Fire Safety
The addition of the Ecovillage project to the Angwin community will lessen the existing fire danger and make the community more fire-safe than it is today. The ability to recycle 100% of the wastewater for irrigation will allow the Ecovillage to create a lush, defensible green space around a significant portion of its perimeter that will protect it from wildfires, and rainwater storage collection will provide easily accessible water for firefighting.
Improved Safety Standards
New homes will be required to meet strict fire code building standards, as will replacement units for older existing PUC housing, considered less than safe from fire danger.
Upgrades To Fire Station
The project will contribute substantial funds to upgrade equipment and facilities for the Angwin Volunteer Fire Department, improving its capability to more effectively fight fires in the region. Additionally, the project will develop a comprehensive fire prevention and vegetation management plan for Angwin, including evacuation and shelter-in-place strategies.
Reducing Fire Danger
In addition to conscientious, ongoing forest management practices to maintain low levels of fire hazard, landscapes will be designed to create fire-safe environments using fire-resistant plants. While hand labor is expected to be more frequently used nearest structures, grazing animals, machinery with skilled operators along with the careful application of controlled fire and selection of trees to be removed are all possible methods to remove unwanted fuels.
Construction of ignition-resistant structures is the foundation of the fire safety program in the Ecovillage project area. The interior of all new buildings will also be fitted with fire-suppression sprinklers. Because of the elevated safety on-site, residents and visitors in the project could be safe to stay, under the fire department’s care, if an incident occurred.
Increased Staffing
New homeowners can be expected to join the ranks of the Angwin Volunteer Fire Department, increasing present staffing and improving response capability.
Police Services
The Napa County Sheriff’s Office, which provides police services to the Angwin area, has stated that Angwin will be a much safer community with the addition of the Angwin Sheriff’s Substation than it is today.
The substation will be located in the Village Square, facing Howell Mountain Road. The project will be providing approximately 1,500 square feet of office space for this purpose.
The Sheriff plans a program of “community policing” for Angwin, whereby the same officers will be assigned to the community, which he states encourages familiarity between the department and local residents, and deters crime.
Public Safety Partnership
The Sheriff’s Office plans to coordinate with Pacific Union College security and other local public safety services to staff the office on a daily basis, to provide a program of coordinated public safety services to the area and to give residents immediate access to law enforcement personnel.
The high-visibility location and presence of the substation, officers, and patrol cars, will discourage speeding along Howell Mountain Rd. through Angwin, and will act as a crime prevention asset for the community.
Shortened Response Time
It is estimated by the Sheriff’s Office that response time to emergency calls in the Angwin area will be cut significantly, from up to 45 minutes currently, to an almost immediate response. The new substation location will cut response time to Pope Valley and Berryessa, and other upvalley areas as well.
Walking and Biking Safety Enhancements
Through a coordinated program of engineering, enforcement and education, an extensive network of walking and biking paths will provide a safe alternative means for residents to move about the community without the use of a vehicle.
Safety provisions will include narrowed roadway sections to control speed on Howell Mountain Road, curb extensions, marked crosswalks, reduced speed limits and other measures. Components of the National Center for Safe Routes to School programs and strategies will be incorporated into the project to further provide for child pedestrian safety.
Above: Wide pedestrian paths, clearly marked crosswalks, bicycle lanes and a narrowed roadway are safety measures illustrated in this artist’s rendering of an improved, scenic entrance to the Angwin community.