To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Phil Brun, Utilities Director
Prepared By: Shannon Lemmon, Associate Engineer
TITLE:
Title
Undersized Water Service Agreement for Existing Outside Water Services at 5091 Solano Avenue
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Authorize the Utilities Director to execute an Undersized Water Service Agreement with Oak Knoll Resort LLC to allow the use of existing water services for the proposed Knoll House hotel at 5091 Solano Avenue and determine that the actions authorized by this item were adequately analyzed by a previous CEQA action.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City water system serves over 2,000 customers outside City limits in unincorporated Napa County. In its jurisdictional area, the Napa County Planning, Building, & Environmental Services Department submits development applications seeking City water service or modified use to an existing City water service to the City of Napa Water Division for review and comment. A Use Permit (Application Number 14-00215) for a development project at 5091 Solano Avenue was reviewed by the City in 2014, see Attachment 1, and in 2016, see Attachment 2. The City’s responses acknowledged the existing water services at the property and expressed concern of intensification of usage, and potability of proposed onsite water storage facilities.
On March 4, 2020, at a Napa County Planning Commission Meeting the Project was discussed at a Public Hearing. The County commissioners voted to approve certification of the Project FEIR and approved the use permit based upon findings and subject to recommended conditions of approval.
In May 2023, Oak Knoll Resort LLC, applied for building permits to Napa County to construct hotel buildings, a retail building, and a restaurant (the “Project”), using the existing 3/4-inch commercial water service and existing 1-inch commercial water service to serve the Project. On March 18, 2024, the City reviewed the building permit application and returned comments noting the existing water services are undersized for the proposed Project and the Owner will be required to enter into an Undersized Water Service Agreement in order to receive City water service for the Project.
Pursuant to the Napa County Building Code and California Plumbing Code Chapter 6 “Water Supply and Distribution” Section 610.0, the proposed fixture count and pipe head loss for the Project exceeds the allowable hydraulic losses for the existing public water services to the Property; therefore, the Owner is required to submit to Napa County an analysis showing compliance with, or otherwise having achieved compliance with the above Building and Plumbing Codes utilizing private onsite improvements.
The owner has chosen to maintain the existing sizes of the meters and service laterals on the public side of the water services and will make improvements to the private side of the plumbing (on the Property) to ensure domestic water complies with the California Plumbing Code. The plans for the Project are included in Attachment 3.
Staff recommends that the City agree to provide water service to the Property for the Project via existing ¾-inch and 1-inch meters in accordance with the terms of the Declaration of Covenants and Agreement Regarding Undersized Water Service as shown in Attachment 4.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
There are no fiscal impacts for the project as proposed. The City will sell additional water to serve the proposed project and will not collect capacity fees for appropriately sized facilities.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine that the potential environmental effects of the Recommended Action described in this staff report were adequately analyzed by the Environmental Impact Report certified for the project (SCH Number 2017062038) on March 4, 2020 by the Napa County Board of Supervisors pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Use Permit App-5091 Solano Ave-City Response (2016-02-12)
ATCH 2 - Use Permit App-5091 Solano Ave-City Response (2014-07-14)
ATCH 3 - 5091 Solano Ave Project Plans
ATCH 4 - Undersized Water Service Agreement 5091 Solano Ave
NOTIFICATION:
None