TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Ryan J. Alsop, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: Becky Craig, Assistant County Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Purchase Skyline Wilderness Park Property
RECOMMENDATION
title
PUBLIC HEARING - Skyline Wilderness Park Acquisition
Adopt a Resolution to approve and authorize Agreement No. 250243B purchasing approximately 874 acres of land commonly known as the Skyline Wilderness Park property from the State of California; and approve and authorize Amendment No. 9 to Agreement No. 1654 authorizing Skyline Park Citizens’ Association to continue operating Skyline Wilderness Park for one year with four one-year extensions. (Fiscal Impact: $7.2 million Expense; Capital Improvement Fund; Budgeted; Discretionary)
body
BACKGROUND
The County maintains a fifty-year ground lease with the Napa State Hospital (“NSH”) for Skyline Wilderness Park (“Skyline” or “Park”). The lease provides residents and visitors access to this regional park until February 2030. The County indicated its interest to purchase the Park and State legislation allowed for this exploration with SB 20 in 2019 championed by Senator Dodd. Approximately eighty acres operated as Camp Coombs was excluded from the authorization. The County contacted the California Department of General Services (“DGS”) periodically to initiate sale discussions with the most recent one commencing in late 2021.
DGS hired consultants to prepare an appraisal and phase one environmental report in 2022. The County dedicated fund reserves for future acquisition in late 2022 and hired a surveyor in 2023 to prepare the legal description. DGS drafted the Purchase Sale Agreement (“PSA”) in spring 2024.
NSH discontinued operations of Camp Coombs and deemed the land surplus. Senator Dodd again successfully championed the County’s interest with SB 958 in 2024 to authorize sale of the excluded acreage. The State is soliciting for survey consultation to develop the legal description for a second PSA.
The attached PSA transfers ownership of Skyline Wilderness Park from the State to the County sans Camp Coombs, including water rights and responsibilities. The County will assume Camille Creek monitoring per a mitigation plan and dam monitoring on man-made lakes, both previous obligations of NSH. Staff anticipate annual monitoring expenses with unknown future maintenance and repairs. The PSA excludes mineral rights as those are maintained by the federal government and not owned by the State. The County will agree to restrict uses of the property to parks and open space.
The County executed a concessionaire agreement with Skyline Park Citizen’s Association (“Association”) that runs parallel with the ground lease. The agreement expires with termination of the ground lease. Staff recommends the County execute a concession agreement with the Association to provide time to negotiate an agreement with the Napa County Parks & Open Space District (“District”). The intent is for the District to administer the monitoring requirements and to contract with the Association for operations.
California Government Code Section 25350 requires that the Board of Supervisors publish a notice of its intention to purchase property prior to authorizing the acquisition. The notice must contain a description of the property proposed to be purchased, the price, the seller, and a statement of the day and time the board will meet to authorize the purchase. This notice was published in a local newspaper once a week for three successive weeks. After the Board approves the PSA, the County will have sixty days for conducting due diligence. It is expected that escrow will close in March 2025.
Procedural Requirements:
1. Open Public Hearing
2. Staff Report
3. Public Comment
4. Close Public Hearing
5. Motion, second, discussion, and vote to adopt a Resolution approving the PSA and authorize Agreement 1654B Amendment 9
Requested Action:
Adopt a Resolution approving and authorizing Agreement 250243B purchasing approximately 874 acres of land commonly known as the Skyline Wilderness Park property from the State of California, and approve and authorize Agreement 1654B Amendment 9 authorizing Skyline Park Citizens’ Association to continue operating Skyline Wilderness Park for one year with four one-year extensions.
FISCAL IMPACT
|
Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
|
Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
|
Where is it budgeted? |
Capital Improvement Fund, Project 25004 |
|
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
|
Discretionary Justification: |
Ensure public access |
|
Is the general fund affected? |
Yes |
|
Future fiscal impact: |
Creek mitigation, dam monitoring and maintenance and repairs |
|
Consequences if not approved: |
The County will need to negotiate new lease. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Consideration and possible adoption of a Categorical Exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to: (a) Class 12 “Surplus Government Property Sales,” which may be found in the guidelines for the implementation of CEQA at 14 CCR §15312; and (b) the General Rule Exemption. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the proposed action may have a significant effect on the environment and therefore CEQA is not applicable. [See Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, 14 CCR 15061(b)(3)].