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Saint Helena council declares Adams Street parcel surplus under state law, excluding library parcel
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate about housing, open space and municipal finances, the City Council voted to start the Surplus Land Act process for the 5.6-acre Adams Street parcel — excluding the library parcel — directing staff to issue notices to housing providers and report back on responses and negotiations.
The Saint Helena City Council voted to declare the Adams Street parcel surplus under the Surplus Land Act on a 4–1 roll call after more than an hour of presentations and public comment.
City planning staff said the property covers roughly 5.6 acres of vineyard next to the library and has an appraised value of about $18,000,000; earlier bids had ranged higher. City Attorney Ethan Walsh told the council the mandatory SLA first step is a policy finding that the land is “no longer necessary for public use” followed by a statutorily required 60‑day notice to housing providers and a 90‑day good‑faith negotiation period if qualified affordable housing providers respond. “The whole intent of that law is to make sure that before a city sells property, they make it available for affordable housing first,” Walsh said.
Council members split on urgency but not on the procedure. Councilmember Barrett moved to begin the SLA process for Adams Street while explicitly excluding the library parcel; Vice Mayor Deasy cast the lone no vote. Mayor Dohring, Councilmembers Barrick, Spadarato and Summers voted yes. The council did not set a sale price or commit to a final disposition — those steps would follow the SLA procedure and any further entitlements and CEQA review.
Residents and community organizations filled the public comment period with competing priorities. Opponents urged postponement and more financial and planning analysis, warned a sale could lead to a large hotel or other projects that alter the town’s character, and asked the council to carve out open‑space protections. Supporters urged the council to proceed to learn whether housing providers would come forward and to create options for workforce housing and revenue to support city services. As one resident summarized the tension, “We need to think about what is our end game — what do we want to be in 10 years?”
Staff said, procedurally, the notice of availability could go out as soon as the consultants prepare mailing lists; if housing proposals arrive, staff will negotiate in good faith with respondent teams for the statutorily required period. If no qualified housing responses are received, the city may proceed to other marketing or disposal options. City staff will return with updates on responses, any negotiated terms and recommended next steps.
Next steps: staff will issue the SLA notice of availability to HCD‑listed housing providers, calculate timelines for responses and negotiations, and brief the council on any offers or recommended project constraints. The council emphasized that any future sale or lease would come back to the body for review and additional public hearings.
