©2014 Save Rural Angwin
Protecting Ag Land and Angwin's Rural Character
Frequently Asked Questions
(Updated April 2014)
"If God wanted persons in condos, why did he create and place them in a garden?"
Angwin Resident
Who decides how the contributions are allocated?
SRA is managed by a nine-eleven person Steering Committee. See " About SRA ". The Steering Committee operates by consensus in carrying out the mission of SRA. From 2006 to November 2012 donations were used predominately to pay attorneys, environmental consultants, the costs associated first with the County General Plan Update and Amendment process and then with filing and conducting an Initiative Measure on the November 2012 ballot, as well as costs for public relations and communication. It requires money for a volunteer organization such as SRA to compete with the professional public relations department of a college as well as any third party development companies. Since November 2012, donations continue to finance Save Rural Angwin visibility and efforts to carry out the mission of the organization.
What actions has the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees taken to monetize their assets?
In 2002, the PUC Board of Trustees determined to explore liquidating "non-essential" assets. By 2006, the PUC Board had signed a contract to have Triad Communities LTD develop the college property. Initially Triad proposed 1,157 new homes then reduced the proposal to 591 new housing units and an all new shopping center with hotel and restaurants. In response to community outcry, PUC announced in April 2007 it had decided to reduce the planned number of housing units from 591 to 380 housing units. The following July 2007, Triad and PUC submitted their initial development application to the County, beginning the formal County review process. Fast forward to July 2009, Triad - perhaps due to the general down-turn in the economy - altered the contract with PUC so as to no longer be obligated by contract to purchase the PUC property. PUC, as the sole applicant, then re-submitted the application in September 2009 and restarted the work on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and entitlement processing of their proposed development project. Triad continued to assist PUC as a "consultant". The public DEIR was anticipated to be released in July 2010. Fast forward again to October 2010: PUC announced their Board of Trustees voted to end the consulting contract with Triad, suspend any further work on the DEIR, abandon their development plans for a so-called "eco-village" and instead pursue other alternatives for financial stability of the college. They did not, however, formally withdraw the “eco-village” application to the County until June 2012. In June 2011, PUC completed a new Campus Master Plan. Then they entered into an exclusive agreement with Cornish & Carey real estate sales brokers to market 600-1533 acres of the PUC land holdings. During the spring and summer of 2012 various purchase offers were considered by PUC. PUC also began and completed serial lot-line adjustments that isolated nearly 700 acres from the core campus for ease of sale. In February 2013, the PUC Board of Trustees entered a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Sustainable Community Partners, LLC (SCP) for the purpose of residential, commercial and vineyard development. Just over two months later, in April 2013, PUC terminated that contract. By December 2013, PUC and SCP were engaged in litigation over the cancelled contract. Ultimately, PUC prevailed in Napa County Superior Court removing any claim SCP had to the PUC lands. The PUC Board of Trustees is currently continuing sale agreement negotiations with a yet-to-be-identified purchaser. See further details
Since announcement in December 2013 of the Pacific Union College and Sustainable Community Partners litigation, where does Save Rural Angwin stand?
SRA had no involvement in the PUC/SCP contract litigation. Click HERE for a summary (9 pages) of the court documents (285 pages) for Case No 26-63129, Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Napa, Pacific Union College, Plaintiff, vs Sustainable Community Partners, LLC, Defendant.
SRA’s focus continues to be on completing the unfinished work of the 2009 General Plan Amendment which left nearly 100 acres designated as "Urban Residential" in the heart of Angwin. With that Land Use designation still in place for such a significant amount of acreage, there will continue to be inappropriately-scaled developments proposed on Howell Mountain.
Now that litigation against the County concerning the 2004 Housing Element has resolved favorably for the County and while there is no pending development application for a project in Angwin, it is the best time for the Board of Supervisors to address General Plan Action Item AG/LU-114.1 which would re-evaluate the inappropriately designated expanse of Urban Residential acreage in Angwin. It is also a good time to address this Action Item to ensure consistency relative to the Draft Housing Element for the planning period January 31, 2015 – January 31, 2023.
To see the current Land Use Map for Angwin showing the approximate 100 acres referred to and described as "cross-hatched", go to http://www.countyofnapa.org/GeneralPlan/ then under the Table of Contents go to the Agricultural Preservation and Land Use chapter, pages AG/LU 31-33. See also page AG/LU-66 for the Action Item to be completed.
