413463.1
Town of Yountville
Ordinance Number 26-539
AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF YOUNTVILLE REPEALING AND REPLACING SECTION 17.08.010; ADDING CHAPTER 17.46 (“C, COMMONS”); AND AMENDING SECTIONS 17.08.050, 17.156.030, 17.162.020, 17.176.010, 17.236.010, AND TABLE 17.12-1 OF SECTION 17.12.010 OF TITLE 17 (“ZONING”) OF THE
YOUNTVILLE MUNICIPAL CODE AND AMENDING THE YOUNTVILLE ZONING MAP
TO ESTABLISH THE COMMONS ZONING DISTRICT
Recitals
A. The Town of Yountville purchased the former Yountville Elementary School site in the spring of 2024. Following the purchase, the Town conducted a year-long public engagement campaign known as the Visioning Phase to get ideas and feedback on the future of the site. The Yountville Commons Project (the “Project”) incudes subdivision of the site into 18 parcels and the construction of new buildings, parks and public spaces to accommodate housing, retail and civic uses.
B. The Town desires to create a new Zoning District, the Commons (C) District, and establish rules and regulations governing the use and development of lands designated as Commons (C).
C. Government Code section 65850 authorizes the Town of Yountville's Town Council to amend zoning ordinances and Government Code sections 65853 through 65857 provide procedures therefore.
D. Government Code section 65854 requires the Town of Yountville’s Zoning and Design Review Board (ZDRB) to hold a public hearing on proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments.
E. Yountville Municipal Code (YMC) section 17.184.020 authorizes the Town’s Planning Officer to initiate Zoning Map and Zoning Ordinance amendments.
F. The Town’s Planning Officer initiated amendments to the Zoning Ordinance as set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, to add a new Chapter 17.46 (“C, Commons”) to Title 17 and to amend various sections throughout Title 17 to reference the new Commons District where appropriate.
G. The Town’s Planning Officer initiated an amendment to the Zoning Map to reflect the creation of the Commons Zoning District, as depicted in Exhibit B, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
Ordinance No. 26-539
H. On December 9, 2025, the ZDRB held a duly noticed public hearing at which it voted to recommend the Town Council approve the proposed Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments.
I. On January 13, 2026, the Town Council considered, approved, and adopted an Addendum to the certified Final Environmental Impact Report for the Envision Yountville General Plan analyzing the Project, attached hereto as Exhibit C and incorporated herein by reference (the “Addendum”), prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and sections 15162 and 15164 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
J. On January 13, 2026, the Town Council held a duly noticed public hearing at which it considered whether to approve the proposed Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments and received public input thereon.
K. The Town Council now desires to consider, approve, and adopt the proposed Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments.
NOW, THEREFORE, The Town Council of the Town of Yountville does ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. RECITALS: The foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated into the findings herein.
SECTION 2: RECORD: The Record of Proceedings ("Record") upon which the Town Council bases its decision includes, but is not limited to: (1) the staff reports, Town files and records and other documents prepared for and/or submitted to the Town relating to the proposed Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments; (2) the evidence, facts, findings and other determinations set forth in this Ordinance; (3) the Town of Yountville General Plan and its certified final EIR and the Yountville Municipal Code and the Addendum thereto prepared for the Project; (4) all designs, plans, studies, data and correspondence submitted to the Town in connection with the proposed Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments; (5) all documentary and oral evidence received at public workshops, meetings, and hearings or submitted to the Town; and (6) all other matters of common knowledge to the Town Council including, but not limited to, Town, state, and federal laws, policies, rules, regulations, reports, records and projections related to development within the Town of Yountville and its surrounding areas.
The location and custodian of the records is the Town of Yountville Planning and Building Department at 6550 Yount St, Yountville, CA 94599.
SECTION 3. CEQA FINDINGS: The Town Council hereby finds that the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments at issue herein were analyzed in the Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Envision Yountville General Plan adopted by the Town Council on January 13, 2026 by Resolution No. 26-4397 pursuant to Sections 15162 and 15164 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. No Ordinance No. 26-539
substantial changes or new information merits subsequent analysis of the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments. To the extent the amendments are a separate project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), they are exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, which exempts projects where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question will have a significant effect on the environment. The Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments will align the Yountville Municipal Code and the Envision Yountville General Plan, as amended by the Town Council on January 13, 2026, by Resolution No. 26-4397
SECTION 4. ZONING ORDINANCE AND MAP AMENDMENT FINDINGS: The Town Council hereby makes the following findings as required by YMC Section 17.184.060 with respect to the proposed Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments at issue based on the evidence contained in the Record which is herein incorporated by reference:
1. The proposed amendments would further the goals, objectives, policies and programs and is consistent with the intent of the General Plan; The proposed amendments are consistent with the General Plan as they seek to enhance civic amenities and provide needed workforce housing consistent with the goals, objectives, policies and programs of the General Plan.
Specifically, Policy LU-5.3 which encourages new residential developments designed to serve the needs of all income levels; Policy LU-6.9 which requires that new development include appropriate landscaping and buffers from the street; and LU-8.2 which calls for supporting joint uses on the Yountville Elementary School site.
2. The proposed amendments would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the Town;
The proposed amendments would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience or welfare of the Town as they will accommodate enhanced civic amenities and workforce housing to the benefit of the Town.
3. For amendments involving a zoning or land use map amendment, the site is physically suitable, including consideration of physical constraints, access, compatibility with surrounding land uses, and provision of utilities, for the requested or potential land uses.
The proposed amendments relate to the former Yountville Elementary School site and the site currently housing Town Hall. These sites are located in the center of Town, are physically suitable for the proposed uses, have access to local road and utilities, and are compatible with surrounding land uses.
SECTION 5. ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT: Title 17 (“Zoning”) of the Yountville Municipal Code is hereby amended as set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, based on the findings set forth above.
Ordinance No. 26-539
SECTION 6. ZONING MAP USE AND CONSISTENCY: The Zoning Map of the Town of Yountville is hereby adopted as depicted in Exhibit B, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, based on the findings set forth above. Town Staff is authorized and directed to update the Zoning Map to be consistent with the adoption of this Ordinance and use the Zoning Map for all purposes for which the Zoning Map may be used for Town purposes.
SECTION 7. SEVERABILITY: If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the final decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The Town Council declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance, and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, phrases or portions might be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE: This Ordinance shall take effect and be enforced within thirty (30) days from and after the date of its adoption by the Town Council at a second reading and shall be posted and published in accordance with the California Government Code.
SECTION 9. INCONSISTENT PROVISIONS: Any provision of the Yountville Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to the extent necessary to implement the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 10. CERTIFICATION: The Town Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Ordinance and shall give notice of its adoption as required by law. Within 15 days from the date of passage of this ordinance, the Town Clerk shall post a copy of the ordinance in accordance with California Government Code in at least three public places in the Town.
INTRODUCED by the Town Council at a special meeting held on the 13th day of January 2026.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Town Council at a regular meeting held on the ___ day of __________ 2026, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Ordinance No. 26-539
_____________________________
Margie Mohler, Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________
Hilary Gaede, Communications Director/Town Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________
Gary B. Bell, Town Attorney
I, Hilary Gaede, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR/TOWN CLERK of the Town of Yountville, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was regularly introduced and placed upon its first reading at a special meeting of the Town Council on the 13th day of January 2026. That thereafter said Ordinance was duly adopted and passed at a regular meeting of the Town Council on the XXnd day of <MONTH> 2026 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
_______________________________
Hilary Gaede, Communications Director/Town Clerk
Attachments: Exhibit A: Draft Zoning Ordinance Amendments Exhibit B: Draft Zoning Map Amendment