• Home
• About NVLSA
• What You Can Do
• Joining NVLSA
• Calendar
• Contacting NVLSA
• Committees

• Measure A
• Measure Z
• Kelo vs New London
• Fire Hazard Reduction Plan
• Healthy Forests & Rivers
• Is the Napa River Impaired?
• The Education Alternative
• NVLSA TV

• New CEQA Guidelines
• Measure P
• Timber Harvesting Regulations
• Measure O

• NVLSA Members Speak Out
• Other Voices of Reason
• Interesting Links
• Property Rights Defense
• Press Releases

Home > NVLSA members speak out > Too many regulations

Too many regulations

back

Jan 7, 2003

Dear NVLSA:

I have tested the purported "exemptions" you discuss more than once in the recent past. I have not gotten approved by the County of Napa for any of the purported exemption(s).

Specifically, in one case we attempted to drill a water well some fifty plus feet from a very seasonal stream (cutting no trees and disturbing little of anything in the grassy area). Since the water source for the property in question had dried up some two years ago, the owner has been paying for water to be hauled to the property for a tenant's use. The County of Napa told the owner that he could not disturb the ground in any way to provide access for a drilling rig to access the only and final site of probable water availability (two dry holes had been dug on the water deficient property). This well was needed to provide water for an affordable housing unit on 75 acres. The owner spent two years and some $50,000 applying for permits to build a very temporary exploratory well road and to drill a water well. The county planning department would not issue a written approval for the temporary road that they wanted the owner to build and the environmental health department informed the driller he could not drill within the proposed creek setback regardless of the fact that it fell within the purported exemptions. There are many other such stories of county abuse.

Simple permits for improvements are currently taking a minimum of two to three years and require exorbitant outlays of cash from the property owner for the simplest project. Even a simple road gate requires a use permit. Due to all of the regulations we currently have in Napa County, the county budget has skyrocketed and many new employees will have to be hired to deal with the proposed new regulations.

The fact of regulatory incrementalism (hillside ordinance, viewshed ordinance, creek setback ordinance. etc., etc.) has already made certain properties impossible to improve. There is good argument that the property values in the county have plummeted and will continue to so do. Properties will not be able to be sold until a full permit for desired improvement(s) is obtained by a particular buyer (for which no seller will want to risk the wait).

Thank you for your efforts in this matter. Please let me know how I might be of aid in those efforts.

Best regards,

Stuart Funk

back