Project is a “model for green building, alternative energy and environmentally sustainable practices”

With strong support and commitment from the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees, PUC and Triad Communities today announced that they have filed a development plan application with Napa County on the Angwin Ecovillage project.

“The application demonstrates our intent to pursue the project. As the public review process continues, we remain committed to being engaged with the community, faculty and students to make this the best project possible for PUC, Angwin and Napa County,” said Dr. Richard Osborn, president, PUC. “I’d like to thank our neighbors for providing constructive input during the design review process. That dialogue resulted in a smaller and better project.”

Filing of the application is a procedural step that marks the beginning of a lengthy entitlement process. That process includes a comprehensive Environmental Impact Review, which is expected to be completed in 2008. Additionally, reviews and public meetings are required by the Napa County Conservation, Development and Planning Department, and the plan will be considered by the Napa County Board of Supervisors. The application is a project overview and is not intended to answer questions about project impacts.

The Ecovillage proposal arises from PUC’s need to build its endowment and provide for its future in a way that is consistent with its core values and respectful of the Angwin community. An endowment will provide a permanent source of revenue for the College, allowing it to award scholarships to needy students, pay competitive faculty salaries, and meet other needs that cannot be satisfied through fundraising.

The Ecovillage is envisioned as a compact community located entirely within the Angwin Urban Bubble on land already zoned Planned Development. It is intended to be a model for green building, alternative energy and other environmentally sustainable practices. 

“The Ecovillage concept reflects the healthy lifestyle principals and goals which form the foundation of our faith-based college,” said Dr. Osborn.

Features that distinguish the Ecovillage from traditional developments include:

• Highly compact development, with 90 percent of land remaining in open space.
• No net loss of agricultural land, with 70 acres of new crops grown locally.
• Emphasis on walkability, enhanced pedestrian and bicycle network.
• Innovative transportation alternatives and incentives to reduce car trips.
• Solar and geothermal energy for new homes and businesses.
• State-of-the-art green building, energy and water conservation techniques.
• Full wastewater recycling, rainwater harvesting for ample water supplies.

The project consists of 380 units of new housing and approximately 55,000 square feet of local-serving retail space, which will replace the 62,000 square feet of commercial use currently located in Angwin Plaza. Housing types include apartments, townhouses, duplexes, cottages and single-family homes.

In addition to 59 affordable housing units, at least another 20 percent of the Ecovillage, or 78 homes scattered throughout the community, will constitute local preference housing (LPH) designed to attract and retain residents who work in the Angwin area specifically and Napa County generally. 

LPH will include incentives for buyers who are employed locally and disincentives for those who are not. Incentives may include purchase price discounts for those who work in close proximity to the Ecovillage, or reduced fees for mandatory participation in local transit and car-share programs, community-supported agriculture, and infrastructure maintenance. A more comprehensive description of the LPH program will be prepared.