The French Laundry and the Town of Yountville are in conflict over a 2025 sidewalk replacement project on Washington Street, which runs along the restaurant’s private culinary garden located across the street from the restaurant, and whether the town should pay for yet another replacement.
French Laundry representatives filed a claim in March calling on the town to pay at least $111,411 for damages caused by the curb, sidewalk and gutter replacement project not meeting town standards — including about $69,000 for estimated costs for another sidewalk replacement project, around $41,000 for attorneys fees and expert analysis — which they argue has caused drainage issues, standing water, erosion of a slope and runoff into the Napa River.
But Yountville town attorney Gary Bell wrote in a Feb. 5 response that maintenance on the sidewalk is ultimately the French Laundry’s responsibility. The town also disagrees that any repairs or maintenance on the new sidewalk are needed, Bell wrote, and the sidewalk was replaced in accordance with applicable standards.
“If French Laundry Partners feels differently or repairs and maintenance are needed, French Laundry partners is responsible for that work and may commence work at its own expense after securing all necessary permits and approvals from the town,” Bell wrote.
The Yountville Town Council met Tuesday, April 21, to discuss the claim in a closed session meeting, but didn’t take any reportable action on the item, according to town clerk Hilary Gaede.
Much of the claim centers around an easement: a portion of the sidewalk is on garden property, and the French Laundry granted the town an easement for that area to facilitate the replacement.
A March 30 letter sent to the town by Joshua Devore, an attorney representing French Laundry Partners, claims the project caused a range of issues that breached a “contractual obligation” tied to the easement to replace an existing asphalt sidewalk and install a new sidewalk up to town standards.
But instead, “the old asphalt pathway was not removed; but rather a new sidewalk was placed on top of the old path way,” Devore wrote.
“Elevation and slope defects altered historical drainage patterns, created a damming effect that prevents surface flows from reaching the public stormwater system, and resulted in standing water, erosion of the newly created slope west of the sidewalk, and sediment-laden runoff ultimately flowing to the Napa River,” Devore wrote.
Devore added that the project has caused accessibility problems — steep drop-offs, a too-high sidewalk, large gaps that create a tripping hazard, among others — that put the town and the French Laundry at risk of liability.
Bell wrote that the flooding and drainage issues long predate the town’s replacement of the sidewalk. He cited two lawsuits. A cyclist in 2018 alleged he was injured when he fell on a “persistently wet” section of the Napa Valley Vine Trail on the French Laundry garden side of Washington Street “that had accumulated water and algae from the French Laundry Garden property.” And a pedestrian in 2024 alleged that while walking on the sidewalk, he fell into a utility box with a missing cover “caused by flooding and drainage issues originating from the French Laundry Garden property.”
“The Town’s installation and construction of the new sidewalk in fact improved these conditions and reduced the risk of future injuries due to flooding and drainage issues,” Bell wrote. “French Laundry Partners’ attempt to shift responsibility for these issues to the Town after so many years is misplaced.”
You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.
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