TO: Airport Land Use Commission
FROM: Dana Morrison, Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) Executive Officer
REPORT BY: Dana Morrison, ALUC Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Countywide Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan Consistency Determination (P25-00196) for the County of Napa updates to the General Plan and Zoning Code (P25-00195)
RECOMMENDATION
title
Airport Land Use Compatibility Review and Consistency Determination for the Napa County General Plan and Zoning Code Updates, as required pursuant to the State Aeronautic Act and Public Utilities Code (PUC) Section 21676. Napa County is proposing changes to the existing General Plan and Zoning Code to ensure their consistency with the recently adopted 2024 Napa Countywide Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP).
Staff recommends that the Commission find the project consistent with the Countywide ALUCP.
body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 2024 ALUCP created additional ALUC Zones, with each zone detailing what types of development can be found ‘Normally Compatible,” “Conditionally Compatible,” and “Incompatible” with airport operations at the Napa County Airport and Angwin Airport- Parrett Field. There are 6 zones for Angwin Airport (Zones A, B, C, D1, D2, and E) and 8 Zones for the Napa County Airport (Zones: A, B1, B2, B3, C, D1, D2 and E). Previously, the 1999 adopted ALUCP contained only 5 zones total (Zones: A, B, C, D and E).
Napa County is considering a general plan amendment to achieve consistency with the ALUC’s recently adopted ALUCP. Napa County’s General Plan serves as a long-term framework for future growth and development in the County. The General Plan represents the community's view of its future and contains the goals and policies upon which the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, staff, and the entire community will base land use and resource decisions. The County is currently initiating an update to the entire General Plan; however, this is simply an amendment to the existing 2008 General Plan’s applicable section to ensure the plan is consistent with the 2024 ALUCP. The changes needed are minor and do not result in substantive changes to the content of the General Plan.
The proposed project also consists of an update to the Napa County Zoning Code, Chapter 18.80 Airport Compatibility Combination District, and the Zoning map to ensure Napa County Code and maps are consistent with changes resulting from the ALUCP and reflect the newly amended or created compatibility Zones.
The "project" currently before the ALUC is an evaluation of the updates to the General Plan, the Zoning Code and their applicable maps to ensure they are consistent with the newly adopted 2024 ALUCP. ALUC Staff have focused this report on only those areas that relate to airport compatibility, and most notably, the proposed set of General Plan and Zoning Code changes specifically targeted to address airport compatibility measures. ALUC Staff believe that the updated County General Plan and Zoning Code, and mapping updates, achieve consistency with the updated ALUCP and recommends a finding of consistency.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed General Plan Amendment and proposed Ordinance implements policies that were previously evaluated and are within the scope of the Negative Declaration prepared for the ALUCP (State Clearinghouse No. 2024060773) adopted on December 4, 2024. No new mitigation measures and no new environmental effects would occur and none of the conditions requiring preparation of a subsequent Negative Declaration or further environmental review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 apply. This project is not on any list of hazardous waste sites enumerated under Government Code Section 65962.5.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
On December 4, 2024, the ALUC adopted the updated ALUCP for Angwin and Napa Airports. After adoption of an ALUCP revision, State law gives local jurisdictions 180 calendar days to amend their general plan, specific plans, zoning ordinances, and facilities master plans, as necessary, to be consistent with the amended ALUCP. Today’s requested action is for the ALUC to determine if the updates to the General Plan, General Plan Map, Zoning Code and Zoning Map for the County of Napa are compatible with the ALUC’s recently adopted ALUCP. Once the General Plan and Zoning Codes is revised and deemed consistent, then only certain more substantive land use actions must be submitted for ALUC review.
A general plan and zoning code does not need to be identical with the ALUCP in order to be consistent with it. To meet the consistency test, a General Plan must do two things: it must specifically address compatibility planning issues, either directly or through reference to a zoning ordinance or other policy document; and it must avoid direct conflicts with compatibility planning criteria. Napa County has addressed compatibility planning issues by referencing the updated ALUCP.
The proposed general plan amendment and zoning code amendments do not change the geographical area where ALUCP policies apply. When both the General Plan and Zoning Code have been amended and deemed compatible, these actions facilitate transfer of authority for ALUCP compliance determination for general discretionary applications within the Airport Influence Area (AIA) from the ALUC. However, all General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, Specific Plan and building regulation amendments that affect properties within Airport Compatibility zones will still require separate ALUC review and approval.
Airport Land Use Consistency Factors:
1. History - On November 5, 2008, the Airport Land Use Commission found the previous County of Napa General Plan and General Plan Map amendment consistent with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. The current amendment to the County’s General Plan is intended to incorporate the new ALUCP, adopted in December 2024.
2. Location - The County of Napa includes all of the unincorporated areas of Napa County. Napa County is north of San Pablo Bay and has a total area of 789 square miles. Napa County contains two airports the Napa County Airport which is located in the southern half of the County in between the City of Napa and the City of American Canyon, and the Angwin Airport-Parrett Field a public airport owned by the Pacific Union College and located in Angwin, which is located in the eastern hills of the northern end of Napa County. These changes affect all parcels located within the Airport Compatibility Zones within the Napa County Airport and Angwin Airport Influence Areas, and the Zoning Code and Zoning Map will need to reflect the Compatibility Zone changes resulting from the ALUCP update. These parcels are already subject to the updated ALUCP, but these proposed amendments are needed to ensure that County Code, and maps accurately reflect the updates to ensure staff, and the public is aware of the compatibility factors that could impact properties within the Napa County and Angwin Airport AIAs.
3. Land Use - On July 16, the County of Napa Planning Commission conducted a public hearing and recommended to the Board of Supervisors approval of the General Plan, Zoning Code, and Zoning Map Updates.
ALUC Staff has reviewed the proposed changes for consistency with ALUCP policies. Staff recommends that the ALUC determine the project is consistent with the ALUCP with all proposed General Plan, Zoning Code and Zoning map changes.
4. Concentration of People - The proposed General Plan and Zoning Codes Updates directly refer to the current ALUCP and as such has incorporated the newly adopted ALUCP density restrictions. County Staff will evaluate concentrations of people on a case-by-case basis for each new use in accordance with the requirements of the ALUCP. Projects that conflict or potentially conflict with density limitation will be subject to ALUCP review. With the proposed changes, the County's regulations will be fully consistent with ALUCP density limitations.
5. Building Height - County regulations have long limited building height to 35 feet for occupied structures, which is fully consistent with ALUCP standards. No changes would occur to this, and the County regulations will continue to remain consistent.
6. Lighting and Glare - No changes to County regulations concerning light and glare are necessary to achieve consistency. Over the last several years, County regulations have contained sufficient measures to ensure that developments do not result in light and glare impacts. The County's standard conditions for development prohibit uplighting and off-site light and glare slippage consistent with ALUCP policies.
7. Building Materials - No changes to County regulations concerning building materials are necessary to achieve consistency. All projects within the County are subject to building permit review which includes review by the Building Department and Planning Department review, and for projects within the AIA of Napa Airport are reviewed by the Airport Manager and ALUC staff, and for project within the AIA of Angwin Airport are reviewed by ALUC staff. The County's standard requirements to prohibit reflective roof materials and building skylights are now required under the International Building Code (IBC) to diffuse incoming light, which consequently diffuses nighttime uplighting.
8. Overflight Easement - The project incorporates the 2024 Napa Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan by reference in the General Plan and updates the Zoning Code to reflect the updated Compatibility Zones and their compatible uses or specific requirements which will require dedication of avigation or overflight easements and/or deed restrictions and real estate disclosure notifications when new development or subdivisions are permitted in airport influence areas. Avigation or overflight easements are required for all projects located within airport influence areas. No changes to this long-established requirement will occur as part of this proposed General Plan and Zoning Code Amendment.
9. Caltrans Aeronautics - Caltrans Division of Aeronautics staff has been sent copies of attached background information. No comments have been received regarding the project.
10. Processing - ALUCP Policy Chapter 2.9 requires referral of a general plan to the ALUC prior to County of Napa Board of Supervisors final action to allow the local decision maker to consider the ALUC’s findings prior to final action. A substantial hearing before the County of Napa Planning Commission occurred on July 16, 2025. The Commission reviewed the General Plan and Zoning Codes Updates in compliance with ALUC policy and recommended adoption of the proposed resolution and proposed ordinance. A public hearing before the Board of Supervisors is scheduled for August 19, 2025.
In the event that the ALUC were to find the proposed General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments inconsistent with the ALUCP, the proposal, with any further amendments, could be reconsidered by the Napa County Planning Commission in lieu of the Board of Supervisors pursuing an override. Any revised application package would then need to return to the ALUC for consistency determination before the Board of Supervisors can take final action. If the ALUC were to determine the current proposal inconsistent with ALUCP policies, the Board of Supervisors could overrule the ALUC determination by a two-thirds vote.
Based on the above, staff recommends that the ALUC find that the County of Napa General Plan and Zoning Code updates consistent with the ALUCP.
Attachments:
A. Planning Commission Resolution Recommendation to the Board of Supervisors
B. Resolution for General Plan Update and Exhibit A
C. Ordinance Amending Zoning Code - Redlined
D. Ordinance Amending Zoning Code - Clean