Resistance to a proposed glamping resort that would include up to 100 trailers and tents on site has grown among Napan residents in recent weeks.

The project, proposed for a 12½-acre parcel west of Silverado Trail between Hagen Road and Stonecrest Drive, will go before the Napa City Council soon, although no specific date has been set.

Grange Campground would be operated by outdoor lodging company AutoCamp, which operates similar resorts across the country, including AutoCamp Russian River in Guerneville.

The city of Napa’s planning commission recommended on Oct. 17 that the City Council approve the project.

Public concerns were prominent then. For more than an hour, more than two dozen people expressed concerns about the project regarding increased traffic, fire risk, environmental impacts and more.

Recently, the group Residents Against Glamping Establishment, or RAGE, was formed to oppose the encampment. They started a petition on change.org asking the City Council to deny the project.

The petition, which had 476 signatures as of Thursday, suggests that the campground will primarily benefit tourists and not local residents.

Other concerns he cites include:

• Increased traffic congestion and risk of accidents. (Planning Commissioner Paul Kelley suggested adding a left-turn pocket from Silverado Trail as a condition of approval.)

• Increased risk of harm to cyclists. (The petition says a proposed bike path near the development does not extend beyond Lincoln Avenue or Trancas Street, so cyclists would be exposed to the dangerous Silverado Trail.)

• Wildfire risk related to outdoor grills and related air pollution.

• Destruction of natural habitat, including the removal of eight oak trees.

• Increased stress on Napa’s water, sewer and electrical infrastructure.

• Concerns about such an installation in a residential area.

Ricky Caperton, the city’s planning director, said in an emailed statement that the city has seen some misinformation about the project in online social media posts. In response to that, he said:

• Campers will not be allowed to bring their own trailers, recreational vehicles or tents to the site.

• Campers may only burn AutoCamp’s special “GoodWood” firewood in portable outdoor fireplaces, which meet city code.

• The project includes up to 70 stationary Airstream units and up to 30 tent/yurt structures, which can be removed during the flood season, November through April.

• At least one member of staff will be on site 24/7, and additional staff will usually be available.

• Parking will be provided on site and campers will be prohibited from parking along the front or in nearby residential neighborhoods.

Brian Bennett, a resident who led the movement opposing the project, said the website has reached nearly 1,300 visitors in the dozen days since it was posted and the group has posted signs along the Silverado Trail and distributed 2,000 flyers. .

A GoFundMe started by Bennett also raised $6,825 as of Thursday.

Bennett highlighted existing traffic safety issues on the Silverado Trail as a key concern. Over the past decade, he said, 46 traffic violations have been reported in the 1.1-mile stretch between Lincoln Avenue and Trancas Street, which runs through the project area, according to the Transportation Injury Mapping System. These include 18 unsafe speed violations, 10 DUIs and 17 incidents of hitting objects or people, he said.

“People drive fast, hit things and drink,” Bennett said.

City staff and representatives of the applicant responded to several of the concerns raised in emailed public comments at the Oct. 17 meeting.

Addressing fire concerns, city planner Ryder Dilley said visitors would only burn GoodWood, a wood product that generates fewer sparks than regular firewood. He added that staff would directly supervise safe burning practices, with fire extinguishers at each campsite and strict fire code compliance.

Bernie Korea, AutoCamp’s director of procurement, added at the meeting that they use special grills with a raised surface that protects against smoke and sparks, along with GoodWood, a bag that he said would burn for up to an hour.

“It really provides a very calming experience,” Corea said. “It burns very quickly, it’s not like traditional wood burning material, it’s really just for the environment, and we control and restrict it very strictly.”

Commissioner Beverly Shotwell said at the meeting that the project will protect the environment more than anything else it was zoned for, unless it’s a park. She agreed with some of the concerns, particularly traffic, but said she’s a fan of what AutoCamp does with its sites.

“You need to make sure that we respect the fact that the owner of the land has the opportunity to destroy it or do something very beneficial,” Shotwell told the crowd. “I can’t think of anything more beneficial.”

You can contact staff writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or [email protected].