1 Town of Yountville
Staff Report
6550 Yount Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Item #: {{section.number}}A
Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission Staff Report
DATE: January 16, 2025
TO: Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission
FROM: Brendan Kelly, Architect (Lead Designer, Yountville Commons) TITLE/RECOMMENDATION:
Yountville Commons planning process update and design concepts for consideration and feedback.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
The Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission received an update from Town Manager Brad Raulston at the September 19, 2024, meeting. The Commission provided feedback and gave input and discussed the Parks, Open Space and Recreational pieces of the site. During the study session, the Commission heard from 16 members of the public. Topics include the dog park, pool or lap pool, park placement on the site, Wellness Center, temporary uses, Farmstand, housing, local demographics, the baseball field, expanded walking paths and the perimeter of the site, a community garden and the idea of utilization of rooftops. The full meeting video can be viewed here: https://yountvilleca.new.swagit.com/videos/315662.
Where We Have Been:
Since September 2024 when the Town provided the Commission with an update on the visioning process for reimagining Yountville Elementary School, many community meetings and opportunities for input have occurred. We have met formally with Measure “S” Oversight Committee, the Zoning and Design Review Board, and an update to the Town Council. A Community Roundtable was held on November 14, 2024, and two Dinners and Conversations have been offered, and both were full with +35 participants at each event. You can access links to view the televised meetings here https://www.townofyountville.com/550/Yountville-Commons. We have also continued to meet individually with residents and have met with 75 residents since the start of the process during individual office hour appointments.
Next Steps: Coming up is the last Dinner and Conversation on February 16 before the Town Council is scheduled for its first formal look at design concepts on March 5 at the 3 PM meeting.
Parks and Recreation Master Plan Nexus
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan has been referred to closely as the process has evolved. Taking into consideration the survey data and further analysis on the already existing amenities and their locations in Town has assisted with how to gauge the best and highest use for the Commons site.
The following matrix, inventory and map were shared at the September study session. 2 TOY - Parks and Rec Master Plan Survey Questions
3 TOY - Public Amenities and Locations
4 TOY - Public Amenities and Locations (with Town Map)
5 Yountville Commons Information & Design Workbook
PREFACE
Preserving and building upon Yountville's small-town qualities and social and cultural legacy is the guiding principle in crafting a long-term, practical, and “human-centered” neighborhood design for the former Yountville Elementary School site. The school site has been renamed the Yountville Commons (The Commons) to mark a new chapter for this property and reinforce that this neighborhood is for the benefit of all residents of Yountville.
Town Purchase Agreement
A purchase agreement between the Napa Unified School District and the Town of Yountville was finalized in the Spring of 2024. That has allowed the Town to use the former school site and some existing school buildings and fields on an interim basis. Yountville has also started a visioning process for future uses consistent with the General Plan, the guiding land use document for Yountville. Kelly + Morgan Architects and Planners have been hired to lead the engagement process. They have begun to help the Town develop a vision that meets this goal and the applicable policies of the Town of Yountville General Plan and updated Housing Element. Integral to that process is holding a series of meetings with the Town Council, Commissions, residents, and other stakeholders to prepare a vision for a combination of alternative uses on the eight-acre site. This effort includes exploring alternatives about which existing buildings and open areas should be re-used and/or reconfigured to accommodate the opportunities of this site.
This vision process for the Commons is to meet the following criteria:
A consensus-built vision – The vision for the Commons is based on and reflects a shared understanding of priorities developed from input from stakeholders so that the community takes ownership and advocates for the vision.
Contextual – The vision is based on a full understanding of the geographical, environmental, economic, cultural, and social contexts.
A small-town pattern of settlement and sustainability – The vision incorporates sustainable community design concepts and development incentives to maintain the small-town aesthetic. This includes exploring a range of land use and housing options, to create a healthy, walkable, human-centered neighborhood that is an integral part of Yountville.
A vision that is consistent with General Plan Policies – The vision builds on the applicable policies of the General Plan that emphasize enhancing and maintaining the Town’s unique qualities and open space network while allowing for appropriate mixed-use community development.
A vision that can be implemented – The Plan reflects the realities of existing assets and incorporates strategic financing and phasing concepts while meeting Town-wide implementation policies. 6 About this Document
This Community Design Workbook is a first draft documenting the process in crafting a comprehensive vision for the Yountville Commons. This book is divided into four main sections:
1.0: The Vision and Foundational Principles – which summarizes the foundational principles, policies, and ideas that drive the vision for this new neighborhood and that reflect stakeholder input to date.
2.0: Concepts – which compiles the context mapping and resulting developable lands, and the options for neighborhood patterns, land uses, and connectivity.
3.0: Community Patterns – Meeting the Vision - which summarizes the green, Mobility, and built fabrics for the two promising neighborhood designs and how a range of built forms and road and trail connections surrounding the site provide context for future development and meet the vision.
4.0: Implementation – which summarizes the economic feasibility and phasing options and how this relates to implementing the vision, guiding principles, and Town land use policies.
This first draft is a precursor to the preparation of the Yountville Commons Plan and Development Standards that the town requires for the property to be incorporated into the General Plan. This document is a tool to be updated and added to as the vision process gains consensus on the community design and implementation options. Ongoing input and feedback are appreciated to ensure the creation of a “Consensus Built Plan”.
The General Plan and Applicable Goals and Policies for Yountville Commons Yountville General Plan
California state law requires each city and county to adopt a general plan “for the physical development of the county or city, and any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning” (Gov. Code § 65300). The general plan expresses the community’s development goals and embodies public policy relative to the distribution of future land uses, both public and private. The California Supreme Court has described general plans as the “charter to which [zoning] ordinance[s] must conform”.
Yountville’s General Plan is a state-mandated document that addresses issues such as transportation, housing, open space, conservation, safety, and much more. As the last General Plan was adopted in 1992 and the Town has grown and changed considerably, the plan has been updated to respond to a new landscape and economy, as well as new State laws. The most recent update is the Housing Element, a portion of the General Plan that was adopted in 2023 after significant community input and includes the state-mandated minimum housing units that Yountville must include as a part of their General Plan.
Yountville Demographic Trends and the Vision Process for the Commons This vision process also uses demographic information to address housing and complementary opportunities at the former Yountville Elementary School property. The trends reveal an older, predominantly senior community with small household sizes and a growing demand for workforce housing, particularly for hospitality and public workers who commute large distances for employment. 7 1.0 VISION AND FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
1.1 Foundational Principles
The foundational principles that are guiding the vision process for the planning and design of a new neighborhood for residents that include Yountville’s workforce are the following:
Extend and build on the small-town aesthetic – This means having a full understanding of the social, cultural, and physical contexts and connecting into the existing patterns of open space, infrastructure, and built form so there is a seamless transition to this new neighborhood. (See General Plan goals and policies about integrating the town grid).
Prioritize “human-centered” design concepts – This means prioritizing human life over built form and creating a place that has a common thread of accommodating density, diversity, and social infrastructure that delivers comfort, a healthy environment, convenience, vitality, and community.
Embrace flexibility and adaptability to create long-term value– Be open and adaptive to bring about an incremental approach to developing the school site. The neighborhood then can evolve naturally, becoming a more authentic and vibrant place that truly becomes integrated into the fabric of Yountville.
Respond to and build on the Town’s land use and policy framework - Incorporate the General Plan‘s policies and actions that emphasize enhancing and maintaining the Town’s unique qualities and open space network while allowing for appropriate mixed-use community development that meets the housing needs of the community.
Co-create a shared vision for the Commons with the Community – The vision process includes an inclusive and collaborative process where all voices are valued, and diverse perspectives are embraced. Ultimately the Commons vision should reflect a shared understanding of priorities developed with the community, reflecting its long-term goals, and rooted in meaningful, sustainable change.
Commit to sustainable building practices to create a resilient and environmentally responsible neighborhood – Prioritize energy and water efficiency, the use of renewable resources, and eco-friendly designs to foster a healthier, more sustainable community for generations.
8 1.2 The Vision for The Commons
The vision for the Yountville Commons is based on the foundational principles outlined above which are a synthesis of community input, the Town’s land use and policy framework, and the physical, social, and cultural legacies of Yountville.
The vision for the Commons is to foster a healthy and vibrant neighborhood where residents and neighbors can thrive together and that, over time, becomes an integral part of the small-town fabric of Yountville.
1.3 Connecting into and Extending the Open Space Network (The Green Fabric) The green fabric of Yountville is the starting point in developing a comprehensive vision for the Commons neighborhood. Stitching into, honoring and extending this existing fabric, including trails, paths, and informal gathering places are all opportunities to increase neighborhood comfort, sociability, and integration into the community. This means:
-Celebrate and honor the Hopper Creek Corridor – The neighborhood pattern should celebrate the creek corridor by providing easy access to the creek path, arranging buildings to take advantage of the views of the creek, and by investing in the health and preservation of the creek corridor. -Provide a diverse and “leafy” open space network- This includes connecting to existing trail systems and providing a series of landscaped “outdoor rooms”, paths, and courtyards that draw from the rural landscapes of the region.
-Adopt Permeability – The open space network should be designed to allow for as many path corridor options in and around the Commons while ensuring safety.
-The dominant use of native and adapted landscape plantings - Landscapes draw from the agricultural legacy of the area while utilizing plant communities that are a hybrid of resilient, drought tolerant, and native plants of the region.
- Readapt the existing field - Yountville has a wide range of active and passive Open Spaces and the vision for the Commons is to ensure this new neighborhood can be a complementary part of the recreational assets that already exist throughout Yountville. Alternatives include adding a permanent site for a Dog Park, renovating existing fruit and vegetable gardens, and providing multi-use playfields. -Note on Kaneshiro Field- Yountville finds itself at a crossroads when deciding how to allocate limited resources such as available land for new workforce housing. In this scenario, the closure of the local elementary school— driven both by a dwindling number of school-age children and the expense of family homes - serves as a critical indicator that young families can no longer afford to stay in or move to the area. In short, creating more workforce housing addresses the root cause of population decline by making the town accessible to younger families and essential workers. Although the historic little league field contributes to local identity and community spirit, its significance may be overshadowed if there are not enough residents—especially families with children—to benefit from it. Thus, while it is understandable to want to preserve a meaningful landmark, ensuring housing availability is more directly tied to the town’s long-term viability and overall well-being. 9 -Little League, Playfields, and the General Plan - There is no mention of the Little League field specifically in the current Yountville General Plan. But both the Land Use and Open Space Elements address the following:
● Section 5.4 Land Use Categories and Land Use Map includes a land use designation for "Parks and Playfields," which is explicitly described as land "dedicated to outdoor leisure and recreation" with a maximum FAR (Floor Area Ratio) of 0.10. While this establishes their presence, it does not provide specific justification for their maintenance.
● Section 8.2 Open Space, Parks, and Scenic Resources describes Yountville's parkland inventory and open spaces, stating that parks provide amenities such as playgrounds, picnic areas, bocce courts, and paths. While it highlights the recreational value of these areas, it focuses more on inventory and general community benefits than active sports playfields.
The Yountville Commons concept alternatives include both maintaining the parts of the existing open space and playfields in its general configuration and also examples of how this area of the Commons could be used for housing and other programs more aligned to the goals of the Housing Element.
1.4 Sustainable Infrastructure, Mobility & Utilities (the Mobility Fabric) Layered over the Green Fabric is the Mobility Fabric, the circulation and servicing system that interconnects this new neighborhood with surrounding Yountville. This is the informal network of streets, lanes, parking areas, and informal driveways. Important design principles that guide the design of the Mobility Fabric are:
Design for the pedestrian and the bike rather than the car. The small towns of the 20th century, like Yountville, were initially patterned to provide multiple routes to any destination, reducing congestion and promoting ease of movement for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Placing the pedestrian, rather than the car, as the priority in designing the neighborhood is key in creating an appropriately scaled, connected, and walkable neighborhood that engenders community engagement.
Pay Attention to the Edges- The surrounding streets, buildings, and Creek Corridor should all be looked at as “outdoor rooms”. These are all opportunities to increase neighborhood comfort and stitch into the surrounding neighborhood. This includes creating informal places to gather, a bench to wait for the bus, a continuation of a trail, and/or a seasonal landscape that could be harvested.
Design Streets, Parking Areas, and Lanes as "Outdoor Rooms". Treating the streets as places to "design", with every attention to detail as buildings, helps to create streets that are "contained places" rather than areas to just "pass-through". This includes using street tree planting patterns, paying attention to parking area designs, and crafting thoughtful building setback and front facade standards.
Design Streets, Lanes, and Parking Areas to be safe and multi-functional: The street system should minimize lane widths to calm traffic and increase walkability while using stormwater design techniques to infiltrate, capture, and treat stormwater.
10 1.5 Preserving Small Town Character (Built Fabric)
This final layer is that of the vertical massing and elements – buildings, facades, and roofscapes that will evolve over time and slowly grow into an integral and connected neighborhood of Yountville. Specifically, form-based architecture offers numerous benefits in town planning by prioritizing physical form and spatial relationships over designing buildings for specific uses. The top three benefits of form-based architecture are:
1. Improved Neighborhood Aesthetics and Cohesion
● Human-Scale Environments: By focusing on building form, height, and placement, form-based architecture creates spaces that are visually appealing and inviting for pedestrians. ● Place Identity: Emphasis on form fosters a distinct sense of place, preserving or enhancing the town’s character and making it more attractive to residents and visitors.
2. Enhanced Walkability and Public Realm
● Active Streetscapes: Form-based design approaches prioritize the relationship between buildings and public spaces, encouraging designs that activate sidewalks with storefronts, windows, and pedestrianfriendly facades. ● Public Space Integration: Form based architectural designs often include a strong relationship to the green fabric (porches, courtyards, parks, and open spaces) to improve accessibility and usability for the community.
● Reduced Car Dependency: The walkable environments fostered by form-based codes encourage alternative modes of transportation like walking, cycling, and public transit.
3. Flexibility in Land Use
● Mixed-Use Development: By regulating building form rather than land use, form-based design approaches facilitate diverse, mixed-use neighborhoods that integrate residential, commercial, and recreational functions.
● Adaptability: The flexibility allows for changing uses over time, accommodating cultural, social and market shifts without requiring rezoning.
● Efficient Land Use: Mixed-use and compact designs promote more efficient use of land and support sustainable growth.
Form-based architecture supports the creation of vibrant, adaptable, and visually coherent communities, aligning with principles of sustainable and human-centered urban planning. The key concepts that guide the successful establishment of a form-based built fabric to achieve small-town character are:
Simplicity – Using uncomplicated forms and massing is the foundational idea of creating a small-town character.
Human scale sets the standard – At its root, small-town character creates environments that are scaled to human proportions or “human-centered design”. This approach puts the way people live and interact as the center of focus.
Face on the Street – An underlying principle of small-town communities like Yountville is the idea of civic and/or collective stewardship and participation. These ideals are displayed in the way the buildings contribute and interact with the streets, public gathering areas, and open space areas, such as the Hopper Creek Corridor. Front 11 stoops or porches, artisan details, paths, and shared courtyards all convey a sense of neighborhood pride and community engagement.
Mix it up – Develop a dynamic, mixed-income, intergenerational community that is high quality, with safe spaces to live, learn, work and play. This means accommodating a range of diverse uses, building types, and multi-functional spaces that are flexible, accessible and changeable. 12 2.0 CONCEPTS
The vision for the Commons is based on articulating a small-town pattern of development that the community would like to achieve. The main objectives are to craft a plan that is consensus-built, based on a full understanding of the site and context, and that is economically feasible. Within this section, we summarize the site and context findings, the resulting potential development concepts, and an analysis of these scenarios and their consistency with the General Plan and vision.
2.1 The Existing School Site:
The former Yountville Elementary School and the existing “Town Hall” parcels have a number of existing buildings, fields, trails, and related infrastructure. These assets range from the “Yountville Grammer School” building which is on the National Register of Historic Places to older buildings that would be difficult to renovate. How to use these or renovate or in some cases renovate these structures and facilities is part of the process of transforming the site. Examples include changing the library into a fitness center and adding a temporary dog park in the NE corner. ● Existing School Site
(the two parcels are currently zoned both “Public Facilities” and “Parks and Playfields” 13 2.2 Concept 1: The NVUSD Proposal (48 Single Family Residences – Market Rate) The sale price of the former school district parcel was based on the raw land potential of the most amount of single family market rate homes that could fit on the property. This study showed 48 two-story structures in spite of the zoning that would have to be modified. Even though the Town of Yountville has no intention of building this kind of subdivision on this parcel, it must be used as a baseline to compare the number of units, amount of dedicated open space, recreational potential and access among many other criteria set forth in the Yountville General Plan.
(This scheme shows 42-48 new single-family residences which provided the residual land value for the appraisal of the school site. Other than the historic Grammar School property (current Town Hall) and the walking path along Hopper Creek, no open space or public recreational areas are shown under this concept) 14 2.2 Concept 2: A Village at the Heart of Town
If the Town of Yountville can increase the number of units (e.g., 1-bedroom vs. 3-bedroom) while delivering a higher-quality, walkable neighborhood for the same area, the definition of "highest and best" use shifts significantly: The focus moves from simply maximizing density to optimizing the living experience and meeting community needs. By prioritizing smaller, more affordable units, the development can accommodate more residents while targeting workforce housing needs. A well-designed, walkable neighborhood with integrated amenities, green spaces, and proximity to jobs enhances quality of life and fosters community connection. This approach balances affordability, sustainability, and livability, aligning with the General Plan’s priorities and setting a new standard for effective land use to address the regional affordable housing issues. ● Concept 2A: Organic Village Layout
There are two (2) “Village” Concepts currently being discussed and reviewed with the community after many series of meetings between Aug and Dec 2024). The first one, below, shows a playfield with an approximate size of the current baseball field. This multi-phase project shows approximately 75 units and 100 parking spaces in the illustration below.
15 A photo of the CONCEPT 2A site model is shown below:
16 This illustration of CONCEPT 2A fully built out on the existing baseball field shows approximately 110 units and 110 parking spaces amid a range of open spaces and pedestrian trails. 17 ● Concept 2B: Linear Village Layout
There are two (2) “Village” Concepts currently being discussed and reviewed with the community after many series of meetings between Aug and Dec 2024). The second one, below, shows a playfield with an approximate size of the current baseball field. This multi-phase project shows approximately 75 units and 110 parking spaces in the illustration below.
18 This second Village Concept, below, shows the site built out with additional housing where the baseball field is located. Note also the option of keeping the” library” building (new Wellness Center) in this option. This layout shows approximately 110 units and 110 parking spaces amid a range of open spaces and pedestrian trails. 19 A photo of the CONCEPT 2B site model is shown below:
20 Here's a summary of the alignment and overlapping priorities of the Housing Element and the Open Space and Conservation Element from the Town of Yountville’s General Plan:
Overlapping Priorities
• Land Use Efficiency
o Both elements emphasize maximizing land use efficiency while balancing growth and resource conservation.
o The Housing Element discusses compact residential development to optimize land use (Policy
2.2, p. HO-4).
o The Open Space Element seeks to discourage urban development on open spaces to preserve natural resources (p. 134, Section 8.1).
• Climate Change Mitigation
o Both elements aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. o The Housing Element promotes energy-efficient and sustainable housing designs (Policy 10.1, p. HO-10).
o The Open Space Element includes programs for carbon sequestration and energy conservation (Section 8.9, p. 136).
• Preservation of Scenic and Natural Resources
o Both elements support preserving Yountville’s character and surrounding natural beauty. o The Housing Element ensures that residential development aligns with Yountville's rural and small-town character (Goal H.1, p. HO-4).
o The Open Space Element highlights preserving scenic corridors and open landscapes (Section
8.2, p. 137).
• Integration of Open Spaces and Housing
o Both documents recognize the importance of open spaces within urban development for recreation and ecological balance.
o The Housing Element encourages the integration of open spaces into new developments (Goal H.3, Policy 3.5, p. HO-5).
o The Open Space Element ensures that parks and natural spaces are protected and enhanced (p. 135, Table OS-1).
Key Points of Alignment
• Affordable Housing on Agricultural/Open Lands
o The Housing Element considers converting some agricultural land for affordable housing (e.g., 16-acre site at the southern edge, p. HO-13).
o The Open Space Element protects agricultural land but allows flexibility for affordable housing as mandated (Section 8.3, p. 140).
• Public Participation
o Both elements emphasize community involvement in shaping policies. o The Housing Element relies on public workshops for housing strategy feedback (Appendix A, p.
A-1).
o The Open Space Element involves the community in conservation and open space projects (p. 133).
21 Staff is requesting that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission review the concepts presented, receive the presentation, receive public comment and give feedback on the presented designs specifically as they relate the to Parks, Recreation and Open Space.
Specifics to focus on:
• Baseball field
• Parks and Recreation elements in presented concepts
• Consistency with Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the General Plan as it related to parks and open space
FISCAL IMPACT
Is there a Fiscal Impact? Yes
Is it Currently Budgeted? No
Where is it Budgeted?
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? Discretionary
Is there a Staff Resource Impact? Yes