ave, waiting to turn onto East Ave. and or racing down 1st Street as they leave. Speeding has alway been an issue in this neighborhood and people continue to use East Ave to avoid the traffic on Silverado Trail.
Darnell and Roy Sobert
Napa, CA.
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ATTACHMENT 3
March 26, 2024
RE: Application Number PL23
-
0159LPE
We are writing to provide our input on the Use Permit application made by Le Petit Elephant
for the use of the Mormon Church property at 15 Chapel Hill Dr.
Our
understanding of the application is that it requests permission for two primary uses:
-
Operation of a preschool for 2
2 0
-
250
children
-
Use of the facility either by the applicant or third parties for an unspecified number of events
We have concerns that these proposed uses would have serious negative impacts on traffic congestion in the neighborhood and the safety of the existing residents , potential children
attending day care and others on the property for various events.
Traffic Congestion
Since Chapel Hill Drive is a loop, both ends of which feed into Montecito Blvd, all of the traffic generated by these proposed uses would impact access and egress by residents who regularly use Montecito Blvd.
Montecito Blvd is a winding, relatively narrow two
-
lane road with limited capacity, no sidewalks
and limited ways of getting in and out.
In addition, Alta Heights School is located at the terminus of Montecito Blvd a t
East Avenue.
School children being dropped off or picked up either on Montecito Blvd or on First Street, already create
s
a great deal of congestion.
The five
-
way intersection where East Avenue meets Silverado trail is another major point of congestion for residents and parents of Alta Heights school children. The construction of roundabouts scheduled for 2025 for this intersection will heavily exacerbate traffi c needing to
access Montecito Blvd and Alta Heights.
In addition, the intersection of First Street and Silverado Trail will be strongly impacted, both during construction and operation, by the hotel project to be located there, further limiting access/egress and creating more congestion.
The traffic study prepared as part of the application for this project is seriously flawed. The study was apparently conducted on a day when school was not in session.
The conclusions are
unsupported by the data.
It concludes, without support, that there would be “no significant impact” from this project. However, the study pointed out:
1)This project would result in a 250% increase in vehicle trips!
2)Two of the intersections mentioned above have dangerous collision rates!
ATTACHMENT 3
Because of this and for the reasons indicated above, we and other residents of the area who use these streets on a regular basis, reach the conclusion that there would be a very significant impact in normal times
, severe congestion during construction
and potentially dangerous
impact during a fire or other emergency requiring first responders and/or evacuation.
S
afety
Large areas of Alta Heights represent an urban oak woodlands interface. Unfortunately, in today’s world that means fire is a serious threat. Many of Alta Heights and Montecito residents live with the fear for their safety from the threat of fire. Much of t he property in this area is red
lined by insurance companies who will no longer offer coverage, an indication that this is not a problem that will go away anytime soon. The evacuation routes are limited. The few potential evacuation routes are already impa
cted by the congestion
from existing uses
mentioned above.
The need to evacuate existing residents and Alta Heights school children already make s
the job
of first responders challenging.
Limiting access to emergency vehicles would greatly increase the risk to this area of the
c
ity.
We have advocated the need for and supported early childhood development and services for children in this community for more than forty years.
Having been involved with the Boys &
Girls Club of Napa Valley and heavily involved in the funding and construction of the American Canyon clubhouse and upgrading the Napa clubhouse, we have been committed and active in providing facilities, in
the right ie. safe and accessible
locations, for the children of our
community.
We would like to offer a few additional thoughts that we feel weigh against this project.
-
An afterschool program already exists at Alta Heights School to serve kids in this area without the need for bussing.
NVUSD and the Boys & Girls Club have partnered to
greatly expand after school programs throughout the district.
-
In spite of project developers’ claims to the contrary, in the 7 years Applicant states to have been looking, there are indeed other
sites
that would be better located to serve
Napa families without threat of danger to their children.
-
The population of our community is in a long
-
term trend of declining school and
preschool age children. This is clear from the need to close schools. The most recent U.S.
C
ensus showed a decrease of 2000 children in the under 5 age population from 8131 in 2010 to 6139 in 2020. This trend is clearly correlated with the affordability of housing for families with younger children.
-
As we understand it, the terms of the Grant to the Applicant of the forgivable loan state they must maintain
the projected 60% increased
enrol
l
ment for up to 10 years.
This will
no doubt be difficult
given
the
above
trend
.
-
The project application requests use for an unspecified number of events on weekends.
There is really no justification for the use of the Chapel Hill facility as an events space given the negative impact on the neighborhood.
ATTACHMENT 3
We hope you will take our input and concerns into account and make a negative determination on this project.
Signed
Peter & Kathleen
Stoppello
Napa, CA 94559
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Karla Stromberger < >
Sent:
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 7:59 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
Le Petite elephant
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[EXTERNAL]
To Planning Dept:
I am VERY concerned about such a large business coming into the Alta Heights residen al neighborhood!
As many of us have indicated bringing 250 +/- children and 50 employees into the former Mormon Church 7 days a week seems to be a traffic nightmare, even with the proposed “staggered” arrival and departure mes.
This is a walking , bicycling, and for me wheelchair riding , neighborhood. Because of the traffic of home owners above the church this is a dangerous road. Drivers cannot see around the sharp corners as they ascend or descend the hill on Montecito. And above the church the road is narrow.
Several years ago the Napa Fire Dept had a mee ng with Alta Heights neighbors. They were very clear that if a fire started on First Ave at 3 pm when our daily wind comes up, most of Alta Heights would be burned down within 45 min.
Last year the fire near
Silverado Middle School caused the people on Monte Vista and part of Montecito to be evacuated.
Our huge thanks to the Fire Dept that they were able to stop it! In 2017 the top of Alta Heights was evacuated and the rest of Alta Heights was on an advisory to evacuate.
I am aware that the present Fire Marshall indicated there would be no problems with the church. That lack of problem with the church does not include the rest of Alta Heights. If each of the members of the Planning Dept would drive to the end of Montecito and imagine the hill evacua ng with fire trucks on the road, I think each of you would see that the road is too narrow to easily evacuate past the width of a fire truck! And then there would be 250+/- children and 50 staff trying to evacuate past Alta Heights school. Children’s Co age Day Care is very nearby with approximately 100 children and many staff. When the round-about at the 5 way intersec on is being built all of these children, staff and neighbors will create a big impasse trying to get out of the neighborhood on East Ave. Both Lakeview and First Street will become very impacted.
Safety for children should be our first concern! If you think about it there is no SAFE way of ge ng all the residents, the students, and the day cares off the hill and to a place of safety in an emergency, let alone ge ng fire trucks up the hill to stop a fire!
One more thought: Every daycare and school has at least one child in each room that responds atypically to a crisis.
Some go under the table and refuse to move; some start screaming such that the teacher’s or care provider’s voice cannot be heard; and some runaway! The runaways are the ones who are going to get hurt in an emergency. This is a major safety issue as well! And, yes! I have worked for many years with these children before re ring.
I know this is not a safe place for Le Pe te Elefant Day Care. Please take seriously the concerns of the Alta Heights neighborhood in making your decision!
ATTACHMENT 3
2 Karla Stromberger
Sent from my iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Sent:
Friday, March 22, 2024 2:35 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Cc:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
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[EXTERNAL]
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for sending the No ce of Applica on for Le Pe t (PL23-0159) and for allowing the neighbor to voice its concerns. Please con nue to keep the site at 15 Chapel Hill Drive (APN 006-162-001) within the Low Density Residen al General Plan Designa on and Single Family Residen al (RS-10) Zoning District and Hillside Overlay (HS) Zoning District.
The current applica on for a daycare facility for about 250 children (in opera on for 7 days/week) and other unspecified youth services seems to be unsafe for the children and certainly will nega vely alter Alta Height neighborhood. There is negligible
sidewalks along our street on Montecito Blvd, hence children and their families will need to navigate the street with more fast vehicles coming down the hill. The substan al hilly grades of Montecito Blvd are difficult for large vehicles (SUV, pick-up trucks) and commercial trucks to keep within the required speed limit and to stop quickly in emergency situa ons. From our driveway on we frequently needed to have our family member stopping oncoming traffics on both sides of the street so we can backing out of our driveway.
The addi onal traffic (es mated by Le Pe t applica on) of about 1,000 car trips per day onto Montecito Blvd is very concerning to us as our house is near the corner of Montecito and Chapel Hill. Our other safety concerns include the low-hanging u lity lines across Montecito and adjacent to our driveway, these lines had been ripped down mul ple mes by tall commercial trucks traveling up and down Montecito Blvd. The fire hazards will be mul plied if there are more cars on the street or parked car along the street when these u lity cables are ripped down and strike the cars.
Please let us know if you need further comments from us, we are available by postal mail or by email at any me.
Sincerely,
Cam Tu Tran
Napa, CA 94559
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Evelyn Trevethan < >
Sent:
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 2:20 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
Please consider my comments in regarding the proposal to convert 15 Chapel Hill Drive to a large daycare facility with added recreational and youth services.
I support the need for additional childcare services in Napa. I'm concerned that the scope of this proposal with its added recreational and youth services would negatively impact fire safety and traffic congestion in the Alta Heights area. I believe that the size and scope of the current proposal would need to be scaled back to match the infrastructure of the neighborhood if it were to go forward in a positive manner.
Thank you for considering my perspective.
Evelyn Trevethan
Napa, CA 94559
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Elsa Vare < >
Sent:
Thursday, March 28, 2024 9:02 AM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Application #PL-23-0159LPE
Categories:
Unverified Contact
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[EXTERNAL]
Dear Commissioners:
As a resident of Montecito, we have been evacuated twice in the past five years. The no-outlet streets that feed into Montecito make up a winding no sidewalk neighborhood never intended for and unable to accommodate commercial use.
Five corners, where this funnel of traffic is deposited, is already a bo leneck waitlisted for roundabouts.
Our concern is not just “quality of life” or other issues commonly labeled “NIMBY”.
We do not believe there is a viable evacua on plan for wildfires. Safety is our priority as residents and your responsibility as planners.
How can 200 plus infants and children be evacuated from this loca on in a wildfire? They can’t. Further, every parent will rush to retrieve their child in that emergency causing the tragic impasse we are trying to avert.
We acknowledge and support the need for childcare in our community. This is not the right loca on.
Thank you.
Elsa Vare
Napa
Sent from my iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Susan Velani < >
Sent:
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 7:57 PM
To:
PlanningCommission
Cc:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas; Susan Velani
Subject:
Opposition to application PL-23-0159LPE
Categories:
Unverified Contact
[EXTERNAL]
Dear Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to express my opposition to the establishment of Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool in the former Latter-day Saints Church in Alta Heights. This would create an undue strain on the neighborhood creating significant safety and traffic concerns.
Safety: As an Alta Heights/Montecito resident whose property borders last year's Coombsville fire, we watched in horror as an entire field and countless oak trees were engulfed in flames within minutes as it quickly approached our home. The ensuing evacuation was chaotic with traffic backing up our few neighborhood exits. Of course, this took place in July without the added safety risk of the Alta Heights School children and the additional traffic. Another large school/community center would have made the evacuation untenable.
Traffic: During peak school hours, the Alta Heights traffic is a burden to all of the streets surrounding the school. Of course, this is very contained to 5 days a week at very specific times and the neighborhood has become accustomed to managing this challenge. An additional facility that operates up to 7 days a week, into the evenings, and offers event space would create an undue traffic burden (1100+ project trips
per day) to this small neighborhood, especially narrow streets such as Chapel Hill. The added traffic and events would also increase noise and add an additional safety concern to the hundreds of daily walkers on our streets with no sidewalks.
While I fully support additional childcare in the Napa area, it is imperative that identified sites maintain the integrity of a neighborhood and respect the safety of the residents and children who they are striving to serve. I encourage the planning commission to consider facilities which were purpose built for a school, such as Harvest Middle School that remains closed.
Respectfully,
Susan Velani
Napa, CA 94559
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ATTACHMENT 3
ATTACHMENT 3
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
JOE WEISENHORN < >
Sent:
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 12:37 PM
To:
Planning Department; Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
Good day,
As a resident of Alta Heights it is important to add my concerns for the proposed Le Petit Elephant child care. We live on lower Montecito Boulevard directly across from the school. When the student population recently grew after the closing of the other Napa schools, there was a noticeable increase in students, traffic and on-street parking, of course. I will describe one alarming behavior that developed concurrently and happens regularly. As parents arrive to pickup their kids at day's end, they will park in the semi-circle drive on Montecito waiting for the bell to release the students. Once the space within the driveway is full, the cars waiting to turn in from the road will STOP in the uphill lane. Now, this isn't a long period of time, maybe 10 minutes or so, but I have seen up to 5 cars stopped waiting to turn. Of course anyone needing to continue past then has to move into the oncoming downhill lane. There is an after school program that continues until 5:30, and while not to the extent of the end of school day egress, the traffic and pickup continues.
I don't want to be another whining NIMBY, the need for child care is real and we're sympathetic to the needs of our community. The scale of the elephant project seems hugely impactful to the area. The projection is for hundreds more cars trying to access the 2 facilities, Alta Heights school and the elephant, at the same times of day and is downright dangerous. Consider the inevitable movement of traffic not only on Montecito, but First up to Lakeview then down Montecito. This brings a volume of vehicle movements that should never be considered on residential streets. Imagine the hundreds fold increase in cars coupled with the school pickup
reality
I described above. And as you will read from
others on this topic, the possibility of emergency evacuation and panicked parents trying to collect their children simultaneously. It's terrifying.
I truly hope there is a good solution for the ongoing need for safe & affordable child care. I REALLY hope that you'll agree that this one particularly is not safe, for residents or children.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Joe Weisenhorn
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Joe and Diana Wilcox < >
Sent:
Sunday, March 24, 2024 4:18 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Cc:
Planning Department
Subject:
Use Permit For Daycare and Youth Services at 15 Chapel Hill Drive,Napa Categories:
Unverified Contact
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[EXTERNAL]
To Whom it May Concern:
I would like to offer feedback regarding the proposal to convert 15 Chapel Hill Drive to a large daycare facility, with added
recrea onal and youth services. Please enter these remarks into the public record and confirm that you have received my communica on.
My family has lived at next door to the church parking lot, since 1980. We enjoyed a conflict-free rela onship with our neighbors for the en re period the property was being used by the Mormon Church (once they stopped trying to convert us). When the church became vacant a few years ago, I was afraid the property might be turned into housing, so I was overjoyed to learn that an owner of a daycare for young children had purchased it. When I a ended the mee ng at the church a couple of months ago in which the new owner, Millie Gibson, presented her plan, I said publicly that this was like “a dream come true” for me, given the range of possible uses for the property. In many ways, I s ll feel this way.
However, the reality of the project as proposed has begun to sink in. If the facility is really converted to a program for up to 250 children per day, with addi onal programs for the community on some nights and weekends, the dream will become a nightmare
. Our small neighborhood with very few streets and sidewalks cannot safely accommodate over one thousand car trips per day, nor anything close to that, without completely altering the lives of the property’s immediate neighbors. In addi on to the obvious traffic dangers, this area is in a danger zone for fires, as any burning in the First Avenue corridor to the east can climb up the hills into our neighborhood; this has already happened in the recent past, and remains a realis c threat. Evacua on during school hours would be a logis cal knot similar to what happened in the Oakland Hills fire, where many lives were lost. There simply aren’t enough roads out to allow for a safe evacua on at that scale, par cularly with Alta Heights Elementary School so close by.
It was obvious to me that Ms Gibson is sincere in her desire to meet a community need, and in her passion for the work she is already doing. Hopefully the project can be scaled down to a level that is compa ble with the neighborhood infrastructure (which would be about half of what’s currently proposed, in my opinion) and s ll remain economically viable for her and her staff. If not, however, then she should be encouraged to use her grant money at another, more appropriate site.
Sincerely,
Joe Wilcox
ATTACHMENT 3
2 Napa 94559
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Joe and Diana Wilcox < >
Sent:
Sunday, March 24, 2024 12:44 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas; Planning Department
Subject:
Use Permit For Daycare and Youth Services at 15 Chapel Hill Drive,Napa [You don't o en get email from Learn why this is important at h ps://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIden fica on ]
[EXTERNAL]
To whom may concern:
I would like to offer feedback regarding the proposal to convert 15 Chapel Hill Drive to a large daycare facility, with added
recrea onal and youth services. Please enter these remarks into the public record and confirm that you have received my communica on.
I have lived next door to the proposed daycare property—at or more than 40 years. My family lived amicably with our Mormon Church neighbors through all of that me. When we learned that the property was for sale, my husband and I were naturally concerned about what use would be made of the former church. When we heard that the property may be used as a daycare center we were ini ally pleased, realizing the need for quality early childhood care in our community and learning that minimal reconstruc on of the building would be necessary. We conveyed our support to the possible buyer, Millie Gibson. However, since that first announcement, we have become dismayed by the size and scope of the project. Having 200 to 250 children next door would mean an addi onal 1000 car trips u lizing our small, quiet street 5 days per week. In addi on, there would be evening and weekend traffic because of proposed recrea onal ac vi es, like basketball and par es. We do not want our peaceful neighborhood to become a center of car conges on, pollu on, and noise. We don’t want the safety of Alta Heights residents, Alta Heights School children, and the kids at the daycare center put at risk in case of fire, earthquake, storm, or other disaster:
Evacua ng all
of these people through the few neighborhood traffic egresses could be a nightmare. We don’t want local strollers, joggers, and dog walkers to be put at risk as they traverse a neighborhood with few sidewalks and much increased traffic.
THIS PROJECT NEEDS TO BE SCALED BACK IN SIZE AND SCOPE IF IT IS TO PROCEED. YOU AND THE NEW OWNERS WILL
ONLY RECEIVE NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT IF THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED AND THE NUMBER OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES OFFERED ARE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. If the p roject is not economically viable with reduced numbers, then it should be rejected. Please take into account the health, safety, quality of life, and poli cal will of the neighborhood as you evaluate this proposal. There are hundreds of Alta Heights residents who share these concerns.
Respec ully,
Diana Wilcox
Napa
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
tim williams < >
Sent:
Thursday, March 21, 2024 7:55 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
Planning Department
I along with many of my neighbors have several concerns in regards to this Large day care coming to the former Mormon Church
1- with 200+ children attending this day care along with the “event/rec activities on the weekends the amount of vehicles coming into the neighborhood will be atrocious.. This is too large of a facility to be approved for this neighborhood. The streets in this neighborhood are narrow with no sidewalks and to have this many vehicles coming several times a day will have a major impact. What happens when the City starts to work on the round about at the five corner intersection??? This project will take a couple of
years adding more stress to the traffic congestion. I understand a traffic survey was conducted to address the issue BUT did anyone on the planning commission question why the survey was done when Alta Heights School was out on Christmas break. We need to be better than this when making major decisions as this.
2- FIRE and evacuations. I find it hard to believe that the City and the Fire department think there wouldn’t be any issues here. This neighborhood was been evacuated a couple of times in the last 5 years
and have had evacuation warnings issue to be prepared. How will the day care be able to evacuate 200+ children (many needing car seats etc). Parents will be coming to pick up children creating a major traffic issue AND this doesn’t take into account the many people who live here.
This is too large of a business to bring to this neighborhood. They should take their “Grant” money and find a more suitable location for the daycare
We agree Napa needs more daycare facilities BUT this isn’t the place for such a large scale business.
Please consider the Alta Heights neighborhood when making your decision
Tim and Robin Williams
Lakeview Dr.
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
tim williams < >
Sent:
Friday, March 15, 2024 12:09 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
La Petit Elephant
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[EXTERNAL]
My wife and I oppose this day care opera on opening in our neighborhood. Please do not allow this! Sent from my iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
M Wilson-Grills < >
Sent:
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 12:26 PM
To:
Planning Department; Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
Planning Commission,
My name is Martha Wilson-Grills, my husband Paul and I are residents of Alta Heights. We live at which is on the same block of the proposed daycare center. We want to voice our concerns regarding the use permit application for PL23-0159. We are concerned that the new facility will increase the traffic flow in an area that is already highly impacted by Alta Heights Elementary, which is located on the corner of East Avenue and Montecito Blvd, that is only a few yards from the proposed daycare.
Besides the one-day traffic study, what will the City of Napa require from Le Petit to mitigate the traffic jam issues that will inevitably occur when there are vehicles simultaneously dropping children off at Alta Heights Elementary and Le Petit in the mornings and afternoons?
Has the City of Napa done a fire hazard study of any kind or does it have a plan, if there is an evacuation of the area during school hours? There will be thousands of residents trying to evacuate as well as parents from both the elementary school, the existing Children's Cottage daycare on East Avenue as well as the Le Petit daycare all trying to pick up their children and of course fire department personnel trying to enter the area.
The other concern is the other proposed activities that are not daycare related, that Le Petit is proposing, late evenings and weekends. Is the City of Napa restricting the use of the building to just daycare or can the school hold any event - even weekends? There are no specifics on that and the owners of Le Petit are not being forthcoming with that information. What is the daycare facility limited or restricted to?
Here are the 4 major concerns of the neighboring community:
1. Safety
1. No separation of cars and pedestrians, cyclists, children and pets due to lack of sidewalks and crosswalks
2. Narrow streets with blind intersections, curves and hills
3. Speeding
2. Emergency Evacuation
1. Few points of egress from the neighborhood, and single point from those on and just off of Montecito Blvd
2. Resident evacuation whilst parents are coming into neighborhood to retrieve children
3. Impediment of emergency services required for residents who are not mobile
3. Traffic Congestion
1. Impact on neighborhood and all arterial streets of over 1000 additional daily car trips.
Traffic study did not take into account the full impact of traffic on the neighborhood and arterial streets.
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 2.
Environmental impact of additional car trips including air quality, road damage, and quality of life for residents, pets and wildlife.
3. The 5 point intersection is already at max capacity, and can't shoulder additional volume. Intersection already has above average state collisions and is rated F on traffic study (with F being worst possible rating)
4. Use Permit
1. Applicant is requesting a use permit to run a daycare. The scope of the business is much broader than that, operating seven days a week, 7:30 am - 8:00 pm. Zoning for that plot of land allows for daycare, it is not zoned for a commercial business.
2. The center of a residential neighborhood is an inappropriate location for a business to operate.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Martha and Paul Wilson-Grills
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Kat Wimberley < >
Sent:
Monday, March 18, 2024 8:49 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
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[EXTERNAL]
Hello, I would like to voice my concerns on this subject “PL23-0159” Le Pe t” I have lived in this neighborhood for many decades as have my family.
I believe that this large business proposal is completely unacceptable for many reasons. Just want to address some very grave safety concerns. Alta Heights is a dead end area on Montecito as well and Monte Vista and many other small streets. The egress is
only out onto East Ave past Alt Heights School. The amount of cars this business would produce will be extremely difficult for all of those who live by or near. I live on East First St and the drop off and pick-ups completely close us up as we try and leave out homes at those mes. Cars block my driveways and my mailboxes all the me. This is just with the Alta Heights school. Put in another 1,000 plus cars and it will be completely unacceptable. Overflow from the proposed business will seek other routes to try and escape the traffic conges on and will go Montecito to Lakeview then to East First St and other side street to try and beat the traffic. These are all residen al streets not roads designed for mul ple cars con nuously.
What about our ability to safely evacuate from this area? With all of those cars and people it would be a tragedy wai ng to happen.
Please don’t allow this large commercial business in an area that is blatantly not appropriate Thank you, K. Wimberley- Peralta
Sent from my iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
ATTACHMENT 3
Supplemental Memorandums
No. 1- No.4
I. Pages 168 to 195
II. Pages 196 to 209
III. Pages 210 to 212
IIII. Pages 213 to 225
M
E
M
O
To:
CHAIR SHOTWELL, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM:
ANGELA ALVAREZ
-
CENDEJAS
,
ASSISTANT
PLANNER
DATE:
APRIL 2,
2024
SUBJECT:
LE PETIT ELEPHAN
T USE PERMIT
(
PL2
3 -
01 59
)
In addition to the
April 4
, 2024,
Planning Commission Agenda,
please accept additional
correspondence for
consideration
of
the
Le Pet
it Elephant Use Permit
(PL2
3 -
01 59
),
Public Hearing Item
7. A.
Th
e
correspondence includes letters and correspondence from the following
individuals
, which
are
attached to this memorandum:
•
Susan Konold (3
-
25 -
24 )
•
Michael Craig (3
-
2 7
-
24)
•
Ste
phanie & Bill R
ib
ei
ro (3
-
2 8
-
24)
•
Gwen Dave
y (3
-
29 -
24)
•
Rob
in Ellison (3
-
29 -
24)
•
Teresa Z
imny (3
-
29 -
24)
•
Milton Gaine
s (3
-
29 -
2 4)
•
Rosa
Perez
(3
-
29 -
24)
•
Tom
Sabo (3
-
29 -
24)
•
Robert
St
ewart (3
-
29 -
24)
•
Lachlan Reed (3
-
29 -
24)
•
Chris Watkins (3
-
30 -
24 )
•
Nanci Parnell (3
-
31 -
24)
•
Jan & Dennis Fechter (4
-
1 -
24)
•
Allie & Matt Redford (4
-
1 -
24)
•
Anthony Sc
h
rauth &
Bruce Eubanks (4
-
1 -
24)
•
Adrean Takemoto (4
-
1 -
24)
•
Jenn
ifer
Uran (4
-
1 -
24)
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Susan Konold <
>
Sent:
Monday, March 25, 2024 2:00 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
Follow Up Flag:
Follow up
Flag Status:
Completed
Categories:
Unverified Contact
[EXTERNAL]
Hello,
I live at
This is my second letter and the first from the additional owners of the house, Gunter and Aurora Konold.
My first letter was sent before I read the Traffic Impact Study,
learned that there was no Environmental
Impact Study pl
anned and after I
attended the fact gathering
event at Alta Heights School.
The Planning Department
m
ade a discretionary decision that no CEQA review is required.
We do not accept that.
Infill and
existing use does not override other concerns. There is definitely an environmental impact on the residential neighborhood, o n
the residents that are subjecte
d to drastically increased traffic, on the pedestrians pushing strollers, riding bikes, walking their dogs, that have no sidewalks to be separated from the already fast moving traffic and on the residents with their access and egress from their driveway on
to already busy Montecito Blvd.
The Traffic Study looks like it’s written by the daycare facility execs. One street, Montecito Blvd will be bearing ALL the t raffic to
and from the facility, and the report lists practically no impact on Montecito!! How is that possible? Also the noise imp act and
parents in a hurry dropping off and picking up their children. Greater potential of accidents and danger to children. Double parking and irregular parking habits.
We insist on a more qualified and credible traffic study with emphasis on Montecito Blvd and Chapel Hill Drive that bear all the
traffic. There are definite traffic impacts to these streets that need to be addressed.
The City must install sidewalks on at least
Montecito Blvd since it has considerable pedestrian traffic and an existing elementary school. It is inevitable that children will be walking to and from the facility and they will be endangered by the current si tuation
of actually walking alongside auto traffic.
The proposed use is unacceptable in such a residential neighborhood.
The Daycare needs to find a more appropriate location;
perhaps build a new facility with the generous grant money and city incentives.
There are certainly other suitable
locations for such a business, despite what was stated by the Le Petit Daycare owner.
The neighborhood is happy
to provide a list of recommendations.
At the fact gathering recently at the AH school,
the Le Petit Daycar
e owner
sarcastically (Freudian slip perhaps) ment
ioned that they could have opened the second floor of the church building to accommodate 400 children. If you don’t think that extending the daycare size isn’t on the mind of the daycare owners.
These events simply feed the fuel of distrust and deception perpetrated by both the Le Petit
owners and the City in rushing this project through without appropriate traffic and CEQA review, traffic accommodation
and neighborhood input.
What conditions will you impose on the daycare facility?
At the absolute least, we must have a “conditional” use permit requiring limited operating hours, limiting activities and events that may impact neighbors, limiting outdoor events especial ly
noise p
roducing activities, staggering activities to spread out impacts. Approving this project in its current state is negligent.
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 A street is a physical and social part of a living environment as a place simultaneously used for vehicular movement, social contacts and civic activities. Local residential streets in particular are central to the feeling of "community" and "belongi ng"
wi
thin a neighborhood.
When traffic volumes increase beyond what is considered normal by local residents, or vehicle speeds increase because of street design, social street activities are greatly reduced and the feeling of well being in the affected
neighbo
rhood is threatened.
The wellbeing of this Alta Heights neighborhood is threatened by this exaggerated Le Petit Daycare project.
We urge you to do the right thing for this neighborhood and for the community by finding a more suitable location for the Le Petit Daycare facility; one that meets their needs, the needs of the community and those of the surrounding neighborhood.
Susan Konold
Gunter and Aurora Konold
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail for iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
Michael
Craig
Napa, CA 94559
March 27, 2024
Napa Planning Commission
955 School Street
Napa, CA 94558
RE:
PL
-
23 -
0159 Le Petit
Dear Commissioners
Massaro, Heuther, Shotwell,
Kelley,
and Myers,
I am writing to you today in adamant
opposition
to
the expansion of
the use permit for Le Petit
Elephant
Daycare
and Preschool
(“Le Petit”)
.
My home is within 500 ft
of this location
, and I have concerns about the expansion
adversely
affecting the
safety, health and
well
-
being
, and the overall enjoyment of
our
home
s
,
neighborhood,
and
community.
Le Petit is proposing a LARGE, commercial, intensive
-
use operation
, e
ssentially industrializing childcar
e.
Alta
Heights is currently home to multiple day/childcares
and Alta Heights Elementary (“AHE”)
which,
during
drop
-
off
/
pickup
, already bottlenecks
the
entrance to and from Alta Heights.
There is no need for ONE neighborhood to
bear the brunt of Napa’s daycare problem.
With regard to SAFETY
/EMERGENCY EVACUATION
: There are few points of egress from the neighborhood
.
Fire
evacuations have proven difficult AS IS for residents, let alone whilst the parents of 600 (Le Petit & AHE) children
scramble
to retrieve their children in an emergency
.
Emergency services available to the residents
on and off
Montecito would also be impeded.
Alta Heights has NO SIDEWALKS
with narrow streets
. There is no
separation of cars
from
pedestrians, cyclists,
children,
and pets. Despite the many narrow streets and blind intersections , curves and hills, current visitors to
our neighborhood speed
about
and are careless
.
The introduction of over 1,000 additional vehicles will destroy
any opportunity for residents to take care of their
health and well
-
being
(as they currently do) walking their dogs,
cycling,
and simply enjoying our neighborhood.
TRAFFIC:
The traffic study completed did not take into account the FULL IMPACT of traffic on the neighborhood and surrounding
streets.
The intersection at Third and Silverado (5
-
way)
is already rated F , the worst possible rating,
with many accidents and no way to accommodate additional vehicles.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
–
Especially
Commissioner Massaro
:
I implore you to consider
the environmental
impact of
what
at least 1,000
daily car trips will have on our air quality, roads,
pets,
wildlife,
AND
quality of life for
residents, including
our health as
many of us walk, bike and commune together
.
There has been NO impact report
done or considered.
I am
understanding and sympathetic to the need for quality daycare in Napa. HOWEVER, this for -
profit BUSINESS
operating SEVEN days a
week is not
the right
fit for our neighborhood
. At the very least for the safety reasons
outlined
above.
Thank you,
Michael
Craig
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Stephanie Ribeiro <
>
Sent:
Thursday, March 28, 2024 5:27 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
Pl 23-0159
Categories:
Unverified Contact
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[EXTERNAL]
Sent from my iPhone
My husband and I object to the LePe t project. You only have to drive the area when Alta Heights School is star ng and ending on a sunny day! Our streets in area at max plus some. Has any a en on been addressed to the safety of our Alta Heights school
children and pedestrians with impossible traffic?
Has anyone looked at emergency vehicles facing this traffic?
Our streets were never designed for this influx of traffic ….. no sidewalks!
This proposal is not feasible for this loca on.
Stephanie and Bill Ribeiro.
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Gwen Davey < >
Sent:
Friday, March 29, 2024 12:53 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
To Whom It May Concern,
I live at Napa, CA. I have just become aware of the proposed daycare and community recreational center at the former LDS church on Chapel Hill and Montecito.
As such, I
add my voice of protest in this proposed application. Though adding additional facilities for children sounds a great idea, the magnitude of the proposal for this small quiet neighborhood is absurb. It is like proposing a Walmart on that site.
I request the Council deny this proposal and consider applications more appropriate to the environment of the Alta Height neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Gwen E. Davey
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Sent:
Friday, March 29, 2024 5:39 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 LePetit
[EXTERNAL]
Dear Planning Commissioners,
Would you actually make one neighborhood carry the burden for Napa County’s childcare crisis? We hear from
Le Petit Elephant’s business owner that this is THE only possible location for her childcare facility. But, of course, that cannot be true.
Why could not our vacant elementary schools be used for childcare facilities? Grant money and City incentives could go to rebuilding these existing spaces designed for children. The buildings are accessible, their neighborhoods already suited to this:
Harvest Middle School, 2449 Old Sonoma Rd. Napa, Closed June 15, 2022 Mt George Elementary School, 1019 Second Avenue Napa, Closed June 5, 2020 St Johns the Baptist School, 938 Napa St. Napa, Closed June 30, 2021
Please do not destroy the Alta Heights neighborhood for a massive childcare operation intended to fix a countywide problem.
Robin Ellison
Napa
ATTACHMENT 3
March 29, 2024
To: Members of Napa City
Planning Commission
VIA EMAIL
RE:
Le
P
etit
E
lephant Nursery and Preschool
I’m writing to you as a supporter of
L
e
P
etit
E
lephant’s
proposal to
establish a daycare at
the
property
located
at
15 Chap
el
Hill Dr
.
to
expand her care center and
increase the
overall
capacity of
childcare
and early learning in Napa
and
urge you to approve
the
use
permit
and allow
the project
to move forward.
The most recent childcare needs assessment (2023) underscored the significant shortage of infant care in Napa County. At the same time, almost 20% of the children under 5 years of age in Napa County are infants (less than 12 months) and approximately 30% of
children under 5 years of age are less than 2 years old. There are so few opportunities to increase the number of
childcare
and early learning slots in Napa and
L
e
P
etit
E
lephant’
s
proposal will go a long way to doing just that.
Le
P
etit
E
lephant’s
owner
,
Milli Pintascsi,
is one
of the recipients of the ARPA funds
made available by the
County
of Napa
for the purpose of increasing
childcare
capacity,
including through infras
tructure improvement projects. Purchasing land and or facilities, fits the intent of these funds perfectly.
The current capacity for infants at Le Petit is 50 and
if successful with the purchase of the
Chapel
Hill property
,
at least 25
or possibly more
infant slots will be added.
This is in addition to incremental
incre
ase in
preschool slots.
The
Chapel
Hill property (at one time was a large church) sits in a beautiful neighborhood that also includes Alta Heights Elementary School. It presents as a perfect setting for family
-
oriented endeavors and the possible convenience of the preschoolers being able to
transition to the “elementary school down the street”.
Both of my children attended the
Montecito childcare center and then Alta Heights Elementary School. The kids were walked to and from school by the Montecito staff, a huge convenience for us work ing
parents, but also minimized some of the traffic around the school. All neighborhoods with schools have traffic at certain times of day, including my neighborhood by Snow Elementary School. It is
something we acclimate to.
A vote
to support
Le Petit Elephant
’s
purchase of
15 Chapel Hill
is a recognition of the
valuable asset of childcare and early learning in our community and a commitment to do what is needed to increase capacity so that the working families in Napa have a high
-
quality
(full day
-
full year)
place to take their children while they work.
Please approve
the
use permit for
this important project
.
Sincerely,
Teresa Zimny
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Milton Gaines
Sent:
Friday, March 29, 2024 10:39 AM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Cc:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL 23-0159 Le Petit
Follow Up Flag:
Follow up
Flag Status:
Flagged
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[EXTERNAL]
U lizing the 15 Chapel Drive for LPE sets the stage for a possible disaster like the 1991 Oakland Hills tragedy. The LPE Traffic Study “Conclusions and Recommenda ons” dated 2
-
19 -
24 makes no men on of a poten al traffic jam on
Montecito in the event of
an emergency evacua on of all homes in the areas above and east of Chapel Drive. As you know, residents above the site must exit via Montecito to East, or Lakeview to 1st. If up to 200 cars are racing up Montecito to retrieve children, and up to 100 cars
are trying to exit down Montecito from homes above the proposed site, with Fire Trucks and First Responder vehicles trying to force thru the traffic maze, a disaster is bound to occur. What
measures would be established to prevent the poten al bo leneck
if Lakeview and lower Montecito become snarled
with traffic? (Has the bolted gate at 30 Oak Grove Way, now blocking exi ng to Coombsville Road, been addressed? Has exi ng from the northern terminus of Montecito Blvd for passenger cars been addressed?) A
far be er site would be one
NOT in the middle of a residen al neighborhood on a dead end road which limits egress for a vast number of homes in case of an emergency evacua on. Milt Gaines,
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Rosa Ines <
>
Sent:
Friday, March 29, 2024 8:16 AM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
LPE Support
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[EXTERNAL]
Hello, my name is Rosa Perez.
I have been a Let Pe t Elephant cer fied early childhood teacher for two years.
I lived in Santa Clara and moved to American Canyon, but it wasn't easy to find work un l I finally looked in Napa and Let Pe t Elephant gave me a great job opportunity.
It is a very professional Nursery Center , where children receive excellent care and educa on, and proof of this is seeing the parents who are grateful and very commi ed to our center.
My wish is that we can con nue working with mys que and love but for that we need a physical structure and an educa onal pla orm that is now at risk for everyone.
I support this project 100%, not only because it is my only job, but also because it is a place where the healthy and happy growth of children is encouraged and the professional and close a en on that parents want for their children.
I believe that the residents of Napa need Centers that offer excellent educa onal care to serve early childhood children while their parents strengthen the development of the region with their work.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express myself in this way.
Sincerely,
Rosa Pérez
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
thomas sabo < >
Sent:
Friday, March 29, 2024 11:45 AM
To:
Planning Department
Cc:
KARLA STROMBERGER;
Subject:
Subject PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
plannning Commission Members and Napa City /County Government:.
I am elderly, handicapped, and live in Alta Heights for many years now. We have no sidewalks here, and most of the residents walk in the streets with their dogs or children, Some in wheelchairs And myself with
a cane and balance risks when I walk.
I am very concerned about migration here of a large business with a constant flow of automobiles containing busy parents and grandparents, usually in a time crunch, being considered for this area.
The speedy drivers on my street take one of the existing paths towards the site of the proposed business, I take great opposition to adding so much more traffic to our small neighborhoods!
There are many arguments against this project, which is nothing like a religious structure For worship and guidance. I agree with those arguments as well.
Under no circumstances does a busy Operation like this belong in a small neighborhood like ours.
I’ve read the other concerns and find them all valid and pressing!
I also did a median gross profit estimate For this business, coming in around 5 1/2 million dollars per annum Or more, by today’s Childcare prices.
No matter what they call it, this is a business for profit, that belongs in the business area of the city, and not in a boutique residential area with serious traffic problems and other risks in the case of an emergency.
Anyone can have an opinion about the future of the fire risk and the potential for massive traffic problems in the state of the emergencies possible. We’e been lucky so far, but there have been very close calls.
I’ll tell you that the old folks up here are just as at risk as any children would be, in the case of wildfire, and I resent increasing the danger for us as well!
Any permits for this large business by the planning commission would be unrealistically stark DISREGARD for the safety of Residents here and the Children and Neighbors, no matter what their proposed plan would be.
Very Sincerely,
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 Tom Sabo
Alta Hts.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
Planning Commission
I am a resident of Alta Heights and live at
. Since living in this
small and eclectic neighborhood I have enjoyed the walkability of the neighborhood and its friendly residents. With the proposed day care complex, I believe it will negatively impact our neighbor. Traffic, access to emergency services , evacuation planning, and pedestrian safety may be dramatically impacted. Alta Heights has not been immune to evacuations due to fire. Subsequently bringing in additional cars and children would only exacerbated the problem.
As residents of Alta Heights we have been asked to endure the parking and noise problems created by the Napa County Fair and BottleRock Fesitval. Most recently we were be asked to accept the Latin Music Festival being held at the Fair Grounds. The new parking plan for BottleRock and the Latin Music Festival will be to divert traffic away from the Fairview neighborhood and altimately into Alta Heights. All these events significantly impact our neighbor. Noise levels are high, parking problems abound, and we are left to pick up the trash when the party goers leave. These events are limited in nature and I understand they bring revenue to the City along with making Napa a world class place to live. I applaud the City for allowing such events and am willing to accept the negative aspects that it brings to Alta Heights. Now, Alta Heights is being told to accept traffic, parking and noise problems on a daily basis by allowing a daycare center to operate that will accommodate 240 children. The proposed center will be in the middle of the neighbor where ingress and egress are already a problem. I believe our neighborhood has given enough and expect the Planning Commission and/or Board of Supervisors to do the right thing and not give its approval to this plan. Robert Stewart
Napa, CA
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Lach Reed < >
Sent:
Friday, March 29, 2024 6:13 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
Categories:
Unverified Contact
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[EXTERNAL]
To the a en on of the Napa Planning Commission:
My family is adamantly opposed to the proposed conversion of the Mormon Church on Montecito to a commercial day care opera on.
First, the nearby intersec ons, streets, and lack of sidewalks on Montecito Blvd would make travel through that area dangerous and difficult. When parents come to the Mar Vista School to pick up their children and park on the street, it is o en impossibl
e for cars to pass through, and on blind corners o en have to leave their lane just to get by.The bo leneck 5 way intersec on on Silverado Trail, Coombsville, etc. is already a nightmare and inadequate for current traffic. If the proposed roundabout at that intersec on goes in, the disrup on to nearby streets will surely be significant.
Placing a day care center above the current Mar Vista School just makes no sense, as both places require at least two car uses for each student, and there is just no place to park or make safe pick-up and drop off. Imagine the liability issues should a child be injured by a car during these mes!
Our greatest concern is our safety in the case of a fire or earthquake. There have already been three fires that we are aware of in the property just north of MONTE VISTA Drive, (where we live), and we cannot imagine the chaos that would occur when parents are coming to pick up their children during a fire, at the school and the day care center, plus we residents, who have only one way out. That includes all of the residents on MONTE VISTA and intersec ng streets, plus all the residents on Montecito and connec ng streets.
This part of Alta Heights has been zoned residen al and should remain so.
Estreya Kesler, Lachlan Reed, and family
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Chris Watkins <
Sent:
Saturday, March 30, 2024 9:07 PM
To:
Planning Department; Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit"
Categories:
Unverified Contact
[Some people who received this message don't o en get email from Learn why this is
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[EXTERNAL]
Planning Commission of Napa County,
The purpose of this le er is to oppose the proposed repurposing of the LDS church by LPE.
I don't what kind of poor traffic study was conducted/purchased by the owner of LPE, but if this proposal is passed by the planning commission, you can rest assured that traffic will in fact back up down the south end of East St and approach Silverado trai
l resul ng in significant traffic conges on for students, parents, and winery employees traveling up Valley for work. All anyone has to do is visit Montecito at Alta Heights Elementary on a weekday at 7:55 am and the traffic impact will be very apparent
.
Secondly, in the event of an emergency (i.e wildfire) the bo leneck of a few hundred addi onal students one block up the road from Alta Heights Elementary puts undue and grave danger on the en re community/neighborhood.
I would agree that there is a need for addi onal daycare in Napa but the loca on that is being reviewed by the planning commission for use by LPE is not suitable at the very least for the aforemen oned reasons. It would be a tragic accident wai ng to
happen which was failed to be realized ahead of me.
Enrollment at Alta Heights Elementary is another concern. With added traffic and significant increase in accident poten al, it will be difficult to keep enrollment from further decline. Essen ally, by adding a daycare up the street, the
commission woul
d be jeopardizing the future of a school that has existed for the last 75 years for a private business when schools at NVUSD are already struggling to keep enrollment.
Best Regards,
Chris Watkins
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Sent:
Sunday, March 31, 2024 6:10 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
Categories:
Unverified Contact
[EXTERNAL]
Good Day,
In opposition of the proposed
project at 15 Chapel Hill Drive.
One child in attendance
at LPE will require 4 car trips per day through our neighborhood.
This
will
effect our
small streets.
LPE says
"Staffing for expected
attendance has us seeing 39
-
42 teachers/staff Mon
-
Fri. Weekend usage would
be negligible in comparison with about 2 staff and 30
-
40 children each day".
(Depending on the children's
ages, I believe you need more then 2 staff for 30
-
40 children.)
They also say
"Weekend use
of property would consist almost entirely of indoor spaces"
yet, they claim to offer
"an outdoor based program".
And were would this outdoor
space be with 39
-
42 staff parking and parents required on site pick up and drop off ,
"meaning there's never a line of cars in the street"?
There are a lot of presumptions
in LPE's proposals.
It doesn't appear LPE has a solid
plan.
Will they need
large attendance and weekend events to stay afloat?
Does one really need to put your name on a waiting list 14 months before you get pregnant to guarantee a spot for your baby?
Sounds absurd.
This project is way to
big for our quaint
neighborhood.
I raised my 3 children in
Alta Heights and they attended Childhaven Preschool on East Avenue and Yellow Brick Road on Spring Street.
These were both small preschools that offered a preschool /
daycare programs
until 5:30 pm weekdays.
Never would I have been interested in the large
scale preschool / daycare facility like
LPE is proposing.
Too impersonal.
Please take more time to
consider all the facts and concerns of the people of Napa.
Thank you.
Nanci Parnell
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Sent:
Monday, April 1, 2024 6:31 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
Categories:
Unverified Contact
[EXTERNAL]
Esteemed Planners and Honorable Councilmembers,
I am writing in opposition to the Le Petit daycare center proposed for Alta Heights.
We have owned our home near the intersection of Highland and East for almost 25 years.
We have
watched the traffic steadily increase in the morning and afternoons, year by year.
Mornings are the
worst!
Hurried parents and workers trying to get somewhere
on time.
I believe the school traffic has
increased due to the closing of Mt George and those kids and other out of district transfers attending Alta Heights school.
This actually is a good thing, as we were in danger of that neighborhood school closing
years ago, due to declining enrollment.
I am happy to see kids getting to school when I walk in the morning with my dog.
I love hearing Principal Ted Ward greet the students. I WOULD like to see another stop sign or two on East, but that's a topic for a
different discussion!
My concern is MORE TRAFFIC if the new very large (totally out of scope for this neighborhood!) is allowed to open.
My grandchildren live on Chapel Hill.
Walking to school will become dangerous with all the cars that would be coming and going to Le Petit.
School traffic for parents dropping off on East and Montecito would be a nightmare!
The 5 way stop at Silverado T
rail is already a severe back up. Of further
concern is emergencies or natural disasters (sadly a part of our lives now).
Hundreds of
frantic
parents trying to get to their kids, another nightmare.
Emergency vehicles trying to get through the
streets.
Life and safety issues that HAVE to be addressed.
Another issue is the upper Montecito neighborhood with literally only 2 ways in and out if disaster should strike.
My other concern is the small day care/preschools that have been in Alta Heights for YEARS, Yellow Brick Road on Spring and Cottage on East.
They already see declining enrollment due to the T
-
K,
transitional kindergardens that the elementary schools now a re able to offer, a new day care of this
size might well push them out of business.
Have you asked them about their concerns?
I am sure that there must be a need for this size day care in Napa, but please, not in the neighborhood of Alta Heights!
I hope you seriously consider the needs and desires of our neighbors, children and friends and deny the application for Le Petit on Chapel Hill.
Thanking you in advance for your kind consideration!
Jan & Dennis Fechter
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 Jan Lee Fechter
Napa
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Alexandra Emerson <
>
Sent:
Monday, April 1, 2024 8:21 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Le Petit Elephant Nursery
[You don't o en get email from
Learn why this is important at
h ps://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIden fica on ]
[EXTERNAL]
Hi Angela,
I am wri ng this email in support of the poten al permit for LPE to expand its program and relocate to Alta Heights. My daughter Liliana Redford a ends LPE and started there when she was 8 months old. Leaving your child with anyone is extremely difficul
t, but the love and a en on given to my child eased my anxious heart. My husband and I are so grateful for LPE and the staff that care for our li le girl. She is thriving and we know it is largely due to their commitme nt
to solid childhood development a
nd crea ng an environment safe for these li le ones to discover who they are.
Finding reliable child care is SO incredibly difficult in Napa. I was stressed the moment I found out I was pregnant. A er researching and touring LPE, we knew it was the perfect balance of fun and educa on for our daughter. LPE is truly a community and
my daughter has bonded with the teachers and the kiddos she has grown up with. It is not o en you walk the halls of a school and all the teachers/ Director know each and every child.
Personally I have witnessed many close friends struggle to find childcare and some had to take a break from their career with no other op ons.
Without a doubt, Napa needs more childcare
-
especially a program like LPE which puts the needs, safety, and development of these kids above all else.
I hope the commi ee can see the serious need here and how much this school means to so many of us.
With gra tude,
Allie & Ma Redford
Sent from my iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Deluca Eubanks
Sent:
Monday, April 1, 2024 4:47 PM
To:
PlanningCommission
Subject:
PL-23-0159
[EXTERNAL]
This is my second attempt at submitting my concerns over a proposed project but I understand that my original communication didn’t go through and make the binder.
I am writing to voice my concern over the
purposed Le Petite School and Activities Center at
the corner of Chapel Hill Drive and Montecito.
My concerns are around the safety of the children and the local residents. There are not sidewalks, or enough parking at the school to adequately accommodate so many children and adults.
It feels like a
huge liability to the city and the potential owners.
I am extremely concerned about the safety of the local residents when there is n emergency situation, such as fires and earthquakes.
How can the Alta Heights residents safely get down when you would have hundreds of parents/grandparents trying to get to t
heir families at the multiple schools that are so close together.
It is already challenging to maneuver during the already high traffic periods that the existing schools produce.
A preschool wouldn’t have capable emergency evacuation services to accommod ate
hundreds of additional children in this area.
I touched on the traffic congestion that already exists with current grade school and preschool in the area.
The traffic study doesn’t take into account all the ways parents would be taking to get to and from the schools, as well as Alta Heights is a resi
dential area and not a commercial one.
Turning a church into
a 7 day a week operation doesn’t meet the needs of the residents.
There are plenty of more suitable
choices for a school than this purposed location.
Lastly, myself and my next door neighbor whom live within 50 feet of the church has learned that we have a large radon gas leak.
My home has been seen by an EPA certified remediation company and they stated that any location within 1/4 mile of our propert y probably has a similar problem and needs to be
tested.
After our second test verified our sky high result we are having our home remediated.
Has the
school been tested for radon gas?
I am attaching the results to show you that this is a big problem fo r he
safety of all the people who are entering the church property.
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ATTACHMENT 3
ATTACHMENT 3
SUPPLEMENTAL MEMO No. 1 (4-2-24)
ATTACHMENT 3
4 Thank you for your time and consideration.
Anthony Schrauth
Bruce D Eubanks
Napa, CA 94559
SUPPLEMENTAL MEMO No. 1 (4-2-24)
ATTACHMENT 3
Adrean Takemoto
City of Napa Planning Commission
City Hall
Napa, CA, 94559
Dear Commissioners,
My name is Adrean Takemoto and I currently serve as the Assistant Director at Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool. I am writing to voice my support for the plans under consideration to develop a new location for our preschool.
I have worked in the early childhood development field for more than 20 years and have deep experience with the needs of children and families. I am also a passionate advocate for high quality education and care for young children.
When I started in this field, most childcare centers were small, privately owned schools whose focus was first and foremost on the growth and welfare of the children. Over the years, I experienced a shift as the majority of these private schools were taken
over by larger and larger corporations, whose focus was not on the children and families they serve, but on their bottom line. I can tell you from firsthand experience how detrimental to children this is, and that it contributes to excellent teachers leav ing this important
field.
After working for several such companies, I was thrilled to become acquainted with, and work under, Milli Pintacsi at Le Petit Elephant. It’s refreshing to work for an organization whose primary focus is the education, growth, and well being of the childre
n in our care, a sentiment that I know you have already heard from many families that we serve. It also helps us attract, retain, and train amazing members of our staff into an important field, to the longer term benefit of our community.
I’m writing not just because I’m an employee of the school, but because I truly believe the level of care and curriculum we provide is excellent, well structured, and evidence based –
qualities which are
sometimes in short supply in our profession. The pot
ential expansion of Le Petit Elephant represents an
opportunity to serve even more local children and families.
Le Petit Elephant is extremely highly regarded in the community and with families that are enrolled in our school, as evidenced by our waiting list for enrollment that’s currently through July 2025, and the hundreds of families that are alumni of our progr
am. As much as we would like to accept more families
into our programs, we simply cannot, given physical space and licensing considerations currently.
The proposed new location for Le Petit Elephant represents an additional 63 children that can be enrolled with us, as well as 15 new well paying jobs. The upgraded facility will also be home to added features for the community like a playroom that will not
be limited only to LPE
-
enrolled children and
families, a gym and stage available for community use, and space for family events. Expanding access to infant and preschool spots for our community’s children is important in its own right, but the added benefi
t of much needed child
-
centered community space make this proposed plan even more appealing.
ATTACHMENT 3
I am sure that you are all aware of the shortage of infant and preschool spots for Napa’s families, and appreciate your time and attention to hear from the community. I urge you to approve the proposed new location so that we can get a healthier, brighter
start for even more of our young Napans.
Sincerely,
Adrean Takemoto
Assistant Director
Le Petit Elephant Preschool and Nursery
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Jennifer Uran <
>
Sent:
Monday, April 1, 2024 8:56 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
LPE Use Permit Request
Categories:
Unverified Contact
[EXTERNAL]
Hi Angela,
I support LPE getting its use permit and could not recommend
LPE and Milli
enough. Please see below for the reasons I believe this to be true:
1. There is an extreme
need for
high quality childcare in Napa. If LPE
were not in Napa, I would have moved away when my first son was born in 2017. There was nowhere else in Napa I felt comfortable
leaving my
newborn. Instead we stayed in Napa and had ano
ther son, so we have now
been at LPE since 2017. Expanding LPE would be wonderful so more children could have the opportunity to go through
the program. My older son is now
in first grade at a Napa public
elementary school. He started at LPE when
he was on
ly four months old and went through the entire program. His transition to public school Kindergarten
was seamless and his STAR testing
is in the 90th percentile. His early childhood at LPE has made it easier for him to be successful.
2. I visited various childcare locations in Napa before deciding on LPE.
All other childcare locations I visited in Napa met minimum licensing requirements, but that's it. They didn't seem to have any desire to go above or beyond. When I asked questions th
eir answers were always, well we
are meeting the licensing requirements. LPE consistently goes above and beyond licensing requirements to do what's best for kids.
3. Milli is highly educated and cares deeply about what's best for kids.
Any issue that has come up with my kids has been handled professionally.
Other owners/teachers around Napa are not highly educated and just seem to be trying to get through the day. L
PE teachers really seem to care about
the kids and consistently go above and beyond every day.
4. Milli has been working hard to get Napa to make childcare more of a priority. Many young family's leave Napa because it's too expensive and there are not enough quality childcare options. This impacts all businesses in Napa so it's harder to get quality
employees for
other
industry
jobs (you see this a lot with hospitality right now).
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 5. Alta Heights is a great place for a permanent school. It's a safer area than where LPE is currently located. This will again be better for the kids. Additionally, LPE wouldn't have to worry about renting anymore.
6. Both of my sons enjoy/ed their time at LPE and are happy going to school each day. My toddler is so excited to see his teacher's each Monday morning and talks about them all weekend. The school is such a warm caring place where my kids are happy, feel s
afe and learn all those important
skills that young children need to learn.
7. My older son now goes to public
elementary school. It's been great
overall but we don't find out if we get after school care until the week before school starts. This is very stressful for working parents who have no other options. Additionally, I have
no say or control on what happens
to him in aftercare. For example, he learned how to play video games for
10 years old
+. We didn't feel he was ready for
video
games yet. I
don't have a choice and have to accept whatever they offer because there's no othe
r options
for a working
family. The people watching my son are
teenagers and have less education than the staff at LPE. While my son enjoys it there, I would prefer a better after care program that doesn't rely on screens. My son has become obsessed with s
creens because he does
it with friends at school and I don't think that's what's best for him. I would prefer LPE after care if that was an option for him. LPE is screen free and focuses on healthier activities
for the kids.
8. LPE also provides full child care for working parents, without all of the holidays and short days that other care centers and public schools require. This has made it possible for my husband and I to work hard in our Napa careers and continue growing. W
e need enough time at work to be
able to afford living in Napa.
9. I won't pretend to understand why neighbors are against this initiative, but I believe they are wrong. The most important thing for Napa is to take care of their families and employ quality people in the various
industries. Business in Napa will continu
e struggling to get good
employees if young families can't afford Napa and don't have good options for care.
For all of the reasons above and more, please approve LPE's use permit application on April 4th. It's what's best for the city of Napa, the family's of Napa and the kids of Napa. Listen to Milli, she really cares and is focused on what's best for the child
ren.
I hope to attend in person if I can, but if I can't you have my email and phone number.
Best regards,
Jennifer Uran
ATTACHMENT 3
M
E
M
O
To:
CHAIR SHOTWELL, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM:
ANGELA ALVAREZ
-
CENDEJAS
,
ASSISTANT
PLANNER
DATE:
APRIL
3 ,
2024
SUBJECT:
LE PETIT ELEPHANT USE PERMIT
(
PL2
3 -
01 59
)
In addition to the
April 4
, 2024,
Planning Commission Agenda
,
please accept additional
correspondence for
consideration
of
the
Le Petit Elephant Use Permit
(PL2
3 -
01 59
),
Public Hearing Item
7. A.
The correspondence includes letters and correspondence from the following
individuals
, which
are
attached to this memorandum:
•
Ameris Cleary
(4
-
2 -
24)
•
V
ictor Kleykamp (4
-
2 -
24)
•
Xavier Ortiz
(4
-
2 -
24)
•
Thomas Trice (4
-
2 -
24)
•
Ashley Powne (4
-
2 -
24)
•
Christopher & Beth Daulton (4
-
2 -
24)
•
Ed Ma
tov
cik & C
her
yl Meyer (4
-
3 -
24)
•
Daniel Harder (4
-
3 -
24)
•
Cristal Solis (4
-
3 -
2 4)
•
Serg
io
Novak (4
-
3 -
24)
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Ameris Cleary <
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 3:03 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Feedback on Application PL23-0159
[EXTERNAL]
Hi Angela,
I am writing to comment on the notice of application we received regarding the property at 15 Chapel Hill Drive.
My comments are as follows:
-
There has not been sufficient traffic assessment in the area to determine the actual impact.
A single
day immediately after school breaks is not representative of general traffic.
-
There is not sufficient parking for the staff alone
-
this will force additional cars onto the residential
streets.
Alta Heights is a heavily
walked neighborhood without sidewalks in many places, including much of Montecito.
-
The residents of Alta Heights and the area around the church chose to live there because of the quiet walkable streets
-
we would now be subjected to events, traffic and non
-
residents coming in without
proper
parking to accommodate.
-
The Alta Heights area, which
already has the elementary school, was designed to accommodate
a
walking neighborhood elementary school.
In 2019 when Mt. George Elementary was closed, the area was forced to deal with the influx of traffic from that entirel y new population of 100% drivers, not
walkers.
Since that time, there have been continuous near miss accidents, as rushed parents and children jump out of cars, cross
treacherous cross walks and make unsafe driving maneuvers on East and Montecito. Adding
an additional 250 cars during the morning congestion will no doubt create unsafe conditions for drivers and walkers alike.
It will only be a matter of time before there is an accident.
-
For all other residents up Montecito, it is the only way out of the neighborhood -
the congestion will no
doubt force cars along lakeview, which is also not designed to handle traffic congestion.
-
As is, the traffic congestion from the elementary school, and all other morning traffic, causes the 5 way intersection at Silverado Trail to back up all the way to Montecito.
How is this going to be dealt with while
that intersection is under constructi
on?
-
I understand that the city is under pressure to open additional child care providers, however this is not the proper location for that.
-
The proposed owners of the childcare center were not forthcoming with local residents as to many of the specific impacts of the project
-
minimally, we would expect additional time to make more of the residents aware and have an actual impact assessment
done before this neighborhood is completely
upended by a business, and potential customers of that business, who don't understand or care about the area that they would be moving into.
Thank you,
Ameris Cleary
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
victor kleykamp
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 12:40 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
To Whom it may concern;
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed child care facility in our established residential neighborhood of Alta Heights.
While i understand the importance of such a facility, the potential negative impacts
on our community
cannot be overlooked.
The proposed facility is expected to increase traffic by approximately, 1,000
cars per day.
Please note that the traffic
study was done on a day when the elementary school was not open.
This influx of traffic poses significant
safety
concerns for the children in ou neighborhood, as well as for pedestrians and other motorists.
Our streets are not
equipped to handle such a large increase in traffic volume, and this could lead to congestion, accidents, and overall deterioration of
the quality of life in our community.
Additionally, the noise generated by the increased traffic, deliveries, waste collection, and activities associated with the child care facility will disrupt the peace and quiet of our residential area.
Alta Heights has long
been a peaceful bedroom
community, not intended for its integrity to be denigrated by a commercial facility of this magnitude.
Many residents,
especially the elderly and young children, rely on a quiet environment for their well -
being.
The introduction of
a
commercial facility with potentially loud and disruptive activities will have a negative impact on our qulality of life.
Furthermore, our neighborhood lacks sidewalks, making it unsafe for pedestrians. The increased traffic will only exacerbate this issue, further compromising the safety of our residents.
In light of these concerns, I urge the City Planning Department to reject the proposal for the child care facility in our neighborhood.
I believe that alternative locations, such as commercial areas with better infrastructure
to support the in
creased traffic and activities, should be considered instead.
Thank you for considering my view on this matter.
I trust that you will make the decision that is in the best interest of our community of Alta Heights.
Sincerely,
Victor Kleykamp
Napa, CA 94559
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Xavier Ortiz
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 12:44 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
Dear Planning Commision:
I am writing to express
my deep concern regarding the proposed establishment of a new daycare facility in the Alta Heights Neighborhood. While I understand the importance
of childcare services in our
community, I believe that the location chosen for this d aycare is inappropriate and poses potential risks
to the well
-
being of our community.
First and foremost, the proposed
location of the daycare is on a busy and narrow residential street without sidewalks, in close proximity to busy intersections and high -
traffic areas. This raises serious
safety concerns, especially considering the number o
f young children who would be frequenting the
facility. The increased traffic and congestion in our neighborhood could lead to accidents and endanger the lives of both children and pedestrians.
Furthermore, the introduction of a daycare in our residential area will disrupt the peace and tranquility that we currently enjoy in Alta Heights. Noise pollution from children playing outdoors, as well as additional traffic and parking issues, could signi
ficantly detract from the quality of life for residents in the vicinity.
Additionally, I am concerned about the potential impact of the daycare on property values in our neighborhood. The presence of a commercial childcare facility could deter prospective homebuyers and negatively affect the resale value of properties nearby.
I strongly urge you to reconsider the proposed location of the daycare and explore alternative options that would be more suitable for both the children and residents of our neighborhood. I believe that the safety and well
-
being of our community should be
the top priority in any decision
-
making
process.
Thank you for considering my concerns. I trust that you will take the appropriate action to address this issue in the manner that will most benefit everyone involved and reject the proposed daycare center in Alta Heights.
Sincerely,
Xavier G. Ortiz
Napa, CA 94559
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ATTACHMENT 3
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Ashley Powne <
>
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 10:12 PM
To:
Planning Department; Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
Dear Angela and Planning Commission of Napa County,
I am wri ng to express my concern with the proposal to repurpose the LDS church with the proposal from Le Pe t Elephant.
I am an Alta Heights resident and have a child at Alta Heights Elementary (AHE) as well as a child in daycare. My family is very well aware of the op ons for infant/child care in Napa, as an Alta Heights resident with a child at AHE, I have significant c
oncerns with this proposed loca on.
I’d like to understand if this is approved, what will be done by the city of Napa to ensure that the pedestrians in our neighborhood as well as the children and families remain safe? As you are well aware from the “Slow Down Napa” campaign, speed is alrea
dy an issue in a neighborhood without sidewalks and limited visibly in some areas due to the hills.
While LPE claims that they will have staggered drop offs, the reason that people are pu ng their kids in daycare is to work, and those drop off hours will directly coincide with the traffic from drop -
off for a NVUSD school. People are
already impa ent
wai ng in line for the school drop off so the first safety concern is that they will try to bypass the conges on to get up the hill to the church, where families are crossing the street. There is currently one cross walk on Montecito in front of the sch
ool with no flashing lights, which already puts pedestrians at risk.
For those that try to avoid the AHE drop
-
off on Montecito avenue, they will drive up E. First, the second loca on for elementary school drop off. Visibility is already limited and again, no stop signs or flashing lights for cross walks. Peo ple
already
drive at dangerous speeds on this road, and an addi onal 1000+ trips per day will further increase the safety risks of our children and pedestrians.
I would also like more informa on on how the city priori zes the public school system and private businesses. With enrollment already at a low, as recently conveyed in an ar cle in the Register, why would the planning commission even consider a proposa
l that puts enrollment at a NVUSD school that has been in existence for 75 years at further risk? People that drive to AHE are already frustrated with the traffic situa on. Add 1000+ addi onal trips in this small area as
and we will be forcing parents
to consider other op ons for their children that are convenient and most importantly safe for their children.
Adding a few hundred addi onal students one block up the road from AHE and other established childcare facili es in the neighborhood puts unnecessary danger on the en re community in the event of an emergency. We have been forced and/or had voluntary e
vacua ons on mul ple occasions and this will create a bo leneck if you have an addi onal 200+ cars coming into the neighborhood when we are trying to evacuate. LPE’s plan for buses may sound feasible on paper, but in reality a parent will not wait for
childcare staff to load their infants and toddlers into a bus to evacuate. The first thing they will do is drive into Alta Heights to try to pick up their child, when we need the street cleared for evacua ons.
ATTACHMENT 3
2 I understand the need for addi onal affordable childcare in town (which one could argue based on the median household income in Napa, LPE would not be considered affordable); however, this loca on is simply unacceptable. By approving this applica on, t
he Planning Commission is pu ng the safety of our local school children, families, and many pedestrians that walk these streets at risk as well as undermining the public school system and contribu ng to the decline in enrollment rates at a school that h
as been an anchor in this community for the last 75 years.
Please priori ze the safety of our community and reject the proposal to use this loca on on Chapel Hill for the LPE expansion.
Best,
Ashley Powne
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Christopher Daulton <
>
Sent:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 11:27 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
To the Napa Planning Department:
As with many residents of our neighborhood, it has only recently come to our attention that a business has requested a permit to establish a massive childcare center and community recreation center to be opened at the vacant LDS church on Chapel Hill Drive
in Alta Heights.
Our neighborhood already has two childcare facilities and an elementary school which currently provides an after
-
school program for 150 students.
Now we are being asked to support a business
which plans on childcare for 250 children and,
according to con
versations between the business
owners and residents in the immediate vicinity of the business, plans in the future to care for over 300 children and to be open for even longer hours than is shown on their application.
Traffic studies indicate the impact of the new childcare business will bring in an additional 1,100 or more car trips per day.
This traffic will absolutely not be limited to Montecito Blvd and then to East Ave. but will spill over onto Lakeview Dr., down
to First Street or over onto Berna, Spring and
Highland as people using the childcare will try to find ways which are quicker and easier for them to move in and out of the neighborhood.
Our neighborhood has several areas which do not have
sidewalks or ade
quate lighting; we also have many adults and children
who frequently walk or ride
their bikes for enjoyment.
To add 1,100 additional cars to our streets and roads is absolutely irresponsible at every level of planning as well as insensitive to the safety
and peace of our
neighborhood residents.
While we realize there is a need for childcare in Napa, we believe to place this burden of so much more traffic caused by a massive childcare and community recreation center on this established and already overburdened neighborhood is unacceptable.
We ask
you not to grant a permit for this
business.
Sincerely yours,
Christopher and Beth Daulton
.
Napa, CA
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 From:
Ed Matovcik
Subject: Opposition to Le Petit Center in Alta Heights
Date:
April 3, 2024 at 8:14:11 AM PDT
To:
Beth Painter <
[email protected]
>
[EXTERNAL]
Dear Beth:
We are writing in strong
opposition
to the large scale commercial day-care business
proposed for the Alta Heights Neighborhood. As we understand the current proposal before the City, this business would operate 7 days a week and generate 1,000 daily car trips on small, residential roads used by many pedestrians both young and old.
We live very close to the proposed site of this future mega-business and are extremely concerned with the danger that its increased traffic will cause to our residential neighborhood. It is our understanding that the traffic study submitted in this application was performed while the Alta Heights Middle School was on vacation and is therefore not a true representation of congestion in this area or the nearby 5-points intersection.
We understand the need for more day-care opportunities for parents. However, large, corporate-scale centers like the one proposed by the misnomer Le Petit do not belong in small residential neighborhoods with narrow streets and limited sidewalks like the Montecito/Chapel Hill Neighborhood.
Thank you for your consideration. We hope you are able to oppose this project as well when it comes before the City Council.
Sincerely,
Ed Matovcik
Cheryl Meyer
Napa, CA 94559
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ATTACHMENT 3
April
3,
2024
City of Napa Planning Commission
Gordon Huether, Paul Kelly, Robert Massaro, Alexander Myers, Beverly Shotwell
LPE Use Permit PL23
-
0159
Dear Commissioners,
Unfortunately
due to a recent surgery I will be unable to attend on April 4 th
, I would like to take
this chance to write
in support of the planned development at 15 Chapel Hill Drive. I have the pleasure of knowing both Milli and Robert Pintasci and know how much they care about our community especially as advocates for childcare and the welfare of our children the Napa Vall
ey. I have two grandsons that attend Le Petite Elephant and my daughter in -
law is an
instructor, so I have a first
-
hand view of the operation and se
rvices they provide. I also know
that Milli has never turned away a parent who was unable to pay tuition this plus the fact that she offers scholarships, community services and events for the families is an asset to our community.
I realize there has been much contention and discourse from many of my neighbors, mainly regarding traffic, as founding member of Slow Down Napa I have worked diligently with Public Works and with Sergeant Arron Medina of the Napa PD on traffic calming and
pedestrian
safety. I have also educated myself on solutions to find and explore what other cities our size has put in place. I have expressed my concerns to the owners, and they are very receptive to working with the neighbors, our organization and NPD in
addressing any issues pro
-
actively and
as they arise. I wish I could say the same for residents who fly down that street a 40 mph. After studying the issues of evacuation, I do not foresee any issues that would prevent an orderly evacuation of the school
. In fact, it may well be one of the safest structures in that area due to the use of concrete walls in the buildings and the open areas provide excellent and safe assembly areas in the event of a fire or other natural disaster
As far as vehicle traffic many have used the traffic study in a prima facia way only seeing the 1,000 plus car number not knowing how to accurately use the data provided, this has caused some folks to believe there will be 1000 cars coming and going from t he school in a finite time
line such as one hour twice a day and then followed by the assumption that there will be anywhere between 700 to 1000 students attending each day.
Within the current development plans it appears to me that minimum to moderate remodeling will be done on the buildings the main part of the construction will revolve around accessibility and safety. This is a huge benefit to the folks living nearby, I can
not imagine another developer
using the land for single family or multi residence building. The effort and noise to make that giant rock ready for foundations would go on for a year or more.
ATTACHMENT 3
In closing I urge the commission to approve the use permit and allow what I feel would be an asset to our community and neighborhood to move forward. I can assure you Le Petite Elephant will be a good neighbor and will always be open to the needs and conce rns of Alta
Heights and the City of Napa. When looking at any project we must also see clearly what each development proposal offers services for the welfare of the people who live and work in Napa.
Thank you for your time and consideration
and please cont
act me if I can be of service in
answering any questions that may arise.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel Harder
Dr. Kathleen Patterson
Napa, CA 94559
-
1404
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Cristal Solis <
>
Sent:
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:01 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
LPE Letter for the Planning Commissioners
[EXTERNAL]
Good afternoon Angela,
My name is Cristal Solis and I am one of the Jr. Kindy / TK teachers at Le Petit Elephant. I am writing you a letter to advocate for LPE.
For the first time in my life I found a workplace that is comfortable, loving and supportive in numerous ways. To say that Milli Pintácsi cares a lot about her teachers, students, & their families is an understatement. Milli’s life passion is to provide a
stimulating environment that allows children to
exercise their creativity and imagination.
Our work environment is surrounded with daily happiness; every day at “work” feels like a breath of fresh air. Milli built a foundation for teachers to create classrooms that are culturally inclusive, nurturing, and developmentally rich for young children
and infants.
The children who attend this school strive due to our outdoor curriculums and intentional teachings. This program’s philosophy is child
-
directed; children have the freedom to explore their interests and deepen their confidence. LPE is a place where babies
and young children spend most of their early development years at. The most critical years of a child’s development is the first 5 years of their life. During these years their brain's architecture does the most growing. It provides the foundation for all future learning,
behavior and health (all factors that determine adulthood).
This is why it is critical for us to have the opportunity to continue supporting these babies. They deserve it.
LPE is one of the biggest child care providers in Napa. These children’s parents are our doctors, dentists, teachers, vineyard field workers, etc. If Napa does not have LPE, these parents can not go to work. Who will watch over their children? Napa is a co
mmunity that is excelling in many ways compared to our
surrounding cities. If we want Napa to continue thriving, it is essential that we consider these factors.
The thought of LPE not continuing to flourish is my biggest concern. A lot of families, children, and teachers depend on it. It is the place where we feel safe and happy. Please take my letter into consideration. Our children are our future, we can not for get that.
Kind regards,
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 Cristal Saenz Solis
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Sergio Novak <
Sent:
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:37 PM
To:
Planning Department
Subject:
Oppose LPE on Chapel Hill
[EXTERNAL]
Good afternoon,
I am writing to express my opposition to the massive for -
profit business proposal. A business such as
this does not belong in a residental neighborhood. Especially one that has narrow streets and only one way out for evacuation. Traffic, pollution, and qua
lity
of life will destroy our beautiful,
peaceful and quiet
neighborhood. I live across the street from this proposed monstrosity of a project and I am vehemently against this.
I pay a lot of money in property taxes and I should have a say in this decis ion.
The LPE staff
and parents don't live here, they are not invested in the neighborhood and should this pass, they all get to go home at the end of the day and I will be stuck with this mess.
Sergio Novak
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android
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ATTACHMENT 3
M
E
M
O
To:
CHAIR SHOTWELL, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM:
ANGELA ALVAREZ
-
CENDEJAS
,
ASSISTANT
PLANNER
DATE:
APRIL
3 ,
2024
SUBJECT:
LE PETIT ELEPHANT USE PERMIT
(
PL2
3 -
01 59
)
In addition to the
April 4
, 2024,
Planning Commission Agenda
,
please accept
the
following document for
consideration
of
the
Le Petit Elephant Use Permit
(PL2
3 -
01 59
),
Public Hearing Item
7. A.
:
-
Draft
evacuation plan between
Napa Valley
Transportation Authority (
NVTA
)
and
Le Petit Elephant
*
Please note that t
he
d
ocument i
ncluded is a
D
RAFT
version of the
off
-
Site
evacuation
plan that is being provided by the
Appli
cant
. They are working with the
NVTA
to develop
this plan.
ATTACHMENT 3
DRAFT
Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool: Emergency Action Plan
Out
-
of
-
Neighborhood Evacuation Plan
: In the event of a neighborhood wide evacuation order during operating hours the following plan will be initiated.
Evacuation
routes/exits:
Children are cared for on both the first, second floor and the lower level.
1st Floor:
There are 6 fire exits. Classrooms will use the nearest and safest exit.
2nd Floor:
Classrooms on the second floor will exit out to the second floor
breezeway and
descend the exterior stairs.
Lower Level:
There is an exterior door in the classroom and one in the stairwell between 1st and lower floor.
Evacuating
Infants/Toddlers (0
-
2y):
●
Children will be evacuated together using evacuation
cribs, 2
-
4 per crib.
●
The site owns 18 evacuation cribs which are staged to be ready to push to the nearest exit without obstruction.
Preschool (2
-
5y) and School Age (5
-
12y):
●
Children will be escorted by class to the nearest and safest exit.
Notification:
Upon receiving the order to evacuate the neighborhood from NFD or CalFire, LPE leadership will make contact via 911 to initiate the evacuation procedur
e and NVTA will be deployed as the transportation unit
of the
Napa County Office of Emergen
cy Services
Parents will be notified via our emergency communication app. They will be instructed to wait for their child at the designated out
-
of
-
neighborhood evacuation site.
Once all children are safely evacuated to the designated area in the lower p arking lot LPE leadership will
again make contact via 911 and confirm numbers of infants/toddlers, preschoolers, and staff.
Emergency
Kits/Information:
Each class will exit the building with their designated emergency kit. Each kit includes:
●
Each
child’s emergency contact info
●
Mylar blankets and glow sticks
●
First Aid Kit
●
Non
-
perishable food
●
A photo of each child’s family for comfort
Evacuation Sites:
Napa Valley Expo (0.6 Miles)
575 3rd St, Napa CA, 94559
Back Up Site:
(2.5 Miles)
Crosswalk Community Church
2590 1st St, Napa CA, 94558
Transportation
to Evacuation Site
Locations:
Infants/Toddlers (Non
-
Mobile 0
-
2y):
●
Under the direction of Napa County Office of Emergency Services, Napa Valley Transportation Authority (NVTA) would deploy 9 paratransit vehicles (28 ft or less) each capable of holding 3 cribs, 4 staff members and 8 infants
●
Evacuation cribs will be rolled
on to NVTA vehicles
●
Infants and toddlers will ideally be removed from cribs and be held by staff (1 staff with two infants) for the duration of the trip to the designated out -
of
-
neighborhood evacuation site (0.6
Miles).
Preschool/School Age (Mobile 2
-
12y):
●
Under the direction of Napa County Office of Emergency Services, NVTA would deploy 5 (35 ft) buses each capable of holding 2 cribs and 27 staff/children
●
Children would board buses with staff and each sit in a seat
ATTACHMENT 3
DRAFT
Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool: Emergency Action Plan
●
Student to staff ratio would be anywhere from 8:1 to 12:1 depending on the ages of children and their needs.
ATTACHMENT 3
M
E
M
O
To:
CHAIR SHOTWELL, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM:
ANGELA ALVAREZ
-
CENDEJAS
,
ASSISTANT
PLANNER
DATE:
APRIL
4 ,
2024
SUBJECT:
LE PETIT ELEPHANT USE PERMIT
(
PL2
3 -
01 59
)
In addition to the
April 4
, 2024,
Planning Commission Agenda
,
please accept
additional
correspondence
for
consideration
of
the
Le Petit Elephant Use Permit
(PL2
3 -
01 59
),
Public Hearing Item
7. A.
:
The correspondence includes letters and correspondence from the following
individuals
, which
are
attached to this memorandum:
-
Zarine
& Neville Bat
liwalla (4
-
3 -
2 4)
-
Sylvia Andrews (
4 -
4 -
24)
-
Jessica
Pra
y (4
-
4 -
24)
-
Emil
y O
berman (4
-
4 -
24)
-
Robin Ellison (4
-
4 -
24)
-
Jennifer Hampton (4
-
4 -
24)
-
Mia Fassero (4
-
4 -
24)
-
Ma
ry Viau (4
-
4 -
24)
-
Lara Young (
4 -
4 -
24)
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
zarine batliwalla <
>
Sent:
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 4:15 PM
To:
Planning Department; Neville Batliwalla; Zarine Batliwalla Subject:
Proposed Preschool In Alta Heights.
[EXTERNAL]
To Whom It May Concern:
We are homeowners at
, Napa. We pass by the "Mormon Church" on our way
in and out.
We are greatly concerned about the safety of little children, the street is narrow, how will fire dept get to the site?
There is already an elementary school there and the traffic during pick up and drop off is bad. Adding another
200
-
300 children being dropped off and picked up will greatly impact traffic flow for us residents and be unsafe for
the children.
Yes, the site is large, maybe a few homes could be built on it and that would not impact traffic and be unsafe for children.
We hope you consider the safety of your small residents.
Zarine & Neville Batliwalla
Zarine Batliwalla
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Sylvia Shannon <
>
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 6:43 AM
To:
Planning Department
Cc:
Subject:
PL23-0159 Le Petit
[EXTERNAL]
To Whom It May Concern:
I want to add my voice to the opposition of this venture.
I am for childcare and helping young
families with childcare needs.
However the current location that Le Petit Elephant is
proposing to develop a daycare on Chapel Hill Road in Alta Heights is NOT
a viable location.
1) The access to the facility is not feasible nor sustainable.
The road is narrow with only a
main road Montecito Boulevard to enter and exit the facility.
Montecito Boulevard is
misnamed
-
it isn't a boulevard at all
-
it is a street. This street is narro
w with no sidewalks, has
blind curves and is a dead end at the top of the hill.
Many residents (in Alta Heights) park on
the streets, which makes the streets more narrow and are not meant for high volumes traffic and make it more difficult to evacuate in
case there is a fire.
2) In the event there was an emergency it would be almost impossible to evacuate the area local residents, the Alta Heights School and this enormous day care center which is being proposed. There would be a bottle neck at the site of the daycare (trying to
evacuate 250
infants, toddlers and 50+ staff ), not to mention panicked parents trying to drive up to the daycare which would clog the street and make it gridlocked.
3) This area is known to be a wildfire hazard.
It has been evacuated a number of times during
the 2017 and 2020 wildfires.
4) The amount of infants and children (250) that the Le Petit Elephant is proposing is excessive for the location.
Not to mention the amount of staffing it would require to properly take care of the children.
As you can see from the chart below There ne
eds to be 1 adult to 3
infants. Toddlers it is 1 adult to 4 toddlers.
For 200 infant/ toddlers there would need to be 50
-
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ATTACHMENT 3
2 67 childcare workers to provide safe place for the children to be.
For the remainder 50
children 3
-
5 year olds there would need to be at least 7 more childcare workers.
So we are
looking at an additional 57
-
74 more cars and congestion.
5) There will be major construction at the corner of Silverado Trail/ Third Street/ Coombsville road.
The plan is to put in round abouts and take out lights at the intersection.
This will put
more congestion in the area and will make it harder to evacuat e and make it more dangerous
for the children at the Le Petit Elephant.
Better locations would be the Old Vallergas on Imola (plenty of parking) easy access for parents (near highway 29)
The old Vallergas on First Street. The old Safeway on Jefferson (plenty of parking) easy access for parents and childcare workers.
The old
Learning Universe
on Villa Lane. The Pilates Studio on Jefferson in the old Grapeyard Shopping Center.
As I
drive around there are a lot of empty commercial spaces which are much more accessible for daycare centers.
As a resident of Alta Heights there needs to be parking permits and fines for vehicles parking on the street.
There would need to be some sort of bussing system so we are not having 350+ cars coming in and out of the neighborhood twice a day. Are these ch ildren coming from
parents who work in local businesses?
If so the busses could pick up the children at the
businesses and bring them to facility.
There needs to be a feasible evacuation plan for not only the 250 infants /toddlers and staff but also for the residents of Alta Heights.
A community center would be nice and Napa needs more places for family activity.
However
due to the location and accessibility issues this is not a good location. If you want to make Napa more accessible to families
-
school playgrounds need to be accessib
le to children and
families when school is not in session.
I am irritated that we don't have access to
playgrounds, basketball courts, tracks, tennis courts, soccer fields and courtyards at our local schools
-
they have been fenced off.
As a parent and tax
payer it is important for children to
have safe places to play outside.
ATTACHMENT 3
3 Again I urge you not approve Le Petit Elephant because it is a NOT feasible location, nor is it a safe location.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Andrews
Recommended Staff:Child Ratio and Group Size: Child Care Centers
Recommended Staff:Child Ratios and Group Sizes: Large
Ages
Staff:Child Ratio
Group Size
Infants: Younger than 12 months old
1 adult should care for no more than 3
infants
No more than 6 infants in a group or class
Toddlers: 13
–
35 months old
1 adult should care for no more than 4
toddlers
No more than 8 toddlers in a group or
class
Preschoolers: 3 years old
1 adult should care for no more than 7
preschoolers
No more than 14 preschoolers in a group
or class
Preschoolers: 4 years old
1 adult should care for no more than 8
preschoolers
No more than 16 preschoolers in a group
or class
Preschoolers: 5 years old
1 adult should care for no more than 8
preschoolers
No more than 16 preschoolers in a group
or class
School
-
age children: 6
–
8 years old
1 adult should care for no more than
10 school
-
age children
No more than 20 school
-
age children in a
group or class
School
-
age children: 9
–
12 years old
1 adult should care for no more than
12 school
-
age children
No more than 25 school
-
age children in a
group or class
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Jessica Pray
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 7:05 AM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Le Petit Elephant
[You don't o en get email from
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h ps://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIden fica on ]
[EXTERNAL]
Hello Ms. Alvarado
-
Cendejas,
I am emailing in support of Le Pe t Elephant opening in the Alta Heights neighborhood. I am not only a mother of two young children in Napa, but also a school nurse with NVUSD and am very aware of the much needed affordable child care offering enriching a
c vi es to our children as they grow and learn. Please consider the opening of this program as a valuable opportunity for our children and families.
Warm Regards,
Jessica Pray
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Emily Oberman <
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 9:56 AM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Support of use permit
[EXTERNAL]
Hi Angela,
I am writing in because I will not be able to attend the meeting at city hall today, but I would like to express my support for the use permit request by Milli Pintacsi and Le Petit Elephant Preschool. I believe this addition to the community will be so be
neficial for women who need to return back to work, as well as additional affordable options for children. Please let me know if there is anything else I can provide in support of this initiative.
Thanks
!
Emily
Oberma
n
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 1:20 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
PL23-0159 LePetit
Attachments:
Screenshot (216).png
[EXTERNAL]
Dear Planning Commission,
Attached is the latest LPE emergency evacuation plan.
It is like the Titanic without enough lifeboats. Milli had stated earlier that there will be 100 infants (0
-
2yrs, not sitting or walking) and 100 toddlers 2yrs
-
5 yrs old in
attendance. In the evacuation plan, she states there would be 18 cribs for evacuat ion, each holding 2
-
4 children. And a total of 14 paratransit vehicles would immediately be sent to load the cribs. If you do the math, there are not nearly enough cribs for all the children who could not walk themselves out of the building. Not only the i
nfants, but she is counting toddlers as being "mobile." Nor is there enough staff for all of this. And no guarantee the paratransit vehicles could even get through in an emergency. The evacuation would apparently be happening on 3 different levels of the b
uilding. This is all a scary thought for some of us, who have lived through emergencies. But as Milli's husband, Robert Pintasci, explained with hands waving and a smile at a childcare meeting, "We don't have the nihilist idea" of disaster happening. Indee d, why realistically plan for
something that’s not going to happen?
Robin Ellison
Alta Heights
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Jennifer Inman Hampton <
>
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 1:24 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Support of a use permit by Milli Pintacsi in Alta Heights for Le Petit Elephant [You don't o en get email from
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[EXTERNAL]
Jennifer Hampton
March 3, 2024
Subject: Le er of Support for Use Permit Applica on for Le Pe t Elephant
To Whom it May Concern,
I am wri ng this le er to express my strong support for the use permit applica on submi ed by Milli Pintacsi to operate a preschool at Alta Heights. As a member of the community and a parent myself, I believe that establishing a preschool at this site
will bring numerous benefits and enhance the quality of life for families in Napa.
Learn Pe t Elephant has a stellar reputa on for providing high -
quality infant and early childhood educa on and fostering a nurturing environment for young children. Their curriculum emphasizes not only learning but also social and emo onal development,
which are crucial for children’s overall well
-
being.
The availability of a preschool like Le Pe t Elephant will make it more convenient for working parents to access reliable childcare services. My daughter was among the first students to a end this preschool. Reliable childcare contributes to increased wo
rkforce par cipa on and economic produc vity in our community.
Furthermore, having a preschool with family
-
focused ameni es promotes a sense of community and strengthens neighborhood bonds that counter the percep on that Napa is “not for locals” , but is only tourist -
focused. In contrast,
Mrs. Pintacsi’s vision for t
his site goes beyond childcare and early childhood educa on and encourages families to engage with each other and par cipate in local ac vi es, ul mately crea ng a more vibrant and connected community.
I have full confidence in Le Pe t Elephant’s ability to operate responsibly and in accordance with all regula ons and safety standards. Their commitment to providing a safe, enriching, and inclusive environment for children is commendable, and I believe
they will be a valuable asset to our city.
I urge you to approve this use permit applica on without hesita on. Your support will not only benefit the families directly served by the preschool but also contribute to the overall well -
being and vitality of our community.
Thank you for considering my input and for your dedica on to ensuring the growth and prosperity of Napa locals.
Sincerely,
ATTACHMENT 3
2 Jennifer Hampton
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Mia Fassero
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 1:46 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
In Support of Childcare in Napa Valley ~ URGENT
[EXTERNAL]
Attention: Angela Alvarez
-
Cendejas
My heart breaks to hear the rumors of discontent in our community over the opening of a child centered resource. With the ongoing shuttering of schools in a shifting marketplace for families, it is a remarkable act of courage to think that someone has the vision and the
passion to open up a safe space for the most vulnerable. The infants and toddlers born to hard working parents in our community deserve a place like the proposed childcare center and school in Alta Heights and we give our full support to Mil li Pintacsi in her efforts to
accomplish this mission for the children of our community. I can’t think of anything more selfish than to deny this for our littlest ones, those without a voice.
SINCERELY,
MIA WAGNER
NAPA RESIDENT
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ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
mary viau
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 3:01 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Le Petit Elephant Use permit
[You don't o en get email from
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h ps://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIden fica on ]
[EXTERNAL]
Hi there
-
I am wri ng in opposi on to Le Pe tes Daycare facility applica on. Not only as a resident but also as a business owner. I
read the pe on to allow this enormous child care facility in a small already congested neighborhood that I have to drive throug
h on weekdays for my kids schools but also as a business owner that offers what they say does not exist in Napa.
I own RoLa..a weekday play class facility and weekend party loca on not half a mile from this poten al site. There is also another Mom owned business on Coombs down the way that does kids a erschool classes, birthday par es and summer camps. So her cla
im that there’s nothing in Napa like what she wants to offer is false. Of course we need more op ons in Napa for families. But we need affordable preschool and daycare for all families. Le Pe te is the most expensive and elite preschool in Napa that cate
rs to Napas wealthy.
The loca on that is being put forward would be a nightmare for not only the neighborhood but for general commu ng in the area. I sit at 3rd and Silverado traffic daily to progress onto the 2 lane road of East Ave and can’t imagine what an addi onal 1000
commuters a day would mean. The argument that not all come at the same me is ridiculous. Not only do you have the parents dropping off at 7:30
-
8am at the same me as the elementary and other exis ng preschool you have people that need to leave their h
omes to get to work. You will also have people coming in and out for the Play Cafe classes they are wan ng to do..through out the day on top of am and pm drop off of day care. Please look at the big picture and see this for what it is..a blank check in ta x payer money to grow her high end business..not bringing more affordable and accessible childcare to Napa. Especially at this loca on at this scale.
Thank You
-
Mary Viau
RoLa
h ps://gcc02.safelinks.protec on.outlook.com/?url=h p%3A%2F%2Fwww.rolanapa.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cacend ejas%40cityofnapa.org%7Cff21e0a206744dca3b0608dc54f2c08d%7C7c2235c73aee4099a6c4bde6470cfa85%7C0%7C0% 7C638478648806604636%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIj
oiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiL
CJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8hzvkz4PKQFdxSe1GsGSJwL%2FkiI6LhGdbU2zUSx8R2U%3D&reserved=0
Sent from my iPhone
ATTACHMENT 3
1 Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
From:
Lara Russo <
Sent:
Thursday, April 4, 2024 3:36 PM
To:
Angela Alvarez-Cendejas
Subject:
Support for new childcare facility
[EXTERNAL]
Dear Planning Commission,
Writing in support of the planned childcare center proposed for Alta Heights, as I unfortunately cannot make it in person this evening.
As a mom of two young Napa Natives (Joey 1.5, Clyde 2.5 both born at the Queen), I know first hand how limited our options are for childcare, particularly for the under -
5 age group.
During this rainy spring, it
has been almost impossible to find places to
take my kids where they can be kids! While I understand the concerns of some of my Alta Heights neighbors, it sounds like there are adequate plans to alleviate
traffic concerns.
I hope this "Not in my back yard!" attitude will not stifle much needed inve
stment in options for families in our community.
Please feel free to contact me if you'd like more of my perspective, otherwise I appreciate your consideration.
Thanks,
Lara
--
Lara Young
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ATTACHMENT 3