‘RAGE’ against glamping: Napa residents rally to block proposed resort

Opposition to a proposed glamping resort that would include up to 100 trailers and tents has grown among Napan residents over the past few weeks.

The project, proposed for a 12.5-acre site west of the Silverado Trail between Hagen Road and Stonecrest Drive, will soon go before the Napa City Council for consideration, although a specific date has not yet been determined.

The Grange Campground will be operated by outdoor lodging company AutoCamp, which operates similar resorts across the country, including AutoCamp Russian River in Guerneville.

The Napa City Planning Commission on Oct. 17 recommended that the City Council approve the project.

Public concern was palpable at the time. For more than an hour, more than two dozen people expressed concerns about the project, citing increased traffic, fire risks, environmental impacts and more.

A group called Residents Against Glamping (RAGE) has recently formed to oppose the tent camp. They started a Change.org petition asking the City Council to reject the project.

The petition, which had 476 signatures as of Thursday, suggests the campground will primarily benefit tourists rather than Napan locals.

Other concerns he cites include:

• Increased traffic congestion and risk of accidents. (Planning Commissioner Paul Kelly proposed adding a left-turn pocket from the Silverado Trail as a condition of approval.)

• Increased risk of harm to cyclists. (The petition states that the proposed bike lane near the complex does not extend beyond Lincoln Avenue or Trancas Street, so bikers would be exposed to the dangerous Silverado Trail.)

• Wildfire risk associated with outdoor grills and associated air pollution.

• Destruction of natural habitat, including the felling of eight oak trees.

• Increased stress on Napa’s water, sewer and power infrastructure.

• Concerns about such a facility in a residential area.

Ricky Caperton, the city’s planning manager, said in an emailed statement that city officials have seen some misinformation about the project in social media posts. In response to this he said:

• Campers will not be permitted to bring their own trailers, RVs or tents onto the site.

• Campers may burn only AutoCamp’s specialty GoodWood firewood in portable outdoor fireplaces that meet city codes.

• The project includes up to 70 permanent Airstream installations and up to 30 tents/yurts that can be dismantled during the flood season, from November to April.

• At least one staff member will be on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with additional staff usually available.

• Parking will be provided on site and campers will not be permitted to park along the frontage or in nearby residential areas.

Brian Bennett, a local resident who led a movement opposing the project, said that in the dozen days since its publication, the website had received nearly 1,300 visits, and the group had posted signs along the Silverado Trail and distributed 2,000 fliers.

A GoFundMe set up by Bennett had also raised $6,825 as of Thursday.

Bennett highlighted existing traffic safety issues on the Silverado Trail as a key issue. Over the past decade, he said, the 1.1-mile stretch between Lincoln Avenue and Trancas Street that runs along the project site has had 46 traffic violations, according to the Traffic Injury Mapping System. Those included 18 unsafe speed violations, 10 counts of drunken driving and 17 counts of hitting objects or people, he said.

“People drive fast, hit things and drink,” Bennett said.

City officials and representatives of the applicant responded to several concerns raised during public comment via email at the Oct. 17 meeting.

Addressing the fire problem, city planner Ryder Dilley said visitors will only burn GoodWood, a wood product that generates fewer sparks than regular firewood. He added that staff will directly monitor compliance with safe burning regulations, the availability of fire extinguishers at each camp and strict adherence to fire safety regulations.

Bernie Corea, AutoCamp’s director of purchasing, added at the meeting that they use special grills with a raised surface that provides protection from smoke and sparks, as well as GoodWood—one bag of which he said can burn for up to an hour.

“It’s a really nice experience,” Corea said. “It burns very quickly, it’s not like a traditional wood burning material, it’s really just for ambience and we control and limit its use very strictly.”

Commissioner Beverly Shotwell said at the meeting that the project would protect the environment more than anything else it was zoned for, unless it was a park. She agreed with some concerns, especially with traffic, but said she likes what AutoCamp is doing with its sites.

“You have to make sure that we respect the fact that the landowner has the ability to destroy it or do something very beneficial,” Shotwell told the crowd. “I can’t think of anything more useful.”

You can reach staff writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or [email protected]..