Public Works Project- Mt St. Helena Emergency Generator Replacement - PW25-45
Summary
SCH Number
2025100477
Public Agency
Napa County
Document Title
Public Works Project- Mt St. Helena Emergency Generator Replacement - PW25-45
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/10/2025
Document Description
The County of Napa Communications Department currently has a 40-foot-tall telecommunications tower atop the South Peak of Mt. St. Helena that was built in 1970. This site is critical for the operation of public safety communication throughout the county serving local government, law enforcement, and fire agencies. The tower experiences random power outages that would leave the County without proper safety communication if not for an emergency backup generator being onsite.
In April of 2025, the emergency generator that previously provided power during outages ceased operation. To temporarily resolve this, Public Works borrowed one mobile generator from the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to operate on standby at the communications tower. The Mt. St. Helena Communications Tower Emergency Generator Project will replace the temporary generator with a permanent generator, equipped with a higher capacity fuel tank that will be suitable to power the communications tower in an emergency. The project will utilize best management practices, and all work will be done in accordance with Napa County Storm Water Program Requirements.
Contact Information
Name
Dana Eleanor Morrison
Agency Name
County of Napa
Job Title
Supervising Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Estrella Munoz
Agency Name
County of Napa
Job Title
Junior Engineer
Contact Types
Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Calistoga, unincorporated area
Counties
Napa
Regions
Unincorporated
Cross Streets
Old Lawley Toll Road and Lake County Highway
Zip
94515
Total Acres
1
Parcel #
017-010-031-000
State Highways
Highway 29
Railways
None
Airports
None
Schools
None
Waterways
Napa River, Troutdale Creek, Van Ness Creek
Township
9N
Range
7W
Section
3
Base
MDM
Other Location Info
The project is located at 4955 Lake County Highway, Calistoga, Ca 94515. Assessor's
Parcel Number 017-010-031-000. The project is located on top of the South Peak of Mount Saint Helena and is located within an area surrounded by State Park land.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15301 Class 1 - Existing Facilities and Section 15302 Class 2 - Replacement or Reconstruction
Reasons for Exemption
Pursuant to Sections 15022(a)(l)(C) and 15300.4 of the State CEQA Guidelines,
the Napa County Board of Supervisors have adopted implementation procedures, identifying specific projects that would be categorically exempt from established CEQA Guidelines. The proposed improvements would be considered Categorically Exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 Class 1-Existing Facilities, which includes the restoration or rehabilitation of deteriorated or damaged structures, facilities, or mechanical equipment to meet current standard of public health and safety. The proposed improvements would also be considered Categorically
Exempt pursuant to Section 15302, Class 2- Replacement or Reconstruction, which consists of replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced. A key
consideration in the appropriateness of using these Categorical Exemptions is whether the project would be located on the same site, have substantially the same purpose and involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use. In terms of negligible expansion, the proposed project will replace the temporary generator with a
new generator, located in the same place as the previously existing generator. Therefore, it has been determined that the proposed project qualifies for a Class 1 and Class 2 Categorical Exemption and has no reasonable possibility of having a significant effect on the environment. The proposed improvements would also be in conformity with the adopted Napa County General Plan (June 2008). Improvements proposed for County owned1 operated or occupied buildings and facilities are consistent with General Plan Policy AG/LU-29 which allows governmental organizations to operate and use existing structures/facilities, and to expand in size and/or volume, in order to upgrade or modernize facilities to meet public needs.
County Clerk
Napa
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.