Celebrity Chef, Town Spar Over Affordable Housing Project

In one of Napa Valley’s most expensive ZIP codes, a debate is heating up over housing for local workers. Chef Thomas Keller, whose French Laundry tasting menu can cost over $1,000 per person, has joined other Yountville business owners in urging the town to pause a planned housing complex called Yountville Commons, according to SFGate.

In a Feb. 10 news release first reported by the Press Democrat, Keller and Ranch Market owner Arik Housley argued that town officials are moving too quickly on the mixed-income project without fully examining its design, cost, and potential effects on local businesses. The project’s total price tag is estimated between $40 million and $60 million, which Housley said could create financial risks for both residents and businesses, since the town would act as the developer.

Town Manager Brad Raulston pushed back, noting that officials have already held 23 public meetings and are reluctant to slow a project meant to provide housing for the workforce that largely commutes into the affluent community. He added that unit types and a new workforce demographics analysis will be discussed during a study session on Tuesday, with the next Town Council meeting scheduled for March 3.

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