Supervisors approve abandoning closed Old Howe Mountain Road segment, creating public trail managed by open‑space district

NAPA, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Sept. 23 to abandon an approximately 2.5‑mile section of Old Howe Mountain Road and preserve the corridor as a public trail while retaining a right-of-way for county services and emergency access.

What the board approved The action abandons the closed section of Old Howe Mountain Road — a stretch the board described as damaged and impractical to repair as a public vehicular route — while assuring the county and emergency services retain access rights. The board authorized a management agreement (No. 8D8700) with the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District to operate the retained public-trail easement.

Why it matters: repairs would have been costly, and the county has kept the segment closed since major slides. The board and staff said converting the corridor to a pedestrian/bicycle trail improves public access and recreation at much lower fiscal and geotechnical cost, while the retained access easement preserves the county’s ability to use the route for emergency operations if needed.

Key board directions and details - The board preserved a county service easement so emergency vehicles, county staff and other authorized users may still use the corridor when necessary. - Parks staff will work with neighbors and county offices to design a small north-end parking area and no‑parking measures to limit on-street crowding and ensure emergency gates are not blocked. - The county and the open-space district will manage the trail with rules and signage; county attorneys noted that liability is lower for a maintained trail than for an uncontrolled road and that state trail‑immunity provisions apply.

Chris Cahill, General Manager, Napa County Regional Park & Open Space District: “Our concept is a modest parking area at the north end and signage/no‑parking zones to minimize impact on residents; this is not intended to be a drive‑in recreational attraction but a loop and trail resource for cyclists and hikers.”

Vote and immediate outcome Motion by Chair Cottrell, second by Supervisor Alessio — vote carried unanimously. The board also authorized staff to prepare no‑parking signage and a management plan in coordination with the park district and local residents.

Provenance (transcript evidence) The road abandonment and management agreement appeared late in the agenda (item 10b); staff introduced the request and the board adopted the resolution and management agreement after a short public comment period.

Practical note Staff and the park district said the trail conversion approach mirrors a prior county partnership (Oat Hill Mine Trail) and will be less expensive to maintain than reconstructing the road for vehicle traffic; geotechnical work shows the area has continuing slope‑stability issues that make vehicular restoration costly and fragile.