Yet lining the square are a number of chi-chi boutiques and art stores. Voters, for one, are finding their best weapon may be the ballot box. Three times in the past decade, they have nixed efforts to expand Highway 101. Some towns imposed strict growth limits years ago. And whenever developers push for a new retail outlet, grocery store, inn or business center in an outlying burg, hackles are almost sure to rise.
Telecom companies are well aware of such concerns.
Still, some residents are wary of the changes taking place in the wine country. As long as they have a nice place to live and they're happy, they don't really care about a lot of things. But Mr. Game says the rapid growth that plagues many areas of California and may be spilling over into Napa is placing a heavier burden on those residents in terms of higher living costs and higher taxes for expanded sewer, water, fire, school and other services. Some argue that Napa County has done too good of a job selling itself, the consequences being too much commercial development, too many subdivisions and too many backups on local thoroughfares. The fact of the matter is, wine country denizens may scoff at Silicon Valley ways, but the changes in Napa-Sonoma suggest that at least some influences, for better or worse, are creeping northward.