MIDDLETOWN — The largest land-holding winery in the county, Langtry Farms, is planning an 18-hole golf course on the winery property located on Butts Canyon Road.
The Lake County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider approval of the project at its Feb. 28 meeting. Langtry is seeking to rezone land planned for the golf course. Of that land, 195 acres would be rezoned from agriculture to rural lands; 49 acres from rural residential to rural and 336 acres will stay rural.
“We”re making it consistent so all of the development will be rural lands,” Langtry Farms President Chuck Doty said. Nearby, 35 acres of vineyards would be rezoned to agricultural soil.
On the drawing board for more than a year, the plan would help the winery obtain sales needed to boost its production from 150,000 cases of wine to 500,000 cases annually, which Doty says the winery is capable of doing.
In addition, Langtry seeks a use permit that would allow 18 special events per year. “These would be tied into community events, essentially fundraisers to be held at the golf course,” Doty said, which includes a club house and maintenance building in its plans.
He said the golf course would not compete with the nearby Hidden Valley Lake 18-hole golf course because it will be for the private use of Langtry Farm”s clientele?wine buyers who would bring more business to the winery and county, Doty said.
“Our success as an agricultural enterprise hinges on our ability to improve and expand our vineyard”s production. The golf course will help us in our effort to make Langtry a wine country and outdoor pursuit destination that will attract industry buyers that can impact substantially our sales and marketing efforts for Lake County agricultural products,” Doty said.
So far, feedback from the community has been positive, Doty said.
In November, Sierra Club Lake Group Chair Victoria Brandon wrote in support of the project to the Planning Commission, but said Tuesday the group has not taken a formal position for or against the project. She said some board members don”t support the plans. “Some think the attempt to build a golf course and rezone the lands could be the first step in the direction of a housing development,” Brandon said.
Langtry Farms has been owned by Honolulu-based Malulani Investments Ltd, formerly known as Magoon Estates, for more than 40 years. During that time frame, Langtry Farms has “looked at several projects, including residences, and they have all been eliminated from the drawing board with the exception of a golf course,” Langtry Farms Director of Hospitality Sandy Tucker said.
“With the course, they will get more notice among high-end wine buyers,” Brandon said.
“If they succeed, it will have an effect on the rest of the grape growers. If we can get better prices?this industry can be much more viable?without ripping up more native habitat.”
According to Doty, the golf course will need no more water than is currently used to irrigate the pasture lands.
The Lake County Farm Bureau has not yet taken a position on the project, but expects to discuss it at its board meeting next Wednesday night. “It”s up to the board to decide what they want to do, if they want to take a position or not,” Executive Director Chuck March said.
If approved by the Planning Commission, the next step will be approval from the Board of Supervisors. Following county approvals, the new golf course is expected to open in July 2009.
In anticipation of the project”s approval, Langtry Farms announced Tuesday its appointment of Johnny Pott, a golf champion and expert in golf course design to oversee the golf courses design, construction and operation.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
