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Angwin Bubble FAQs

1. What is the bubble and why is it important to Angwin?
The Angwin Urban Bubble is an area drawn by Napa County 30 years ago within which future development would be allowed to occur. The bubble is important because that's the only portion of land that PUC owns where the ecovillage project is allowed to be developed.

2. What exactly are the opponents proposing?
The opponents are asking the county to eliminate the Angwin Urban Bubble and to change the land use designation for much of PUC's land inside the bubble from PD (planned development) to Agriculture, which would prohibit the entire ecovillage project, or any other project, from ever being built.

The opposition plan also says they support PUC being able to build 191 affordable housing units, but only because they know that PUC cannot afford to build those units if it can't also build market rate housing units (ecovillage) to offset the cost of affordable units, which are an expense to build.

The opponents' plan does not provide any means for PUC to increase its endowment, and in changing the land from PD to Agriculture, PUC stands to lose thousands of dollars per acre, the difference between the land value for development vs. for vineyards.

3. What happens if the opponent gets their way (bubble elimination)?
If the bubble is eliminated and the land use designation changed to Agriculture, no development will be allowed on PUC's land that is presently planned for the ecovillage.

That's why the opposition is asking the county to change the land use designation - not for the sake of good land use planning, but for the purpose of trying to prevent PUC from developing the ecovillage or anything else.

4. Does this mean that Angwin is fated to stay exactly as is or worse, all vineyards?
If the bubble is eliminated, PUC's only options would be either to sell hundreds of acres of their land for vineyards in order to insure the future of the college (which many in the Adventist community feel is contrary to their religious beliefs), or do nothing and leave the college financially vulnerable.

5. What is the General Plan?
It is the county's statement of development policies that sets out its long-range plan for land use, housing, circulation, conservation, open space, noise and safety and other elements.