Planning Staff Backs Artist's Request For Two-Lot Split, Clearing Path For Future Housing

NAPA VALLEY, CA — Napa planning commissioners approved a proposal to divide a property on Silverado Trail into two parcels, a move that would preserve an existing home while setting the stage for potential high-density residential development along one of the city’s major corridors.

The request by a well-known local artist Jorge Engel would split the property into a 0.51-acre front parcel facing Silverado Trail and a 0.40-acre rear “flag lot” containing the existing single-family residence.

Because it would not have direct street frontage, the rear parcel is classified as a flag lot under the Napa Municipal Code, requiring a use permit.

The Site is on the west side of Silverado Trail (CA 121), north of Alabama Street and south of East Avenue. It is bordered by a multifamily apartment complex to the north, a condominium community to the south, the Napa River to the west (across another parcel), and single-family homes to the east across Silverado Trail.

The surrounding area includes multifamily uses west of Silverado Trail and single-family residences to the east. The Site is within a quarter-mile walking distance of the Napa River Trail at Lincoln Avenue.

The Site contains a single-family home with accessory structures, with the remainder of the property lightly developed and characterized by mature oak trees, including a Coast Live Oak grove along the southern portion of the parcel, according to staff reports.

While no new housing is currently proposed, planning staff said the subdivision aligns with Napa’s General Plan, which designates the area for high-density residential use, and could ultimately support up to 20 housing units on the front parcel.

The project also includes new sidewalks, bike-lane improvements, and utility upgrades, and is considered exempt from environmental review under state law.

The applicant could not be immediately reached about plans for the lot.

The full agenda report is available here.