" St. Helena is a lovely place. I live here. I am retired so I don't have to drive a commute, but when I go out during commute hours it is a disaster. But that is not the real problem. The real problem is that no working stiff can afford a million dollar (and up) home nearby so any new employees must commute. Time to close the doors? No growth sounds harsh and unAmerican, but any growth will result in commuting. "Affordable housing" is a ghettoization of the community. This is a hard problem. "

" St. Helena is stuck between a rock and hard place. Most of the retail jobs in this area are low paying and offer very little opportunity for advancement. Typically, they do not offer benefits either. I know of young people in this valley who drive to Napa for an opportunity of advancement. The growth of businesses in St. Helena is a direct result of tourism and it is partly tourism which causes increasing congestion. If we further populate this valley by providing low income housing for employees, the traffic situation will worsen. Additionally, people who are making near minimum wages cannot afford to purchase affordable housing and may have trouble with the higher rents, even if it's categorized as affordable because property values are so high in this valley. These types of jobs in St. Helena could be filled with high school students, though. Perhaps an arrangement between the high school and businesses can be made which would incorporate some type of hospitality/retail curriculum offering internship opportunities for young people. Additionally, if busing were offered from Napa and American Canyon to the upvalley area and work hours could be offset to accommodate a bus schedule, this may provide some incentive. Reality check: who wants to pay $15 in gas for a roundtrip drive to a job which offers the same salary as a job closer to home? The very nature of retail employment will deter people from seeking work here. Ask the question why traffic in St. Helena backs up a few miles Monday thru Friday? These are commuters taking a shortcut over the hill into Windsor etc. If jobs in St. Helena were desirable, these commuters would be working there instead of elsewhere. The area is top heavy in the type of retail which caters only to to tourists. "

" Let market forces work this out and they will. If employers can't get the employees they need for the pitance they're offering wages will come up. "

" To Demo Cracy: I disagree, in part. Certainly, affordable housing is not a "ghettoization of the community", that statement is arrogant you-know-what. However, it is a joke. When a new sub-division or any new housing development is built a very, very, small number of units are "affordable." This token offering of "affordable" will never solve the problem of the large number of workers needed but who cannot affort to live in a high-priced community. A community must either build massive numbers of low-income rentals and affordable homes (designated for local workers only, otherwise outsiders will buy/rent them) or put in an effective rail system to effectively and comfortable transport workers. The other option? Well, our roads will become even more clogged. It is no longer a matter of time; the time is here and the problem exits, now. "

" St. Helena is a great city to live and work in. The problem is that pay is never going to be high enough to enable someone to purchase a house within the community. Even public officials (police chief, officers, city manager, finance manager, public works director) all commute into work everyday. I too work in St. Helena and commute into work. Everybody wants workers to ride the public transportation (bus) but it is slow and takes almost and hour to get to St. Helena, what should be a 25-30 minute drive. This is a big problem that has no easy answer. "

" At todays costs for gas, why in the world would someone drive to St. Helena for a low paying job?? Hello, it is a no-brainer. Upper valley employers must provide ENOUGH low income housing for workers, or pay higher wages, or provide transportation. Wow! I've lived here since the 1960's and I never thought I would see the day when congestion and salaries were so bad that even the workers won't drive here. Okay, so that is St. Helena. I agree with something "Reader" said about making sure only local workers rent and buy any low income housing made available. Take Angwin for instance, they want to build all of this development but guess who will move in? Tourist week-enders; people who can afford to move to the upper valley, a handfuls of workers who succeed in obtaining a handfull of affordable housing, and the majority of workers will still be commuting. I agree, it is a joke. I will take it one step further, it is a money maker for the already rich who don't care about the future of our community. "

" All the more reason to build the 380 units in Angwin. At least that will be some housing for locals who work here. The drive down won't clog 29 or Silverado. "