Supervisors Move Forward With Napa County Master Plan For Future Facilities

NAPA COUNTY, CA — At the April 9 meeting of the Napa County Board of Supervisors, Gensler & Associates presented its findings from the Facilities Master Plan and the board provided direction to staff to proceed, marking a significant step forward in the county's long-term planning efforts.

The board initially directed staff to prepare a Facilities Master Plan in January 2023 to consolidate operations, evaluate space needs and determine recommended solutions. Napa County then embarked on the comprehensive facilities master planning process in May 2023, focusing on properties in downtown Napa and the South Campus on Napa Valley Corporate Drive. Gensler, a global planning and strategy firm, was retained after an extensive request for proposals — RFP—process.

Through various data collection activities, including site tours, interviews, workshops with county leadership and staff, an all-staff survey and a community forum, Gensler gained insights into the county's long-term needs for space. Several critical issues were identified, including the need for significant repairs to existing downtown facilities, space constraints for departments, and the preference for vacating and surplussing certain properties. Gensler also conducted structural, seismic, and condition assessments and analyses of the County Administration Building and Hall of Justice.

The selected plan provides a strategic roadmap for future investments in county-owned facilities. After careful consideration, the staff recommended Option 4 – the Hybrid Downtown/South Campus Solution. This option, being the quickest to deliver (4-6 years) and least costly at $140 million, includes:

• Maintain a downtown presence for governance functions in a rehabilitated Administration Building.
• Cluster nearly all other operational departments on the South Campus, including Assessor, Treasurer-Tax Collector, Human Resources, Public Works, PBES and Fire.
• ITS and HHSA-CSOA (Older Adults) remain at Imperial Drive.
• Vacate and surplus 1127 First Street and Hall of Justice (HOJ), with one of HOJ or Sullivan lot potentially surplussed (one needs to be retained for parking).
• Involve the least amount of construction —no new buildings— and a simpler CEQA process.

"This marks a pivotal moment for Napa County," Board Chair Joelle Gallagher said. "This decision underscores our dedication to providing efficient services to our residents while ensuring the long-term viability of our facilities."

The next steps in the process include the preparation of requests for proposals for design/build and a debt-financing proposal. Additionally, immediate attention will be given to addressing the current workplace and facility conditions at 1127 First Street.

"Investing in our facilities is a top priority for Napa County," CEO Ryan Alsop said. "By selecting Option 4, we are proactively addressing current needs while planning for the future. This choice reaffirms our commitment to delivering high-quality services to our community and fostering a workplace environment employees can take pride in. Given the persistent lack of functional office space, along with substantial building and infrastructure disrepair, as well as seismic structural deficiencies, doing nothing is just not an option."