Challengers in the June race for the Napa County Board of Supervisors voiced overwhelming support Wednesday for slow growth in Napa County, arguing against the impacts of developments ranging from small subdivisions to the 3,200 proposed townhomes at the Napa Pipe site.

Each of the challengers present at the 2008 Candidates’ Environmental Forum — sponsored by Friends of the Napa River, Get a Grip on Growth and the Napa County Sierra Club — expressed their opposition to the Napa Pipe proposal.

District 2 incumbent Mark Luce, who left early due to a previous engagement, took no formal position on the subject, but noted that “The state has put us in the housing business. We have to put 3,700 units somewhere in Napa county.”

District 5 candidate Cindy Coffey did not attend the forum, but sent written responses for the audience. Supervisor Bill Dodd, who is unchallenged in District 4, did not attend.

Candidates clashed in statements prepared on Measure N, which would lock in existing growth controls in unincorporated Napa county and put a stop to the proposed development at Napa Pipe.

The June measure would require a 1 percent limit on residential growth each year and a 35-foot height limit on buildings, requiring a countywide vote for any development calling for exceptions to these rules.

District 5 candidates Gary Simpson and Rich Jager, and District 2 candidates Harry Martin and Mike Rodrigues, said they support the measure.

Coffey was the only candidate to officially oppose the measure, calling it “poorly drafted.”

Luce and District 5 candidate Keith Caldwell maintain no official position on Measure N.

Nearly all candidates said they support the proposed extension of Measure J, a law passed years ago that requires a countywide vote to change uses of agricultural lands.

The original law is now slated to end in 2020. An upcoming measure would extend the law for 50 years.

Martin, Luce, Simpson, Jager, Rodrigues and Caldwell said they support the extension. Coffey wrote that she can see both the purpose and pitfalls of the measure.

In a debate about global warming and its effect on Napa county, Rodrigues challenged the credibility of the threat, claiming it is “still up for debate.”

Regardless, he said Wednesday, the county should employ “good management practices” to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. Rodrigues suggested the county encourage telecommuting and home office use.

Other candidates said they are concerned about global warming and offered ideas for regulations that would limit Napa county’s impact on climate change.

Martin rated the threat of global warming a “10,” and recommended that the county invest in electric cars and fuel-efficient vehicles or those that do not require gasoline. Internal air conditioning units to computers should be designed to emit less electricity, he said, and more water conservation should be required, including landscaping that does not require excessive watering. The county, said Martin, should encourage more carpooling and provide rail transportation to the Vallejo Ferry terminal.

Caldwell called the scientific evidence of climate change “overwhelming,” and said that not taking action in Napa county is “not really an option.” The county must evaluate how to enact regulations to comply with state laws designed to limit greenhouse gases, he said, and employ a comprehensive plan that addresses a range of solutions.

Simpson stressed the importance of action, saying that although “there has been some debate as to why the earth is warming ... to me, it doesn’t really matter.”

Noting that the environmentally-friendly Napa County Sheriff’s Office was constructed under his administration as Sheriff, Simpson suggested that all future county buildings be constructed green. He said the county should encourage mass transit and add additional bike lanes. Simpson also suggested the county set up a database that would connect commuters to encourage carpooling.

Though Luce left the forum early, his written statement proposed an ordinance that would require 50 percent of newly constructed homes to be deed-restricted on sale or lease to those who work nearby. The result, he wrote, would be a reduction in miles traveled and, therefore, in greenhouse gasses.

Luce wrote that the county will place solar panels on Napa’s new parking garage, and will consider an ordinance to require green building standards in line with the Sheriff and Juvenile Hall buildings.

Coffey’s written statement recommended the creation of a joint committee of elected officials, staff, citizens and business owners work to create a five- to 10-year plan in response to global warming. For example, she wrote, strategies could be employed so that there is no cost to taxpayers to change building codes. Businesses could be encouraged to adopt green policies in exchange for rebates.