REDWOOD NEEDLES Presented by the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Newsletter, The REDWOOD NEEDLES Return to Article Menu Napa to vote on Aetna Springs By Thomas Davis, Napa Group Chair The citizens of Napa County will vote on Measure G, "Aetna Springs Restoration Initiative" in a special election on January 4, 2000. The Sierra Club, Congressman Mike Thompson, four of the five Napa County Supervisors, the Napa-Solano Audubon Society, Citizens against G, and the Napa County Farm Bureau are all opposed to the initiative because it goes too far in allowing the developer to do what he wants. Aetna Springs is a 672-acre site located in Pope Valley, between the Napa Valley and Lake Berryessa. It operated from before the turn of the century until the early 1970's as a summer resort and has several unique 19th Century structures that may have been designed by farmed architect Bernard Maybeck. The nine-hole golf course built in 1891 is said to be the oldest course west of the Mississippi. When the resort closed about 30 years ago, the Unification Church acquired it to use for retreats. With lack of use in recent years, the resort has fallen into disrepair. A developer, Last Resorts, Inc., has offered to lease the property from the Church and develop it into a full time resort. The property is currently zoned Ag-Watershed and must be rezoned in order to be developed. This action is required under Napa CountyÌs Measure J to be submitted to a vote of the electorate. The initiative would create a new zoning classification called Historic Resort, which would allow the developer to proceed. The Sierra Club and other organizations are opposed to Measure G because it goes too far. If passed, the measure would allow the developer to bypass county environmental regulations including streambed encroachment and EIR's. The initiative requires 99.5% of the acreage to be open space, but that still allows nearly four acres of buildings. Also, open space is not defined and could include vineyards, parking lots, tennis courts, etc. There is nothing in the initiative that protects the land from sub-development, timber harvest or destruction of wildlife habitat. They do not even need to restore the buildings. Reconstruction on the existing site is allowed. The biggest problem with the initiative is that it is written so that it would apply to any property with a building over 100 years old, accessibility to 500 acres, historical designation, and AG Watershed zoning. One group has identified 31 properties in Napa County that could be developed into a resort without county approval. The developers argue that only this initiative can save Aetna Springs. They argue that if this initiative fails, the buildings will deteriorate and the property will be turned into vineyards. They have been touting the preservation of the resort, while using the courts to stifle legitimate opposition. They sued the county to force an early election in January, instead of in March with the regular primary. They have also sued the individuals who wrote the ballot argument against the initiative in an apparent attempt to limit free speech, including our Group Vice Chair, Tyler York. The Sierra Club is not opposed to the restoration of Aetna Springs. We would support any initiative that protects wildlife habitat and open space and limits the size of the resort to what it was before.   Return to Article Menu Last updated on 12/01/99 Comments or suggestions? Drop us a line at heyneedles@aol.com