"I have reached out to each one of you; none of you has reached out to me. I've reached out to each one of you to have a conversation about this. I welcome conversations as you do. So, I'm available. Each one of you has my phone number; you know where I am every day."
"Keller and other local business owners had previously criticized the town for moving too fast on the project without taking feedback from business owners in the area. Keller has maintained his support for affordable housing, but he said that the building's studio-heavy, dormitory-style approach and lack of parking would not be attractive to workers."
Yountville's plan to convert an old elementary school into affordable housing for workers has been postponed following a successful referendum effort. The town clerk confirmed receipt of a referendum with sufficient verified signatures to suspend the zoning ordinance for the Yountville Commons project. Local opposition, particularly from French Laundry chef-owner Thomas Keller, cited concerns about inadequate communication from town leadership and the project's design. Keller criticized the studio-heavy, dormitory-style approach and insufficient parking provisions, though he maintained support for affordable housing generally. The referendum, organized by resident Jessi Bugden with 235 signatures, now allows the town council to either repeal the ordinance or place the matter before voters in November, potentially delaying the project further.
Read at SFGATE
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