Letter to the Editor – Yountville Commons process lacks transparency, public trust

Dear Editor,

On Sunday, Jan. 11, a group of sixteen long-term Yountville residents convened to share ideas and voice growing concern, frustration, and most importantly, a deepening mistrust about the Yountville Commons process.

These residents are not casual observers. They’ve done their due diligence: conducted research, analyzed reports and documents, attended public meetings, viewed meeting recordings, and met directly with town staff, elected officials, members of the Zoning Design and Review Board, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and the Affordable and Workforce Housing Oversight Committee.

If I could sum up the concerns I heard expressed in this meeting:

The town is making major decisions, spending hundreds of thousands of public funds, and moving ahead quickly with essentially permanent changes to the Yountville Elementary School site that will have significant impact on the town and community without:

1) full transparency;

2) clarity about who should be making decisions and how decisions are made;

3) a community-developed vision statement to guide all decision-making;

4) an independent financial and feasibility study; and

5) a comprehensive business plan.

Projects of this magnitude will have significant and long-lasting impact on the community. They should be decided by the community as a whole, and therefore, should be a ballot measure.

Carrie Hays

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