The future of American Canyon’s eucalyptus grove remains anyone’s guess as the city takes the first step to annex the land, home to American Canyon Paintball Jungle.

The American Canyon Planning Commission on Thursday recommended the annexation of 106 acres of land thickly forested with eucalyptus on the northwest edge of town, along with 30 acres of city-owned open space called Clarke Ranch West.

A stretch of Commerce Boulevard that runs between the eucalyptus grove and Clarke Ranch West is set to become an emergency road. The road is now closed to traffic.

While developers have eyed the 106-acre grove property in the recent past, no project is in the pipeline either with the city or Napa County.

Napa County agreed a year ago the land should be annexed to the city. But the private ownership of the land, and who is responsible for clean-up and upkeep of the property, has been the focus of litigation in Napa County Superior Court for most of the past decade.

In December Paint Ball Jungle submitted an application to extend its existing use, according to John McDowell, deputy director for the Napa County Planning Department. “That application was deemed incomplete and the county has not heard back from the applicant,” he said Monday.

The 106 acres, zoned agriculture watershed, are slated to be zoned commercial recreation in the city. According to American Canyon Community Development Director Brent Cooper, the shift represents no change to accepted use on the site today.

Agriculture would be allowed, as would the construction of a winery, recreational facilities, a campground or an animal shelter.

On Thursday, David Couch, a member of the family that has owned the land for decades, asked American Canyon’s Planning Commission to postpone its vote in order for his family to study the implications of an annexation.

As an alternative, he asked that the city allow his family to build a house on the 106 acres once they are rezoned. He and his lawyer, Robert Shantz, noted that the county’s current zoning rules allow for the development of one single-family home.

The commission agreed to allow the house.

Mary Lou Miller, a resident on nearby Wetlands Edge Road, expressed concerns over the future of the property, including the possibility that Commerce Boulevard could be opened to traffic.

“You talk about a recreational area. But what does that mean?” she asked the commission.

About five years, ago, developers Richard Hess and Steve Brock sought city approval to master plan the Oat Hill area, including the grove. The preliminary plans included residential areas, a sports complex and a fire station. The plans have been shelved for more than a year, but Hess on Thursday urged the planning commission to recommend the proposed land annexation into the city.

A lawyer for Brock in April voiced support for the annexation of the Couch property.

On Monday, Hess, who wants to build a winery near the top of Oat Hill, stressed he has no plans for the grove. “I have no interest in that property,” Hess said.

In October, the city’s annexation plans will come before the City Council and the Airport Land Use Commission, a state-mandated panel that reviews proposed land use compatibility with the airport’s activities.

As a final step, the Napa Local Agency Formation Commission, the agency that approves boundary changes in Napa County, will have to OK the annexation of Clarke Ranch West and the eucalyptus grove into the city, possibly early next year.