Should ugly be against the law?

By JAY GOETTING, Register Staff Writer

Is that building ugly? Does this place smell bad? Is there too much noise coming from over there?

The steering committee updating Napa County's general plan for the first time in more than two decades is dealing with these types of questions as it develops a "Community Character" section of the county plan.

State law requires that county general plans have noise elements. But as Napa County develops its new general plan, noise will be rolled in with other topics like historic preservation, vineyard odors and scenic highways.

The discussion on noise at last week's meeting of the 21-member committee brought comments from audience including Calistogan Ron Citron, who served on the county grand jury last year. "Enforcement is sorely lacking," he told the committee. "Most people don't give a damn."

Ironically, Citron's cell phone rang, interrupting his point that while the panel found noise and obtrusive lighting to be problems in some areas, it did not offer a report on the topic.

Another speaker said there are noises people learn to live with, citing gunfire in rural areas as an example of what he termed "not all bad."

Odor was called a very subjective quality, but committee members acknowledged the smells of sulfur, grape pumice and fermentation are part of the wine industry and the agriculture at the heart of the local economy.

Gitelman said, "Maybe we should include a sentence saying, 'Farming is smelly, and that's OK.'"

Garbage dumps or landfills were noted as being odoriferous, but there are regulations governing them. Committee member Guy Kay said the county should use the guidelines and rules put forth by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

The county's historical resources -- including old structures, bridges and stone walls -- need protections, the committee agreed, but not at the expense of private property rights, as some members stated.

"It was heartening to see how much people really understand about historic preservation," said Gitelman.

In fact, Gitelman said the public input at the meeting was the best yet. "It's a good trend," she said.

Committee member Mary Ellen Boyet, also a leader in Napa County Landmarks, said that organization has an inventory of more than 100 historic homes, buildings and other structures here, but only two appear in a county ordinance that does not provide protections.

Member Tom Gamble, a leader in the Napa County Farm Bureau, said there are agricultural resources that have historical significance, and fellow member George Bachich, president of the Napa County Land Stewards Alliance, urged preservation through incentives and education.

Preservation brought the most public comment, with Wendy Ward of the city's Cultural Heritage Commission urging flexibility and pledging support. "We want to be a resource, not a battlefield," she said.

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