Green Island Vineyard in American Canyon is at the center of a heated political debate and its fate could jeopardize the future of Napa’s wine industry.
This summer, the estimated 2,100 people living in areas that are enclosed by the city of Napa â but are not part of it â will hear from city leaders about the possibility, and the benefits and costs, of having their homes absorbed into the surrounding town.
Tuesday afternoon, the City Council approved an outreach campaign to gauge residentsâ support for annexing more than a dozen âislandsâ or âdoughnut holes,â ranging from entire neighborhoods to single lots, that remain part of unincorporated Napa County despite being fully or mostly within the city boundaries.
The project may be the prelude to an absorption that could widen access to city storm drainage, sidewalk construction, and potentially lower service costs â along with the ability to vote for the mayor and City Council â to areas left behind by decades of annexations nearby.