From Michelin to moaning: Napa chef blasts affordable housing effort

Plans to build workforce housing in one of Napa Valley’s most exclusive towns are running into resistance from a local dining scene powerhouse.

Thomas Keller, the well-known chef behind Yountville’s French Laundry, is asking town officials to pause a proposed housing project for local workers located just two blocks from his restaurant.

“I have reached out to each one of you; none of you has reached out to me,” Keller said at the town council meeting on Tuesday, wearing his chef’s uniform.

The Michelin-starred chef also pushed back against claims by local officials that he opposes the project outright.

“I am all for employee housing,” he said.

“Because I know some of you have been sending out the wrong message about, ‘I’m against employee housing.’ I am not. I am for employee housing, but I am for employee housing that is actually going to work.”

Critics have also flagged concerns about parking, the number of studio units, and the project’s hefty price tag, which could reach $60 million.

Keller told the council, “Let’s not spend so much money. Let’s get it right.”

Dubbed Youville Commons, the project would transform a former elementary school into a multi-unit complex tailored for hospitality workers in the area.

Town leaders say the development aims to address a growing crisis in this small wine country enclave: the people who keep its restaurants, hotels, and wineries running often cannot afford to live there.

While Keller agrees that workforce housing is important, he warns that the current plan may not actually help the people it is supposed to serve.

Keller’s comments are similar to those in a recent news release, in which he criticized the plans and said the “studio-heavy, dormitory-style approach” did not work for Yountville workers, reported SFGATE.

Town officials counter that the plan has already been shaped by years of public meetings and surveys as leaders grapple with the region’s widening housing gap.

The proposal is set to undergo further review by the town council in the months ahead.

The French Laundry is frequently ranked among the best restaurants in the world.

Keller bought the property and transformed it into a fine-dining restaurant in 1994. It offers a prix fixe tasting menu starting at $425 per person.