St. Helena City Council
April 23, 2024

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-69
Figure 9 Population by Race, St. Helena, 2000-2019
Universe: Total population
Notes: Data for 2019 represents 2015-2019 ACS estimates. The Census Bureau defines Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity separate from racial categories. For the purposes of this graph, the “Hispanic or Latinx” racial/ethnic group represents those who identify as having Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity and may also be members of any racial group. All other racial categories on this graph represent those who identify with that racial category and do not identify with Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Table P004; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015- 2019), Table B03002
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-02.

Income
Household Income Distribution
Despite the economic and job growth experienced throughout the region since 1990, the income gap has continued to widen. California is one of the most economically unequal states in the nation, and the Bay Area has the highest income inequality between high- and low-income households in the state.7 7 Bohn, S.et al. 2020. Income Inequality and Economic Opportunity in California. Public Policy Institute ofCalifornia. 70% 63% 65%
29% 33% 31%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2000 2010 2019
Share of Population
American Indian or Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic Asian / API, Non-Hispanic Black or African American, Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Other Race or Multiple Races, Non-Hispanic Hispanic or Latinx Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-70
Household Income Categories
The Department of Housing and Urban Development defines income categories as a percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI). Households whose income equals 30 percent or less of the AMI are considered extremely low-income; households with incomes between 30 and 50 percent of the AMI are classified as very low-income; and those between 50 and 80 percent of the AFI are low-income. The CHAS data set also provides information on households earning between 80 and 100 percent of the AMI and households with incomes above 100 percent of the AMI.

In St. Helena, 56.8 percent of households make more than 100 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI)8, compared to 15.8 percent making less than 30 percent of AMI, which is considered extremely low-income (Figure 10).

Figure 10 Households by Household Income Level
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), 8 Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). This is then adjusted for household size. 16% 10% 15%
11%
12%
11%
11%
15% 13%
5% 10% 9%
57% 53% 52%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
100.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Percent of Households
0%-30% of AMI 31%-50% of AMI 51%-80% of AMI 81%-100% of AMI Greater than 100% of AMI Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-71
and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located. The data that is reported for the Bay Area is not based on a regional AMI but instead refers to the regional total of households in an income group relative to the AMI for the county where that household is located. Local jurisdictions are required to provide an estimate for their projected extremely low-income households (0-30 percent AMI) in their Housing Elements. HCD’s official Housing Element guidance notes that jurisdictions can use their RHNA for very low-income households (those making 0-50 percent AMI) to calculate their projected extremely low-income households. As Bay Area jurisdictions have not yet received their final RHNA numbers, this document does not contain the required data point of projected extremely low-income households. The report portion of the housing data needs packet contains more specific guidance for how local staff can calculate an estimate for projected extremely low-income households once jurisdictions receive their 6th cycle RHNA numbers.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table ELI-01.

Throughout the region, there are disparities between the incomes of homeowners and renters. Typically, the number of low-income renters greatly outpaces the amount of housing available that is affordable for these households. In St. Helena, the largest proportion of renters falls in the Greater than 100 percent of AMI income group, while the largest proportion of homeowners are found in the Greater than 100 percent of AMI group (Figure 11).

Figure 11 Household Income Level by Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), 215 83124 90 1,044 180200 145 45 378 0 200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
0%-30% of AMI 31%-50% of AMI 51%-80% of AMI 81%-100% of AMI Greater than 100% of AMI
Households
Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-72
and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-21.

Currently, people of color are more likely to experience poverty and financial instability as a result offederal and local housing policies that have historically excluded them from the same opportunities extended to white residents.9 These economic disparities also leave communities of color at higher risk for housing insecurity, displacement or homelessness. In St. Helena, Other Race or Multiple Races (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) residents experience the highest rates of poverty, followed by White (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) residents (Figure 12).

Figure 12 Poverty Status by Race
Universe: Population for whom poverty status is determined Notes: The Census Bureau uses a federally defined poverty threshold that remains constant throughout the country and does not correspond to Area Median Income. For this table, the Census Bureau does not disaggregate racial groups by Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. However, data for the white racial group is also reported for white householders who are not Hispanic/Latinx. Since residents who identify as white and Hispanic/Latinx may have very different experiences within the housing market and the economy from those who identify as white and non-Hispanic/Latinx, data for multiple white sub-groups are reported here. The racial/ethnic groups reported in this table are not all mutually exclusive. Therefore, the data should not be summed as the sum exceeds the population for whom poverty status is determined for this jurisdiction. However, all groups labelled “Hispanic and Non-Hispanic” are mutually exclusive, and the sum of the data for these groups is equivalent to the population for whom poverty status is determined.
9 Moore, E., Montojo, N. and Mauri, N., 2019. Roots, Race & Place: A History of Racially Exclusionary Housing the San Francisco Bay Area. Hass Institute.

14.0%

11.9%

7.9%

5.8%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% 14.0% 16.0%
Hispanic or Latinx
Other Race or Multiple Races (Hispanic and NonHispanic) White (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic)
White, Non-Hispanic
Black or African American (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic)
Asian / API (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic)
American Indian or Alaska Native (Hispanic and NonHispanic) Percent of Households in Racial / Ethnic Group
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B17001(A-I) For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table ELI-03.

Extremely Low-Income Households
In St. Helena, 56.8 percent of households make more than 100 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), compared to 15.8 percent making less than 30 percent of AMI, which is considered extremely low-income (see Figure 10). Regionally, more than half of all households make more than 100 percent AMI, while 15 percent make less than 30 percent AMI. In Napa County, 30 percent AMI is the equivalent to the annual income of $27,950 for a family of four. Many households with multiple wage earners – including food service workers, full-time students, teachers, farmworkers, and healthcare professionals – can fall into lower AMI categories due to relatively stagnant wages in many industries.

Within the Housing Element, cities must estimate the extremely low-income housing need in the community.

Based on HCD guidance, the City of St. Helena estimates that approximately 52 extremely low-income housing units are needed in the planning period. This estimate was calculated based on HCD guidance, as 50 percent of the very low-income housing need, as identified by the RHNA (Table 6).

Table 6 St. Helena Regional Housing Needs Allocation
Geography
Very Low
Income (<50
percent of
AMI)
Low Income
(50%-80
percent of
AMI)
Moderate
Income (80%-
120 percent of
AMI)
Above
Moderate
Income (>120
percent of
AMI)
St. Helena 104 59 26 67
1 Per HCD guidance, the extremely low-income need in St. Helena is estimated at 50 percent of the very low income RHNA requirement, or approximately 52 units.

Employment Trends
Balance of Jobs and Workers
A city houses employed residents who either work in the community where they live or work elsewherein the region. Conversely, a city may have job sites that employ residents from the same city, but more often employ workers commuting from outside of it. Smaller cities typically will have more employed residents than jobs and export workers, while larger cities tend to have a surplus of jobs and import workers. To some extent the regional transportation system is set up for this flow of workers to the region’s core job centers. At the same time, as the housing affordability crisis has illustrated, local imbalances may be severe, where local jobs and worker populations are out of sync at a sub-regional scale.

One measure of this is the relationship between workers and jobs. A city with a surplus of workers “exports” workers to other parts of the region, while a city with a surplus of jobs must conversely “import” them.

Between 2002 and 2018, the number of jobs in St. Helena decreased by 34.2 percent (Figure 13).

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-74
Figure 13 Jobs in St. Helena
Universe: Jobs from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment Notes: The data is tabulated by place of work, regardless of where a worker lives. The source data is provided at the census block level. These are crosswalked to jurisdictions and summarized.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files, 2002-2018 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-11.

There are 3,005 employed residents, and 5,476 jobs10 in St. Helena - the ratio of jobs to resident workers is

1.82; St. Helena is a net importer of workers. Figure 14 shows the balance when comparing jobs to workers, broken down by different wage groups, offering additional insight into local dynamics. A community may offer employment for relatively low-income workers but have relatively few housing options for those workers - or conversely, it may house residents who are low wage workers but offer few employment opportunities for them. Such relationships may cast extra light on potentially pent-up demand for housing in particular price categories. A surplus of jobs relative to residents in a given wage category suggests the need to import those workers, while conversely, surpluses of workers in a wage group relative to jobs means the community will export those workers to other jurisdictions. Such flows are not inherently bad, though over time, sub-regional imbalances may appear.

St. Helena has more low-wage jobs than low-wage residents (where low-wage refers to jobs paying less than $25,000). This disparity implies that, every day, low wage workers commute to St. Helena from their residences outside of the city. At the other end of the wage spectrum, the city has more high-wage jobs than high-wage residents (where high-wage refers to jobs paying more than $75,000). This figure suggests that high-wage 10 Employed residents in a jurisdiction is counted by place of residence (they may work elsewhere) while jobs in a jurisdiction are counted by place of work (they may live elsewhere). The jobs may differ from those reported in Figure 5 as the source for the time series is from administrative data, while the cross-sectional data is from a survey. 0 1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-75
workers are also commuting into St. Helena. Since both high wage workers and low wage workers are faced with commuting into St. Helena for work, it suggests a lack of housing, both market-rate and affordable, within the city. (Figure 14).11
Figure 14 Workers by Earnings, by Jurisdiction as Place of Work and Place of Residence Universe: Workers 16 years and over with earnings
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data 2015-2019, B08119, B08519 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-10.

Figure 15 shows the balance of a jurisdiction’s resident workers to the jobs located there for different wage groups as a ratio instead - a value of one means that a city has the same number of jobs in a wage group as it has resident workers - in principle, a balance. Values above one indicate a jurisdiction will need to import workers for jobs in a given wage group. At the regional scale, this ratio is 1.04 jobs for each worker, implying a modest import of workers from outside the region (Figure 15). 11 The source table is top-coded at $75,000, precluding more fine grained analysis at the higher end of the wage spectrum. 323380 802 453 1,047 599 933 1,660 1,260 1,583 0 200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
Less than $9,999 $10,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 or more Worker Population
Place of Residence Place of Work
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Figure 15 Jobs-Worker Ratios, By Wage Group
Universe: Jobs in a jurisdiction from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment Notes: The ratio compares job counts by wage group from two tabulations of LEHD data: Counts by place of work relative to counts by place of residence. See text for details.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files (Jobs); Residence Area Characteristics (RAC) files (Employed Residents), 2010-2018 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-14.

Such balances between jobs and workers may directly influence the housing demand in a community. New jobs may draw new residents, and when there is high demand for housing relative to supply, many workers may be unable to afford to live where they work, particularly where job growth has been in relatively lower wage jobs.

This dynamic not only means many workers will need to prepare for long commutes and time spent on the road, but in the aggregate, it contributes to traffic congestion and time lost for all road users.

If there are more jobs than employed residents, it means a city is relatively jobs-rich, typically also with a high jobs to household ratio. Thus, bringing housing into the measure, the jobs-household ratio in St. Helena has decreased from 3.47 in 2002, to 2.23 jobs per household in 2018 (Figure 16).

1.50 2.00

2.50 3.00

3.50 4.00

4.50 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Ratio
Wages Less Than $1,250/Mo Wages $1,250-$3,333/Mo Wages More than $3,333/Mo Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-77
Figure 16 Jobs-Household Ratio
Universe: Jobs in a jurisdiction from unemployment insurance-covered employment (private, state and local government) plus United States Office of Personnel Management-sourced Federal employment; households in a jurisdiction Notes: The data is tabulated by place of work, regardless of where a worker lives. The source data is provided at the census block level. These are crosswalked to jurisdictions and summarized. The ratio compares place of work wage and salary jobs with households, or occupied housing units. A similar measure is the ratio of jobs to housing units. However, this jobs-household ratio serves to compare the number of jobs in a jurisdiction to the number of housing units that are actually occupied. The difference between a jurisdiction’s jobs-housing ratio and jobs-household ratio will be most pronounced in jurisdictions with high vacancy rates, a high rate of units used for seasonal use, or a high rate of units used as short-term rentals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) files (Jobs), 2002-2018; California Department of Finance, E-5 (Households) For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-13.

1.00 1.50

2.00 2.50

3.00 3.50

4.00 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Ratio
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Employment by Industry
In terms of sectoral composition, the largest industry in which St. Helena residents work is Health & Educational Services, and the largest sector in which Napa residents work is Health & Educational Services (Figure 17). For the Bay Area as a whole, the Health & Educational Services industry employs the most workers of any sector.

Figure 17 Resident Employment by Industry
Universe: Civilian employed population age 16 years and over Notes: The data displayed shows the industries in which jurisdiction residents work, regardless of the location where those residents are employed (whether within the jurisdiction or not). Categories are derived from the following source tables:

Agriculture & Natural Resources: C24030_003E, C24030_030E; Construction: C24030_006E, C24030_033E; Manufacturing, Wholesale & Transportation: C24030_007E, C24030_034E, C24030_008E, C24030_035E, C24030_010E, C24030_037E; Retail:

C24030_009E, C24030_036E; Information: C24030_013E, C24030_040E; Financial & Professional Services: C24030_014E, C24030_041E, C24030_017E, C24030_044E; Health & Educational Services: C24030_021E, C24030_024E, C24030_048E, C24030_051E; Other: C24030_027E, C24030_054E, C24030_028E, C24030_055E Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table C24030 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-06. 3% 5%
3%
6%
6%
19%
15% 26%
35% 35%
30%
4%
21% 19%
17%
10% 10% 9%
7% 8% 8%

0.0%

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20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
100.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Share of Employed Residents
Other
Retail
Manufacturing, Wholesale &
Transportation
Information
Health & Educational Services
Financial & Professional Services
Construction
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Unemployment
Figure 18 shows the unemployment rate for St. Helena, Napa County, and the Bay Area. In St. Helena, there was a 1.3 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate between January 2010 and January 2021.

Jurisdictions throughout the region experienced a sharp rise in unemployment in 2020 due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, though with a general improvement and recovery in the later months of 2020.

Figure 18 Unemployment Rate
Universe: Civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older Notes: Unemployment rates for the jurisdiction level is derived from larger-geography estimates. This method assumes that the rates of change in employment and unemployment are exactly the same in each sub-county area as at the county level. If this assumption is not true for a specific sub-county area, then the estimates for that area may not be representative of the current economic conditions. Since this assumption is untested, caution should be employed when using these data. Only not seasonallyadjusted labor force (unemployment rates) data are developed for cities and CDPs.

Source: California Employment Development Department, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), Sub-county areas monthly updates, 2010-2021.

For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-15. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Percent of Labor Force that is Unemployed
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Agenda Item #11.1.

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4. Population and Employment Projections
This section uses population, household, and employment projections provided by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the California Department of Finance (DoF), and Plan Bay Area. Data specific to St. Helena is used when available (typically from Plan Bay Area 2040) and is supplemented by regional projections for North Napa County (Calistoga, St. Helena, and Yountville) and the Bay Area, available through the recently (2021) released Plan Bay Area 2050.

Key Findings
• ABAG anticipates much higher growth across the Bay Area than in St. Helena. While Plan Bay Area 2050 projects a 35 percent increase in total population from 2015 to 2050 (approximately 2.7 million new residents) across the nine counties of the Bay Area, it projects less than one percent growth in Calistoga, St. Helena, and Yountville.

Population
While Plan Bay Area 2050 does not provide jurisdiction-specific population projections, Plan Bay Area 2040 (2017) projected a 17 percent increase in total population from 2010 to 2040 for St. Helena, which translates to 1,550 new residents, as shown in Table 7. Countywide, Plan Bay Area 2040 projected a similar increase of 16 percent for Napa County.

Table 7 St. Helena, Population Totals and Projections, 2010-2040, Plan Bay Area 2040 Year 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Percent
Change
(2010-
2040)
St. Helena 5,830 5,920 6,085 6,415 6,655 6,715 6,800 +17% Napa County 135,880 136,885 141,240 146,130 151,445 155,860 158,050 +16% Source: Plan Bay Area 2040.

For comparison, the DoF projects a countywide increase of seven percent in total population between 2010 to 2050, which translates to 9,463 new Napa County residents (Table 8).

Table 8 Department of Finance Population Projections, Napa County, 2010-2050 Year 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Percent
Change
St. Helena 136,587 141,390 138,711 140,748 143,223 145,444 146,602 146,641 146,050 +7% Source: California Department of Finance. Demographic Research Unit. Report P-2A: Total Population Projections, California Counties, 2010-2060 (Baseline 2019 Population Projections; Vintage 2020 Release). Sacramento: California. July 2021.

ABAG anticipates much higher growth across the Bay Area then in St. Helena. While Plan Bay Area 2050 projects a 35 percent increase in total population from 2015 to 2050 (approximately 2.7 million new residents) Agenda Item #11.1.

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across the nine counties of the Bay Area, the Plan projects less than one percent growth in the North Napa County superdistrict (including Calistoga, St. Helena, and Yountville). Table 9 and Figure 19 show Plan Bay Area 2050 population projections for the Bay Area. While the Plan includes this regional population totals, data for individual subregions, termed superdistricts, is provided for households and jobs rather than population. For more information, please see the discussions on household and job projections below.

Table 9 Plan Bay Area 2050 Population Projections, Bay Area, 2015-2050 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Percent
Change
Bay
Area 7,660,000 7,940,000 8,230,000 8,560,000 9,010,000 9,490,000 9,930,000 10,330,000 +35% Source: California Department of Finance. Demographic Research Unit. Report P-2A: Total Population Projections, California Counties, 2010-2060 (Baseline 2019 Population Projections; Vintage 2020 Release). Sacramento: California. July 2021.

Figure 19 Bay Area, Population Totals and Projections, 1990-2050, Plan Bay Area 2050.

Source: Plan Bay Area 2050.

Households
In 2017, Plan Bay Area 2040 projected a one percent increase in total households from 2010-2040 in St. Helena, which translates to 300 or more new households (Table 10). Similarly, Plan Bay Area 2050 projects that the number of households in the Northern Napa County superdistrict (including Calistoga, St. Helena, and Yountville) will grow by less than one percent by 2050, compared to 51 percent growth in the projected number of households in the Bay Area (Table 11).

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 10 Table 2: St. Helena, Household Totals and Projections, 2010-2040, Plan Bay Area 2040 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Total Households 2,150 2,400 2,425 2,490 2,620 2,705 2,700 For 2010, the base year, a tabulation from the 2010 pre-run microdata, designed to approximate (but may still differ from) Census 2010 counts, is used. Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. 2015 are modeled estimates, not observed.

Source: Plan Bay Area 2040.

Table 11 Household Projections by Region, 2015-2050
Region 2015 2050 Growth
Percent
Growth
Share of
Regional
Growth
North Napa County 16,000 16,000 0 <1% 0%
Bay Area 2,677,000 4,043,000 1,366,000 +51% 100%
Source: Plan Bay Area 2050.

Jobs
According to Plan Bay Area 2040, ABAG projected in increase of 280 jobs (five percent increase) between 2010 and 2040, which calculates to an annual average growth rate of 0.8 percent (Table 12). Employment is projected to increase in three categories: retail (+27 percent), Information, Government, and Construction (+12 percent), and Health, Educational, and Recreational Services Jobs (+5 percent). In contrast, ABAG expects that employment in the areas of manufacturing and wholesale; agriculture and natural resources, and financial and professional services to stagnate or slightly decrease. Countywide, Plan Bay Area 2040 projected an increase of 12,765 jobs (18 percent increase) at annual average employment growth rate of 2.8 percent in the same time period.

Table 12 Job Totals and Projections, St. Helena and Napa County, 2010-2040 Year 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Percent
Change
(2010-
2040)
St. Helena 5,700 5,750 5,765 5,805 5,820 5,820 5,980 5% Napa County 70,680 70,880 71,905 72,580 74,255 77,260 83,355 18% Source: Plan Bay Area 2040.

Plan Bay Area 2050, however, projects that employment in the North Napa County superdistrict will decrease by 4,000 jobs by 2050 (Table 13). Employment in the region is assumed to be constrained based on limited job centers and transit options, as well as current and potential future wildfire impacts. Regionally however, the Bay Area job totals are projected to increase by 35 percent between 2015 and 2050, which coincides with the expected Bay Area population growth during that time (also 35 percent). This increase translates to 1,403,000 new jobs.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 13 Job Totals and Projections, North Napa County and the Bay Area, 2015-2050 Region 2015 2050 Growth
Percent
Growth
Share of
Regional
Growth
North Napa County 24,000 20,000 -4,000 <1% 0%
Bay Area 4,005,000 5,408,000 1,403,000 35% 100%
Source: Plan Bay Area 2050.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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5. Housing Conditions
The following section details the housing conditions in St. Helena and, where available, compares the data to Napa County and the Bay Area. Data sources include the Census, the American Community Survey, DoF, HUD, including the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) dataset, and HCD).

ABAG supplied an HCD Preapproved Data Package that provided much of the data included in this analysis for the City. Additionally, ABAG, in coordination with Baird + Driskell Community Planning provided a Housing Needs Data Report that directly informed this section of the Needs Analysis.12 Key Findings
• Number of Homes. The number of new homes built in the Bay Area has not kept pace with the demand, resulting in longer commutes, increasing prices, and exacerbating issues of displacement and homelessness. The number of homes in St. Helena increased, 4.4 percent from 2010 to 2020, which is above the growth rate for Napa County and below the growth rate of the region’s housing stock during this time period.
• Home Prices. A diversity of homes at all income levels creates opportunities for all St. Helena residents to live and thrive in the community.
– Ownership. The largest proportion of homes had a value in the range of $1 million-$1.5 million in 2019. Home prices increased by 118.2 percent from 2010 to 2020. – Rental Prices. The typical contract rent for an apartment in St. Helena was $1,470 in 2019.

Rental prices increased by 15.7 percent from 2009 to 2019. To rent a typical apartment without cost burden, a household would need to make $59,160 per year. • Housing Type. It is important to have a variety of housing types to meet the needs of a community today and in the future. In 2020, 63.9 percent of homes in St. Helena were single family detached, 6.1 percent were single family attached, 6.2 percent were small multifamily (2-4 units), and 18.4 percent were medium or large multifamily (5+ units). Between 2010 and 2020, the number of single-family units increased more than multi-family units. Generally, in St. Helena, the share of the housing stock that is detached single family homes is above that of other jurisdictions in the region. • Vacancy Rate. Vacant units make up 17.4 percent of the overall housing stock in St. Helena. The rental vacancy rate stands at 3.1 percent, while the ownership vacancy rate is 5.3 percent. Of the vacant units, the most common type of vacancy is for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use. This statistic highlights how St. Helena contains many “second homes,” which may sit unoccupied for a majority of the year. Additionally, with the increasing popularity of short-term rental sites, such as 12 ABAG/MTC Staff and Baird + Driskell Community Planning, Housing Needs Data Report: St. Helena, May 2021.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-85
AirBNB, at vacation destinations such as Napa Valley, many homes may be vacant in the sense of not having permanent residents.
• Overcrowding. Overcrowding often disproportionately impacts low-income households. 2.5 percent of very low-income households (below 50 percent AMI) experience severe overcrowding, while none of the households above 100 percent of the AMI experience this level of overcrowding. • Cost Burden. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers housing to be affordable for a household if the household spends less than 30 percent of its income on housing costs.

A household is considered “cost-burdened” if it spends more than 30 percent of its monthly income on housing costs, while those who spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs are considered “severely cost-burdened.” In St. Helena, 21.1 percent of households spend 30-50 percent of their income on housing, while 16.6 percent of households are severely cost burden and use the majority of their income for housing. Lower-income, Latinx, and large households are disproportionally impacted by housing cost burdens.13
Existing Housing Conditions
Housing Stock Characteristics
In recent years, most housing produced in the region and across the state consisted of single-family homes and larger multi-unit buildings. However, some households are increasingly interested in “missing middle housing” – including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, cottage clusters and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These housing types may open up more options across incomes and tenure, from young households seeking homeownership options to seniors looking to downsize and age-in-place.

The housing stock of St. Helena in 2020 was made up of 63.9 percent single family detached homes,

6.1 percent single family attached homes, 6.2 percent multifamily homes with two to four units, 18.4 percent multifamily homes with five or more units, and 5.4 percent mobile homes (Figure 20). In St. Helena, the housing type that experienced the most growth between 2010 and 2020 was the detached single-family home. 13 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25070; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-86
Figure 20 Housing Type Trends
Universe: Housing units
Source: California Department of Finance, E-5 series
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-01.

Age of Housing Stock
Production has not kept up with housing demand for several decades in the Bay Area, as the total number of units built and available has not come close to meeting the population and job growth experienced throughout the region. According to American Community Survey estimates, in St. Helena, the largest proportion of the housing stock was built 1960 to 1979, with 1,217 units constructed during this period (Figure 21). Since 2010,

1.9 percent of the current housing stock was built, which is 63 units. Between 2015 and 2019, 74 housing units were issued permits in St. Helena. During this time, 73.0 percent of permits issued in St. Helena were for above moderate-income housing, 5.4 percent were for moderate-income housing, and 21.6 percent were for low- or very low-income housing (Table 14).

Table 14 Housing Permitting from 2015-2019 St. Helena
Income Group Value
Above Moderate-Income Permits 54
Low Income Permits 9
Very Low-Income Permits 7
Moderate Income Permits 4
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), 5th Cycle Annual Progress Report Permit Summary (2020)
152
1,777
169
525
178
153
1,850
181
533
155
0 200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
Single-Family Home:

Attached
Single-Family Home:

Detached
Multifamily Housing:

Two to Four Units
Multifamily Housing:

Five-plus Units
Mobile Homes
Units
2010 2020
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-87
According to City records, however, these American Community Survey estimates are low. As reported in Table 1 above, the City permitted 110 units between 2015 and 2021, of which all units have been constructed.

Figure 21 Housing Units by Year Structure Built
Universe: Housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25034 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-04.

Occupancy Rates
Vacant units make up 17.4 percent of the overall housing stock in St. Helena (Figure 22). The rental vacancy rate stands at 3.1 percent, while the ownership vacancy rate is 5.3 percent. Of the vacant units, the most common type of vacancy is for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use. Figure 23 shows the distribution of vacancies by type.14
14 The vacancy rates by tenure is for a smaller universe than the total vacancy rate first reported, which in principle includes the full stock (17.4%). The vacancy by tenure counts are rates relative to the rental stock (occupied and vacant) and ownership stock (occupied and vacant) - but exclude a significant number of vacancy categories, including the numerically significant other vacant.
336
648
1,217
757
251
63 0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
Built 1939 Or
Earlier
Built 1940 To
1959
Built 1960 To
1979
Built 1980 To
1999
Built 2000 To
2009
Built 2010 Or
Later
Units
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-88
Figure 22 Occupancy Status
Universe: Housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25002Throughout the Bay Area, vacancies make up 2.6 percent of the total housing units, with homes listed for rent; units used for recreational or occasional use, and units not otherwise classified (other vacant) making up the majority of vacancies. The Census Bureau classifies a unit as vacant if no one is occupying it when census interviewers are conducting the American Community Survey or Decennial Census.

Vacant units classified as “for recreational or occasional use” are those that are held for short- term periods of use throughout the year. Accordingly, vacation rentals and short-term rentals like AirBnB are likely to fall in this category. The Census Bureau classifies units as “other vacant” if they are vacant due to foreclosure, personal/family reasons, legal proceedings, repairs/renovations, abandonment, preparation for being rented or sold, or vacant for an extended absence for reasons such as a work assignment, military duty, or incarceration.15 In a region with a thriving economy and housing market like the Bay Area, units being renovated/repaired and prepared for rental or sale are likely to represent a large portion of the “other vacant” category.
15 For more information, see pages 3 through 6 of this list of definitions prepared by the Census Bureau:
https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/definitions.pdf.
83% 88%
94%
17% 12%
6%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
100.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Percent of Housing Units
Occupied Housing Units Vacant Housing Units
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-89
Figure 23 Vacant Units by Type
Universe: Vacant housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25004 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-03.

Throughout the Bay Area, vacancies make up 2.6 percent of the total housing units, with homes listed for rent; units used for recreational or occasional use, and units not otherwise classified (other vacant) making up the majority of vacancies. The Census Bureau classifies a unit as vacant if no one is occupying it when census interviewers are conducting the American Community Survey or Decennial Census. Vacant units classified as “for recreational or occasional use” are those that are held for short- term periods of use throughout the year. Accordingly, vacation rentals and short-term rentals like AirBnB are likely to fall in this category. The Census Bureau classifies units as “other vacant” if they are vacant due to foreclosure, personal/family reasons, legal proceedings, repairs/renovations, abandonment, preparation for being rented or sold, or vacant for an extended absence for reasons such as a work assignment, military duty, or incarceration. In a region with a thriving economy and housing market like the Bay Area, units being renovated/repaired and prepared for rental or sale are likely to represent a large portion of the “other vacant” category
Overcrowding
Overcrowding occurs when the number of people living in a household is greater than the home was designed to accommodate. There are several different standards for defining overcrowding, but this report uses the Census Bureau definition, which is more than one occupant per room (not including bathrooms or kitchens). 6%
11%
9% 24% 4%
6%
45%
55%
22%
34%
26%
36%
6%
6% 3% 7%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
100.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Percent of Vacant Housing Units
Sold, Not Occupied
Rented, Not Occupied
Other Vacant
For Seasonal, Recreational, Or
Occasional Use
For Sale
For Rent
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-90
Additionally, the Census Bureau considers units with more than 1.5 occupants per room to be severely overcrowded.

Overcrowding is often related to the cost of housing and can occur when demand in a city or region is high. In many cities, overcrowding is seen more amongst those that are renting, with multiple households sharing a unit to make it possible to stay in their communities. In St. Helena, 2.2 percent of households that rent are severely overcrowded (more than 1.5 occupants per room), compared to 1.0 percent of households that own (Figure 24).

In St. Helena, 7.1 percent of renters experience moderate overcrowding (1 to 1.5 occupants per room), compared to 0.6 percent for those own.

Figure 24 Overcrowding by Tenure and Severity
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: The Census Bureau defines an overcrowded unit as one occupied by 1.01 persons or more per room (excluding bathrooms and kitchens), and units with more than 1.5 persons per room are considered severely overcrowded.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table OVER-01.

Overcrowding often disproportionately impacts low-income households. 2.5 percent of very low-income households (below 50 percent AMI) experience severe overcrowding, while 0.0 percent of households above 100 percent experience this level of overcrowding (Figure 25). 1%
7%
1%
2%

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%
Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
Percent of Households

1.0 to 1.5 Occupants per Room More than 1.5 Occupants per Room Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-91
Figure 25 Overcrowding by Income Level and Severity
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: The Census Bureau defines an overcrowded unit as one occupied by 1.01 persons or more per room (excluding bathrooms and kitchens), and units with more than 1.5 persons per room are considered severely overcrowded. Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San JoseSunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table OVER-04.

People of color tend to experience overcrowding at higher rates than White residents. In St. Helena, the racial group with the largest overcrowding rate is other race or multiple races (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) (Figure 26).
12%
5%
1%
2%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%
0%-30% of AMI 31%-50% of AMI 51%-80% of AMI 81%-100% of AMI Greater than 100% of AMI
Percent of Households

1.0 to 1.5 Occupants per Room More than 1.5 Occupants per Room Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-92
Figure 26 Overcrowding by Race
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: The Census Bureau defines an overcrowded unit as one occupied by 1.01 persons or more per room (excluding bathrooms and kitchens), and units with more than 1.5 persons per room are considered severely overcrowded. For this table, the Census Bureau does not disaggregate racial groups by Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. However, data for the white racial group is also reported for white householders who are not Hispanic/Latinx. Since residents who identify as white and Hispanic/Latinx may have very different experiences within the housing market and the economy from those who identify as white and nonHispanic/Latinx, data for multiple white sub-groups are reported here. The racial/ethnic groups reported in this table are not all mutually exclusive. Therefore, the data should not be summed as the sum exceeds the total number of occupied housing units for this jurisdiction. However, all groups labelled “Hispanic and Non-Hispanic” are mutually exclusive, and the sum of the data for these groups is equivalent to the total number of occupied housing units.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25014 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table OVER-03.

Housing Cost Burden
A household is considered “cost-burdened” if it spends more than 30 percent of its monthly income on housing costs, while those who spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs are considered “severely cost-burdened.” Low-income residents are the most impacted by high housing costs and experience the highest rates of cost burden. Spending such large portions of their income on housing puts low-income households at higher risk of displacement, eviction, or homelessness. 17%
25%
3%
2%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%
More than 1.0 Occupants per Room
Percent of Households
American Indian or Alaska Native (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) Asian / API (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic)
Black or African American (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic)
Hispanic or Latinx
Other Race or Multiple Races (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) White (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic)
White, Non-Hispanic
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-93
Renters are often more cost-burdened than owners. While the housing market has resulted in home prices increasing dramatically, homeowners often have mortgages with fixed rates, whereas renters aremore likely to be impacted by market increases. When looking at the cost burden across tenure in St. Helena (Figure 27), 31.3 percent of renters spend 30 percent to 50 percent of their income on housing compared to 13.3 percent of those that own. Additionally, 13.5 percent of renters spend 50 percent or more of their income on housing,while 21.9 percent of owners are severely cost-burdened.

Figure 27 Cost Burden by Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Cost burden is the ratio of housing costs to household income. For renters, housing cost is gross rent (contract rent plus utilities). For owners, housing cost is “select monthly owner costs”, which includes mortgage payment, utilities, association fees, insurance, and real estate taxes. HUD defines cost-burdened households as those whose monthly housing costs exceed 30 percent of monthly income, while severely cost-burdened households are those whose monthly housing costs exceed 50 percent of monthly income.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25070, B25091 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table OVER-06.

In St. Helena, 16.6 percent of households spend 50 percent or more of their income on housing, while 21.1 percent spend 30 to 50 percent. However, these rates vary greatly across income categories (Figure 28). For example, 56.9 percent of St. Helena households making less than 30 percent of AMI spend the majority of their income on housing. For St. Helena residents making more than 100 percent of AMI, just 3.4 percent are severely 64%
51%
13%
31%
22% 13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
Percent of Households
0%-30% of Income Used for Housing 30%-50% of Income Used for Housing 50%+ of Income Used for Housing Not Computed
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-94
cost-burdened,and 81.9 percent of those making more than 100 percent of AMI spend less than 30 percent of their income on housing.

Figure 28 Cost Burden by Income Level
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Cost burden is the ratio of housing costs to household income. For renters, housing cost is gross rent (contract rent plus utilities). For owners, housing cost is “select monthly owner costs”, which includes mortgage payment, utilities, association fees, insurance, and real estate taxes. HUD defines cost-burdened households as those whose monthly housing costs exceed 30 percent of monthly income, while severely cost-burdened households are those whose monthly housing costs exceed 50 percent of monthly income. Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release.

For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table OVER-05.

Hispanic or Latinx residents are the most cost burdened with 38.1 percent spending 30 percent to 50 percent of their income on housing, and Asian / API, Non-Hispanic residents are the most severely cost burdened with 100.0 percent spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing (Figure 29). 26% 22%
48%
68%
82%
17%
60%
24%
11%
15%
57%
19%
28%
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0%-30% of AMI 31%-50% of AMI 51%-80% of AMI 81%-100% of AMI Greater than 100% of AMI
Percent of Households
0%-30% of Income Used for Housing 30%-50% of Income Used for Housing 50%+ of Income Used for Housing
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-95
Figure 29 Cost Burden by Race
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Cost burden is the ratio of housing costs to household income. For renters, housing cost is gross rent (contract rent plus utilities). For owners, housing cost is “select monthly owner costs”, which includes mortgage payment, utilities, association fees, insurance, and real estate taxes. HUD defines cost-burdened households as those whose monthly housing costs exceed 30 percent of monthly income, while severely cost-burdened households are those whose monthly housing costs exceed 50 percent of monthly
income. For the purposes of this graph, the “Hispanic or Latinx” racial/ethnic group represents those who identify as having Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity and may also be members of any racial group. All other racial categories on this graph represent those who identify with that racial category and do not identify with Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table OVER-08.

Physical Housing Conditions
In general, the condition of the housing stock in St. Helena is good. This is primarily due to the high value of residential property, recent new construction, and minor to extensive remodeling which has been performed within the last ten years. Property owners are motivated to keep housing in good condition because of the high value of houses and rents.
100%
65%
26%
50%
17%
8%
38%
100%
16%
66%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
American Indian
or Alaska Native,
Non-Hispanic
Asian / API, NonHispanicBlack or African
American, NonHispanic
White, NonHispanicOther Race or
Multiple Races,
Non-Hispanic
Hispanic or
Latinx
Percent of Households
0%-30% of Income Used for Housing 30%-50% of Income Used for Housing 50%+ of Income Used for Housing Cost Burden Not computed Agenda Item #11.1.

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Housing costs in the region are among the highest in the country, which could result in households, particularly renters, needing to live in substandard conditions in order to afford housing. Generally, there is limited data on the extent of substandard housing issues in a community. However, American Community Survey data (Figure 30) gives a sense of some of the substandard conditions that may be present in St. Helena. For example, 7.5 percent of renters in St. Helena reported lacking a kitchen and no renters lack plumbing. No owners reported lacking either a kitchen or plumbing.

Figure 30 Substandard Housing Issues, St. Helena, 2019
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Per HCD guidance, this data should be supplemented by local estimates of units needing to be rehabilitated or replaced based on recent windshield surveys, local building department data, knowledgeable builders/developers in the community, or nonprofit housing developers or organizations.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25053, Table B25043, Table B25049 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-06.

There are scattered areas where housing condition can be an issue. City staff estimates approximately two percent of the single-family houses and one percent of multi-family units need replacement. These units have improvement costs that exceed the estimated replacement cost. Approximately four percent of single-family houses (approximately 85 units) and two percent of multifamily units (approximately 15 units) are in need of significant rehabilitation, which is defined as having major deficiencies that may require immediate repair.

About five percent of the housing stock needs limited rehabilitation (approximately 140 units). These structures exhibit minor repair need and are not considered to have major safety issues. 7%

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%
No Kitchen Plumbing
Percent of Units Lacking Amenity
Owner Renter
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-97

6. Housing Market Conditions
This section provides information on the private housing market in St. Helena and assesses the market’s ability to accommodate the housing needs of residents. ABAG supplied an HCD Preapproved Data Package that provided data on home values, affordability, and contract rents in the City. Additionally, ABAG, in coordination with Baird + Driskell Community Planning provided a Housing Needs Data Report that directly informed this section of the Needs Analysis.16
Key Findings
• Home Values. Home values in St. Helena are high. The typical home value (December 2020) was $1,665,790 in St. Helena, $768,410 in Napa County and $1,077,230 the Bay Area. • Affordability. The current market conditions in St. Helena enable only above moderate-income households to purchase homes, though affordable rental and for-sale housing complexes in St. Helena provide 256 units of affordable housing.

For-Sale Housing
Home prices reflect a complex mix of supply and demand factors, including an area’s demographic profile, labor market, prevailing wages and job outlook, and land and construction costs. In the Bay Area, the costs of housing have long been among the highest in the nation. The typical home value in St. Helena was $1,665,790 by December of 2020, per data from Zillow. The largest proportion of homes were between $1 million and $1.5 million (Figure 31). By comparison, the typical home value is $768,410 in Napa County and $1,077,230 in the Bay Area, with the largest share of units valued $500,000 to $750,000.

The region’s home values have increased steadily since 2000, besides a decrease during the Great Recession.

The rise in home prices has been especially steep since 2012, with the median home value in the Bay Area nearly doubling during this time. Since 2001, the typical home value has increased 156.7 percent in St. Helena from $648,900 to $1,665,790. This change is above the change in Napa County, and above the change for the region (Figure 32).
16 ABAG/MTC Staff and Baird + Driskell Community Planning, Housing Needs Data Report: St. Helena, May 2021.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-98
Figure 31 Home Values of Owner-occupied Units
Universe: Owner-occupied units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25075 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-07.

Figure 32 Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)
Universe: Owner-occupied housing units
Notes: Zillow describes the ZHVI as a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical home value and market changes across a given region and housing type. The ZHVI reflects the typical value for lower to moderate valued homes in a 6%10% 6%10% 20% 16% 14% 35% 23% 12%15%20%26% 8% 18% 8%3%8% 24% 7% 9%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Percent of Owner Occupied Units
Units Valued Less than $250k Units Valued $250k-$500k Units Valued $500k-$750k Units Valued $750k-$1M Units Valued $1M-$1.5M Units Valued $1M-$2M Units Valued $2M+
$100,000
$300,000
$500,000
$700,000
$900,000
$1,100,000
$1,300,000
$1,500,000
$1,700,000
$1,900,000
Home Value
Bay Area Napa County St. Helena
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-99
neighborhood. Specifically, the ZHVI is based upon the valuations of homes between 35th to 65th percentile range on a standardized curve encompassing all owner-occupied housing units, including both single-family homes and condominiums.

More information on the ZHVI is available from Zillow. The regional estimate is a household-weighted average of county-level ZHVI files, where household counts are yearly estimates from DOF’s E-5 series For unincorporated areas, the value is a population weighted average of unincorporated communities in the county matched to census-designated population counts.

Source: Zillow, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-08.

Affordable Home Purchase Prices
Table 15 examines affordability in another way. Instead of presenting the income required to buy a market rate house in St. Helena, Table 15 examines how much very low-, low-, and moderate-income households in St. Helena could afford to pay for housing, along with the corresponding maximum affordable home price. The table assumes 10 percent down payment, modeling a situation that is more typical of first-time homebuyers who have not amassed sufficient financial resources to make a larger down payment. These buyers are more likely to be in need of affordable housing options than the typical buyers of market rate housing in St. Helena.

The lower down payment amount requires the owner to buy mortgage insurance.

As shown, in the case of a three-person household, the affordable home price varies from approximately $203,461 for very low-income, to $325,372 for low-income, and $406,922 for moderate income households.

The income limits increase with household size, and a six-person household with very low, low, or moderate income can afford to buy a home priced at $262,243, $419,548, and $542,493, respectively. Based on this data and current market prices, lower-income households have very few options for purchasing a home in St. Helena, while moderate-income households may be able to afford to purchase a condominium or a small single-family home.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-100
Table 15 Affordable Home Purchase Prices by Income Level, Napa County Extremely Low-Income Households at 30 percent of Median Family Income Studio
1 Bedroom
2 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
4 Bedroom
5 Bedroom
Number of Persons 1 1.5 3 4 6 7.5
Income Level $22,950 $24,550 $29,500 $32,750 $38,000 $39,300 Max. Monthly Gross Rent (1) $574 $614 $738 $819 $950 $983 Max. Purchase Price (2) $95,004 $101,627 $122,118 $135,572 $157,304 $162,686 Very Low-Income Households at 50 percent of Median Family Income Studio
1 Bedroom
2 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
4 Bedroom
5 Bedroom
Number of Persons 1 1.5 3 4 6 7.5
Income Level $38,200 $40,950 $49,150 $54,600 $63,350 $65,500 Max. Monthly Gross Rent (1) $955 $1,024 $1,229 $1,365 $1,584 $1,638 Max. Purchase Price (2) $158,132 $169,516 $203,461 $226,022 $262,243 $271,143 Low-Income Households at 80 percent of Median Family Income Studio
1 Bedroom
2 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
4 Bedroom
5 Bedroom
Number of Persons 1 1.5 3 4 6 7.5
Income Level $61,150 $65,500 $78,600 $87,350 $101,350 $104,850 Max. Monthly Gross Rent (1) $1,529 $1,638 $1,965 $2,184 $2,534 $2,621 Max. Purchase Price (2) $253,136 $271,143 $325,372 $361,593 $419,548 $434,036 Median-Income Households at 100 percent of Median Family Income Studio
1 Bedroom
2 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
4 Bedroom
5 Bedroom
Number of Persons 1 1.5 3 4 6 7.5
Income Level $76,450 $81,900 $98,300 $109,200 $126,650 $131,050 Max. Monthly Gross Rent (1) $1,911 $2,048 $2,458 $2,730 $3,166 $3,276 Max. Purchase Price (2) $316,472 $339,033 $406,922 $452,043 $524,279 $542,493 Moderate-Income Households at 120 percent of Median Family Income Studio
1 Bedroom
2 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
4 Bedroom
5 Bedroom
Number of Persons 1 1.5 3 4 6 7.5
Income Level $91,750 $98,300 $117,950 $131,050 $152,000 $157,250 Max. Monthly Gross
Rent/Payments (1) $2,294 $2,458 $2,949 $3,276 $3,800 $3,931 Max. Purchase Price (2) $379,808 $406,922 $488,265 $542,493 $629,218 $650,951 Note: Based on 2021 Napa County Area Family Income (Family of 4) of $109,200, per State income limits . 1Assumes that 30 percent (35 percent for moderate) of income is available for either: monthly rent, including utilities; or mortgage payment, taxes, mortgage insurance, and homeowners' insurance. 2Assumes 90.0 percent loan at 5.0 percent annual interest rate and 30-year term; assumes taxes, mortgage insurance, and homeowners’ insurance account for 20 percent of total monthly payments.

Source: Mintier Harnish, 2021.

Current Market Rate For-Sale Housing
Since 2019, the price of for-sale housing in St. Helena has shifted even higher, making home ownership practically unattainable to working class residents of St. Helena. All single-family homes are for sale at prices greater than $1,000,000. The median price of for-sale housing is $1,872,500 and the average price of for-sale housing is $2,965,458, which are both prices unaffordable to lower- and moderate-income households.

Currently there are only four units listed for under $1,000,000: three mobile homes and one condominium.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-101
Table 16 Residential Properties for Sale, January 2023
Address Bedroom Bathrooms Square
Footage
For-Sale
Price
Cost per
Square Foot
1210-1250 Oakwood Ln 6 8 6,800 $10,880,000 $1,600.00
1933 Spring St 2 2 1,664 $7,995,000 $4,804.69
1817 Main St 6 6 7,000 $5,500,000 $785.71
1057 Pratt Ave 6 7 3,979 $4,950,000 $1,244.03
2490 Spring Mountain Rd 3 4 4,210 $3,600,000 $855.11
1820 Spring Mountain Rd 3 3 2,520 $3,500,000 $1,388.89
1721 Scott St 3 3 1,950 $2,999,000 $1,537.95
1648 Scott St 3 2 1,458 $2,850,000 $1,954.73
704 Hunt Ave 3 3 2,426 $2,450,000 $1,009.89
1434 Sylvaner Ave 3 2 1,968 $2,250,000 $1,143.29
1362 Stockton St 3 2 1,682 $1,895,000 $1,126.63
1626 Tainter St 2 2 1,758 $1,850,000 $1,052.33
1186 Meadowcreek Cir 3 2 2,078 $1,795,000 $863.81
1291 Sylvaner Ave 3 2 1,511 $1,650,000 $1,091.99
1727 Crinella Dr 3 2 1,683 $1,395,000 $828.88
1344 Magnolia Ave 3 3 2,082 $1,375,000 $660.42
24 Volker Ct 3 2 1,320 $1,150,000 $871.21
1382 Park St 3 2 1,800 $1,084,000 $602.22
16 Henry Ct 2 2 1,000 $1,075,000 $1,075.00
945 Hunt Ave 2 3 1,212 $790,000 $651.82
16 San Juan Ct 2 2 1,440 $439,000 $304.86
55 Laguna Seca Ct 2 2 1,512 $365,000 $241.40
10 Los Robles Ct 2 2 1,248 $360,000 $288.46
Source: Zillow.com, January 9, 2023.

Rental Housing
Similar to home values, rents have also increased dramatically across the Bay Area in recent years. Regionwide, some renters were priced out, evicted, or displaced, particularly communities of color. Residents finding Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-102
themselves in one of these situations may have had to choose between commuting long distances to their jobs and schools or moving out of the region, and sometimes, out of the state.

In St. Helena, the largest proportion of rental units rented in the $500 to $1000 per month category, totaling

24.4 percent, followed by 22.2 percent of units renting in the $1500 to $2000 per month category (Figure 33).

Both countywide, and in the Bay Area as a whole, the largest share of units is in the $1500 to $2000 per month category.

Figure 33 Contract Monthly Rents for Renter-occupied Units Universe: Renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25056 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-09.

Since 2009, the median rent has increased by 15.7 percent in St. Helena, from $1,390 to $1,470 per month (Figure 34). In Napa County, the median rent has increased 23.0 percent , from $1,270 to $1,560 per month.

The median rent in the region has increased significantly during this time from $1,200 to $1,850 per month, a 54 percent increase.8%
6%
6%
24%
13%
10%
19%
26%
19%
22%
29%
23%
14%
15%
17%
7%
6%
12%
6%
5%
13%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Percent of Rental Units
Rent less than $500 Rent $500-$1000 Rent $1000-$1500 Rent $1500-$2000 Rent $2000-$2500 Rent $2500-$3000 Rent $3000 or more
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-103
Figure 34 Median Contract Monthly Rent
Universe: Renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent Notes: For unincorporated areas, median is calculated using distribution in B25056.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data releases, starting with 2005-2009 through 2015-2019, B25058, B25056 (for unincorporated areas). County and regional counts are weighted averages of jurisdiction median using B25003 rental unit counts from the relevant year.

For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-10.

Affordable Rental Rates
In addition to maximum home purchase price, Table 15 also calculates maximum monthly gross rent. This calculation assumes that 30 percent (35 percent for moderate) of income is available for either: monthly rent, including utilities; or mortgage payment, taxes, mortgage insurance, and homeowners' insurance. Among three-person households, the maximum monthly gross rent that can be paid is calculated at $1,229 for very low-income households, $1,965 or low-income households, and $2,458 for moderate income households. While a studio, one-bedroom, and some of the two-bedroom market rate apartments in St. Helena are affordable to low income and a portion of very low-income households, they are in limited supply. Average apartment rents throughout Napa County are only affordable to low-, moderate-, and above moderate- households. In addition, single family rental units are significantly more expensive and are affordable only to above moderate-income households.
$1,000
$1,100
$1,200
$1,300
$1,400
$1,500
$1,600
$1,700
$1,800
$1,900
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Dollars
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-104
Affordable Housing Complexes
Table 17 lists affordable housing complexes and units in St. Helena, which are shown on Figure 35. These include four rental complexes, five for-sale subdivisions, and 13 regulated affordable units in the City, which increase the supply of housing and focus on meeting the housing needs unmet by the private housing market • The rental complexes noted in Table 17 provide 214 units of affordable housing to St. Helena residents.

Waiting lists for affordable units can be quite long. For instance, as of January 2022, Hunt’s Grove Apartments has a five-year waiting list17 and Stonebridge has a three to four year waiting list.18 Recently, the City has reduced and deferred fees for a five-unit affordable project at 963 Pope Street, which is currently under construction.
• The five for-sale subdivisions (Marietta Townhomes, Wallis Subdivision, Magnolia Oaks, and Brenkle Court) provide 41 affordable for-sale units with deed restrictions. The City of St. Helena contributed funds to the Marietta townhomes in 1997, including $130,000 in silent second mortgages and $12,500 in building fees. The City also reduced fees and contributed significant funds to the Brenkle Court development in 2016 and approved an additional five deed-restricted affordable units at this location in 2020.
• The 13 regulated affordable apartments in the City are incorporated into the Wydown Hotel, Hunt Street Apartments, Turley Flats, and Grayson Avenue Apartments. The City has both reduced and deferred fees (through a loan from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund) for the Turley Flats Affordable Housing Project, an 8-unit multi-family development.

In addition, mobile home parks like Vineyard Valley, although not officially regulated as affordable housing, do represent a housing option in St. Helena that is affordable to moderate income households. 17 Personal communication, January 26, 2022.
18 Personal communication. January 26, 2022.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-105
Figure 35 Map of Affordable Housing Units, St. Helena
Source: City of St. Helena, 2022. Map data from OpenStreetMap.org Contributors.

Table 17 Affordable Rental Housing Units, St. Helena
Name
Affordable
Units
Bedrooms/
Bathrooms
Special
Needs
Current
Owner Funding Sources Status
Affordability
Requirement
Hunts Grove 56 14 - 1 bdr/1 bath
28 - 2 bdr/1 bath
14 - 3 bdr/2 bath
n.a. Bridge
Housing
9 percent Tax Credit Equity;
Residential Housing Construction
Program; Bank of American, First
Nationwide Bank, City of
St. Helena, First Financial
Management
Active Low and Very Low
Income
Stonebridge
Apts.
78 8 - 1 bdr/1 bath
23 - 2 bdr/1 bath
28 - 3 bdr/2 bath
8 - 4 bdr/2 bath
n.a. EAH
Nonprofit
Housing
Corporation
9 percent Tax Credit Equity; HCD;
Residential Housing Construction
Program; City of St. Helena;
Federal Home Loan Bank,
Affordable Housing Program
Active Low and Very Low
Income
Woodbridge
Apts.
49 48 - 1 bdr/1 bath
2 - 2 bdr/1 bath
Senior
Citizens
Woodbridge
RAL
CHFA, Section 8 Active Very Low Income
Magnolia Oaks 14 10 - 2 bdr
apartments
4- 1 bdr second
units
n.a. n.a. Developer Financed Active Low and Moderate
Income
Wydown Hotel 1 1 - 1 bdr n.a. Wydown
Hotel
Developer Financed Active Very Low Income
Hunt Street
Apartments
2 Studio n.a. Jack
Ibrahim
Owner Financed Active Very Low Income
Turley Flats 8 2-3 bdr multifamily n.a. n.a. Private Financing, City and County Loans
Grayson
Apartments
2 2 bdr/1 bath n.a. n.a. Private funds Active Low and Moderate Income
Christine
Apartments
4 2 bdr/1 bath n.a. Our Town
St. Helena
Private funds Active Very Low and Low
Income
RENTAL TOTAL 214
Source: City of St. Helena, 2022.
🏠 Rental Housing
🔑 For-Sale Housing
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-106
Table 18 Affordable For-Sale Housing Units, St. Helena
Name
Affordable
Units
Bedrooms/
Bathrooms
Special
Needs
Current
Owner Funding Sources Status
Affordability
Requirement
Wallis
Subdivision
20 2bdr/2 bath n.a. n.a. Developer Financed Active Moderate Income
Marietta
Townhomes
10 Unknown n.a. n.a. Napa Valley Community;
City of St. Helena
Active Moderate
Income
Sherwin 1 4 bdr single family n.a. n.a. Developer Financed Active Moderate Income
Magnolia Oaks 2 3 bdr single family n.a. n.a. Developer Financed Active Moderate Income
Brenkle Court 8 3bdr/1.5 bath n.a. n.a. City and County Loans, USDA & sweat equity
Under
Constru
ction
Low and
Moderate
Income
FOR SALE TOTAL 41
Source: City of St. Helena, 2022.

Current Market Rate Rental Housing
Since the release of the 2019 ACS data, the cost of rental housing in St. Helena has increased dramatically. For most looking to move to St. Helena, the price of market rate housing is almost entirely out of reach. Based on Zillow data, there are two available apartments for rent in St. Helena posted for a contract rent rate of $1,850 and $2,150. Several detached single-family homes are listed for rent at prices which are wholly out of reach of lower, moderate, and most above moderate-income households. The average market rent rate of available single-family homes is $8,356 per month and the median rent is $6,450 per month.

Table 19 Residential Properties for Rent, January 2023
Address Bedroom Bathrooms Square
Footage
Monthly
Rent
Cost per
Square Foot
709 Hunt Ave 4 4 2,915 $24,500 $8.40
679 Dowdell Ln 4 3.5 2,800 $22,000 $7.85
466 Pratt Ave 4 5 4,789 $15,000 $3.13
489 Fulton Ln 3 2 1,645 $14,000 $8.51
1316 Sulphur Springs Ave 3 2 1,648 $9,500 $5.76
925 Pratt Ave 3 3 2,523 $8,500 $3.37
1860 Quail Ct 2 2.5 2,433 $6,500 $2.67
911 Chiles Ave 3 2.5 2,217 $6,500 $2.93
1320 Elmhurst Ave 3 2 1,512 $6,450 $4.27
1629 Madrona Ave 4 3 2,746 $6,000 $2.18
963 McCorkle Ave 3 2 1,378 $5,900 $4.28
1091 Mariposa Ln 3 2 1,316 $5,500 $4.18
1220 Peppertree Cir 3 2 1,450 $4,650 $3.21
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-107
1969 Vineyard Ave 3 2 1,000 $4,400 $4.40
1328 Magnolia Ave 3 3 2,082 $3,800 $1.83
210 Nemo Ct 2 2 2,000 $3,200 $1.60
1444 Edwards St, Unit C 2 1 N/A $2,150 N/A
1444 Edwards St, Unit B 1 1 N/A $1,850 N/A
Source: Zillow.com, January 9, 2023.
“At Risk” Units
State law requires an analysis of the risk of conversion of affordable housing to market-rate housing within the next ten years. The 2009 Housing Element identified one affordable housing complex, the Woodbridge Apartments, as at-risk for losing its federal subsidies. In 2013, the City worked with the property owners and CalHFA to re-finance and renovate 50 units of affordable housing. Through this effort the Woodbridge Apartment Complex will continue to offer regulated affordable housing through November 2067. The 2014- 2022 Housing Element reported no units at-risk of conversion.

The California Housing Partnership provides information on affordable housing developments subsidized through HUD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, and public housing. Table 20, shows data on assisted affordable units with information on the estimated affordability end year and an estimation of at-risk status. As shown on the table, the California Housing Partnership's Preservation Database (2020) does not identify any affordable housing developments with subsidies expiring during the 2023-2031 planning period.

Table 20 Assisted Affordable Housing Developments by Conversion Risk Status, St. Helena Universal ID Name Address Zip
Affordable
Units
Total
Units
Funding
Program
Estimated
Affordability
End Year
Risk
Level
CA00001362 Woodbridge Village
Apartments
727 Hunt
Avenue 94574 49 50
LIHTC;
HUD;
CalHFA
2067 Low
CA00002539 Hunt's Grove Apartments 548 Hunt
Avenue 94574 56 56 LIHTC; HCD 2047 Low
CA00002582 Stonebridge Apartments
990
College
Ave
94574 78 80 LIHTC;
HCD 2068 Low
Source: California Housing Partnership Preservation Database, 2021.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-108

7. Special Housing Needs
California Government Code Section 65583 (a) (7) requires an analysis of any special housing needs, “such as those of the elderly, persons with disabilities, large families, farm workers, families with female heads of household, and families and persons in need of emergency shelter.”19 This section provides estimates of the prevalence of each of these special needs populations, discusses special housing concerns, and analyzes their housing cost burdens within St. Helena to the extent that available data allows. Data sources include the HCD Preapproved Data Package and Housing Needs Data Report prepared for St. Helena by ABAG, as well as the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Key Findings
• People with Disabilities. In St. Helena, people with disabilities make up around 12 percent of the total population. Children (under 18) make up around 38 percent of the developmentally disabled population, while adults make up around 62 percent. Most of the developmentally disabled population reside with their parent, family, or guardian.
• Senior Households. Senior households represent a higher percentage of the total households in St. Helena, at about 39 percent of households in the City. There is a large income disparity between seniors who rent housing and seniors who own their home. Most seniors who rent make 0 to 30 percent of AMI, and sixty-eight percent of senior households in this income category have housing cost burdens. By contrast, most seniors who own make greater than 100 percent of AMI; thirteen percent of senior households in this category experience housing cost burdens. • Large Households. In St. Helena, most large households are renters. Among units with three or more bedrooms in St. Helena, approximately 77 percent renter occupied. In St. Helena, 43.2 percent of large family households experience a cost burden of 30 to 50 percent, and an additional 6.8 percent of households spend more than half of their income on housing. • Female-headed households. Female-headed households in St. Helena make up 10 percent of the total population, while married-couple family households make up around 42 percent. In St. Helena, around 23 percent of female-headed households with children fall below the federal poverty line, while around 18 percent of female-headed households without children fall below the federal poverty line. • Farmworkers. The number of permanent farm workers in Napa County has increased from 2,916 in 2002 to 4,290 in 2017, while the number of seasonal farm workers decreased from 7,855 to 5,734. The migrant worker student population totaled 20 during the 2019-20 school year, an increase of two students since the 2016-17 school year.
19 California Government Code Section 65583 (a) (7) at
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=65583. Accessed March 20, 2022.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-109
• Persons experiencing homelessness. According to a Point in Time Count provided by the Chief of Police, there is one homeless person who resides in St. Helena. Countywide, many of the persons experiencing homelessness report chronic substance abuse or mental illness.

People with Disabilities
People with disabilities face additional housing challenges. Encompassing a broad group of individuals living with a variety of physical, cognitive and sensory impairments, many people with disabilities live on fixed incomes and need specialized care, yet often rely on family members for assistance due to the high cost of care.

When it comes to housing, people with disabilities are not only in need of affordable housing but accessibly designed housing, which offers greater mobility and opportunity for independence. Unfortunately, the need typically outweighs availability, particularly in a housing market with such high demand. People with disabilities are at a high risk for housing insecurity, homelessness, and institutionalization, particularly when they lose aging caregivers. Figure 36 shows the rates at which different disabilities are present among residents of St. Helena. Overall, 11.9 percent of people in St. Helena have a disability of any kind.

Figure 36 Disability by Type
Universe: Civilian noninstitutionalized population 18 years and over Notes: These disabilities are counted separately and are not mutually exclusive, as an individual may report more than one disability. These counts should not be summed. The Census Bureau provides the following definitions for these disability types:

Hearing difficulty: deaf or has serious difficulty hearing. Vision difficulty: blind or has serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.

Cognitive difficulty: has serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions. Ambulatory difficulty: has serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs. Self-care difficulty: has difficulty dressing or bathing. Independent living difficulty has difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B18102, Table B18103, Table B18104, Table B18105, Table B18106, Table B18107.

For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table DISAB-01.

7.16%

4.47% 4.28% 3.56%

1.97%

0.98%

0.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

7.00%

8.00%
With an
ambulatory
difficulty
With a cognitive
difficulty
With a hearing
difficulty
With an
independent
living difficulty
With a self-care
difficulty
With a vision
difficulty
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-110
Existing Resources
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), offered by Napa County, is a helpful resource to help allow persons with disabilities to find the help they need. IHSS offers personal in-home care services to low income aged, blind, and persons with disabilities who are at risk for out-of-home placement.

Gaps in Resources and Action Items
To address the unmet needs of people with disabilities in St. Helena, Programs H-BB, H-LL, and H-NN are included to directly improve housing accessibility and increase housing options for persons with disabilities.

Program H-BB commits the City to pursuing State and Federal grants to gain funds necessary to construct and rehabilitate housing units accessible to persons with a disability. Program H-NN includes funding to assist with construction and rehabilitation of homes accessible to those with special housing needs. Program H-LL is designed to encourage developers to incorporate the needs of persons with disabilities.

People Living with Developmental Disabilities
Developmental disabilities are defined as severe, chronic, and attributed to a mental or physical impairment that begins before a person turns 18 years old. This can include Down’s Syndrome, autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and mild to severe mental retardation. Some people with developmental disabilities are unable to work, rely on Supplemental Security Income, and live with family members. In addition to their specific housing needs, they are at increased risk of housing insecurity after an aging parent or family member is no longer able to care for them. Table 21 contains data on people with developmental disabilities in St. Helena. In St. Helena, of the population with a developmental disability, children under the age of 18 make up 38.1 percent, while adults account for 61.9 percent.

Table 21 People with Developmental Disabilities by Age, St. Helena Age Group Total
Age 18+ 12
Age Under 18 20
Total 32
Universe: Population with developmental disabilities
Notes: The California Department of Developmental Services is responsible for overseeing the coordination and delivery of services to more than 330,000 Californians with developmental disabilities including cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, autism, epilepsy, and related conditions. The California Department of Developmental Services provides ZIP code level counts. To get jurisdiction-level estimates, ZIP code counts were crosswalked to jurisdictions using census block population counts from Census 2010 SF1 to determine the share of a ZIP code to assign to a given jurisdiction.

Source: California Department of Developmental Services, Consumer Count by California ZIP Code and Age Group (January 2022) Existing Resources
There are several housing types appropriate for people living with a development disability: rent subsidized homes, licensed and unlicensed single-family homes, inclusionary housing, Section 8 vouchers, special programs for home purchase, HUD housing, and SB 962 homes. The design of housing-accessibility modifications, the proximity to services and transit, and the availability of group living opportunities represent some of the types Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-111
of considerations that are important in serving this need group. Incorporating ‘barrier-free’ design in all, new multifamily housing (as required by California and Federal Fair Housing laws) is especially important to provide the widest range of choices for disabled residents. Special consideration should also be given to the affordability of housing, as people with disabilities may be living on a fixed income. The most common living arrangement for individuals with disabilities in St. Helena is the home of a parent, family member, or guardian (Table 22).

People living with developmental disabilities often face problems finding employment or a supportive housing.

In Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties, North Bay Regional Center aids those with developmental disabilities with the process of gaining employment and establishing independence, along with providing general community access and family support. North Bay Regional Center is one of twenty-one Regional Centers in California dedicated to assisting those with developmental disabilities. North Bay Regional Center is based out of the Napa County Airport Business Park located north of American Canyon, which is accessible from St.

Helena via the 10 and 11 bus lines.

Gaps in Resources and Action Items
Recently, an eight-unit market rate fully ADA compliant housing development was completed in St. Helena, providing some much-needed housing to persons with special needs. The City wishes to encourage more ADA compliant developments to address the unmet needs of people with developmental disabilities. To pursue this goal, Program H-LL is included in the Housing Element to encourage new developments to allocate a portion of units being built to meet the needs of special needs groups, including people with developmental disabilities.

Table 22 People with Developmental Disabilities by Residence Residence Type Total
Home of Parent / Family /Guardian 31
Foster / Family Home 0
Independent / Supported Living <11
Intermediate Care Facility 0
Community Care Facility 0
Other 0
Universe: Population with developmental disabilities
Notes: The California Department of Developmental Services is responsible for overseeing the coordination and delivery of services to more than 330,000 Californians with developmental disabilities including cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, autism, epilepsy, and related conditions. The California Department of Developmental Services provides ZIP code level counts. To get jurisdiction-level estimates, ZIP code counts were crosswalked to jurisdictions using census block population counts from Census 2010 SF1 to determine the share of a ZIP code to assign to a given jurisdiction.

Source: California Department of Developmental Services, Consumer Count by California ZIP Code and Residence Type (January 2022)
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-112
Seniors
Senior households often experience a combination of factors that can make accessing or keeping affordable housing a challenge. They often live on fixed incomes and are more likely to have disabilities, chronic health conditions and/or reduced mobility.

Senior Households
Table 23 shows data for households by age of householder for occupied housing units. As shown, in St. Helena, approximately 39 percent of households are 65 and older.

Table 23 Households by Age
Age Number Total by Grouping Percent
Age 15-24 37
1,646 61%
Age 25-34 247
Age 35-44 272
Age 45-54 510
Age 55-59 352
Age 60-64 228
Age 65-74 525
Age 75-84 377 1,056 39%
Age 85+ 154
Total 2,702 2,702 100%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25007 Seniors who rent may be at even greater risk for housing challenges than those who own, due to income differences between these groups. The largest proportion of senior households who rent make 0-30 percent of AMI, while the largest proportion of senior households who are homeowners falls in the income group Greater than 100 percent of AMI (Figure 37).

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-113
Figure 37 Senior Households by Income and Tenure
Universe: Senior households
Notes: For the purposes of this graph, senior households are those with a householder who is aged 62 or older. Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San JoseSunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table SEN-01.

Elderly Housing Cost Burden
When cost-burdened seniors are no longer able to make house payments or pay rents, displacement from their homes can occur, putting further stress on the local rental market or forcing residents out of the community they call home. Understanding how seniors might be cost-burdened is of particular importance due to their special housing needs, particularly for low-income seniors. 60.9 percent of seniors making less than 30 percent of AMI are spending the majority of their income on housing. For seniors making more than 100 percent of AMI, 87.0 percent are not cost-burdened and spend less than 30 percent of their income on housing (Figure 38). 65%
85%
68%
76%
90%
35%
15%
32%
24%
10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0%-30% of AMI 31%-50% of AMI 51%-80% of AMI 81%-100% of AMI Greater than 100% of AMI
Percent of Households
Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-114
Figure 38 Cost-Burdened Senior Households by Income Level Universe: Senior households
Notes: For the purposes of this graph, senior households are those with a householder who is aged 62 or older. Cost burden is the ratio of housing costs to household income. For renters, housing cost is gross rent (contract rent plus utilities). For owners, housing cost is “select monthly owner costs”, which includes mortgage payment, utilities, association fees, insurance, and real estate taxes. HUD defines cost-burdened households as those whose monthly housing costs exceed 30% of monthly income, while severely cost-burdened households are those whose monthly housing costs exceed 50% of monthly income. Income groups are based on HUD calculations for Area Median Income (AMI). HUD calculates the AMI for different metropolitan areas, and the nine county Bay Area includes the following metropolitan areas: Napa Metro Area (Napa County), Oakland-Fremont Metro Area (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), San Francisco Metro Area (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties), San JoseSunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro Area (Santa Clara County), Santa Rosa Metro Area (Sonoma County), and Vallejo-Fairfield Metro Area (Solano County). The AMI levels in this chart are based on the HUD metro area where this jurisdiction is located.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table SEN-03.

Existing Senior Housing Resources
Within St. Helena, there are 159 senior housing units, as shown on Table 24. With approximately 1,056 seniors households in the city, the city has a need for both market rate and affordable senior living facilities. The largest senior living facility, locally owned Silverado Orchards, has a residential capacity of 103. This facility is not income restricted. The only income restricted senior living facility, Woodbridge Village, has 50 units, with most being one-bedroom units. As a stark representation of the high demand and low supply of affordable senior living units, according to a manager at Woodbridge Village, there is a waiting list stretching several years to live in their affordable senior housing complex.
32% 32%
69% 73%
87%
8%
35%
8%
8%
61%
32%
24% 27%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0%-30% of AMI 31%-50% of AMI 51%-80% of AMI 81%-100% of AMI Greater than 100% of AMI
Percent of Households
0%-30% of Income Used for Housing 30%-50% of Income Used for Housing 50%+ of Income Used for Housing
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-115
Table 24 Senior Housing Units, St. Helena.

Facility Name Address Tenure Number of Units Income
Restriction
Silverado Orchards 601 Pope Street Rent 103 No
Saint Helena Home Care 2011 Olive Avenue Rent 6 No
Woodbridge Village 727 Hunt Avenue Rent 50 Yes
Source: City of St. Helena, 2022; U.S. News, 2016.

Gaps in Resources and Action Items
Given the high proportion of St. Helena households that are senior, especially seniors aged 75 and older, it is important to work to address their housing needs. The Rianda house provides seniors with a meeting place and valuable information on topics ranging from housing and income-assistance to medical referrals, as a welcome and positive resource for seniors in St. Helena. There are still many needs of seniors that are not being met, however, and changes to St. Helena’s housing policies could make it easier for seniors to age in place. Often, when seniors are released from a hospital stay and return to their own homes, they have trouble navigating inside the home and getting to neighborhood services like the grocery store and doctor’s office.

The 2023-2031 Housing Element includes three programs directly related the senior housing. • Program H-BB commits the City to pursuing funding for costs specifically associated with housing rehabilitation for lower income households and seniors. Such funding can help with the conservation of 20 units accessible to seniors, along with other units for persons with a disability. • Program H-LL commits the city to encouraging new developments accessible to persons with special needs, which includes seniors. This program specifies 10 senior-accessible units being constructed in the next Planning Period.
• Program H-NN commits the City to pursuing federal and State funding for costs associated with both new construction and rehabilitation for lower-income households and seniors. Such funding can support the development of 20 units accessible to seniors.

Additional policies and programs that the City should consider include zoning that encourages families to consider ADUs and JADUs to accommodate their aging relatives or caregivers. Such policies could also provide for more elder-friendly neighborhoods, improved lighting to increase visibility, and safe accessible sidewalks and walking paths.

Large Households
Large households often have different housing needs than smaller households. If a city’s rental housing stock does not include larger apartments, large households who rent could end up living in overcrowded conditions.

In St. Helena, for large households with five or more persons, most units (84.5 percent) are renter occupied Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-116
(Figure 39). In 2017, 47.3 percent of large households were very low-income, earning less than 50 percent of the area median income (AMI).

Figure 39 Household Size by Tenure
Universe: Occupied housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25009 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table LGFEM-01.

Existing Resources
The unit sizes available in a community affect the household sizes that can access that community. Large families are generally served by housing units with three or more bedrooms, of which there are 1,422 units in St. Helena. Among these large units with three or more bedrooms, 23.1 percent are owner-occupied and 76.9 percent are renter occupied (Figure 40). 644 536
235
155
20 395
311
192
105
109
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
1 Person Household 2 Person Household 3 Person Household 4 Person Household 5 Or More Person Household
Households
Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-117
Figure 40 Housing Units by Number of Bedrooms
Universe: Housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B25042 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HSG-05.

Gaps in Resources
Large family households often have special housing needs due to a lack of adequately sized affordable housing available. The higher costs required for homes with multiple bedrooms can result in larger families experiencing a disproportionate cost burden than the rest of the population and can increase the risk of housing insecurity.

In St. Helena, 43.2 percent of large family households experience a cost burden of 30 to 50 percent, while 6.8 percent of households spend more than half of their income on housing. Some 19.7 percent of all other households have a cost burden of 30 to 50 percent, with 17.2 percent of households spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing (Figure 41). 1630
450
1,015
79 100
240
444
318
10 0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
0 Bedrooms 1 Bedrooms 2 Bedrooms 3-4 Bedrooms 5 Or More Bedrooms Owner Occupied Renter Occupied
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-118
Figure 41 Cost Burden by Household Size
Universe: Occupied housing units
Notes: Cost burden is the ratio of housing costs to household income. For renters, housing cost is gross rent (contract rent plus utilities). For owners, housing cost is “select monthly owner costs”, which includes mortgage payment, utilities, association fees, insurance, and real estate taxes. HUD defines cost-burdened households as those whose monthly housing costs exceed 30 percent of monthly income, while severely cost-burdened households are those whose monthly housing costs exceed 50 percent of monthly income.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ACS tabulation, 2013-2017 release
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table OVER-09.

Female-Headed Households
Households headed by one person are often at greater risk of housing insecurity, particularly female- headed households, who may be supporting children or a family with only one income. In St. Helena, the largest proportion of households is Married-couple Family Households at 42.3 percent of total, while Female-Headed Households make up 10.0 percent of all households (Figure 42). 63%
50%
20% 43%
17%
7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All other household types Large Family 5+ persons
Percent of Households
0%-30% of Income Used for Housing 30%-50% of Income Used for Housing 50%+ of Income Used for Housing
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-119
Figure 42 Household Type
Universe: Households
Notes: For data from the Census Bureau, a “family household” is a household where two or more people are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. “Non-family households” are households of one person living alone, as well as households where none of the people are related to each other.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B11001 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table POPEMP-23.

Female-headed households with children may face unique housing challenges, with pervasive gender inequality resulting in lower wages for women. Moreover, the added need for childcare can make finding a home that is affordable more challenging. In St. Helena, 40 female-headed households with children fall below the Federal Poverty Line, while 18 female-headed households without children live in poverty (Figure 43). 10% 10% 10%
3% 5% 5%
42%
53% 51%
6%
6% 9%
38%
26% 25%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
100.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Percent of Households
Female-Headed Family Households Male-headed Family Households Married-couple Family Households Other Non-Family Households Single-person Households
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Figure 43 Female-Headed Households by Poverty Status
Universe: Female Households
Notes: The Census Bureau uses a federally defined poverty threshold that remains constant throughout the country and does not correspond to Area Median Income.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B17012 For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table LGFEM-05.

Existing Resources
As discussed previously, childcare is a major concern for female-headed households, especially those with very young toddlers who need constant care and supervision. In St. Helena, the St. Helena Preschool For All, Inc. provides scholarships to low-income families to allow their children will be able to attend two years of preschool from ages 3 to 4. St. Helena Preschool for All, Inc. also partners with local childcare facilities, including Mila’s Preschool and Childcare Center, to help facilitate their program.

Gaps in Resources and Action Items
St. Helena’s northwestern area contains a higher proportion of female single-parent households compared to the rest of St. Helena and most of Napa County. As such, the City recognizes the importance of meeting the needs of female-headed households within the city. A major cost to female-headed households and singleparent households is transportation. All sites in the sites inventory of this Housing Element, which projects possible housing locations for the planning period, are located within walking distance of the no. 10 bus route, which enables direct connection to Napa or Calistoga. Additionally, all sites are within proximity of the central commercial district of St. Helena, which allows for cheaper, easier access to markets and commercial services. 133
80 40
18 0
20 40
60 80
100
120
140
with Children with No Children
Households
Above Poverty Level Below Poverty Level
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-121
Farmworkers
Across the state, housing for farmworkers has been recognized as an important and unique concern.

Farmworkers generally receive wages that are considerably lower than other jobs and may have temporary housing needs. Finding decent and affordable housing can be challenging, particularly in the current housing market.

Table 25 estimates the migrant worker student population between 2016 and 2020. In St. Helena, the migrant worker student population totaled 20 during the 2019-20 school year, an increase of two students since the 2016-17 school year. The trend for the region for the past few years has been a decline of 2.4 percent in the number of migrant worker students since the 2016-17 school year. The change at the county level is a 19.4 percent increase in the number of migrant worker students since the 2016-17 school year.

Table 25 Migrant Worker Student Population
Academic Year St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
2016-17 18 903 4,630
2017-18 12 1173 4,607
2018-19 22 1,090 4,075
2019-20 20 1,078 3,976
Universe: Total number of unduplicated primary and short-term enrollments within the academic year (July 1 to June 30), public schools
Notes: The data used for this table was obtained at the school site level, matched to a file containing school locations, geocoded and assigned to jurisdiction, and finally summarized by geography.

Source: California Department of Education, California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), Cumulative Enrollment Data (Academic Years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020) This table is included in the Data Packet Workbook as Table FARM-01.

Table 26 presents an estimate of the total farmworkers in Napa County. Since 2007, the county has seen an increase in farmworker jobs. As of 2017, the county is reported to have more than 10,000 hired farm workers, of which 43 percent worked more than 150 days. The number of permanent farm workers in Napa County has increased since 2002, totaling 4,290 in 2017, while the number of seasonal farm workers has decreased, totaling 5,734 in 2017 (Figure 44). Notably, hired farm workers in Napa County represent a large proportion of the Bay Area's permanent (24.8 percent) and seasonal (31.4 percent) farm workers (Table 26).

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-122
Table 26 Farm Labor, Napa County
2002 2007 2012 2017
County
Distribution
Percent of
Total
Bay Area
Farmworkers
Permanent 2,916 2,631 3,732 4,290 43% 24.80%
Seasonal 7,855 5,202 6,125 5,734 57% 31.40%
Totals 10,771 7,833 9,857 10,024 100% 28.20%
Universe: Hired farm workers (including direct hires and agricultural service workers who are often hired through labor contractors)
Notes: Farm workers are considered seasonal if they work on a farm less than 150 days in a year, while farm workers who work on a farm more than 150 days are considered to be permanent workers for that farm.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census of Farmworkers (2002, 2007, 2012, 2017), Table 7: Hired Farm Labor Figure 44 Farm Labor by County, Napa County
Universe: Hired farm workers (including direct hires and agricultural service workers who are often hired through labor contractors)
Notes: Farm workers are considered seasonal if they work on a farm less than 150 days in a year, while farm workers who work on a farm more than 150 days are permanent workers for that farm.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census of Farmworkers (2002, 2007, 2012, 2017), Table 7: Hired Farm Labor For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table FARM-02. 2,916
7,855
2,631
5,202
3,732
6,125
4,290
5,734
0 1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
Permanent Seasonal
Farm Workers
2002 2007 2012 2017
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-123
Existing Resources
Five different kinds of housing exist for farmworkers in Napa County: farmworker centers, owned and operated by the Napa County Housing Authority (NCHA); private accommodations designated for agriculture employees that accommodate five or more employees and are monitored by the Napa County Department of Environmental Management; private accommodations designated as farm labor dwellings accommodating fewer than five residents, private apartments or other housing rented or owned by farmworkers; and affordable housing projects subsidized by the County and by incorporated cities, some of which have units set aside specifically for farmworker households.

Gaps in Resources and Action Items
Given the special housing needs of farmworkers in the region, the Housing Element contains Program H-H, which specifically encourages the development of more workforce or farmworker housing during the planning period through various incentives. Of the discussed incentives, most impactful is the City’s commitment to explore opportunities to use funds from the City’s Housing Trust Fund to help assist in the construction of farmworker housing. Additionally, programs H-E, H-I, H-KK, H-LL, H-NN also commit the City to exploring a variety of methods to better meet the housing needs of special needs households, including farmworkers.

Extremely Low-Income Households
Extremely-low income households are defined as households that make less than 30 percent of AMI, which equates to $27,950 for a family of four. Approximately 395 households in St. Helena are extremely-low income households, which includes 215 homeowners and 180 renters (see Figure 11). The City currently estimates that there is a need for 52 additional housing units for extremely low-income households in the current planning period, which is 50 percent of projected very low-income housing needs (see Table 6).

Existing Resources
Currently, St. Helena has an estimated 214 units of deed restricted affordable housing, listed on Table 17. This figure stretches across the need for extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income housing. Given that there are 52 units needed for extremely low-income households, there is clearly a lack of adequate housing supply for extremely low-income households.

Beyond the availability of deed restricted affordable housing, there are a variety of resources available to assist extremely-low-income households with their recurring expenses. Extremely low-income households who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), or any other qualifying government program, are eligible to be enrolled in the PG&E CARE Program, which allows for the lowest available electricity rates. Additionally, when households are enrolled in CARE, they are also permitted access to a fifty percent discount on their bill from the St. Helena Water District. The City also offers hardship payment agreements that can be arranged in person at City Hall to prevent water or sewer shutoff.

Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-124
Gaps in Resources and Action Items
To help address the needs of extremely low-income households, numerous programs are included in this Housing Element to commit the City to preserving and expanding access to affordable housing to extremely low-income households. Program H-EE commits the city to continue reducing, deferring, or waiving the development fees for extremely low- and very low-income units. Program H-FF commits the City to prioritizing using the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to preserve existing or develop new extremely low-income housing units. H-II commits the City to continue supporting and participating in the Section 8 housing program with the City of Napa Housing Authority. Program H-OO commits the City to exploring the possibility of working with property owners of market rate multifamily complexes to convert some units to extremely low-income deedrestricted units.

Persons Experiencing Homelessness
Homelessness remains an urgent challenge in many communities across the state, reflecting a range of social, economic, and psychological factors. Rising housing costs result in increased risks of community members experiencing homelessness. Far too many residents who have found themselves housing insecure have ended up unhoused or homeless in recent years, either temporarily or longer term.

Addressing the specific housing needs for the unhoused population remains a priority throughout the region, particularly since homelessness is disproportionately experienced by people of color, people with disabilities, those struggling with addiction and those dealing with traumatic life circumstances. According to the City of St. Helena, there is one homeless person who resides in St. Helena. This data was provided by a point in time assessment by the Police Chief of the St. Helena Police Department in 2021.

Gaps in Resources
Countywide, the most common type of household experiencing homelessness is those without children in their care. Among households experiencing homelessness that do not have children, 53.7 percent are unsheltered. Of homeless households with children, most are sheltered in transitional housing (Table 27).

Table 27 Homelessness by Household Type and Shelter Status, Napa County People in Households
Composed Solely of
Children Under 18
People in Households with
Adults and Children
People in Households
without Children Under 18
Sheltered - Emergency Shelter 0 13 119
Sheltered - Transitional Housing 0 34 6
Unsheltered 0 5 145
Universe: Population experiencing homelessness
Notes: This data is based on Point-in-Time (PIT) information provided to HUD by CoCs in the application for CoC Homeless Assistance Programs. The PIT Count provides a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night during the last ten days in January. Each Bay Area county is its own CoC, and so the data for this table is provided at the county-level. Per HCD’s requirements, jurisdictions will need to supplement this county-level data with local estimates of people experiencing homelessness.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019)
Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-125
For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HOMELS-01.

People of color are often disproportionately impacted by homelessness, particularly Black residents of the Bay Area. In Napa County, White (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) residents represent the largest proportion of residents experiencing homelessness and account for 77.0 percent of the homeless population, while making up 73.4 percent of the overall population (Figure 45).

Figure 45 Racial Group Share of General and Homeless Populations, Napa County Universe: Population experiencing homelessness
Notes: This data is based on Point-in-Time (PIT) information provided to HUD by CoCs in the application for CoC Homeless Assistance Programs. The PIT Count provides a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night during the last ten days in January. Each Bay Area county is its own CoC, and so the data for this table is provided at the county-level. Per HCD’s requirements, jurisdictions will need to supplement this county-level data with local estimates of people experiencing homelessness. HUD does not disaggregate racial demographic data by Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity for people experiencing homelessness. Instead, HUD reports data on Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity for people experiencing homelessness in a separate table.

Accordingly, the racial group data listed here includes both Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic/Latinx individuals.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001(A-I) For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HOMELS-02.

In Napa County, Latinx residents represent 38.5 percent of the population experiencing homelessness, while Hispanic or Latinx residents comprise 33.9 percent of the general population (Figure 46). 9.63% 5.28% 3.42% 77.02%

4.66%

0.86%

8.35%

2.06%

73.39%

15.34%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%
American Indian or
Alaska Native
(Hispanic and NonHispanic)
Asian / API
(Hispanic and NonHispanic)
Black or African
American (Hispanic
and Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic and
Non-Hispanic)
Other Race or
Multiple Races
(Hispanic and NonHispanic)
Percent of Population
Share of Homeless Population Share of Overall Population Agenda Item #11.1.

City of St. Helena 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Certified, September 25, 2023 2-126
Figure 46 Hispanic or Latinx Share of General and Homeless Populations, Napa County Universe: Population experiencing homelessness
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B01001(A-I) For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table HOMELS-03.

Many of those experiencing homelessness are dealing with severe issues – including mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence – that are potentially life threatening and require additional assistance. In Napa County, homeless individuals are commonly challenged by severe mental illness, with 177 reporting this condition (0). Of those, some 44.1 percent are unsheltered, further adding to the challenge of handling the issue.

38.51%

61.49%

33.93%

66.07%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%
Hispanic/Latinx Non-Hispanic/Latinx
Percent of Population
Share of Homeless Population Share of Overall Population Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 28 Characteristics for the Population Experiencing Homelessness, Napa County Chronic
Substance Abuse HIV/AIDS
Severely
Mentally Ill Veterans
Victims of
Domestic
Violence
Sheltered -
Emergency Shelter 70 0 91 8 11
Sheltered -
Transitional Housing 0 0 8 0 4
Unsheltered 91 1 78 6 17
Universe: Population experiencing homelessness
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports (2019)
In St. Helena, there were no reported students experiencing homelessness in the 2019-20 school year (Table 29). Napa County has seen a 29.1 percent decrease in the population of students experiencing homelessness, and the Bay Areas as a whole experienced an 8.5 percent decrease. However, during the 2019-2020 school year, there were still some 13,718 students experiencing homelessness throughout the region, adding undue burdens on learning and thriving, with the potential for longer term negative effects.

Table 29 Students in Local Public Schools Experiencing Homelessness Geography 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
St. Helena 0 0 0 0
Napa County 381 433 249 270
Bay Area 14,990 15,142 15,427 13,718
Universe: Total number of unduplicated primary and short-term enrollments within the academic year (July 1 to June 30), public schools
Notes: The California Department of Education considers students to be homeless if they are unsheltered, living in temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness, living in hotels/motels, or temporarily doubled up and sharing the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing or economic hardship. The data used for this table was obtained at the school site level, matched to a file containing school locations, geocoded and assigned to jurisdiction, and finally summarized by geography.

Source: California Department of Education, California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), Cumulative Enrollment Data (Academic Years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020) Existing Resources & Action Items
Given the documented need for emergency shelters in Napa County, St. Helena is subject to Government Code Section 65583(a) (4). This code section, which became effective as of January 1, 2008, requires jurisdictions to designate zoning districts adequate for facilities to accommodate the identified need for emergency shelters, wherein emergency shelters must be allowed without a conditional use or other discretionary permit.20 21 The City is in compliance, as emergency shelters are currently a permitted use by-right in the Service Commercial and Industrial zones.
20 Building Block for Effective Housing Elements, “Adequate Sites Inventory and Analysis: Zoning for Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing”. http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/housing_element2/SIA_variety.php. Accessed February 14, 2014. 21 Senate Bill 2, Chapter 633. Amendment to Acts 655582, 65583 and 65589.5. Approved by Governor on October 13, 2007. Effective January 1, 2008. Accessed February 17, 2014.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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The City is in compliance with State laws related to emergency shelters, supportive housing, and transitional housing. Emergency shelters are identified as a by-right use in the I and SC zoning districts. According to a Point in Time Count provided by the Chief of Police, there is one homeless person who resides in St. Helena. There are several parcels in these zones that can accommodate an emergency shelter, including APN 009-580-022-000 (I zoning district) and APN 009-194-005-000 (SC zoning district). These parcels are vacant, habitable, and in proximity to transportation and services. Combined, they total 1.48 acres and can provide capacity for 15 beds, by conservative assumption of 10 beds/acre. In addition, the City must allow transitional housing, as defined in Section 50675.2 of the Health and Safety Code, and supportive housing, as defined in Section 50675.14 of the Health and Safety Code, as residential uses. As required by state law, transitional and supportive housing must be subject only to the same permitting process as other similar residential uses in the same zone without undue special regulatory requirements. For example, a proposed multifamily supportive housing project would be subject to the same permitting process as any other similar multifamily development in the same zoning district.

As required, the City allows transitional and supportive housing in all residential, commercial, and mixed use districts, subject only to the requirements of residential uses.

Emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing are subject to subjective design review, which poses a significant constraint to development. To overcome this constraint, Program H-F commits the City to adopting objective design standards, as well as a by-right streamlined review process for affordable housing developments meeting state affordability thresholds, in compliance with SB 35 and SB 330.

Non-English Speakers
California has long been an immigration gateway to the United States, which means that many languages are spoken throughout the Bay Area. Since learning a new language is universally challenging, it is not uncommon for residents who have immigrated to the United States to have limited English proficiency. This limit can lead to additional disparities if there is a disruption in housing, such as an eviction, because residents might not be aware of their rights, or they might be wary to engage due to immigration status concerns.

Figure 47 shows population data by English proficiency. In St. Helena, nine percent of residents five years and older identify as speaking English not well or not at all, which is slightly higher than the proportion for Napa County. Throughout the region the proportion of residents five years and older with limited English proficiency is nine percent.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Figure 47 Population with Limited English Proficiency
Universe: Population five years and over
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2015-2019), Table B16005For the data table behind this figure, please refer to the Data Packet Workbook, Table AFFH-03. 9% 8% 8%
91% 92% 92%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
100.0%
St. Helena Napa County Bay Area
Percent of Population aged 5 and over
Population 5 Years and Over Who Speak English "Well" or "Very well" Population 5 Years and Over Who Speak English "Not well" or "Not at all" Agenda Item #11.1.

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8. Non-governmental and Governmental Constraints
Constraints on the development of housing are divided into non-governmental constraints and governmental constraints. Non-governmental constraints include the price of land, cost of construction, flooding, conservation easements and long-term vineyard leases, and a lack of rental accessory dwelling units. Potential governmental constraints include land use controls, codes and code enforcement, on and off-site improvements, fees and exactions, processing and permit procedures, and regulations affecting housing for persons with disabilities.

Key Findings
• The possible non-governmental constraints discussed include the price of land, cost of construction, flooding, conservation easements and long-term vineyard leases, and a lack of rental accessory dwelling units. Land costs represent a significant component of the cost of housing development in St.

Helena because the high price of vacant land. The cost of construction in St. Helena higher than the state average and further constrains development. Overall housing production costs for both singlefamily and multiple-family rental development indicate that a subsidy would probably be necessary for some moderate-income households, and all lower income households to own or rent new units in St.

Helena.
• The governmental controls analyzed in this section were land use controls, codes and enforcements, on-and off-site improvements, fees and exactions, processing and permit procedures, and regulations affecting housing for persons with disabilities. The land use controls including zoning and current General Plan land use designations do not constrain residential development; however, some changes are necessary to streamline the design review process.
• The Growth Management System (GMS) does not appear to place an undue burden on market rate development, since there has never been a year when the demand for residential building permits has exceeded the number of available permits. Furthermore, housing projects affordable to households at up to 120 percent of AMI are exempt from the GMS. Due to recent state laws, the GMS is not currently enforceable.
• The on- and off-site improvement standards related to water, sewer, parking, and other miscellaneous regulations impact housing development in a variety of different ways. Sewer capacity is sufficient to support additional development. Water capacity during a normal year is sufficient and is expected to remain sufficient through 2023, but there will always be water shortages in dry years. The City has demonstrated its commitment to providing water and sewer service to affordable housing developments, and has included a program committing the City to continue to do so throughout the planning period.
• Neither the building codes nor the building fees represent a governmental constraint to development.

St. Helena adopted the 2019 California Building Codes Standards, and although they have made some Agenda Item #11.1.

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changes to the Code such as seismic control measures, these changes were necessary for safety and do not unduly affect housing production. The fee structure for both single-family and multiple-family development reflects the costs of the development to the City, and therefore does not present an unnecessary constraint on residential development.
• The City works diligently to process applications quickly and without unnecessary delay. Permitting and processing procedures and timelines for residential development, both single and multifamily, are not a constraint to development.

Non-governmental Constraints
Price of Land
According to Zillow.com, there were approximately eighteen vacant lots for sale in St. Helena in March 2022, though many are large and in undeveloped rural areas. Sales are reported between $229,000 and $17,500,000 for properties ranging in size from less than one acre to 280 acres. A public comment made during a community workshop indicated that larger vacant sites tend to be located near or beyond the urban limit.

Table 30 Price of Vacant Land, March 2022
Site Acres List Price Price per Acre
10 Acres or Less

0.35 $525,000 $1,500,000

0.74 $595,000 $804,054

1.00 $375,000 $375,000

1.00 $225,000 $225,000

1.00 $975,000 $975,000

1.08 $450,000 $416,667

1.14 $5,000,000 $4,385,965

1.58 $475,000 $300,633

2.40 $1,000,000 $416,667

5.01 $1,850,000 $369,261

10.00 $2,695,000 $269,500
Total 25.30 $14,165,000 $559,881
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Site Acres List Price Price per Acre
More Than 10 Acres

15.90 $3,995,000 $251,258

23.09 $2,950,000 $127,761

32.00 $17,500,000 $546,875

92.72 $229,000 $2,470
110.63 $1,795,000 $16,225
160.69 $549,500 $3,420
280.00 $649,000 $2,318
Total 715.03 $27,667,500 $38,694
Source: Zillow.com, accessed March 28, 2022.

Construction Costs
Construction costs include both hard costs, such as labor and materials, and soft costs, including architectural and engineering services and development fees. Average residential construction costs in St. Helena begin at $300 to $700 per square foot, which is higher than statewide averages, which are currently ranging between $131 per square foot to $195 per square foot.
22 High-end, custom-built single-family homes, both locally and statewide, can cost more than $500 per square foot. Soft costs (including architectural and engineering fees, property taxes during construction, city and utility fees, and construction loan interest and fees) typically increase these costs by approximately 35 to 40 percent. Construction costs can be higher if lots require substantial site work due to steep slopes, unstable soils, waterways, and other environmental concerns.

Public comments made during Housing Element workshops indicated that construction costs are a major constraint to the production of affordable housing, and that 100 percent affordable projects are not profitable without public subsidies, grant funding, or other public investment.

Flooding
Napa Valley areas near the Napa River and along some of its tributaries are prone to flooding. Napa River flows are largely influenced by precipitation; peak flows generally occur in January and February. Some of the worst flooding in the immediate area of St. Helena has occurred in and around the Vineyard Valley Mobilehome Park, which is near the confluence of Sulphur Creek and the Napa River. Flood hazards also exist in the York Creek and Sulphur Creek Watersheds in St. Helena.
22 Local estimate provided by city staff communication with Joe McGrath in March 2022. Statewide estimate sourced from:

ProMatcher Home Construction, California Home Construction Costs & Prices, provided at https://homebuilders.promatcher.com/cost/california.aspx Agenda Item #11.1.

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All new construction and substantial improvements in special flood hazard areas as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are required to comply with the provisions of Municipal Code Chapter 15.52 “Flood Damage Prevention.” The development standards are intended to meet, if not exceed, minimum National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) criteria for requirements for floodplain management regulations. New development in these areas is required to assure that proposed development: 1) is designed or modified and anchored to prevent flotation, collapse and lateral movement of the structure; 3) uses construction materials and utility equipment that are resistant to flood damage; and 4) uses construction methods that minimize flood damage. In addition, projects must be elevated 18 inches above the base flood elevation.

Conservation Easements and Vineyard Leases
Agricultural land in St. Helena is valued for both a productive agricultural land and as open space that helps shape the character of St. Helena. Focus Group members and community workshop participants expressed, however, that conservation easements and long-term vineyard leases are a barrier housing production in the City. Sites included in the available sites inventory were screened for these constraints.

Lack of Rental Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
While ADUs are often a less expensive housing option, Focus Group members and community workshop participants expressed that many ADUs in the City are not being rented, but are being used as additional square footage for the primary resident, a friend, a relative, or as a vacation rental. Programs H-Q, H-R, and H-S, work to encourage and incentivize development of accessory dwelling units.

Availability of Financing
A number of funding opportunities are currently available to support affordable housing development and the creation and preservation of homeownership opportunities. The Department of Housing and Community Developments lists active programs with current funding available to developers, non-profits, and local governments online. Statewide programs available for affordable housing development include Community Development and Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), HOME Investments Partnerships Programs (HOME), Housing for Healthy California (HHC), and the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), among others. Programs available for homeowners or to assist in the creation or preservation of homeownership opportunities include CalHome, the Foreclosure Interventions Housing Preservation Program, and Homeownership Super NOFA. For a complete list, please see https://www.hcd.ca.gov/programs-active.

Additionally, policies and programs under Goal 4: Assistance to Support Affordable Housing work to address non-governmental constraints by committing the City to seek additional funding opportunities to support affordable housing development, work to reduce fees for developers for affordable housing developers, and pursue mortgage credit certificates to assist prospective homeowners.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Governmental Constraints
Local government can directly influence housing production cost through land use controls, building codes, on and off-site improvement standards, fees and exactions, processing and permit procedures, regulations affecting housing for persons with disabilities, locally adopted ordinances, and with government codes and enforcement. This section discusses each of these topics and identifies the governmental controls that may adversely affect housing production.

Land-Use Controls
St. Helena has a variety of land use controls to maintain the standard of living, local environment, and safety of its residents. The two major instruments dictating land use control in the City are the Zoning Code and General Plan, which affect housing production because they determine the location, amount of land, development standards, and density of housing. These tools, as well as the City’s agricultural preservation measures are discussed in this section.

Preservation of Agricultural Land
One major overarching theme and goal of the City’s land use controls is to encourage in-fill development while preserving land for agriculture. The agricultural soils of St. Helena are identified as Prime Farmland by the California State Department of Conservation, Division of Land Resource Protection, Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program. The wines produced from the grapes in this region achieve international recognition for their superb quality, sustaining an industry at the heart of the City and region’s economy.

Roughly one-half of the 3,254 acres within the incorporated limits of the City are considered urbanized area.

This portion of the St. Helena is defined by an Urban Limit Line (ULL) which denotes the area within which urban development is allowed. Cities use ULLs to establish where they intend to encourage and discourage land development through public-infrastructure investments, land-use regulations, land acquisitions, and other actions. Within the ULL, cities typically adopt land use policies that encourage urban development (i.e., in-fill development). Outside the ULL, cities set aside lands to be used for less urban land uses, such as preserving land for agriculture and open space. There are 1,779 acres of land outside of the ULL, but inside the incorporated limits of the City of St. Helena. Most of this land is farmed and planted for vineyards.

Zoning Code
Title 17 of the St. Helena Municipal Code outlines both the residential and nonresidential zoning designations.

Table 31 provides a list of all of the residential zoning districts as well as information on the rights and requirements associated with each district. Residential uses are permitted, subject to design review, in the following zones: Twenty-Acre Agriculture (A-20), Winery (W), Woodland Watershed (WW), Agricultural Preserve (AP), Low Density Residential One Acre Minimum (LR-1A), Low Density Residential (LR), Medium Density Residential (MR), and High Density Residential (HR). Table 31 shows permitted residential uses by zoning district.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 31 Zoning Districts that Permit Residential Uses
Residential Use
Zoning District
A-20 W WW AP LR-1A LR MR HR
Agricultural Employee Housing P P P P P P P P
Dwelling, Accessory Dwelling Unit
(ADU) P P P - P P P P
Dwelling, Duplex (new) - - - - - - UP P
Dwelling, Multiple-Family - - - - - - - P
Dwelling, Multiple-Family (key housing
sites only) - - - - - - P P
Dwelling, Single-Family P P P P P P P P
Dwelling, Triplex (new) - -
-
- - - UP P
Intermediate Care Facility (seven or
more persons) - - - - UP UP UP UP
Intermediate Care Facility (six or fewer
persons) - - - - P P P P
Mobile/Manufactured Homes - - - - P P P P
Residential Care Facility (seven or more
persons) - - - - UP UP UP UP
Residential Care Facility (six or fewer
persons) - - - - P P P P
Single Room Occupancy - - - - - - - P
Supportive Housing P P P P P P P P
Transitional Housing P P P P P P P P
P = Permitted; UP = Use Permit Required; (-) = Not Permitted Source: City of St. Helena, 2022.

Note: For an expanded table with more uses, notes on conditions, and zones where residential uses are conditionally permitted, see Table 42.

In terms of units per acre, the lowest allowable density is in the AP district. The AP district permits, by right, one single-family dwelling per lot, agricultural employee housing (up to 36 beds or 12 units), supportive housing, and transitional housing. The A-20 and W districts allow one single-family dwelling and one second unit by right on 20 acres of land. With a Use Permit, these districts can accommodate more than one singlefamily dwelling, as well as farm labor housing above the initially permitted density. Both the LR and LR-1A districts permit by right single-family dwellings, mobile and manufactured homes, and intermediate and residential care facilities for six or fewer persons. In addition, both districts permit as a conditional use singlefamily dwellings at less than one unit per acre and intermediate and residential care facilities for seven or more persons.

The MR district allows the same uses as the LR district and also allows duplexes and triplexes with a Use Permit. Unlike the previously mentioned districts, the MR district allows multiple-family dwelling projects that are located on “key sites” subject to design review. The HR district, in addition to allowing the same residential uses as the LR and MR districts, permits multiple-family dwellings, apartments, and dwelling groups containing four units or less. With a Use Permit, structures with more than four units, multiple-family dwellings, Agenda Item #11.1.

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apartments, and dwelling groups are permitted. The HR district is the only district that permits single room occupancy units (SROs).

In addition to the residential districts described above, some overlay districts can affect the type and amount of housing that can be built, including the Planned Development, Rural-Residential, Specific Plan, Historic Preservation, and Mobile Home Park overlay district. An overlay district expands upon the regulations already set by the underlying zoning district. For example, the Planned Development Overlay District (PD) allows for a wider variety of development, including mixed-use development not otherwise allowed in the Zoning Code.

The PD zone is often applied to large pieces of land and requires approval of a rezoning and a conditional use permit application.

Table 32 shows density and intensity ranges allowed in the Zoning Code for each zoning district in dwelling units per acre (du/ac), or Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for commercial districts. Table 33 shows development standards by zoning district. As shown, density is allowed up to 28 dwelling units per acre and development standards are minimal, required setbacks for residential development are between 10 and 30 feet, depending on the zone, and minimum unit sizes are not regulated in residential zones. Further, the HDR zone, the City’s primary multifamily zone, allows three-story developments up to 35 feet in height. Finally, the City is in the process of creating a new Mixed-Use zone to increase residential capacity in previously commercial and professional office districts.

Development standards related to maximum lot coverage and height pose potential constraints to multifamily affordable housing development. Currently the City allows 45 percent lot coverage and a maximum height of 30 feet in the MR and HR zones. Due to the potential to constraint affordable housing development, the City has, in the proposed Draft Zoning Code and in Program H-N: Zoning to Facilitate Higher Density Housing included development standards and actions, respectively, that commit the City to increasing lot coverage to 55 percent and maximum height to 42’ (three stories) in the HR zone and on multifamily sites in the MR zone. Please note that the MR zone is a single-family zone, but the zoning code has been updated to allow multifamily uses on housing opportunity sites identified in the 5th Cycle Housing Element Update. Additionally, the program commits the City to allowing minor modifications to these standards that can be approved by the Community Development Director without a public hearing. Minor modifications should include up to 10 percent modification to maximum lot coverage and up to five percent (or two feet, whichever is greater) modification in maximum height.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 32 Density/Intensity Standards by Zoning District Residential
Zoning District
Corresponding General
Plan Land Use
Designation(s)
Minimum Density of Land
Use Designation
Maximum Density of Land
Use Designation
A-20 Agriculture Min. 5 acres/parcel Max. 40 acres/parcel W Woodland and Watershed Min. 5 acres/parcel No maximum WW Woodland and Watershed Min. 5 acres/parcel No maximum AP Agriculture Min. 5 acres/parcel Max. 40 acres/parcel LR-1A Low Density Residential 1.0 du/ac 5.0 du/ac
LR Low Density Residential 1.0 du/ac 5.0 du/ac
MR Medium Density Residential 5.1 du/ac 16.0 du/ac
HR Higher Density Residential 16.1 du/ac 28.0 du/ac
CB Central Business N/A Max. FAR 2.0
SC Service Commercial N/A Max. FAR 0.5
BPO Business and Professional Office N/A Max. FAR 0.5
Mixed Use1 Mixed Use 12 du/ac 20 du/ac
1: The City has adopted a new mixed-use designation within the 2040 General Plan Update and has released a Draft Comprehensive Zoning Code Update that includes a new Mixed-Use zone. Because the sites inventory assumes rezoning land to the new Mixed-Use zoning district, mixed-use development standards are shown in this table based on the October 2022 Public Review Draft Zoning Code.

Source: City of St. Helena, 2022.

Table 33 Development Standards by Zone
Residential Zone LR LR-1A MR HR
Development Standards
Maximum lot coverage 35% 35% 45% 45%
Maximum height of
principal building 30 feet 30 feet 30 feet 30 feet (if 4 du or less)35 feet (if 5 du or more) Maximum height of
accessory building 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet
Maximum floor area ratio
(FAR)
Dictated by Parcel Size
See SHMC 17.32.070
Dictated by Parcel Size
See SHMC 17.32.060
Dictated by Parcel Size
See SHMC 17.40.070
Dictated by Parcel Size
See SHMC 17.40.070
Maximum width
=< 60% of lot width,
subject to further
requirements in SHMC

17.32.060
=< 60% of lot width,
subject to further
requirements in SHMC

17.32.030
=< 60% of lot width,
subject to further
requirements in SHMC

17.32.030
N/A
Minimum Unit Size N/A N/A N/A N/A
Minimum standards for parcels except for flag lots and small lots Lot Area 7,000 sq feet 1 acre 7,000 sq ft 7,000 sq ft
Lot width 70 feet 70 feet 70 feet 70 feet
Lot frontage 70 feet 70 feet 70 feet 70 feet
Minimum standards for structures with a maximum height of twenty-five (25) feet or less Front setback 20 feet 20 feet 20 feet 20 feet
Side setback 20 feet 20 feet 20 feet 20 feet
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Side yard 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet
Rear yard 20 feet 20 feet 20 feet 20 feet
Minimum standards for structures with a maximum height greater than twenty-five (25) feet and thirty (30) feet or less
Front setback 30 feet 30 feet 30 feet
N/A
Side setback 30 feet 30 feet 30 feet
Side yard 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet
Rear yard 30 feet 30 feet 30 feet
Nonresidential Zones
Non-Residential Zone CB SC BPO Mixed Use1
Development Standards
Maximum lot coverage 10,000 sq feet. of floor 10,000 sq feet of floor area
N/A Max. 15,000 sq feet per
building
Maximum height of
principal building
35 feet or 30 feet if
abutting residential use 35 feet 30 feet
Pitched roof: 45 ft/3
stories; 30 ft/2 stories
within 20 feet of a
residential district. Flat
roof: 40 ft/3 stories; 26
ft/2 stories within 20 feet
of a residential district
Maximum height of
accessory building
35 feet or 30 feet if
abutting residential use 35 feet N/A 16 feet
Maximum floor area ratio
(FAR) 2.0 0.5 by General Plan designation

0.5 by General Plan
designation

1.0, inclusive of
residential uses
Maximum width N/A N/A N/A Min. 50% of lot width
Minimum Unit Size 200 sq feet 200 sq feet N/A N/A
Lot Area 5,000 sq feet 10,000 sq feet 7,000 sq ft 5,000 sq ft Lot width N/A 70 feet N/A 45 feet
Lot frontage N/A 70 feet N/A 70 feet
Minimum Setbacks
Front setback 0 feet, or 10 feet if
abutting residential use 35 feet 20 feet
Nonresidential: Max 10
feet; Residential: No
setback allowed north of
Mitchell Dr.; 5-15 ft
everywhere else
Side setback 0 feet, or 10 feet if
abutting residential use 25 feet 10 feet
0 feet on street side; 10
ft. abutting a residential
district
Side yard 0 feet, or 10 feet if
abutting residential use 10 feet/floor 10 feet N/A
Rear yard 0 feet, or 10 feet if
abutting residential use
15 feet, or 20 feet if
abutting residential use 15 feet 0 ft; 10 ft. abutting a residential district Agenda Item #11.1.

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* The standards contained in this table are “typical” and are for illustrative purposes only. More specific development regulations and exceptions may apply. See Chapter 17 (Zoning) of the Municipal Code for additional development standards and requirements.
1: The City has adopted a new mixed-use designation within the 2040 General Plan Update and has released a Draft Comprehensive Zoning Code Update. Because the sites inventory assumes rezoning land to the new Mixed Use zoning district, mixed-use development standards are shown in this table based on the October 2022 Public Review Draft Zoning Code.

Source: St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17; St. Helena Public Review Draft Zoning Code Update, October 2022.

Overlay Zones
The Zoning Code outlines standards for several overlay zones that allow residential uses. The following summarizes each of these overlay zones.

Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. The purpose of the HP overlay district regulations is to preserve the unique architectural character of those certain specific structures which have contributed to the city’s historic development. No permits for remodeling or demolition shall be issued for properties within the HP district which would result in exterior changes to building facades, structures, or to passageways providing interaccessibility within a block, unless such change is approved by the planning commission. When it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Planning Commission and City Council that preservation and/or restoration of designated properties cannot and is not economically viable, the City may grant certain incentives in the form of relaxation of certain provisions of this chapter only when it can be shown that such relaxation makes preservation or restoration economically feasible. The HP overlay zone does not impose additional development standards beyond those of the base zoning district.

Mobilehome Park Overlay (MHP) District. The purpose of the MHP mobilehome park overlay district is to provide, when combined with an underlying residential zoning district, a place which allows the establishment and operation of mobilehome parks. The city of St. Helena’s MHP mobilehome park regulations are intended to complement and be subordinate to state law. The state law governing mobilehome parks is entitled the “Mobilehome Parks Act” and may be found in Division 13, Parts 2.1 and 2.3 of the California Health and Safety Code. Mobilehome park regulations are contained in the California Code of Regulations, Title 25, Division 1, Chapters 2 and 2.2. The city of St. Helena does not assume responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations contained therein and all mobilehome parks within the city remain subject to the jurisdiction of the California Housing and Community Development Department in its role as the enforcement agency for the above described State laws. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to abrogate, void or minimize such other pertinent regulations and all pertinent state and city regulations concerning the development and operation of mobilehome parks shall be observed. Mobilehomes located within areas of special flood hazard are required to be in compliance with Chapter 15.52, Flood Damage Prevention. The MHP overlay district does not impose additional development standards beyond that of the base zoning district.

Planned Development Overlay (PD) District. It is the purpose of the PD planned development overlay district to encourage high quality, innovative and creative development in the city. The PD planned development overlay district is intended to provide for the consideration and approval of development plans Agenda Item #11.1.

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which serve public objectives more fully than development permitted under conventional zoning regulations.

Planned development overlay districts are typically characterized by (in whole or in part): significant variations from the standards of the zoning ordinance, mixed land uses, a variety of housing types, the assembly of small parcels of land into a larger more effective unit, the preservation of open space, natural features or historical structures and structures with diverse building setbacks, lot sizes and building heights. The PD planned development overlay district may be combined with any existing zoning district provided both design and the proposed uses including density for residential land use designations can be found consistent with the policies of the General Plan. Development standards applicable to the zoning district which the planned development district is being combined shall be required unless modified in conjunction with approval of the planned development overlay district. The city shall address issues related to landscaping, parking, site design, ingress and egress, signage, lighting, relationship to adjoining properties and land uses, setbacks and yards and any other items toward achieving an integrated and compatible project within the city and environs.

Specific Plan Overlay (SP) District. The SP district is established to implement the policies of the general plan which call for the preparation and adoption of specific plans in certain areas of the community described in the general plan. In addition, the SP district is established to provide the city with the ability to require and/or to implement specific plans when the city council finds it necessary and appropriate. When applied to properties in advance of the adoption of a specific plan, the SP district serves to alert individuals to the requirement for a specific plan. When applied to properties after the adoption of a specific plan it serves to alert individuals to the policies and regulations of a specific plan. No new development will be approved within the specific plan areas designated in the general plan until a specific plan meeting the requirements of Section 65451 of the Government Code has been adopted by the city. The city council may determine that a site development plan for a specific property may be prepared in-lieu of a specific plan for the entire specific plan area. The site development plan shall be prepared and adopted prior to approval of new development. The site development plan shall include an analysis of infrastructure improvements as determined during review of a pre-application pursuant to Section 17.84.030. Based on the pre-application review, the city council shall determine the scope of the proposed specific plan or site development plan. The proposed specific plan or site development plan and associated documents shall be prepared under the supervision of the city with all costs paid by the property owners unless the city determines that all or a portion of the costs will be paid by the city. The SP Overlay district does not impose additional development standards, however standards for any specific plan should be developed under the supervision of the City, as stated previously.

Rural Residential Overlay (RR) District. It is the purpose of the RR rural-residential overlay district to identify those parcels within the city which are not serviced by city water or sewer and which have the ability to subdivide into additional parcels. Minimum lot sizes which are larger than the minimum lot sizes established for the underlying zoning district are required for parcels which do not have city water or sewer services. The following regulations shall apply in all districts with which are combined RR district. The only uses permitted shall be those uses permitted in the district with which the RR district is combined; provided, however, where water is available from a private well, the land may not be subdivided into less than one acre or if water is available from a mutual or utility company the land may be subdivided into parcels of twenty thousand (20,000) Agenda Item #11.1.

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square feet or greater as determined by the health officer of the city; or if sanitation and public water are available the land may be subdivided into parcels not less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet. “Health officer of the city” as used in this section, is defined to mean the official or officials of the city charged with the duty of enforcing the health ordinances of the city and the official or officials of any other governmental agency with whom the city has contracted for the enforcement of such ordinances.

Please note, the Rural Residential Overlay (RR) District is being deleted through the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update currently (2023) underway and scheduled for adoption in fall 2023.

General Plan
St. Helena adopted the current General Plan in 2019. The General Plan has a planning horizon of 2040. The city of St. Helena consists of approximately 3,254 acres. Of that total, 19 percent are designated for residential uses, four percent for commercial uses, 2.5 percent for business/industrial uses, and 69 percent for open space and agriculture.23 Not all the land within the City Limits are available for development; rather approximately 1,475 acres within the Urban Limit Line (ULL) are eligible for development.24 Thirteen land use designations cover the land in St. Helena.

The ULL contains land use designations including Low, Medium, and High Density Residential, Central Business, Service Commercial, Industrial, Business and Professional Office, Parks and Recreation, Public/Quasi-Public, Open Space and Agriculture. Some land outside, yet contiguous to the ULL has a General Plan designation of Urban Reserve (UR) indicating that it should be considered first if land outside the ULL is needed for development. All lands with a UR land use designation are zoned A-20.

Residential Growth Management System
The Residential Growth Management System (GMS) limits the number of building permits available for residential growth each year.25 The stated purpose of the system is “to regulate the residential growth of the City to approximately two percent per year, while providing for both market rate and affordable housing units.”26 The GMS previously instituted a cap of 2,800 units by 2010, which resulted in a restriction of nine permits being issued per year. Program H-B commits the city to removing the GMS from the Zoning Code, thus removing this governmental constraint and further encouraging the construction of housing to meet RHNA goals.
23 City of St. Helena General Plan Update 2040, Chapter Two Land Use and Growth Management. https://www.cityofsthelena.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/planning_resources/page/3505/final_plan_compiled.pdf January 27, 2022.
24 City of St. Helena General Plan Update 2040, Chapter Two Land Use and Growth Management. https://www.cityofsthelena.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/planning_resources/page/3505/final_plan_compiled.pdf January 27, 2022.
25 City of St. Helena Municipal Code. Chapter 17.152. http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/sthelena/. Accessed on January 27, 2022.
26 City of St. Helena Municipal Code. Chapter 17.152. http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/sthelena/. Accessed on January 27, 2022.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Requests to Develop Below Allowable Density
During the previous housing element cycle (2014-2023) there were no requests to develop housing opportunity sites below allowable density.

Building Codes and Enforcement
For the purpose of establishing proper regulations for the administration of the various codes covered in the Building Code, the City has adopted Chapter 1 of the California Building Code, Chapter 1 of the Plumbing Code, Chapter 1 of the Mechanical Code, and Annex H of the Electrical Code, 2019 Edition, excepting additions, revisions and omissions listed in Section 15.08.020 of the Municipal Code. The major local amendments included the continuation of St. Helena’s program for the seismic retrofit of unreinforced buildings and the requirement that all new construction install an approved automatic fire-suppression sprinkler system. Existing residential structures that undergo additions or repairs equal to at least 50 percent of the existing floor area, and units experiencing a change in occupancy to a more hazardous use, also require the installation of an approved sprinkler system.27 Otherwise, Title 15 of the St. Helena Municipal Code closely adheres to the 2019 California Building Standards Code and places no greater constraints on housing development than any other jurisdiction in the State that follows this model code.

The City has the power to inspect and declare unsafe any structure or piece of equipment, be it existing or under construction, that does not meet specific Municipal Code standards. These include, but are not limited to, structures with insufficient modes of egress; structures that are unsafe or that have been made structurally unsound due to fire, earthquake, or other natural disaster; buildings that are deemed a public nuisance; and buildings that have been constructed or maintained in violation of local or state law. Once a building has been declared unsafe, the building official may issue notice that the structure be repaired, vacated, or demolished within a reasonable amount of time and with the appropriate permits.28 The enforcement of building codes within the City of St. Helena is centered on the inspection of new construction and remodels or renovations requiring building permits. However, for existing structures, City Staff prioritizes code enforcement complaints according to the severity of the violation on the community and individuals. Situations that appear to pose a serious risk to health and safety are given top priority; others are pursued in the order in which they are received, as resources are available. In most cases for non-emergency complaints, a warning letter or courtesy notice is sent to the alleged violator to verify the status of the potential compliant and to obtain compliance. The purpose of this first step is to inform the alleged violator that there is a possible code violation on their property and to give them time to correct it. If the violation still exists after the correction date, the inspector will conduct a subsequent inspection and send a follow up notice with additional correction time. Staff provides detailed instructions on how a violation can be corrected and will meet with the property owner as necessary to assist in getting the violation corrected. The City also contracts with the Napa Housing Authority who assists property owners and tenants with any issues that may arise. 27 Municipal Code, 15.36.060 Fire protection systems.
28 City of St. Helena. St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 15. http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/sthelena/. Accessed January 31, 2022.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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On/Offsite Improvement Standards
The St. Helena Municipal Code lists requirements for new development related to streets and roadways, including street widths, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters, as well as water and sewer connections and parking requirements.

Street and Roadway Improvements
The City of St. Helena Standard Specifications for Public Improvements governs the requirements for public infrastructure improvements. Developers are completely responsible for the cost of these general improvements to the properties.

Residential street widths in St. Helena follow the specifications outlined in Table 34. The requirements for street widths in St. Helena do not serve as barriers to housing production as they are significantly less than the requirements of nearby jurisdictions which have much more housing stock available. The City of St. Helena Standard Specifications for Public Improvements allows for developers to construct subdivisions with narrower streets, thus allowing for more homes with less acreage reserved for rights-of-way.

Table 34 Residential Street Width Requirements
Type St. Helena Napa
Yountville
American Canyon
Residential
Single-Family Residence 16’
Standard: 56’ (both sides
parking)
Rural: 29’
With Parking: 48’
40’
2-10 units 20’
11-60 units 25’
Over 60 units 30’
Non-residential
One-way access drive 16’
60’ to 82’ Not Applicable
Two-way access drive 25’
Source: Section 902, City of St. Helena Standard Specifications for Public Improvements, 2015.

Sidewalks
According to the City of St. Helena Standard Specifications for Public Improvements, Standard No. 315, the minimum standard sidewalk width is four feet in residential areas and 10 feet in business or commercial areas.

This sidewalk standard is compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and are only what is necessary for the activities occurring in their respective areas. Curbs are required to be designed with a six-inch top, 12-inch gutter, and six-inch rise above the roadway surface. The sidewalk, curb, and gutter standards do not pose a constraint to housing development.

Landscaping
Landscaping is required for projects subject to design review and the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. All open space and common areas are required to be landscaped and landscaping plans must be approved through the design review process. Further, St. Helena requires compliance with California’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), which focuses on several goals, including water conservation and Agenda Item #11.1.

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environmental quality. Although the MWELO requirements add additional planning cost to projects, they are State mandated requirements.

Landscaping requirements work to ensure efficient water use and basic environmental quality, health, and safety and are not a constraint to development. However, subjecting landscaping plans to the design review process constrains the development of affordable housing. Through the current (2022) comprehensive zoning code update, the City is revising the code to provide a ministerial review process for projects meeting objective design standards, including standards addressing landscaping.

Street Signs
Street signs are not a required improvement to developments to be paid for by the developer. Street signs, and other signs, are subject to the requirements of Municipal Code Section 17.112.

Other
Other miscellaneous improvements required by the City of St. Helena can include curb, gutter and sidewalk treatments, fire hydrants, and street trees. When new development fronts a public street, the developers may be required to provide curb, gutter, and sidewalk treatments to the specifications supplied by the Public Works Director.29 If the Fire Chief or Public Works Director decides that there is not sufficient supply of fire hydrants nearby, new development would cover the cost of additional hydrants as necessary.30 Finally, if a new development fronts a planting strip, the owner must care for and maintain the trees and other vegetation in the strip.

Sewer
The City of St. Helena owns the Wastewater Treatment Plant, which provides secondary-level treatment for domestic and commercial wastewater within the City. The plant has a permitted average dry weather treatment capacity of 0.5 million gallons per day (mgd) and can treat up to 2.8 mgd during wet weather.31 In 2016, the City initiated planning efforts to upgrade the existing Plant in order to meet stricter environmental requirements. Working with the Regional Water Resources Control Board, the City developed a strategy to meet the new requirements, and began construction of the needed improvements in 2022. Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2023.
32 Per Chapter 727, Statutes of 2004 (SB 1087), sewer providers must grant priority for service allocations to proposed development that include housing units affordable to lower-income households. Local public and private wastewater service providers must adopt written policies and procedures that grant priority for service 29 Municipal Code 12.08.090 Plans and specifications.
30 Municipal Code 16.32.110 Fire protection.
31 California Regional Water Quality Control Boar San Francisco Bay Region. Order No. R2-0210-0105, NPDES No. CA0038016. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb2/board_decisions/adopted_orders/2010/R2-2010-0105.pdf. 32 City of St. Helena. Initial Study. WWTRP Phase I Upgrades Project. November 2020. https://www.cityofsthelena.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/public_works/page/2831/st._helena_wwtrp_public_initial_ study_compiled.pdf
Accessed January 28, 2022.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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hook-ups to developments that help meet the community’s share of the regional need for lower-income housing. In addition, the law prohibits wastewater service providers from denying, conditioning the approval, or reducing the amount of sewer service for an application for development that includes housing units affordable to lower-income households unless written findings are made as specified in Government Code Section 65589.7(c).

Water
The City has three sources of potable water: Bell Canyon Reservoir, water purchased from the City of Napa under a long-term water supply contract, and groundwater from City-owned and operated wells. Bell Canyon Reservoir is the City’s primary source of potable water. Bell Canyon is an on-stream reservoir with a physical storage capacity of 2,384 acre-feet, although the maximum amount of water that is available annually to the City is 992 acre-feet (AF). The City also purchases significant water quantities from the City of Napa through a contract, expiring in 2035, which guarantees delivery of a minimum of 600 AF per year. Additionally, the City pumps groundwater from its two wells. The City seeks to limit groundwater withdrawals to 450 AF in normal years.

The City calculates a safe annual yield for its water system as “the quantity of water which can be reliable delivered on an annual basis through most rainfall years, including a dry year (rainfall at 22” to 25.9”) without undue hardship on water customers through water shortage restrictions. The City defines “undue hardship” as three or more consecutive months of Phase II water restrictions or Phase III water restrictions. Based on water supplies available in 2020, the City estimates the safe annual yield of its water system is 992 AF.

In 2011, the City adopted a new Water Shortage Emergencies Ordinance. The ordinance establishes three water shortage emergency phases with increasing water use restrictions. Phase I water regulations are triggered when the supply/usage balance is in deficit, meaning that the five-year rolling average of total water usage exceeds the safe annual yield of the City’s water system. Under Phase I regulations, water customers are prohibited from expanding or installing new water-using appliances, plumbing, or improvements, such as landscaping and pools, unless the installation will result in no increase in water use. Replacement fixtures must be water efficient. In addition, new water connections for new development may only be approved if the projected water demand for the project can be offset by a corresponding reduction in the existing water demand on the city water system. New development proposals may demonstrate that the project is waterneutral through a combination of on-site water conservation measures, off-site retrofitting or well water.

Phase II water shortage emergency regulations include all Phase I regulations plus mandatory conservation measures. Under Phase II, residential water users are limited to 65 gallons per person per day. An additional allocation of 2,500 gallons per month for single-family homes landscape irrigation is provided during the April through October billing cycle. Multiple-family or mobile home occupants are permitted up to 70 gallons per day per 1,000 square feet of landscaped area or for dedicated irrigation meters, a 60 percent limit of current reference evapotranspiration. There are strict penalties for non-compliance of these mandatory conservation measures. In addition, no new water connections are permitted during a Phase II water emergency. Phase III Agenda Item #11.1.

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water shortage emergency regulations limit water use further to 60 gallons per person per day, and place additional limits on landscape irrigation.33
The City has adequate water supply to meet current demand, however the effects of climate change will likely reduce water supply from current sources. The City needs to obtain new water supplies and/or achieve more water savings in order to reliably meet future water demand. At the same time, the City recognizes that any new water supply, even if forthcoming, is likely to be expensive, potentially increasing the unit cost of potable water. The main emphasis within the General Plan (regarding water supply) is on conservation, seeking to reduce demand by all classes of users.

According to the City’s Water Shortage Emergency Ordinance, if the City’s water balance pursuant to the safe yield calculation is in deficit, then the City must comply with Phase I water restrictions. Most importantly, this requires that any new water demand, such as from a new residential project, must be completely offset by a reduction in current water demand, to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works. Phases II and III involve the imposition of mandatory water restrictions on customers. If Phase II appears imminent, the City Council must appoint a Water Board which, if Phase II is implemented, will work with the Director of Public Works to ensure compliance by all sectors (residential, commercial, and industrial) with Phase II restrictions. Phase III restrictions are severe.

Per Chapter 727, Statutes of 2004 (SB 1087), water providers must grant priority for service allocations to proposed developments that include housing units affordable to lower-income households. Public and private water providers must adopt written policies and procedures that grant priority for service hook-ups to developments that help meet the community’s share of the regional need for lower-income housing. In addition, the law prohibits water providers from denying, conditioning the approval, or reducing the amount of water service for an application for development that includes housing affordable to lower-income households unless written findings are made as specified in Government Code Section 65589.7(c). A city may deny, condition, or reduce water services to developments that include lower-income housing units if the city does not have “sufficient water supply” as defined in Government Code Section 66473.7(a) (2) or is operating under a water shortage emergency as defined in Section 350 of the Water Code.

The 2040 General Plan contains Implementation Action PF1-J that commits the City to granting projects that include affordable housing units priority access to water resources over other new projects should the capacity of local water systems become inadequate to meet the full demand for new connections.

Parking
St. Helena is a rural jurisdiction with limited public transport options, making commuting by automobile a common practice among residents of all income groups. Some local employers, such as wineries located off of the State Highways, only have access through roadways without suitable sidewalks or bus service. Thus, for residential developments in St. Helena, it is necessary to have some adequate amount of parking to sustain 33 City of St. Helena. Report to the City Council. June 23, 2020. https://sthelena.civicweb.net/document/41860/2020 Accessed January 28, 2022.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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regular life for residents of the rural town. Additionally, within neighborhoods, it is important to keep enough cars off the street due to some streets having little to no parking availability. For example, many streets in St.

Helena’s older neighborhoods only offer one-side parking and some roads on the edges of town have no paved side parking at all.

Residential parking requirements vary according to the number of dwelling units, as follows:
• One to two dwelling units: Minimum of two spaces per unit, with one of the spaces in a garage or carport.
• Three or more dwelling units (studio and one bedroom units): One covered space plus a half space per unit
• Three or more dwelling units (two or more bedroom units): One covered space plus one additional whole space per unit
• Rooming, boarding, or lodging house: Minimum of one space per room, and two spaces for the owneroccupied unit. • Mobile home: Minimum of two spaces per unit plus centralized space for guest parking.34 Exceptions to these requirements are provided for housing subject to the affordable housing ordinance (see Locally Adopted Ordinances for more details). Some examples of parking minimum exceptions include projects built for senior citizens and deed-restricted affordable projects built with funding from the Federal or State government.35 For all other uses not covered in the Municipal Code or State Density Bonus Law, the Planning Commission has the power to set the parking requirements based upon the general parking guidelines of the City.

The City of St. Helena’s parking standards do not impose undue constraints to development of multifamily uses with two or more bedrooms. As shown in Table 35, when compared to other nearby jurisdictions, St. Helena’s housing requirements are not only less restrictive, but much less complex. However, parking standards for multifamily uses with three or more studio or one-bedroom units require 1.5 parking spaces per unit. This requirement is a constraint to development of smaller unit multifamily uses. Program H-N commits the City to limiting parking requirements for these uses to one space per unit through the currently (2023) ongoing Comprehensive Zoning Code Update scheduled for adoption in fall 2023. 34 Municipal Code 17.124.030 Minimum on-site parking requirements 35 Municipal Code 17.144 Affordable Housing
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 35 Parking Requirements, St. Helena, Napa, Yountville Type St. Helena City of Napa Town of Yountville
1-2 dwelling units 2 spaces per unit with
1 in garage/carport
Single-family:
2 spaces per unit with 1 in
garage + 1 for each bedroom
in excess of 2 and guest
parking
2 space, 1 covered and 1
screened; 4 for duplex with
1 covered and 1 screened
3+ dwelling units (studios
and 1 bedroom units) 1 covered space + ½ space per unit

1.5 per unit (1-3 units)

1.4 per unit (4-49 units)

1.25 per unit (50+ units)
3 dwelling units – 4 spaces,
2 covered, 2 screened
4 dwelling units – 6 spaces,
3 covered, 3 screened
Additional units require 1
additional covered and 1
additional screened space
per 2 units
3+ dwelling units (2 or more
bedroom units) 2 space per unit with 1 covered
Varies, from 1.75-2 spaces per
unit plus 0.4 space for each
bedroom in excess of 3
Rooming, boarding, or
lodging house
1 space per room and 2 for owneroccupied unit
1 space per sleeping room with
ability for planning commission
to override under certain
circumstances

1.14 spaces per room
Mobile home 2 spaces per unit with centralized guest
parking
Not specified, however, using
single family requirements:
2 spaces per unit with 1 in
garage + 1 for each bedroom
in excess of 2 and guest
parking
Not specified, however,
using single family
requirements:
2 space, 1 covered and 1
screened; 4 for duplex with
1 covered and 1 screened
Source: Chapter 17.124, City of St. Helena Municipal Code, 2015; Town of Yountville Municipal Code 17.116.020; City of Napa Municipal Code 17.54.040.

Parking requirements are additionally not a constraint given the size of the parcels identified in the Sites Inventory. For example, one site with large capacity identified in the sites inventory is Site 8, a 1.5 acre vacant lot located at 882 and 886 College Avenue. This site is projected to have a capacity of 39 units with 15 lower income and 15 moderate income units. If the complex were to have 15 two-bedroom units, 15 one-bedroom units, and 9 studios, it would need a total of 66 parking spaces with 39 of them being covered. The St. Helena Standard Specifications for Public Improvements, Standard Number 321A and 321B call for parking spaces that are 19 feet long by 9.5 feet wide, which equates to 180.5 square feet per parking space. Thus, for Site 8, there would be an allocation of 11,913 square feet of surface space allocated for parking, which accounts for approximately 18.23 percent of the site. This allocation does not pose an undue constraint on the project and provides sufficient parking for the projected residents of the project. Further, developers can design garages, overhangs, and other architectural features which can allow for greater building footprint and thus less land allocated to uncovered parking.

The City’s parking minimums are also in line with State data. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, there were 147,603 registered vehicles in Napa County in 2021, equating to approximately 1.06 vehicles per person in Napa County. St. Helena’s parking minimums, particularly figures regarding multifamily one-bedroom units, matches the data provided by the DMV.

To help promote the development of emergency homeless shelters, Assembly Bill 671 (2019) was passed which included a variety of measures to incentivize the construction of such facilities, including the requirement that jurisdictions can only require the number of spaces necessary for staff working in the shelter and no more than Agenda Item #11.1.

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other uses in the same zones. According to Municipal Code Section 17.124, emergency homeless shelters are considered an unlisted use, which leaves it up to the planning commission to determine the parking requirements. Emergency homeless shelters are permitted in the Industrial and Service Commercial zoning districts, which only conditionally permit housing. Commercial and industrial parking requirements require one parking space per 300 square feet of office area, one parking space per 650 square feet of industrial uses, and one parking space per 1,000 square feet of warehouse space, respectively. Based on these standards, the City does not currently comply with State law. The City is committed through Program H-F to amend the Zoning Code to require only be the number of spaces necessary for staff working in the shelter and no more than other uses in the same zones.

Further, the City is also evaluating and revising, as necessary, parking requirements for multifamily uses as a part of the currently ongoing (2023) Comprehensive Zoning Code Update to identify and remove potential constraints to housing development. The Update is scheduled for adoption in fall 2023.

The City does not impose any on-site and off-site improvement standards beyond those necessary to achieve health and safety requirements. The City’s on-and-off site improvements standards, including roadway improvements, water and sewer requirements, and parking standards do not constrain residential development in St. Helena.

Fees and Exactions
The City’s building department fee schedule is designed to directly offset the costs incurred by the City when processing and reviewing development applications, and to inspect new construction. Fees are charged when a building permit is issued and are based on building plans and estimated construction costs.

Development impact fees are charged to new projects in order to offset costs for the construction, expansion, and maintenance of off-site improvements that either were built for the purposes of the new project or were existing improvements from which the new developments will benefit. In the case of St. Helena, impact fees are charged for public safety, civic facilities, water and wastewater services, drainage, traffic mitigation, and schools. In 2013, the City conducted a comprehensive study and update of all of its development impact fees.

As a result, total impact fees for single-family houses decreased from $19.78 per square foot to $16.32 per square foot, a 17.5 percent reduction. Fees for multiple-family development increased from $13.78 per square foot to $21.37 per square foot, a 55 percent increase.

The single-family fee calculations shown in Table 36 are based on an example 2,300 square foot single family residence with three-bedrooms and two-bathrooms with a total construction cost estimate of approximately $920,000 ($400 per square foot). The multifamily fee calculations shown in Table 36 are based on an example eight unit, three story 6,780 square foot multi-family development project.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 36 Planning and Development Fees
Fee Description Single-Family Multiple-Family
Planning and Application Fees
Variance $4,500 $4,500
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) $5,200 $5,200
General Plan Amendment $13,000 deposit plus staff time $13,000 deposit plus staff time Zone Change $8,200 deposit plus staff time $8,200 deposit plus staff time Site Plan Review $2,578 $2,578
Specific Plan $25,000 deposit plus staff time $25,000 deposit plus staff time Specific Plan Amendment $4,100 $4,100
Development Agreement $13,500 $13,500
Building Inspection / Permit $1,838 $1,838
Home Occupation Permit $200 standard, $250 expanded $200 standard, $250 expanded Lot Subdivision $6,300 minor; $35,000 major $6,300 minor; $35,000 major Lot Line Adjustment $3,000 $3,000
Tentative Tract Map $4,500 $4,500
Final Parcel Map $2,100 $2,100
Design Review <1,000 square feet: $2,600
>1,000 square feet: $3,700 $3,700
Environmental Fees
Negative Declaration $5,600 plus staff time $5,600 plus staff time Mitigated Negative Declaration (In-House) $11,600 plus staff time $11,600 plus staff time Mitigated Negative Declaration (Contract) $3,200 plus staff time $3,200 plus staff time Environmental Impact Report $9,000 deposit plus staff time $9,000 deposit plus staff time Permit Fee $433 $5,503
City Impact Fees
Public Safety Fee ($1.04/sq ft) $2,392 $7,051
Civic Facilities Fee ($1.95/sq ft) $4,485 $13,221
Parks Fee ($7.16/sq ft) $16,468 $82,580
Water System Fee ($3.05/sq ft) $7,015 $16,747
Wastewater System Fee ($0.45/sq ft) $1,035 $4,475
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Drainage System Fee ($0.73/sq ft) $1,679 $4,678
Transportation Fee ($1.94/sq ft) $4,462 $16,001
Housing Fee (2.5% of construction cost) $18,400 $27,933 Other District Fees
School District Fee ($3.20/sq ft) $6,831 $21,696
Source: City of St. Helena Planning Department, Mintier Harnish, 2022.

City impact fees are included in Table 36 above. Among these, the costliest fee is the Parks fee of $7.16 per square foot. These funds are used to develop and maintain City parks, a critical resource in the community. The City’s wastewater impact fee ($0.45 per square foot), drainage system fee ($0.73 per square foot) and public safety fee ($1.04 per square foot) are particularly low. Further, the City’s civic facilities and transportation fees are both under $2 per square foot. Importantly, City impact fees for multifamily listed in Table 36 are based on an eight-unit development, as explained previously, and have a lower per unit cost than City impact fees shown for a typical single-family use. These impact fees are based on the City’s actual costs and are reevaluated and revised each year. The City’s impact fees do not impose undue impacts to housing cost, supply, and feasibility, and are not a constraint to the development of housing.

Continuing with the example single-family and multi-family projects used in Table 36,Table 37 provides a breakdown of the cost-per-unit and estimated proportion of fee cost for the example project. These fees would be $70,830 and $21,525 per unit, respectively. This represents 7.7 percent of the single-family home project’s construction cost and 12.3 percent of the multi-family home project’s construction cost.

Table 37 Construction Cost Summary, Cost Per Unit and Cost Per Square-Foot Single-Family Multiple-Family
Building Size (square feet) 2,300 6,780
Construction Cost (per square-foot) $400 $206.49
Valuation $920,000 $1,400,000
Total Estimated Fees Per Unit $70,840 $21,525
Fees as % of Construction Cost 7.7% 12.3%
Source: City of St. Helena Planning Department; Mintier Harnish, 2022 The multiple-family development impact fees have increased to reflect the costs of the improvements necessary to serve multifamily residential development. Without the funds collected through the fees, the City could not afford to make the necessary improvements in infrastructure, and thus the fees do not represent an undue governmental constraint to housing development. In addition, fee reductions and adjustments for affordable Agenda Item #11.1.

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and other housing projects are permitted on a case-by-case basis, as approved by City Council under Section 3, Chapter 3.32 of the St. Helena Municipal Code.

In comparison to nearby jurisdictions, St. Helena’s planning fees are similar in range, as shown on Table 38. For rezoning, St. Helena has some of the most expensive fees in the region, however for tentative tract or parcel maps, St. Helena has some of the lowest fees in the region. Overall, St. Helena does not have fees that result in an extremely significant cost difference between development projects situated in the city and those situated outside of the city in nearby jurisdictions.

Table 38 Planning Application Fees – Surrounding Jurisdictions, Single-Family and Multiple-Family Jurisdiction General Plan Amendment Zone Change Tentative Tract Map
Variance
St. Helena $13,000 deposit plus staff time $8,200 deposit plus staff time $4,500 $4,500
City of Sonoma $16,581 $981
$3,735 plus $395 per
lot plus engineering
time
$2,279
Yountville $7,500 deposit plus staff time $7,500 $5,000 plus staff time $2,500 American Canyon $8,312 $3,714 $8,129 $1,896
County of Napa Established by resolution
of the Board of Supervisors N/A $622.90 plus staff time $6,100.90 plus staff time Source: City of St. Helena Planning Department; Mintier Harnish, 2022 Given similar fee structures to nearby jurisdictions and the development impact fee study in 2013, St. Helena’s fee structure does not pose an undue constraint on the production of housing.

Processing and Permit Procedures
St. Helena, as with other jurisdictions, has two primary types of processing and permit procedures: ministerial and discretionary.

Ministerial Permit Procedures
Ministerial permits are any permits that do not require a decision-making body to provide additional input before its approval. Ministerial permits are handled internally within the planning department and are approved by the planning director. Ministerial permits cover all development that is permitted by right in zones without design review. An example of a common ministerial permit is one for the construction of an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a preexisting single-family dwelling. Ministerial review typically takes 2-4 weeks. As shown in Table 41, there is very little delay among previous projects. Ministerial permit procedures do not pose a constraint to housing development.

Discretionary Permit Procedures
Discretionary permits are any permits requiring a decision-making body to exercise judgment prior to its approval. As shown in Figure 48, after successfully completing a use permit and passing State environmental review, discretionary permits can be handled administratively through the Planning Director, or through public Agenda Item #11.1.

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review with the Planning Commission. If an appeal is made against the project, the project is sent to City Council for review.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Figure 48 Discretionary Permit Process Flowchart
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Discretionary permits in St. Helena include general plan amendments, code amendments, specific plans, variances, development agreements, use permits, parcel and subdivision maps, design review, permit/map extensions, lot line adjustments, appeals, revocation of land use permits, and interpretations. As shown in Table 39 and Table 40, most discretionary permits take 3-6 months to process, with some permits taking less time (conditional use permit) or significantly more time (general plan amendment). For the purposes of residential development, conditional use permits (CUPs) and design review are the most pertinent to affecting the affordability, speed, and thus availability of affordable housing.

Table 39 Typical Processing Procedures by Project Type
Single-Family Unit Subdivision (20 units) Multiple-Family (20 Units) Required Permit Procedures
Ministerial Review - ADU Tentative Map Conditional Use Permit Design Review – new SFD Final Map
Design Review Design Review
Initial Environmental Study Initial Environmental Study Environmental Impact
Report Mitigated Negative Declaration
Estimated Total Processing
Time 2 months 12 months 9 months
Source: City of St. Helena, Mintier Harnish, 2022.

Table 40 Timelines for Permit Procedures
Type of Approval or Permit Typical Processing Time Approval body Ministerial Review 2 – 4 weeks Planning Director
Conditional Use Permit 3 months Planning Commission
Zone Change 6 months Planning Commission & City Council General Plan Amendment 6 months Planning Commission & City Council Design Review 3 months Planning Commission
Subdivision Maps 6 months Planning Commission & City Council Parcel Maps 3 months Planning Commission
Initial Environmental Study 6 months Planning Commission & City Council, depending on project
Environmental Impact Report 10 months Planning Commission & City Council Source: City of St. Helena, Mintier Harnish, 2022.

Actual Project Times
Table 41 outlines a selection of seven projects with their entitlement approval dates and issuance of building permits. The time between entitlement and building permit issuance is negligible in St. Helena and is not a constraint to the city meeting its share of the regional housing need.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 41 Timelines for Permit Procedures
Description of Project Entitlement Approval Building Permit Issued Time Elapsed A single family dwelling with an
accessory dwelling unit (601 Fulton) 3/19/2020 3/25/2020 4 days An accessory dwelling unit (1856 Adams
St, B) 3/12/2020 6/2/2020 3 months, 20 days
An accessory dwelling unit (1730
Stockton St, B) 1/6/2020 4/9/2020 3 months, 3 days
An accessory dwelling unit (940 Hunt
Ave) 9/17/2020 9/17/2020 Same day
A single family dwelling (222 Pope St) 7/28/2020 7/28/2020 Same day An accessory dwelling unit (1607
Kearney St, B) 6/1/2020 6/4/2020 3 days
An accessory dwelling unit (1135 Church
St, B) 6/8/2020 6/23/2020 15 days
Source: City of St. Helena, Mintier Harnish, 2022.

Conditional Use Permit (CUP)
Conditional use permits (CUPs) are required when a land use is listed as a conditional use for a zoning district in the Zoning Code. Conditional Use Permits are subject to review by the Planning Commission, which considers compatibility with surrounding uses, public input, and staff feedback. Conditional use permits typically take three months to fully process, which is not considered a constraint to residential development. All projects that require a conditional use permit, except for the installation or modification of fences, require design review.

Design Review
Design Review is a process undertaken by the Planning Commission on certain projects to promote environmental quality, foster attractiveness, sustain functional utility, preserve neighborhood character, protect public investments, encourage a mix of uses, and raise the level of community expectations for the quality of the environment. 36 Chapter 17.164 of the St. Helena Municipal Code outlines the City’s Design Review policies.

The Municipal Code lists 14 specific design criteria considered by the Planning Commission:

1. Consistency and compatibility with applicable elements of the general plan;

2. Compatibility of design with the immediate environment of the site

3. Relationship of the design to the site;

4. Determination that the design is compatible in areas considered by the board as having a unified design or historical character;

5. Whether the design promotes harmonious transition in scale and character in areas between different designated land uses;

6. Compatibility with future construction both on and off the site;

7. Whether the architectural design of structures and their materials and colors are appropriate to the function of the project;
36 St. Helena Municipal Code. 17.165 Design Review.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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8. Whether the planning and siting of the various functions and buildings on the site create an internal sense of order and provide a desirable environment for occupants, visitors and the general community;

9. Whether the amount and arrangement of open space and landscaping are appropriate to the design and the function of the structures;

10. Whether access to the property and circulation systems are safe and convenient for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles;

11. Whether natural features and vegetation are appropriately preserved and integrated with the project;

12. Whether the materials, textures, colors and details of construction are an appropriate expression of its design concept and function and whether they are compatible with the adjacent and neighboring structures and functions;

13. Whether the landscape design concept for the site, as shown by the relationship of plant masses, open space, scale, plant forms and foliage textures and colors, create a desirable and functional environment and whether the landscape concept depicts an appropriate unity with the various buildings on the site; and

14. Whether sustainability and climate protection are promoted through the use of green building practices such as appropriate site/architectural design, use of green building materials, energy efficient systems and water efficient landscape materials.37
The Planning Commission examines all proposed new structures and some exterior additions (e.g., additions on historical residential properties, addition of new residential floors) in relation to the above listed design criteria and arrives at one of three recommendations: approve, approve with minor modifications, or disapprove.

Projects that are subject to design review include:
• Any exterior modification to a commercial, multi-family, or designated historic building, including new construction
• The construction of a new single-family home
• Structures, buildings or site modifications requiring use permits in any district, excluding fences • Additions to a single-family home which create a second or third floor, story or living space where one does not currently exist
• Any new structure prior to the issuance of any future building permits for structures on newly created parcels created on maps approved after January 1992
• Any new public facility, or modification thereof
• Demolition, except when required for emergency protection of public health, safety or welfare 37 St. Helena Municipal Code. 17.165 Design Review.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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The following projects are subject to administrative design review, which means that they are ministerially decided on by city planning staff as opposed to the Planning Commission:
• Any form of repair or maintenance where the work solely involves the replacement of materials in like kind and form or to any such work in areas not visible to the public from the public right-of-way or areas accessible to the public
• Accessory dwelling units, subject to requirements identified in SHMC 17.116.030 • Alteration, modification, or addition to an existing single-family home that is not eligible for design review
• Construction of an accessory structure in keeping with all development criteria of the zoning district in which the structure is proposed
Design review is required for practically all projects, including all primary residential structures. The City has not adopted a design review exemption for affordable housing development in the City. Therefore, design review is considered a significant constraint to affordable housing development in the City.

The complex and subjective nature of the design review process is a constraint housing production. Through the current comprehensive zoning code update, the City is working to codify objective design standards for singlefamily, small lot, and multifamily uses. Program H-F commits the City to amending the Municipal Code to provide objective design standards for residential development and a ministerial, by-right, process for approval of developments meeting all zoning and design standards.

Currently (2023) the MR zone does not allow for multifamily uses without a conditional use permit (CUP), with the exception of 5th Cycle Housing Element opportunity sites. Although the MR zone is primarily a single-family zone, the requirement for a CUP in this zone constrains the development of smaller multifamily uses. Program H-N commits the City to allowing duplexes and triplexes and a density range of 5.1 to 16 dwelling units per acre in the MR zone without a CUP.

Please note: the City implemented 5th Cycle Housing Element program HE1.D which committed the City to eliminating use permit requirement for multifamily projects on Housing Opportunity sites (Key Housing Sites) in the medium density residential zone. Section 17.40.020 was amended to permit the following:

N. Multiple-family dwellings, apartments, and dwelling groups at a density up to the maximum allowed by the medium density residential district shall be allowed as a permitted use on the following MR zoned parcels, which are identified as “Key Housing Sites” in Table 42 of the city’s 2015-2023 housing element, and are identified as follows by street address and assessor’s parcel number (APN): 567 Pope St. APN 009- 070-002; 591 McCorkle Ave. APN 009-070-003; 1817 Spring St. APN 009-322-009; Sulphur Springs Ave.

APN 009-362-015; Spring St. APN 009-441-023 and 009-552-002; 576 Pope St. APN 009-552-003; 1105 Pope St. APN 009-090-003. (Ord. 17-2 § 6 (part); Ord. 16-8 § 1; Ord. 15-2 § 7 (part): Ord. 12-2 § 6: Ord. 07- 5 § 2 (part): Ord. 05-4 § 1 (part): Ord. 03-4 § 11: prior code § 27.51) Further, The City has received SB 2 and LEAP grants from the State of California to assist with encouraging and streamlining affordable housing development in the city. The City has applied these funds to the Comprehensive Agenda Item #11.1.

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Zoning Code Update currently underway. The Draft Update works to overcome constraints and encourage development by incorporating objective design standards for residential development and removing CUP requirements for duplexes and triplexes and densities of 5.1 to 16 du/ac in the MR zone, among other efforts.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Table 42 Housing Types Permitted by Base Zoning District Zone Type Agricultural Residential Commercial/Office
I WW
Zoning District A-20 W AP LR LR-1A MR HR CB SC BPO
Design Review Required No Yes
Single-family dwelling P
1 P1,2 P P4 P P4 P4 — — — — P
Residential units (in a mixeduse setting) — — — — — — — C 5 C5,7 C5 C8 —
Residential Condominium or
Townhouse — — — — — C C — — — — —
Duplex or triplex units — — — — — C P — — — — —
Multiple-family dwellings — — — — — P
6 P — — — — —
Mobile homes — — — P P P P — — — — —
Agricultural employee housing — — P P
3 P3 P3 P3 — — — — P3
Supportive housing — — P P P P P C
5 C5,7 C5 — P
Transitional housing — — P P P P P C
5 C5,7 C5 — P
Single room occupancy housing — — — — — — P — — — — —
Intermediate care facility, 6 or
fewer persons — — — P P P P — — — — —
Intermediate care facility, 7 or
more persons — — — — C C C — — — — —
Residential facility, 6 or fewer
persons — — — P P P P — — — — —
Residential facility, 7 or more
persons — — — C C C C — — — — —
Emergency Shelter — — — — — — — — P — P —
P=Permitted C=Conditional —=Prohibited
1Permitted if the single-family dwelling(s) existed prior to October 1, 1993. 2Additional dwellings for occupancy by owners, caretakers and/or other employees, provided density does not exceed one dwelling unit per each five acres of the winery’s contiguous property is a Conditional Use. 3Six or fewer persons only.
4New construction of single-family dwellings where the minimum density of 2 units or greater is a Conditional Use. 5Limited to upper floors only.
6Permitted only to parcels identified in the adopted Housing Element. 7Upper floors only in conjunction with a mixed-use project 8Subject to the restrictions outlined in SHMC 17.60.030, including a maximum 850 square feet floor area, one off-street parking space, and residency requirements.

Note: The Zoning Code text takes precedence over this table and there may be additional requirements or limits not noted on this table.

If the zone is not present in the table (PQP, PR, OS), it does not allow any residential uses by right or through any permitting processes.

Source: St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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SB 330 Streamlining
On October 9, 2019, Governor Newsom signed into law SB 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019. The act amends existing state laws and creates new regulations around the production, preservation and planning of housing.

The bill has been in effect since January 1, 2020, and sunsets on January 1, 2025. SB 330 will affect both project planning procedures and community planning outcomes.

The goal of SB 330 is to create certainty in the development of housing projects, speeding up the review of these projects, preserving affordable housing and preventing certain zoning actions that reduce the availability of housing. SB 330 does the following (not a comprehensive list):
• Creates a new vesting process for zoning and land use ordinances, policies, and standards in place at the time a preliminary application is submitted (with limitations); • Requires that the historic status or designation of any site be determined at the time an application for a discretionary action is deemed complete;
• Prohibits imposing or enforcing non-objective design review standards established after January 1, 2020;
• Limits the number of public hearings to five for housing projects that meet all objective design standards; and
• Prohibits actions that reduce the total zoned capacity for housing (i.e., down-zoning).

A project that meets any of the following criteria per California Government Code Section 65589.5(h)(2)(B) is subject to the provisions of SB 330:

1. The project consists of residential units only;

2. The project is a mixed-use development consisting of residential and non-residential uses with at least two-thirds of the square footage of the project designated for residential use, including dwelling units and any uses accessory to the residential units; or

3. The project is transitional or supportive housing.

New Preliminary Application Form. SB 330 creates a new vesting process for discretionary housing projects during the five-year period of the bill. It achieves this through the creation of a new “preliminary application” process that establishes a new date for the purposes of locking projects into the ordinances, policies, and standards in effect when a preliminary application (including all required information) is submitted and deemed complete. This vesting does not apply to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determinations, including historic resource determinations pursuant to CEQA.

Once a complete Preliminary Housing Development Application is submitted (along with other required applications if applicable), the zoning, design, subdivision, and fee requirements in effect as of that date will remain applicable to the project for the duration of the review and entitlement process, provided that all the following provisions are satisfied:

Agenda Item #11.1.

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• Complete discretionary entitlement applications must be submitted and accepted by the Planning Department within 180 days of the Preliminary Housing Development Application being deemed complete;
• If the entitlement applications are deemed incomplete after filing, the application must submit all missing or incomplete items to the Planning Department within 90 days of being notified in writing by Planning Department staff;
• The project may not increase by more than 20 percent in the number of units or total square footage indicated in the Preliminary Housing Development Application, except as the project may be revised using the State Density Bonus; and
• The project must commence construction within 30 months of site permit issuance.

Note that the following modifications may be required even when a Preliminary Housing Development Application is on file:
• Development impact fees, application fees, capacity and connection fees, or other charges may be annually adjusted based on a published cost index;
• Requirements necessary to avoid an adverse impact to public health or safety, or to avoid or lessen an impact under CEQA may be applied; and
• Applicants may submit a new or amended Preliminary Housing Development Application at any time, in which case the requirements in effect at that time shall apply.

The City has created a preliminary SB 330 process and checklist to streamline the design and approval of byright multi-family units within the community. Program H-F provides a by-right streamlined review process for affordable housing developments meeting state affordability thresholds, in compliance with SB 35 and SB 330.

Procedures for Selected Housing Types
The following section describes the processing and permit procedures for selected housing types that are typically used by lower income households. For more housing types, see the Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types section.

Multifamily Rental Housing
Multifamily rental housing is housing traditionally identified as any housing available for rent that has greater than one dwelling unit in a building. Some examples of multifamily rental housing include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and apartment buildings. Multifamily rental housing is permitted entirely in the High Density Residential (HR) district only. Multifamily rental housing is permitted in the Medium Density Residential (MR) district only on parcels identified in the housing element. MR zoned parcels identified in the fifth cycle housing element are currently codified as being the MR zone parcels that allow multifamily housing. Currently, all multifamily rental housing projects, affordable and market rate, are subject to subjective design review.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Therefore, multifamily rental housing is constrained by the design requirements set forth in the Zoning Code.

Program H-F is included to commit the City to adopting objective design standards to reduce barriers to multifamily rental housing and eliminate subjective design standards.

Mobile Homes
Mobile homes, or manufactured homes, are small, prefabricated homes which are often situated on rented portions of land in mobile home parks. Mobile homes can offer affordable pathways to home ownership and stable shelter for many low-income households. Mobile homes, as shown in Table 42 are permitted in all residential zoning districts in St. Helena. Mobile homes in St. Helena are subject to the following conditions in all residential zoning districts:
• To be occupied only as a single-family residential use, • To be subject to all provisions of the zoning ordinance applicable to conventionally built dwellings, • To be attached to a permanent foundation system in compliance with all applicable building regulations,
• To be covered with an exterior material customarily used on conventionally built dwellings extending to the top of the foundation,
• To have parapet walls or roofs which utilize shingles or other materials customarily used on conventionally built dwellings;
These requirements do not constitute a constraint to the development of mobile homes. However, mobile homes are subject to subjective design review, which poses a significant constraint to their development.

Program H-F is included to commits the City to incorporate objective design standards for single-family, small lot, and multifamily developments, including mobile homes, that provide a ministerial design review process for projects that meet zoning and design standards.

Housing for Agricultural Employees
Housing for agricultural employees is permitted in the agricultural zone for up to 36 persons, thus complying with California Health and Safety Code Section 17026.1. Housing for agricultural employees is also permitted for up to six persons in all residential zones and in the WW zone. Housing for agricultural employees is subject to subjective design review, which poses a significant constraint to development. Program H-F commits the City to incorporate objective design standards for single-family, small lot, and multifamily developments, including farmworker housing, that provide a ministerial design review process for projects that meet zoning and design standards.

Supportive and Transitional Housing
Supportive and transitional housing is permitted in the AP zone, all residential zones, and the WW zone.

Supportive and transitional housing is subject to subjective design review, which poses a significant constraint to development. Program H-F commits the City to incorporate objective design standards for single-family, Agenda Item #11.1.

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small lot, and multifamily developments, including transitional and support housing, that provide a ministerial design review process for projects that meet zoning and design standards.

Constraints to Housing for Persons with Disabilities
On January 1, 2002, SB 520 went into effect, requiring local jurisdictions to analyze potential governmental constraints to the development, improvement, and maintenance of housing for persons with disabilities as part of a jurisdictions housing element update. Under SB 520, housing elements must also include one of the following: 1) a program to remove constraints, or 2) provide reasonable accommodations for, “housing designed for occupancy by, or with supportive services for, persons with disabilities.” A jurisdiction can fulfill this second clause in a variety of ways including establishing policies that facilitate the provision of housing that is physically accessible to people with mobility impairments, residential care facilities for individuals with Alzheimer’s, housing for persons with AIDS/HIV, and transitional housing that serves homeless with disabilities.

Reasonable Accommodation
The City of St. Helena adopted a reasonable accommodation ordinance in 2015 that provides a procedure to request reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities seeking equal access to housing under the federal Fair Housing Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (the Acts) in the application of zoning laws and other land use regulations, policies, and procedures.

A request for reasonable accommodation may be made by any person with a disability, their representative or any entity, when the application of a zoning law or other land use regulation, policy or practice acts as a barrier to fair housing opportunities. A person with a disability is a person who has a physical or mental impairment that limits or substantially limits one or more major life activities, anyone who is regarded as having such impairment or anyone who has a record of such impairment. This chapter is intended to apply to those persons who are defined as disabled under the Acts.

A request for reasonable accommodation may include a modification or exception to the rules, standards and practices for the siting, development and use of housing or housing-related facilities that would eliminate regulatory barriers and provide a person with a disability equal opportunity to housing of their choice. Requests for reasonable accommodation shall be made in the manner prescribed in Section 17.200.030.

Requests for reasonable accommodation are submitted on an application form provided by the Planning Department, or in the form of a letter, to the Planning Director and should contain the following information:

1. The applicant’s name, address, and telephone number.

2. Address of the property for which the request is being made.

3. The current actual use of the property.

4. The basis for the claim that the individual is considered disabled under the Acts.

5. The zoning code provision, regulation or policy that is the subject of the applicant’s requested reasonable accommodation, and a narrative and graphic (where applicable) description of the specific accommodation requested.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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6. Why the reasonable accommodation is necessary to make the specific property accessible to the individual.

Requests for reasonable accommodation shall be reviewed by the Planning Director if no discretionary permit approval is required other than the request for reasonable accommodation. Requests for reasonable accommodation submitted for concurrent review with another discretionary permit application shall be reviewed by the review authority reviewing the discretionary permit application. The Director shall make a written determination within forty-five (45) days and either grant, grant with modifications, or deny a request for reasonable accommodation in accordance with Section 17.200.060. The written decision to grant or deny a request for reasonable accommodation will be consistent with the Acts and shall be based on a consideration of the following factors:

1. Whether the housing which is the subject of the request will be used by an individual considered disabled under the Acts.

2. Whether the request for reasonable accommodation is necessary to make specific housing available to an individual with a disability under the Acts.

3. Whether the requested reasonable accommodation would impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the town.

4. Whether the requested reasonable accommodation would require a fundamental alteration in the nature of a town program or law, including but not limited to land use or zoning.

5. Whether the requested reasonable accommodation would adversely impact surrounding properties or uses.

6. Whether there are reasonable alternatives that would provide an equivalent level of benefit without requiring a modification or exception to the City’s applicable rules, standards and practices.

7. Whether the accommodation would alter the significance of a historic structure.

In granting a request for reasonable accommodation, the Planning Director may impose any conditions of approval deemed reasonable and necessary to ensure that the reasonable accommodation would comply with the findings required by subsection A of this section, including but not limited to the following:

1. Inspection of the property periodically, as specified, to verify compliance with this chapter and any conditions of approval.

2. Removal of the improvements, where removal would not constitute an unreasonable financial burden, when the need for which the accommodation was granted no longer exists.

3. Time limits and/or expiration of the approval if the need for which the accommodation was granted no longer exists.

4. Recordation of a deed restriction requiring removal of the accommodating feature once the need for it no longer exists.

5. Measures to reduce the impact on surrounding uses.

6. Measures in consideration of the physical attributes of the property and structures.

7. Other conditions necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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A determination by the Planning Director to grant or deny a request for reasonable accommodation may be appealed to the City Council in compliance with Section 17.08.180.

The City's required finding “5. Whether the requested reasonable accommodation would adversely impact surrounding properties or uses” poses a potential constraint to housing for residents with disabilities seeking equal access to housing under the federal Fair Housing Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (the Acts). HCD indicates that, given its importance in addressing barriers to housing for persons with disabilities, reasonable accommodation should not impose discretionary findings similar to that of a Conditional Use Permit, such as impacts to surround uses. Program H-F commits the City to update the municipal code to remove this discretionary finding.

Zoning and Land Use
The City of St. Helena allows residential care facilities serving six or fewer persons as a permitted use in the LR1A, LR, MR, and HR residential zones. For compliance with state law, the City must allow these uses in any zone allowing single-family uses, subject only to the conditions imposed upon residential uses in the same zone. The City currently allows single-family homes in the A-20, W, and WW zones. The City should revise the municipal code to allow residential care facilities of six or fewer in these zones.

Residential care facilities serving seven or more persons require the approval of a Conditional Use Permit. A use permit requirement in zones allowing multifamily uses is a constraint to the development of these uses. The City should revise the municipal code to allow residential care facilities of six or fewer in these zones. 38 Program H-F commits the City to updating the municipal code to allow residential care facilities in all zones, subject only to the requirements imposed upon single-family uses; and facilities of seven or more in all zones, subject only to the same requirements as multifamily uses.39 The City’s parking and loading requirements do not have specific provisions related to persons with disabilities, but there is a provision stating that “rest homes, convalescent hospitals, residential care and similar group care facilities” require only one space for each four beds, which is a reduced requirement compared to the two parking spaces required for typical “one-and two-family dwelling units.”40 Consequently, the reduced parking requirements for group care facilities decrease the parking requirements for some disabled persons, but parking requirements for residential development need to serve all disabled persons.

Permits and Processing
The City’s permitting and processing procedures do not negatively affect the ability to design or retrofit homes that will be accessible for the disabled or constrain the siting of group homes. The City, however, applies the 38 City of St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17.
39 City of St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17.
40 City of St. Helena Municipal Code, Chapter 17.124: Parking and Loading Requirements Agenda Item #11.1.

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same process required for other renovations to retrofitting homes for accessibility, and the City does not have a special process for such retrofits.

As discussed above, residential and intermediate care facilities with fewer than six persons are permitted in residential zones. Although care facilities with seven or more persons are permitted with a Conditional Use Permit in the residential zones, no additional permits are required. This is consistent with the City’s requirements for other multifamily uses such as condominiums, townhomes, apartments, and dwelling groups containing more than four units, which also require a Conditional Use Permit. There are no additional requirements placed on residential or intermediate facilities.

Building Codes
In 2019, the City of St. Helena adopted the 2019 California Building Code with minor amendments. The changes made to this Code by the City, enumerated in the Governmental Constraints section of this document, do not unfairly treat residential and intermediate care homes differently than other residential uses.

Nevertheless, no specific exemptions to the 2019 California Building Code exist for housing for disabled persons. The City of St. Helena does not have local universal design requirements but adopted a reasonable accommodate ordinance in 2015 which provides a reasonable accommodation procedure related to "a zoning law or other land use regulation, policy or practice acts as a barrier to fair housing opportunities", including building codes and the issuance of Building Permits.

Definition of Family
The Municipal Code currently (2022) defined “family” as:
“Family” means any of the following groups living together in the same dwelling unit as a single housekeeping unit:

1. Any number of persons related by blood, marriage or legal adoption;

2. A nuclear family identified by extended cohabitation;

3. A group not exceeding five persons whose interpersonal relationships relating to shared household expenses, duties and private lives are indistinguishable from groups listed in subsections 1 and 2 above.

The definition of family in a jurisdiction’s municipal code can pose some challenges for persons with special needs who may have live-in caregivers, group home arrangements, or other arrangements not reflective of the typical nuclear family. Additionally, the definition used by a city can cause confusion or difficulty when applying to programs such as Community Development Block Grants, which use a more inclusive definition of a family unit.

In the previous element, Program 1.K was included to amend the zoning ordinance to define “family” as one or more persons living together as a single housekeeping unit in a dwelling unit, as required by State law. This change has not been made to the Zoning Code, however, all City actions are made in keeping with California Agenda Item #11.1.

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State law, as it has precedence over any in-consistent locally adopted land use definitions. The City is undergoing a comprehensive Zoning Code update, which will address the existing outdated adopted definition of “family.” Further, Program H-Fis included in this Housing Element, committing the City to updating this definition specifically.

Spacing or Concentration Requirements
The City of St. Helena does not have any additional spacing or concentration requirements for housing for persons with disabilities. There are no spacing requirements for group homes, residential care facilities, transitional housing facilities, and supportive housing facilities.

In the Service Commercial (SC) and Central Business (CB) districts, supportive housing is permitted only on the upper floors, which is the same requirement imposed on all other residential developments in these zones.

Locally Adopted Ordinances
St. Helena has passed five development-related local ordinances to help ensure growth of quality housing and to create a balance between the need for affordable housing and the market demands of the tourism industry.

Bed and Breakfast Inns
Bed and breakfast inns, a common sight in many tourist-oriented towns like St. Helena, are regulated by a use permit process that requires certain findings to be made, including that:

A. The establishment of a bed and breakfast inn is consistent with the purpose of the general plan, including policies regarding the displacement of rental units in the housing stock.

B. The establishment of a bed and breakfast inn will not be detrimental to a building, structure or feature of significant aesthetic, cultural, architectural or engineering interest or value of a historical nature.

C. The establishment of a bed and breakfast inn is compatible with and will not be detrimental to the character of the neighborhood and surrounding land uses. 41 Additionally, bed and breakfast inns are required to only use up to four bedrooms, a requirement that helps ensure that larger homes are still partially available for use as a permanent residential dwelling. Such affordances can be considered helpful to special needs groups, such as large households. Given these strict requirements, St. Helena’s bed and breakfast inns ordinance does not pose additional constraints to housing and helps limit potential reduction of housing units in the case of a homeowner wishing to convert their residential property to a bed and breakfast.

Short-Term Rentals
Short term rentals are strictly regulated in the City of St. Helena to reduce the impact on the area’s already scarce housing inventory. The City allows only twenty-five short-term rental permits at a time with a maximum 41 City of St. Helena. St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17. http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/sthelena/. Accessed January 9, 2023.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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of four bedrooms in the household being used for short-term rentals. Additionally, the City restricts uses of the propety by guests and enforces additional regulations on sounds and general activities during the hours of 10 P.M. to 7 A.M. Given the strict measures in place, the short-term rentals ordinance doesn’t pose additional constraints to housing. Instead, the ordinance incentivizes property owners to use their homes for other uses with less stringent requirements, which may include long-term rentals.

Time-Share Uses
Time-shares are strictly regulated in the City of St. Helena, are considered commercial uses, and are permitted only in commercial zoning districts. Any existing housing stock in the city is prohibited from being converted into a time-share. As such, the time-share ordinance is not a constraint to housing, but instead assists with ensuring residential land is being put to more productive, residential purposes that assist with alleviating the existing housing crisis.

Affordable Housing
The City’s affordable housing ordinance is a codified ordinance that specifies how the City will provide density bonuses, concessions, and incentives for the construction of affordable housing projects that are designed for seniors, low-income, very low-income, and moderate-income (in the case of condonminiums) persons and families. The affordable housing ordinance also specifies how the City will grant priority for the provision of water and sewer services to affordable developments, a requirement stated in California Government Code Section 65589.7. The affordable housing ordinance also describes the process in which a person voluntarily donates land to the City for residential development use. The ordinance additionally allows for vehicular parking ratios to be beneath those required by the city, subject to Californai Government Code 65589.7 and a recorded covenant against the property.

The affordable housing ordinance does not pose any constraint to housing, but instead acts to formalize State mandated programs and laws designed to incentivize affordable housing.

Housing Trust Fund, Housing Impact Fee and Inclusionary/In-Lieu Fee Requirements In September 2004, the City Council passed Ordinance 2004-7 adding Chapter 17.146 Housing Trust Fund, Housing Impact Fee, and Inclusionary/In-Lieu Fee Requirements to the St. Helena Municipal Code. The regulations are designed so that new non-residential developments and additions are required to pay a housing impact fee and new residential developments containing five units or more are required to include 20 percent of their units as affordable housing, and developments with less than five units pay an in-lieu fee. The fees collected from the nonresidential and residential development then go into a Housing Trust Fund. The use of Housing Trust Fund monies is directed exclusively to “increase and improve the supply of housing affordable to households of moderate, low and very low income” including costs such as land, construction, financing, and reimbursements to the City.42 The monies are available for both ownership and rental projects and services. 42 St. Helena Municipal Code. 17.146.030
Agenda Item #11.1.

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These affordable housing requirements do add additional cost to market rate residential development in the process of creating additional affordable housing in St. Helena. To minimize the impact on the price of market rate housing, the Municipal Code allows developers to submit an “alternative equivalent proposal” and offers a series of concessions or incentives.43 An “alternative equivalent proposal” enables developers to meet the affordable housing requirements through alternative means like dedicating vacant land as long as the proposed alternative aligns with the purpose of the Municipal Code and is approved by the City Council. Concessions and incentives that are automatically available to residential developers who construct inclusionary units include the opportunity to submit a preliminary development proposal, priority in the City application process, and fee deferment. In addition, the City Council can grant additional concessions and incentives including extra density bonuses, changes to City standards, and monetary assistance. The automatic and discretionary concessions and incentives help expedite the process of building affordable housing and therefore minimize the cost to developers.
43 St. Helena Municipal Code. 17.146.050
Agenda Item #11.1.

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9. Opportunities for Energy Conservation
Government Code Section 65583(a) (7) requires the “analysis of opportunities for energy conservation with respect to residential development.” 44 This is important due to the key role played by energy efficiency in determining the relative affordability of housing. Lower rates of energy usage decrease utility costs for residents, making a housing unit more affordable. The discussion that follows outlines current State policies and development standards along with local City policies that promote energy conservation for new and existing development in the City of St. Helena.

Instituted by legislative action in 1978 to reduce overall energy consumption statewide, the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards set thresholds and guidelines for energy efficiency for both residential and nonresidential construction. The revised standards for 2022 went into effect August 11, 2021, under Title 24, Part 6, of the California Code of Regulations. Title 24 is otherwise known as the California Building Standards Code. The energy requirements of the new State code are significantly more stringent than the prior codes (heat pump requirements for single-family and multi-family homes and businesses; electricity-ready requirements for single-family homes; and new solar power requirements for high-rises, hotels/motels, tenant spaces, offices, stores, restaurants, schools, and civic spaces) and are intended to progress to 100 percent clean electricity and carbon neutrality by 2050 or earlier.

In addition to the Building Energy Efficiency Standards, Part 11 of Title 24 contains California’s Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen). St. Helena adopted the revised standards in 2019, with amendments to require all new indoors plumbing fixtures to meet the 20 percent reduction in water use, a 20 percent reduction in cement use in foundations, and certified U.S. EPA Phase II certified wood-burning devices or pellet-fueled device. These amendments are not considered an impediment to housing development.

On a local level, the 2040 City of St. Helena General Plan Climate Change Element addresses energy conservation for residential development by including goals such as:
• reducing energy demand through improved building and design; • reducing consumption and divert waste; and
• increasing community engagement and advocacy.

The City participates in an AB811 program that allows commercial and residential property owners to finance renewable energy, water efficiency, and energy efficiency improvements through a property tax assessment.

Additionally, the City of St. Helena is currently implementing a program to reduce GHG emissions from City facilities and has an Active Transportation and Sustainability Committee and a Water Advisory Board that oversee its natural resources for energy conservation.
44 HCD Building Blocks for Effective Housing Elements, “Opportunities for Energy Conservation.” Accessed September 24, 2008. http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/housing_element/index.html.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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The City has included Programs H-RR through H-UU to educate, encourage, and fund pushes for energy conservation within the community. Through education provided by the City, residents, contractors, and property owners can learn about various ways to integrate energy conservation programs into St. Helena residential developments. The City also intends to stay up to date on State efficiency and building code standards to ensure new and rehabilitated housing developments provide future owners and tenants with longterm cost-savings and energy efficiency.45 Additionally, to further encourage energy efficiency, the City also aims to explore the possibility of offering low-interest loans for energy conservation measures, in addition to continuing to participate in AB-811 programs to finance local efforts. 45 See St. Helena Municipal Code Chapter 15.18
Agenda Item #11.1.

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10. Zoning for a Variety of Housing Types
Key Findings
• St. Helena’s Zoning Code allows for a variety of housing types in the City including multiple-family units, transitional and supportive housing, single-room occupancy units, manufactured and mobile homes, and accessory dwelling units. However, to comply with Section 65915 through 65918 of the California Government Code, St. Helena should amend the Zoning Code to reflect the new maximum density bonus provisions that were adopted by the State in 2020. Additionally, St. Helena must also amend the Zoning Code to allow for low barrier navigation centers, consistent with State law.

Multiple-Family Rental Housing
The St. Helena Zoning Code allows multiple-family dwellings subject to design review in the High Density Residential (HR) zoning district. In addition, the Medium Density Residential (MR) district permits the construction of attached duplex or triplex units with a Conditional Use Permit.46 Multiple-family rental housing is subject to subjective design review, which poses a constraint to development. For more information regarding the design review process and development standards applied to multi-family housing, see the Governmental Constraints section.

Density Bonuses for Affordable Housing
Per California Government Code Sections 65915 through 65918, local governments are required to provide density bonus provisions to projects that comply with specific standards. Legislation approved in 2020 increased the maximum density bonus amounts for very-low-, low-, and moderate-income housing. The California Government Code describes how maximum densities shall be calculated for very low-, low-, and moderateincome housing in a tabular format. Additionally, local governments are also required to provide one or more incentives for qualifying projects and are required to accept an incentive proposed by a developer unless the incentive proposal is found to cause environmental harm, a health and safety issue, a cost reduction, a detriment to historical property, or otherwise contrary to law. Both density bonuses and incentives are granted based on the number of affordable units present in each project.

The City of St. Helena currently establishes density bonus provisions for affordable housing in Chapter 17.144 (Affordable Housing). The provisions in that Chapter do not reflect the new maximum density bonus tier framework that was adopted by the State in 2020. Because of this, the City is not currently in compliance and has included Program H-F to commit the City to amend the Zoning Code for compliance with California Government Code Sections 65915 through 65918. The City is currently (2023) undertaking a Comprehensive Zoning Code Update. Density bonus provisions in the Draft Zoning Code have been revised for compliance with State law. The Comprehensive Zoning Code Update is scheduled for adoption in fall 2023. 46 City of St. Helena. St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Housing for Permanent and Seasonal Agricultural Employees Sections 17021.5 and 17021.6 of the California Health and Safety Code establish specific requirements for the permitting of agricultural employee housing in a jurisdictions’ zoning code. Specifically, Section 17021.5 mandates that “employee housing providing accommodations for six or fewer employees shall be deemed a single-family structure with a residential land use.” 47 Furthermore, designated employee housing, as defined above, cannot be subject to Conditional Use Permit requirements, zoning variance, fees, taxes, or any other requirement other than those pertaining to a traditional single-family structure. Section 17021.6 pertains to larger employee housing facilities featuring a maximum of 36 beds in group quarters, or 12 single-family units.

Under this legislation, such units are deemed an agricultural land use and cannot be subject to any restrictions, conditional use requirements, zoning variance, fees, taxes, or other requirements not imposed on other agricultural uses in the same zone.

The City is in compliance with Sections 17021.5 or 17021.6 of the California Health and Safety Code. The A-20, AP, and W zoning districts allow large employee housing facilities (12 units or 36 beds) by right. Whereas, the WW, LR-1A, LR, MR, and HR zoning districts allow agriculture employee housing for six or fewer persons subject to design review. Housing for permanent and seasonal agricultural employees is subject to subjective design review, which poses a significant constraint to development. Program H-F commits the City to amending the Zoning Code to replacing subjective design review with objective design standards and SB 330-compliant streamlined review. The City is currently (2023) undertaking a Comprehensive Zoning Code Update. The Draft Zoning Code incorporates objective development and design standards for residential development. These standards will apply to housing for permanent and seasonal agricultural employees. The Comprehensive Zoning Code Update is scheduled for adoption in fall 2023.

Zoning for Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, and Supportive Housing
AB-139 requires local government to identify a zone(s) where emergency shelters are allowed by-right without a conditional use or other discretionary permit. Local governments are authorized to impose only those development standards that apply to residential or commercial development within the same zone. However, a local government may impose specified objective standards, including standards for off-street parking based on demonstrated need, as specified. The intent of these regulations is to help streamline the development of varying housing types.

AB-139 requires the need for emergency shelter to be assessed based on the capacity necessary to accommodate the most recent homeless point-in-time count, the number of shelter beds available on a yearround and seasonal basis, the number of beds that go unused on an average monthly basis, and the percentage of those in emergency shelters that move to permanent housing. The bill also requires sufficient parking for employees and one space per two beds in the shelter. Under AB-139 and California Government Code Section 65651, local governments shall allow supportive and transitional housing as a by-right use in all districts where 47 California Government Health and Safety Code 17021.5 (b) Agenda Item #11.1.

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single-family and multiple-family dwelling unit uses are allowed. Additionally, the State requires that these uses be subject only to those regulations that apply to other residential dwellings (i.e., single-family dwellings, multiple-family dwellings) of the same type in the same district.

Emergency shelters are identified as a by-right use in the I and SC zoning districts. According to a Point in Time Count provided by the Chief of Police, there is one homeless person who resides in St. Helena. There are several parcels in these zones that can accommodate an emergency shelter, including APN 009-580-022-000 (I zoning district) and APN 009-194-005-000 (SC zoning district). These parcels are vacant, habitable, and in proximity to transportation and services. Combined, they total 1.48 acres and can provide capacity for 15 beds, by conservative assumption of 10 beds/acre.

Due to new State law, AB 2339, which amended Government Code section 65583 and took effect in 2023, jurisdictions must now provide capacity for emergency shelters in a zone(s) that allow residential uses and must expand the definition of emergency shelters to include other interim interventions, including but not limited to, navigation centers, bridge housing, and respite or recuperative care. The City is currently (2023) not in compliance with State law as it only allows emergency shelters by-right in the I and SC zones – which don’t allow residential uses – and does not include other interim interventions within the definition of emergency shelters. The City is working to meet these requirements through the currently ongoing (2023) Comprehensive Zoning Code Update by expanding the definition of emergency shelter to include interim interventions, and by allowing emergency shelters as a permitted use without a conditional use or other discretionary permit in the BPO zone where multifamily and single-room occupancy residential uses are permitted. There are several parcels in the BPO zone that could accommodate an emergency shelter, including APN 009-201- 019, an underutilized quarter-acre parcel. The parcel is an infrequently used parking lot with no structures or active uses, and an existing floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.0. The BPO zone allows an FAR of up to 0.5, indicating significant underutilization and an available potential building area of 5,625 square feet.

Additionally, the parcel is located in proximity to Safeway, a pharmacy, Adventist Health St. Helena’s cardiology clinic, the fire department, and high-quality transportation options along Main Street. Based on the calculation methodology established within Government Code Section 65583 by AB 2339 that requires a minimum of 200 square feet per person, this parcel alone has potential capacity for more than 28 people.

Program H-F includes actions committing the City to revising the Zoning Code to allow for emergency shelters in compliance with recent amendments to Government Code section 65583 subdivision (a)(4).

Further, emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing are subject to subjective design review, which poses a significant constraint to development. Program H-F commits the City to amending the Zoning Code to replacing subjective design review with objective design standards and SB 330-compliant streamlined review through the currently ongoing (2023) Comprehensive Zoning Code Update. The Draft Zoning Code (released October 2022) incorporated objective development and design standards for residential development. The Comprehensive Zoning Code Update is scheduled for adoption in fall 2023.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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The City is in compliance with State laws related to supportive housing, and transitional housing. The Zoning Code allows both supportive and transitional housing by-right in all residential zoning districts, and in nonresidential and mixed use zones subject to the same requirements imposed upon residential uses.

Residential Care Facilities
California Government Code Section 65583 requires that housing elements provide a program to “address and where appropriate and legally possible, remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing for persons with disabilities. The program shall remove constraints to and provide reasonable accommodations for housing designed for, intended for occupancy by, or with supportive services for, persons with disabilities.” In line with encouraging the development of housing for those with disabilities, the State requires that small, licensed residential care facilities (defined as facilities with six or fewer residents) be allowed “by right” in all residential zones. Additionally, the State, through HCD, requires that cities consider constraints to reasonable accommodation for large, licensed residential care facilities (defined as facilities with seven or more residents).48
The City of St. Helena allows residential care facilities serving six or fewer persons as by-right uses in the LR-1A, LR, MR, and HR residential zones. For compliance with state law, the City must allow these uses in any zone allowing single-family uses, subject only to the conditions imposed upon residential uses in the same zone. The City currently allows single-family homes in the A-20, W, and WW zones. The City should revise the municipal code to allow residential care facilities of six or fewer in these zones. Just like all other residential uses, residential care facilities are subject to design review, which poses a significant constraint to development.

Program H-F is included to commit the City to amending the Zoning Code to replacing subjective design review with objective design standards and SB330-compliant streamlined review through the currently ongoing (2023) Comprehensive Zoning Code Update. The Draft Zoning Code (released October 2022) incorporated objective development and design standards for residential development. The Comprehensive Zoning Code Update is scheduled for adoption in fall 2023.

Residential care facilities serving seven or more persons require the approval of a Conditional Use Permit. A use permit requirement in zones allowing multifamily uses is a constraint to the development of these uses. The City should revise the municipal code to allow residential care facilities of six or fewer in these zones. 49 Program H-F commits the City to updating the municipal code to allow residential care facilities in all zones, subject only to the requirements imposed upon single-family uses and facilities of seven or more in all zones, subject only to the same requirements as multifamily uses. 48 HCD Building Blocks for Effective Housing Elements, “Constraints for People with Disabilities.” Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/building-blocks/constraints/constraints-for-people-with-disabilities.shtml 49 City of St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Low Barrier Navigation Centers
California Government Code Section 65660 identifies low barrier navigation centers are facilities that focus on moving people into permanent housing and connecting temporary residents with opportunities for income, public benefits, health services, shelter, and housing. Similar to displaced persons shelters, these facilities are intended to accommodate people with disabilities, pets and their owners, partners (if not a gender-specific site), the storage of possessions, and survivors of domestic violence. Specifically, the State mandates that low barrier navigation centers have services “to meet the diverse needs of (the) population.” As of 2018, low barrier navigation centers are allowed, subject to design review, wherever multiple-family dwellings and mixed-use development are allowed. In addition, local governments may not impose parking requirements onto low barrier navigation centers.

The City is not currently in compliance and has included Program H-F to commit the City to amend the Zoning Code for compliance with California Government Code Section 65660. In updating the Code the City shall list low barrier navigation facilities as allowed by-right wherever multiple-unit dwellings and mixed-use development are allowed.

Single Room Occupancy (SRO)
Single-room occupancy residential units are a traditional form of affordable housing for very low- and lowincome individuals. These units consist of a single room, often between 80 and 250 square feet in size, with or without cooking and sanitary facilities, that is rented out, often on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The St.

Helena Municipal Code currently permits single-room occupancy type units in the form of Lodging Houses serving up to two paying occupants in an owner-occupied dwelling, as an accessory use in the LR and MR zoning districts. The HR zoning district currently allows single room occupancy units, subject to design review.

As defined under Chapter 17.04 of the Municipal Code, lodging houses are buildings other than hotels, motels or bed and breakfast inns, where individuals can pay a rent in exchange for accommodations, including room and board, or board alone. Lodging houses serving more than two and up to five occupants require a use permit. Accessory structures featuring cooking and sanitation facilities are required to meet design and building standards like those of standard single-family and second units. Units without such facilities are subject to significantly fewer requirements and are more likely to address very low- and low-income housing needs.50
Factory Built Housing and Mobile Homes
Government Code Section 65852.3(a) requires that manufactured and mobile homes, including the lots on which they are installed, meeting certain standards of construction and be subject to the same development standards that apply to conventional, stick built, single-family homes.51 In accordance with this legislation, the St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17, defines a single-family dwelling to include a “mobilehome constructed to 50 City of St. Helena. St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17. 51 GCS 65852.3(a) standards include the constructed or purchased after October 1976, certified under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, and installed on a foundation system pursuant to Section 18551 of the Health and Safety Code.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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meet 1976 HUD standards, when placed on a permanent foundation, which is designed or used exclusively as a residence, including only one dwelling unit.” 52 Mobile units meeting the above definition are permitted under single-family site development standards in all zones that allow single-family housing units.

In addition, the Low Density Residential (LR), Low Density Residential One Acre Minimum (LR-1A), Medium Density Residential (MR) and High Density Residential (HR) districts specifically permit as an allowed use, permanent mobile homes constructed in accordance with the 1974 safety standards and installed on a permanent foundation. Chapter 17.100 of the Municipal Code sets forth requirements for the Mobilehome Park Overlay (MHP) zoning district that applies the State Mobilehome Parks Act to the establishment and operation of mobilehome parks within the boundaries of the City of St. Helena.53 Under these provisions of the Municipal Code, St. Helena fully adheres to the State standards regarding manufactured and mobile homes, and mobile home parks. Factory built housing and mobile homes are subject to subjective design review, which poses a significant constraint to development. Program H-F is included to commit the City to amending the Zoning Code to replacing subjective design review with objective design standards and SB 330-compliant streamlined review through the currently ongoing (2023) Comprehensive Zoning Code Update, scheduled for adoption in fall 2023.

The Draft Zoning Code (released October 2022) incorporated objective development and design standards for residential development in compliance with State law.

Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are defined as attached or detached dwelling units that provide independent living facilities on the same parcel as a legal single-unit or multiple-family unit dwelling, and which include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation. Due to the lower cost of construction and reduced environmental impact, the State has enacted many laws aimed at incentivizing the development of ADUs to help combat the worsening housing crisis. The State requires local governments to treat all ADUs that comply with specific standards as ministerial approvals. Local governments reserve the exclusive right to impose specific design and development standards, which include, but are not limited to setbacks, minimum and maximum parcel size, and maximum height. Second units are exempt from the GMS in Municipal Code Section

17.152.040.

On January 10, 2023, the City adopted a new ADU Ordinance for compliance with California Government Code Sections 65852.2 and 65852.22. The City now permits ADUs or JADUs on any lot that is zoned to allow singlefamily dwelling residential use or multifamily dwelling residential use (including all residential, mixed-use, and agriculturally zoned parcels). The updated Ordinance also addressed compliance issues related to the definition of a cooking facility, definition of an efficiency kitchen, allowing both an ADU and JADU for conversions on a lot with an existing or proposed single-family dwelling, separate conveyance of an ADU or JADU, and restricting bedroom count, to meet the requirements of State law.
52 City of St. Helena. St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17. 53 City of St. Helena. St. Helena Municipal Code, Title 17.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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The City is currently undertaking a Comprehensive Zoning Code Update that will address any remaining compliance issues that HCD may find in their review of the newly Adopted ADU Ordinance. Program H-F in this Housing Element commits the City to revising the code for additional compliance with State law by 2026, though the City expects to adopt the Zoning Code Update in summer/fall 2023.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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11. Housing Resources
Future Housing Need
State Housing Element law requires that a local jurisdiction accommodate a share of the region’s projected housing needs for the planning period, called the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Compliance with this requirement is measured by the City’s ability to provide adequate land with adequate density and appropriate development standards to accommodate the RHNA. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), as the regional planning agency, is responsible for allocating the RHNA to individual jurisdictions within the region.

For the sixth Housing Element cycle, the City of St. Helena has been allocated a RHNA of 256 units, divided into four income levels as follows:
• Very Low Income: 104 units (41 percent)12F
54 • Low Income: 59 units (23 percent)
• Moderate Income: 26 units (10 percent)
• Above Moderate Income: 67 units (26 percent)
The City must ensure the availability of residential sites at adequate densities and appropriate development standards to accommodate these units by income category.

Credits Towards RHNA
Projects with housing units approved or permitted that would not be occupied before the start of the planning period can be credited towards meeting the City’s RHNA. These units can count towards the RHNA based on affordability and unit count provided it can be demonstrated that the units can be built within the planning period of February 2023 through February 2031. Affordability (income category) is based on the actual or projected sale prices, rent levels, or other mechanisms establishing affordability of the units within the project.

In addition, the City can project the number of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) that may be built between 2023 and 2031, based on trends of ADU permitting during the last three years.

Pending or Approved/Entitled Projects
Currently there is one single-family residence and four moderate-income units, not to exceed 120 percent of the AMI, that are approved and undergoing building permit processing. In addition, there are 87 units that are pending planning/entitlement approval under the Hunter Subdivision project. While the Hunter Subdivision 54 The City has a RHNA allocation of 104 very low income units (inclusive of extremely low income units). Pursuant to State law (AB 2634), the City must project the number of extremely low income housing needs based on Census income distribution or assume 50 percent of the very low income units as extremely low. Therefore, the City generally estimates 52 extremely low and 52 very low income units.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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project is proposing approximately 25 affordable units, because the affordable agreements are not in place at the time of Housing Element, all unit credits were assumed to be above moderate.

On February 7, 2023, the Planning Commission approved a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the Hunter Subdivision project. The Project was presented to and discussed by the City Council at a duly noticed public hearing on May 1, 2023. A second public hearing for the project is scheduled for June 2023 where City Council action on the proposed project is expected to occur. If approved by the City Council, the applicant will need to record the tentative tract map with Napa County Recorders Office which is expected in the fall of 2023 and then submit for final map approval by the City Council in late 2023 to early 2024. The project may then undergo Design Review which could be completed within 12 months of final map approval; with the issuance of building permits expected in 2025. As referenced in Chapter 8, Non-Governmental and Governmental Constraints, recent trends show building permits were issued within four months of entitlement approval for recent housing unit developments, with many projects receiving building permits within a week of entitlement approval. Program H-A further ensures the City is committed to supporting the Hunter Subdivision project through completion and finding alternative solutions if the project is not meeting timelines for the 6th Cycle. As an alternate strategy should there be delays with the Hunter Subdivision beyond control of the City, such as developer financing challenges, the City has also included surplus capacity of 116 units in the above moderate-income category to ensure capacity to meet the RHNA is sustained throughout the planning period.

Table 43 details the pending and entitled projects with housing units.

Table 43 Pending and Entitled Projects
Project
Number Address APN Zoning Project Description Net Units PL20-046 777 Pratt Ave. 009-030-060 Twenty-acre
Agriculture
District (A-20)
Construction of a single-family
residence
1 above
moderateincome
PL20-015 963 Pope St. 009-090-
012/013
Medium
Density
Residential
Construction of four (4) new deed
restricted affordable housing
units on a site with one (1)
existing deed restricted unit.
1 moderate
and 4 lowerincome
#2010-40 Terminus of
Adams Street
009-030-057 Medium
Density
Residential
Hunter Subdivision Tentative
Map to subdivide the 16.9-acre
parcel into 51 single-family lots
and a 3.4-acre multi-family
parcel. The applicant intends to
construct 51 single-family
residences, 11 ADUs, and 25
multi-family units.
87 above
moderateincome*
*The project is subject to Inclusionary Housing requirements with 20% affordable housing.

Projected Accessory Dwelling Units
Pursuant to Government Code Section 65583.1, the City can satisfy its regional housing need using ADU and junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) trends and existing resources and incentives that promote their development. Using 2018-2021 data on ADUs/JADUs, the City has issued permits for approximately 9 ADUs on average. Extending this trend over the next 8 years, the City can assume approximately 72 ADU units will be permitted over the next planning period. Feedback from public outreach and research on ADU rental prices indicated that ADUs are typically rented at market rate and should be considered above moderate.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Remaining RHNA
Accounting for the entitled, approved and pending projects, as well as projected ADUs, the City has a remaining RHNA of approximately 184 units, including 159 lower- and 25 moderate-income units. Existing pending and approved projects and ADU trends currently meet the City’s above moderate RHNA requirement. Table 44 details the existing progress towards the 6th cycle RHNA and the remaining RHNA that the City must demonstrate the availability of sites with appropriate zoning and development standards.

Table 44 Progress Towards RHNA
Income/
Affordability Category RHNA Allocation Pending or Approved Estimated ADUs Remaining RHNA Lower 163 4 0 159
Moderate 26 1 0 25
Above Moderate 67 88 72 0
Total 256 92 72 184
Residential Site Inventory
Following the analysis of RHNA credits, specific sites throughout the city were considered for potential for housing development. Site selection for the residential site inventory started with City owned sites where residential development is in line with short-term City goals, then vacant and nonvacant sites zoned for residential use, and lastly sites that could be rezoned to accommodate residential development or residential development at a higher density. Several constraints were considered for each site, including environmental concerns, utility or infrastructure access, feasibility of redevelopment during the next planning period, and realistic capacity assumptions. Sites identified for lower income housing must meet certain density and site requirements, including a minimum density of 20 units per acre, parcel size between 0.5 and 10 acres, and access to high performing schools, jobs, amenities, health care facilities, and grocery stores. Zoning designations with allowable density appropriate for lower income housing capacity include Mixed Use (12-20 du/ac) and High Density Residential (16-26 du/ac).

City-Owned Sites
A review of City-owned properties for sites that are feasible for housing and reflect City priorities was conducted by the City Council in 2021. There are three City-owned properties (1480 Main Street, 1572 Railroad Avenue, and Adams Street/Library Lane) where near-term affordable housing development is in line with community and City priorities for these sites. In 2015, Vernazza Wolfe Associates, Inc conducted a Feasibility Analysis and Comparison of Sites for New Affordable Housing Development which looked at site feasibility and capacity for each of the three City-owned sites. The study evaluated potential risks and time to develop each site and identified the number of units, cost per unit, and funding gaps associated with each site. The analysis determined the three City-owned sites included in the site inventory are suitable for development of housing with 100 percent of units dedicated to lower-income housing. The capacity analysis factored in the size of the site, buildable footprints, maximum allowable floor area ratio and height, a ground-floor commercial Agenda Item #11.1.

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assumption, and required open and support services spaces. The inventory incorporated the 2015 site feasibility and capacity analysis and revised certain assumptions as needed based on land use changes and new density bonus law. The City is interested in redeveloping these sites and intends to conduct studies to determine the most efficient use of these sites for housing and proceed with the findings for housing development by 2025, consistent with Program H-L. In 2022, the City hired an appraiser to get the most current real estate valuation of all city surplus sites. The City is engaging the services of a consultant in spring 2023 to help begin the surplus land act process.

Site 1: 1480 Main Street (APN 009-211-016)
Table 45 Site 1 Summary
Current Use Fire Stations and Vacant City Hall Structures Parcel Size 1.66 acres (0.9 acres available for redevelopment) Existing General Plan Land Use Central Business and Public/Quasi-Public Existing Zoning Public/Quasi-Public
Proposed Land Use and Zoning Mixed-Use
Allowed Density 12 to 20 units/acre
Site Capacity 22 units
Assumed Capacity and Income
Category 6 Lower Income units
Agenda Item #11.1.

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Site 1 is a 1.66-acre property owned by the City of St. Helena located at 1480 Main Street. City goals for the site include redevelopment of the portion of the site fronting Main Street with a visitor-serving commercial uses as a primary use and housing as a secondary use. The site is currently developed with the St. Helena Fire Department on the northern portion of the site and a vacant one-story building on the southwestern portion of the site. Only the vacant components of the site are proposed for redevelopment. A General Plan Amendment and Rezone change is proposed to change the land use and zoning designation from Central Business & Public/Quasi-Public to Mixed-Use. While the Mixed-Use Zone could potentially support 100 percent commercial development, the City has identified this site as suitable for mixed use housing development with intentions to develop.

The 2015 site feasibility and capacity analysis evaluated housing capacity of the site by analyzing current and adjacent land uses and zoning, site topography, environmental sensitivities, service connection feasibility, as well as setback, height, lot coverage, FAR, density, parking, and landscape requirements. The analysis identified two development scenarios for the site, resulting in a maximum capacity of approximately 44 units in scenario one or 46 units in scenario two. The assessment also accounted for the required number of-site parking spaces, 82 spaces in scenario one and 88 in scenario two. No environmental constraints or service connection obstacles were identified on the site. According to the analysis, development of 44 housing units would result in a building lot coverage of approximately 39 percent in both development scenarios. In the Draft Zoning Code there is currently no standard for building coverage in the proposed Mixed-Use zone, therefore the resulting lot coverage would not conflict with the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Due to the existing Fire Department, the site developable area is assumed to be approximately 0.9 acres (the location of the vacant building on the southwestern portion of the site), which is approximately half the area assumed in the 2015 analysis. The inventory conservatively assumes a maximum of 6 housing units, as the site area could approximately 22 units based on half the units assumed in the 2015 study.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Site 2: 1572 Railroad Avenue (APN 009-193-002)
Table 46 Site 2 Summary
Current Use Temporary City Hall
Parcel Size 0.93 acres
Existing General Plan Land Use Business and Professional Office Existing Zoning Business and Professional Office
Proposed Land Use and Zoning High Density Residential
Allowed Density 16.1 to 26 units/acre
Site Capacity 24 units
Assumed Capacity and Income
Category 20 Lower Income units
Site 2 is a 0.93-acre property owned by the City of St. Helena located at 1572 Railroad Avenue. City goals are in line with affordable housing development on the site. This site is currently used as a temporary location for City Hall. A General Plan Amendment and Rezone is proposed to change the land use and zoning designation to High Density Residential.

The entire 0.93-acre site is able to be redeveloped with the removal of the existing buildings. Based on allowed density under High Density Residential, 24 units would be permitted as a baseline. Density bonus provisions allowed with affordable housing projects would increase the number of units permitted on-site. However, 20 lower-income units were assumed in order to ensure adequate off-street parking capacity. According to the 2015 site feasibility and capacity analysis, which evaluated housing capacity of the site by analyzing current and adjacent land uses and zoning, site topography, environmental sensitivities, service connection feasibility, as well as setback, height, lot coverage, FAR, density, parking, and landscape requirements, the site can accommodate a total of 20 housing units with adequate area for the required 38 parking spaces. According to Agenda Item #11.1.

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the 2015 assessment, development of 20 housing units on the site would result in a building lot coverage of approximately 31 percent and would be consistent with the maximum lot coverage allowed in High Density Residential zone, 45 percent. The 2015 feasibility analysis and site assessment did not identify any environmental constraints or service connection obstacles that would affect redevelopment of the site. Twenty housing units is slightly higher than 80 percent of the maximum allowable density, at 83 percent. However, given that the City owns and intends to redevelop the site for housing and that this is consistent with the findings 2015 site feasibility and capacity analysis, the development of 20 housing units on-site is considered feasible.

Agenda Item #11.1.

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Site 3: Adams Street (APN 009-150-006)
Table 47 Site 3 Summary
Current Use Vacant
Parcel Size 5.6
Existing General Plan Land Use Central Business
Existing Zoning Central Business
Proposed Land Use and Zoning Central Business
Allowed Density n/a
Site Capacity n/a
Assumed Capacity and Income
Category 31 Lower Income units
Site 3 is a 5.6-acre property owned by the City of St. Helena located at the terminus of Adams Street and the crossroads of Adams Street/Library Lane. City priorities of the site include a mix of public, commercial, and residential uses. The site is currently vacant but being leased for a small vineyard operation. No land use changes are proposed as residential uses are permitted on upper stories within the Central Business district.

The site inventory assumes a portion of the site, approximately 1.3 acres, would be dedicated for affordable housing, while the remainder of the site would be used for other public and commercial uses such as a potential location for City Hall and Police station. Based on the 2015 site feasibility and capacity analysis, which evaluated housing capacity of the site by analyzing current and adjacent land uses and zoning, site topography, environmental sensitivities, service connection feasibility, as well as setback, height, lot coverage, FAR, density, Agenda Item #11.1.

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parking, and landscape requirements, approximately 31 units could be accommodated on the portion of the site adjacent to the Public Library. The site would also accommodate 58 parking spaces where only 53 are required.

According to the 2015 site feasibility and capacity analysis, development of 31 housing units on the 1.3 acre portion of the site would result in a building lot coverage of 28 percent. There is no standard for building coverage in the Central Business zone, therefore the resulting lot coverage would not conflict with the City’s Zoning Ordinance. No environmental sensitivities or service connection constraints were identified for the site.

This site was identified as a housing opportunity site in the 5th housing element cycle.

Privately Owned Vacant and Nonvacant Properties
After reviewing the pending and approved projects, existing ADU/JADU trends, and City-owned properties, additional capacity is needed to fully accommodate the City’s RHNA and to allow for a buffer. A desktop and City tour of parcels that could accommodate more housing and meet the City’s regional housing needs was conducted. Pursuant to Government Code section 65583.2(a), these included:
• Vacant sites zoned for residential use
• Vacant sites zoned for nonresidential use that allow residential development • Residentially zoned sites that are capable of being developed at a higher density than existing conditions
• Commercially zoned sites that are capable of being developed at a higher residential density than existing conditions
• Sites suitable for rezoning to allow for residential uses or allow residential uses at a high density • Sites zoned for residential use or suitable for rezoning to allow residential uses with expressed property owner interest for residential development
Suitability of Nonvacant Sites
The City has recently seen redevelopment of nonvacant, residentially zoned parcels for housing development.

Recently redeveloped parcels included those with existing single-family residences. In addition, the City has recently seen the development of housing on sites with existing vineyards. Examples of recent development trends in residential zones and on properties with existing vineyards include the following:
• 632 McCorkle Avenue: The completed project demolished an existing single family residence to construct 8 new housing units
• 684 McCorkle Avenue: The completed project demolished an existing single family residence to construct 8 new, affordable housing units
• 963 Pope Street: The approved project merged two existing parcels with an existing single family home and constructed 4 new multi-family housing units; all 5 units will be affordable • 500 Mills Lane: The completed project constructed a single-family residence, ADU, and barn on a property with an existing vineyard
Agenda Item #11.1.