Napa County supervisors approve sale of county fairgrounds to Calistoga

The Napa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the sale of the 70.6-acre Napa County Fairgrounds property to the city of Calistoga for $2 million.

The Calistoga City Council will need to also approve the deal for it to go through, which was negotiated in closed meetings last year by a committee of two supervisors and two council members.

Once approved, Calistoga would then potentially begin the process of deciding how to restore the ailing property to its glory days.

Napa County CEO Ryan Alsop said at the meeting Tuesday that Calistoga has committed to using the property consistent with historical uses, “such as fairs, events, RV parks, golf courses, race tracks and other community services.”

The deal has two caveats, however — aside from the sale price, which is considerably lower than a similar $15.9 million that fell apart in March 2023.

For one, the county will retain the right to repurchase the property from Calistoga for the same $2 million should the city change zoning on the property or seek to sell or lease it.

The county will also retain a roughly 1-acre tract of the fairgrounds land that’s being leased by the county to the Napa County Office of Education.

Supervisors and public commenters, including Calistoga Mayor Donald Williams, spoke positively of the deal. Williams said the Calistoga community was looking forward to reviving the fairgrounds property, which he said would take some time.

“The community that was generated there for decades invigorated our town and spread to the Upvalley and beyond,” Williams said. “We are looking forward to building on that tremendous history to revitalize the fairgrounds for the benefit of the entire region.”

Supervisor Anne Cottrell, who represents District 3 that includes Calistoga, wished the community good luck.

“Now the work begins,” she said. “I encourage you to be thoughtful in the process you set up to make the decisions. You have a lot of exciting and challenging decisions before you, and I look forward to exploring the way the county can support and partner with you going forward.”

You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.