To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Molly Rattigan, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Molly Rattigan, Community Development Director
TITLE:
Title
Foundation Construction at Dwight Murray Plaza
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the City Manager to notify BUILD Group, Inc. of its authorization to fully construct a foundation, including pouring concrete, on City-owned parcel 003-166-017 (Dwight Murray Plaza), pending the exchange of the property as previously authorized by the City Council.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City of Napa approved a development agreement with 3VG and Coombs Street (Developer) that was effective on August 15, 2025, for the construction of the First Street Phase II project which includes a hotel building and a branded residential building.
As part of the Development Agreement, the City agreed to implement the exchange of land agreed to on August 9, 2024, under Agreement No. C2024-159 whereby the City would exchange 0.18 acres commonly known as “Dwight Murray Plaza” for a new public paseo and improvements to the Brown Street Corridor.
The project has been moving swiftly, and the Developer is ready to begin pouring the foundation of the two buildings with the goal of completing the foundation concrete pour before winter rains begin. The legal process to exchange property has commenced but will not be complete until the end of October. While the Public Works Director and the City Manager have the authority to authorize work on publicly owned property through an encroachment permit or a right of entry permit, the pouring of a foundation is extensive and beyond staff authority.
Today’s action is seeking the authority for the City Manager to notify the Developer of the City’s approval to begin pouring concrete to complete the foundations of the project while the legal exchange of land is in process.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
None.
CEQA:
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and its implementing regulations (the “CEQA Guidelines”), the City prepared the First Street Napa II Project Addendum dated May 29, 2025 for the Project, to determine whether, under CEQA Guidelines section 15168, the Project’s potential environmental effects are within the scope of the development program evaluated by the City in the certified Downtown Napa Specific Plan Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (SCH No. 2010042043) (“DNSP EIR”), whether there are Project-specific significant effects peculiar to the proposed Project or the site, whether additional documentation is required and, in the alternative, whether the Project is an In-Fill Development Project that is exempt from any additional environmental review under Section 15332 of the CEQA Guidelines (See, “Section 15168 Analysis and Addendum” - Attachment 23 to the June 24, 2025 staff report).
On June 24, 2025 and July 15, 2025, the City Council found the Project to be within the scope of the DNSP and all environmental impacts of the Project are either less than significant or can be mitigated to a level of less than significant under the mitigation measures outlined in the Section 15168 Analysis and Addendum. Alternatively, the Council also found that the Project is exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines section 15332 and none of the exceptions in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 have application. Finally, the City Council also adopted the Section 15168 Analysis and Addendum and adopted the MMRP previously adopted for the DNSP EIR as it pertains to the Project.
There have been no changes contemplated in the Project or its surroundings that trigger any further environmental review for the Project.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None
NOTIFICATION:
None