St. Helena council approves Spring Grove tentative map despite residents’ fire‑access concerns

The St. Helena City Council voted 3–1 on Feb. 10 to adopt staff recommendations approving the tentative map for the Spring Grove subdivision and to authorize the project’s water‑neutrality in‑lieu fee.

The council’s decision followed a multi-hour public hearing on a proposed 41‑unit condominium project on about 2.53 acres on Spring Street. Consultant planner Mike Janicek told council the project meets minimum lot‑size and width requirements, would provide 41 units (two more than the local minimum) and includes eight deed‑restricted affordable units. He said planning staff and public‑works reviewers verified the applicant’s in‑lieu water‑neutrality calculation and recommended council authorize the fee request.

The hearing focused on two fault lines: public‑safety concerns over a single public access route and a legal dispute about how local fire‑code amendments interact with state housing laws. Land‑use attorney Mark Wolf, representing neighborhood opponents, read language from the city’s local amendments and argued the sprinkler exception had been deleted in prior code amendments, meaning local law requires two separate and approved…