Town of Yountville
Resolution Number 26-4397
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF YOUNTVILLE APPROVING AND ADOPTING AN ADDENDUM TO THE 2019 FINAL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE ENVISION YOUNTVILLE GENERAL
PLAN UPDATE FOR THE YOUNTVILLE COMMONS PROJECT, AMENDING THE
LAND USE ELEMENT OF THE YOUNTVILLE GENERAL PLAN, AND APPROVING
AND ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE SUBDIVISION MAP FOR THE YOUNTVILLE COMMONS PROJECT LOCATED ON ASSESSOR’S PARCEL NUMBER’S 036-070- 026 & 036-070-025.
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. The project would include construction of up to 150 multi-family units, distributed across 15 three-story buildings. The project would also include up to 1,500 square feet of food oriented commercial on the ground floor of the three multi-family buildings on the southern portion of the site and up to 1,500 square feet of other local serving businesses such as dog grooming and training services as well as up to 8,000 square feet of civic and commercial space in three two-story buildings along Yount Street. The maximum height of multi-family buildings along Hopper Creek and the civic building along Yount Street would be 40 feet, and the community/laundry building in the center of the project site would have a maximum height of 50 feet.
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. Government Code section 65358 limits the amendment of any mandatory element of a General Plan to not more than four times per calendar year.
D. YMC section 17.184.020 authorizes the Town’s Planning Officer to initiate amendments to the General Plan.
E. The Town’s Planning Officer initiated an amendment to the Land Use Element of the Envision Yountville General Plan as shown in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, to reflect the creation of the new Commons District and to amend Land Use Element Policies LU-2.5 and LU-2.6 (the “General Plan Amendment”).
F. The Town has referred the proposed amendment to the Land Use Element of the Envision Yountville General Plan to the requisite public entities and conducted consultations regarding the proposed amendment in accordance with State law.
G. Town staff has prepared a tentative subdivision map for The Yountville Commons Project located on Assessor’s Parcel Number’s 036-070-026 & 036-070-025 as shown in Exhibit B, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (the “Tentative Subdivision Map”).
H. 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”), was prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and sections 15162 and 15164 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
I. YMC Section 17.184.040 authorizes the Town Council to approve, conditionally approve, or deny General Plan amendments and YMC section 16.16.020(E)(2) authorizes the Town Council to approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for tentative subdivision maps upon recommendation by the Zoning & Design Review Board (ZDRB).
J. On December 9, 2025, the ZDRB held a duly noticed public hearing at which it voted to recommend the Town Council approve the proposed General Plan Amendment, Tentative Subdivision Map, and Addendum.
K. On January 13, 2026, the Town Council held a duly noticed public hearing at which it considered whether to approve the proposed General Plan Amendment, Tentative Subdivision Map, and Addendum and received public input thereon.
L. The Town Council now desires to consider, approve, and adopt the Addendum prepared for the Project and approve the General Plan Amendment and Tentative Subdivision Map.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Yountville 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 General Plan Amendment, Tentative Subdivision Map, and Addendum; (2) the evidence, facts, findings and other determinations set forth in this resolution; (3) the Town of Yountville General Plan and its certified final EIR and the Yountville Municipal Code; (4) all designs, plans, studies, data and correspondence submitted to the Town in connection with the proposed General Plan Amendment, Tentative Subdivision Map, and Addendum; (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: Based upon information in the Addendum, incorporated herein by reference, the Record as described above, and all other matters deemed material and relevant prior to adopting this resolution, the Town Council hereby (1) approves and adopts the Addendum to the Envision Yountville General Plan Environmental Impact Report (“GP EIR”), attached hereto as Exhibit C and incorporated herein by reference, and (2) finds that none of the circumstances set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 are present with respect to the Project and no further environmental review is required based on the following findings:
1. The Project does not represent a substantial change to the project analyzed in the GP EIR and does not require major revisions of the GP EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects;
2. Substantial changes have not occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the Envision Yountville General Plan was undertaken which require major revisions of the GP EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects;
3. There is no new information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the GP EIR was certified, showing any of the following:
a. The Project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the GP EIR.
b. Significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the GP EIR due to the Project.
c. Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the project, but were not adopted. d. Mitigation measures or alternatives that are considerably different from those analyzed in the GP EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but were not adopted.
SECTION 4. GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT FINDINGS: The Town Council hereby amends the Envision Yountville General Plan as provided in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, based on the following findings as required by YMC Section 17.184.060 and 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 for 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.
Furthermore, the height and design of project related buildings are consistent with the amended General Plan and will be compatible with surrounding development.
SECTION 5. TENTATIVE SUBDIVISION MAP FINDINGS: The Town Council hereby approves the Tentative Subdivision Map, attached hereto as Exhibit B and incorporated herein by reference, based on the following findings as required by YMC Section
16.16.020 and the evidence contained in the Record which is herein incorporated by reference:
1. The proposed subdivision, together with its provisions for its design and improvements, is consistent with the General Plan (YMC § 16.16.020(E)(2)):
The proposed subdivision together with its provisions for its design and improvements are consistent with the General Plan as they seek to enhance civic amenities and provide needed workforce housing consistent with the objectives of the General Plan.
2. The Town Council cannot and does not make any of the findings requiring denial of the Tentative Map under YMC § 16.16.020(E)(3):
i. That the proposed map is not consistent with applicable general and specific plans;
The proposed map is consistent with the General Plan as it facilitates enhanced civic amenities and needed workforce housing.
ii. That the design or improvement of the proposed subdivision is not consistent with applicable general and specific plans, Master Utility Plan, and subdivision improvement standards;
The design of the proposed subdivision is consistent with the General Plan as it facilitates enhanced civic amenities and needed workforce housing.
Additionally, the design and improvements will comply with all local and state required standards for a subdivision.
iii. That the site is not physically suitable for the type development; The project site is well suited for the type of development proposed as it is flat, located in the center of Town, with access to local roads and utilities. iv. That the site is not physically suitable for the proposed density of development; The project site is physically suitable for the density of development proposed as it is flat, located in the center of Town, with access to local roads and utilities. v. That the design of the subdivision or the proposed improvements are likely to cause substantial environmental damage or substantially and avoidably injure fish or wildlife or their habitat;
The design of the subdivision and proposed improvements will not cause substantial environmental damage or substantially and avoidably injure fish, wildlife or their habitat in that the site is currently developed with former elementary school uses, Town Hall, playfields and is located in the center of Town adjacent other development
vi. That the design of the subdivision or type of improvements is likely to cause serious public health problems;
The design of the subdivision and associated improvements is not likely to cause serious public health problems as the project consists of enhanced civic amenities and workforce housing to benefit the Town.
vii. That the design of the subdivision or the type of improvements will conflict with easements acquired by the public at large for the access through, or use of, property within the proposed subdivision. In this connection, the governing body may approve a map if it finds that in conformance with the General Plan, Master Utility Plan, or Specific Plan, alternate easements for access or for use will be provided, and that these will be substantially equivalent to ones previously acquired by the public. This subsection shall apply only to easements of record or to easements established by judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction and no authority is hereby granted to a legislative body to determine that the public at large has acquired easements for access through or use of property within the proposed subdivision.
The design of the subdivision or the type of improvements will not conflict with easements acquired by the public at large for the access through, or use of, property within the proposed subdivision. The proposed project consists of enhanced civic amenities and workforce housing and includes parks, pathways, civic gathering spaces, gardens and other uses for benefit of the public.
SECTION 6. CERTIFICATION. The Town Clerk shall attest and certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution.
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution shall become effectively immediately upon its adoption, provided that the approval of the Tentative Subdivision Map shall be of no force and effect unless and until the effective date of Town Council Ordinance No. 26- 539.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Yountville, State of California, held on this 13th day of January 2026 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
___________________
Margie Mohler, Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________
Hilary Gaede, Communications Director/Town Clerk
Attachments: Exhibit A: Draft Land Use Element Amendment Exhibit B: Tentative Subdivision Map
Exhibit C: Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Report for Envision Yountville General Plan