REDWOOD NEEDLES Presented by the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Newsletter, The REDWOOD NEEDLES Return to Article Menu Napans residents may get to vote on Stanly Ranch The citizens of Napa may get to vote on the proposed Stanly Ranch development in their city after all. The mayor and most city council members have voiced opinions that the issue should be decided by a vote of the people. The question now seems to be when the election will take place. Having a vote on the Stanly Ranch project is considered a victory for environmentalists. According to polls taken, the general population is opposed to the project by approximately a 2 to 1 ratio. The developers are pushing for a special election in September, hoping to get a low turnout. The Registrar of Voters has stated, however, that an election before November is highly unlikely. The Stanly Ranch development has been a major Napa environmental issue since it was first proposed two years ago. The developers plan to build a “high class” resort with a golf course and small business mall along with about 800 single family dwellings and vacation units at the corner of Highways 12, 29, and 121 in southwest Napa. The land is within the city limits but approximately three miles south of the developed urban area. Proponents of the development tout increased revenue from hotel and property taxes as well as the reputation to be gained from having a resort equal to other well- known resorts upvalley. Opponents, which include the Napa Group of the Sierra Club and a citizen’s organization known as Get a Grip on Growth, are concerned about increased urban sprawl. They state that this leapfrog development will lead to further development closer the city with a result of increased car traffic and pollution. It will also destroy the agricultural ambiance of the area that is considered the gateway to the Napa Valley. Critics also point out that its proximity to a sewer plant and an airport, both right across the Napa River, will reduce its chances of success. The pro-development constituents had a setback in early May when city council member Ray Sercu, their biggest supporter on the council, was declared ineligible to participate in the vote or the debate by the city attorney. Mr. Sercu owns a grocery store near the development and was considered to have a conflict of interest. On the second night of public hearings, council member Joanne Busanbark, who is generally pro-development, shocked the audience by asking the city attorney how best to put the issue on the ballot. The other council members quickly suggested it was a good idea. One councilmember, Harry Martin, even asked about de-annexation of Stanly Ranch from the city limits. The Napa Group has long campaigned for an agricultural zoning for the Stanly Ranch, which is currently zoned as a study area. Conservation Chair, John Stephens, was one of the first to urge that the council could be persuaded to put it on the ballot andhe has worked tirelessly for that goal. Group chair Tom Davis urged the council in public hearings to place the issue on the ballot. &emdash;Tom Davis, Chair, Napa County Group Return to Article Menu Last updated on 3/02/99 Comments or suggestions? Drop us a line at heyneedles@aol.com