The Carneros Inn

The first resort constructed in Napa County, California, in over 20 years, the 27-acre (10.9-ha) Carneros Inn is the result of a decade-long planning and outreach initiative between the developer, Carneros Partners, and the local government and residents of the surrounding agricultural community. The project–on the site of a former mobile-home park–was developed under existing zoning regulations so as to avoid a costly and complicated rezoning process, necessitating innovative design strategies. The resort community–which features 86 guest cottages, ten suites, 24 for-sale homes, 17 fractional ownership units, and three restaurants–imposes a minimal impact on the environment with an on-site wastewater treatment plant, geothermal heating and cooling, and a rainwater recycling system.