Terre Logsdon – Record-Bee staff
LAKEPORT Ceago del Lago, Jim Fetzer s organic and biodynamic vineyard and tasting room in Nice, has received the Board of Supervisors blessing to proceed with the development of a spa, hotel, restaurant, retail and winemaking facility, condominiums and rentals at the Northshore location.
This is a project that is so good, District 1 Supervisor Ed Robey said, it s been supported by the Sierra Club and the Farm Bureau.
The board approved rezoning the acreage on the east side of Highway 20 from Agriculture to Planned Development Residential, which will include 63 clustered condominiums on the perimeter of the current vineyard. It also will add a winemaking facility with a Clear Lake appellation which half of the current release wines now carry.
On the lakeshore, the board approved the rezone from Agriculture to Planned Development Commercial. This area will include construction of a 50-room hotel and cafe, spa, 50 cottage-style casitas, modifications of current buildings to include a restaurant, meeting space and retail store, while maintaining agricultural use and the riparian habitat along the shore.
There is no proposal to develop a beach, Deputy Community Development Richard Coel said, and riparian vegetation will not be removed.
Sierra Club Lake Chapter Chair Victoria Brandon voiced her approval for Fetzer s plans. This one we like. It has economic potential for the county without destroying but actually building upon what we have.
During his presentation, Fetzer explained that Ceago del Lago is green development and should be used as a model for development in Lake County.
People are really concerned about the natural environment, Fetzer explained, and they should be.
Ceago del Lago already uses building materials such as Rastra a recycled plastic that minimizes the use of cement and insulates well and methods of organic and biodynamic farming that utilizes on-farm resources to support their business. This includes distilling their lavender as a spa treatment and using chickens as a pest-deterrent in the vineyards.
Fetzer assured the board that Ceago del Lago will continue to be a model for sustainable development.
The ag community, for the last four to five years, has been struggling with the definition of agritourism, said Chuck March, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau. It would be great if others in the county could model this project. We see it as a positive for agriculture in Lake County.
Josh Metz, Ceago s director of sales and business development, believes that this development will not only be positive for agriculture in the county, but that it will be an international model for agritourism development.
But in a county where development has been an often divisive issue, not everyone accepted Fetzer s vision wholeheartedly.
It s better that we do it right than do it wrong, said Jeff Shaw, a neighbor who expressed his concerns to the board. But has anyone asked, is it better that we don t do it all?
Shaw said that he had mixed emotions about the project, primarily because, we were told before this is done, there will be a full EIR (environmental impact report) but the incremental nature of this causes me some concern.
He added, It s nice what you re calling them, casitas , Shaw said, but it is still condos on ag land.
A full EIR was not completed, Deputy Community Development Richard Coel said, because all of the potential impacts have been mitigated … in accordance with the California Environmental Act.
Coel acknowledged to the board that the project did generate some controversy during the area planning meetings.
The EIR had to address issues of converting ag land that was a sticking point but, if anything, this plan enhances the ag …What Mr. Fetzer has come back with is grander it exceeds our expectations.
That sentiment was expressed by most of the board and most of the public who spoke about the project, although there were some additional concerns.
One of those concerns involved water, and where Ceago would get it.
Brandon of the Sierra Club said, This would be a wonderful opportunity to do something about the water issues on the Northshore … for the benefit of the whole community.
In response to her remark, District 3 Supervisor Gary Lewis explained that there were already conversations going on with Northshore water providers and other wineries.
Annie Barnes, another Ceago neighbor, said she hopes to see some good will from Fetzer in the form of reduced prices for nonprofit groups to rent the facilities, as the current price of $3,500 for four hours is out of reach for most local groups.
Near the end of the discussion, and before the board voted unanimously to approve the project, Robey said, I commend our staff. Mixed use is a very progressive approach.
Contact Terre Logsdon at tlogsdon@record-bee.com.
