To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Molly Rattigan, Community Resources & Development Director
Prepared By: Neal Harrison, Economic Development Manager
TITLE:
Title
Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study Phase 1A
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
(1) Receive a report and presentation on the Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study Phase 1A; (2) identify the Napa Sanitation District property (1210 West Street) as the preferred site for continued evaluation; and (3) direct staff to proceed with Phase 1B of the Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Background
Downtown Napa has experienced significant growth over the past two decades, with new housing, hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and commercial development increasing demand on the City's shared public parking system. That system currently consists of four public parking garages (Clay Street, Pearl Street, Second Street, and Fifth Street), surface parking lots, and on-street parking.
The City’s downtown parking system is managed through several complementary tools. Within the Parking Exempt District, qualifying commercial development may pay parking impact fees in lieu of providing on-site parking, with those revenues intended to support additional public parking supply. The Downtown Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) funds certain parking operations and maintenance, while the Community Resources and Development Department’s Parking Division manages enforcement and day-to-day parking operations. Together, these tools support the “park once and walk” philosophy identified in the 2012 Downtown Specific Plan where employees and customers can park in one location and visit many destinations within a walkable distance, to reduce vehicle trips and contribute to a more walkable downtown.
Multiple parking studies completed over the past decade recommended implementing operational parking management strategies while continuing to plan for a future public parking structure. The City has since implemented many of those recommendations, including license plate recognition technology, enhanced enforcement, improved wayfinding, and increased parking impact fees.
Despite these improvements, parking demand continues to grow. Approved development projects are expected to place additional strain on the existing system, while future redevelopment will generate further demand.
On November 19, 2024, City Council authorized the Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study of preferred sites, building on prior studies that identified the need for continued parking management improvements and additional structured parking.
Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study
Through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process in November and December 2025, the City selected the project team of Walker Consultants as the prime consultant with Sherwood Engineers and McCarthy Building Companies as subconsultants, to prepare the Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study.
The scope of work includes two integrated components:
• Phase 1A - Feasibility and Site Recommendation, which evaluates both potential sites through parking demand analysis, site and context review, conceptual layouts, cost comparisons, and targeted stakeholder and community engagement, culminating in a recommended preferred site for City Council consideration; and
• Phase 1B - Preliminary Design Documents, which advances the preferred site to an early schematic level sufficient to support cost modeling, funding and financing analysis, and evaluation of future project delivery options.
Phase 1A evaluated four locations:
• Napa Sanitation Pump Station (West Street between Clinton and Pearl Streets)
• Parking Lot X and X West (the old Cinedome site at Pearl and West Streets)
• Napa County Owned Parking Lot K (Sullivan Lot, Third Street between Randolph and Coombs)
• Parking Lot A (2nd Street between Randolph and Coombs)
Phase 1A evaluated each site using six primary criteria:
• Parking Supply - How many net new spaces are created?
• Cost & Efficiency - What is the cost per net new parking space?
• Location & Access - Does it serve downtown, Oxbow, employees, residents, visitors, and future growth?
• Site Availability - Can the property realistically be acquired or developed?
• Community Input - What did businesses, residents, and stakeholders prefer?
• Redevelopment Potential - Does it support other downtown redevelopment opportunities?
The major components of Phase 1A are summarized below. See Attachment 1 for the full report.
Existing and Future Parking Demand
The study reviewed previous downtown parking studies, existing parking utilization data, and the City's current development pipeline to assess current parking conditions and forecast future demand. The analysis found that Downtown Napa's shared parking system is approaching practical capacity during peak periods and that approved and anticipated future development will increase demand on the public parking system.
Site Evaluation and Conceptual Design
Conceptual parking structure layouts and options were prepared for each of the four candidate sites and evaluated based on parking yield, access, circulation, operational considerations, redevelopment opportunities, and site-specific constraints. This analysis provided a consistent basis for comparing the alternatives and identifying the relative advantages and challenges of each location.
Community Outreach
The consultant and City staff conducted a comprehensive public outreach program that included meetings with interested community parties, business organization presentations, a community open house, direct mailings to nearby property owners and tenants, and an online survey. Community feedback identified priorities related to parking supply, convenience, redevelopment, neighborhood compatibility, and urban design, and was incorporated into the overall evaluation of each site.
Preliminary Cost Modeling
Planning-level construction costs, operating costs, and preliminary funding considerations were developed for each option. The analysis compared total project costs and estimated cost per net new parking space while identifying potential funding and financing strategies for further evaluation during Phase 1B.
Final Site Evaluation and Recommendation
Phase 1A evaluated four potential locations for a future downtown parking structure using the criteria described above. Each site presents unique advantages and challenges related to parking capacity, cost, location, implementation, community support, and redevelopment potential. All numbers regarding parking yields and cost per space are preliminary and subjects to change.
Napa Sanitation Site
Recommended as the preferred site due to the highest parking yield (390-460 net new spaces), the lowest cost per space ($73,500), strong community support, and proximity to downtown and Oxbow destinations. It does not displace existing parking and can support broader downtown objectives, including meeting parking obligations for the First Street hotel and complementing the Napa Farmers Market. Challenges include property acquisition (Napa Sanitation is open to a sale), neighborhood compatibility, floodway constraints, and relocating recreational facilities.
Lot X and X West (Cinedome) Site
Offers 320-410 net new spaces at $98,300 per space. The City owns part of the site, but acquisition of private portions (Lot X) from Sywest is uncertain. Community concerns include farmers’ market displacement and the visual impact of a parking garage on the gateway to downtown. Floodway constraints apply, and site design must accommodate access easements. The site supports redevelopment potential but faces higher costs and mixed community feedback.
City-Owned Parking Lot A
Yields 170-230 net new spaces at the highest cost per space ($143,400). While the site is centrally located and city-owned, it has the lowest parking efficiency and community concerns about low yield. It could replace the 2nd Street Garage if redeveloped and support hotel valet parking, but it does not fully address long-term parking needs.
Napa County-Owned Parking Lot K (Sullivan)
Provides 290-370 net new spaces at $95,000 per space. The site is strategically located for southern downtown but requires County cooperation for acquisition. It has moderate community support but potential visual impacts, and near the 5th Street Garage. It offers redevelopment opportunities linked to County properties and replacement parking.
Recommendation
Based on the technical analysis, community outreach, conceptual design evaluation, and planning-level cost estimates, staff recommends that the Napa Sanitation District property (1210 West Street) be identified as the preferred site for Phase 1B evaluation.
While each of the four sites is technically feasible, the Napa Sanitation District property provides the strongest overall balance of parking capacity, cost-effectiveness, community support, implementation feasibility, and long-term redevelopment potential. Advancing this site to Phase 1B would allow the City to refine the design, evaluate acquisition and funding strategies, and return to City Council with the information necessary to determine whether and how to proceed with project implementation.
Next Steps - Phase 1B
Phase 1A was intended to identify the preferred location for continued study. Acceptance of the Phase 1A report would not authorize construction of a parking structure, commit construction funding, or authorize property acquisition.
Phase 1B will proceed based on City Council direction to develop schematic designs, engineering details, refined cost modeling, and a funding strategy for the preferred site. Phase 1B would provide further technical and financial information necessary for City Council to consider future decisions regarding project implementation.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The Recommended Action is funded through the Walker Consultants Agreement C2026-522.City Council appropriated $200,000 for the Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study through Resolution R2024-118, consistent with the use and intent of the parking impact fee established by Ordinance 2005-003. The remaining $70,800 of the consultant agreement is funding thought the Community Resources and Development Professional Services budget.
The recommended action does not authorize construction of a parking structure, property acquisition, or additional project funding. Should City Council direct staff to proceed with Phase 1B, staff will return with any necessary budget amendments or funding requests. The cost of constructing a parking structure, as well as potential funding and financing strategies, will be further refined and evaluated during Phase 1B.
CEQA:
The Community Resources and Development Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not in-and-of-itself a “project” (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change in the environment. Staff has also determined that the Recommended Action is exempt from environmental review on a separate and independent basis pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15306 as information collection as the feasibility analysis would gather information and/or conduct a study leading to a potential action (future parking structure) that the City has not yet approved, adopted, or funded.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Downtown Parking Structure Feasibility Study Phase 1A
NOTIFICATION:
None