LAKE COUNTY — Supervisors said Tuesday they support allowing vineyards to build wine tasting rooms even though the vintners don”t process the wine on site but made no decisions on zoning changes.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors also considered changing special events restrictions for tasting facilities to allow for at least three for-profit events every year.
Rick Gunier, who works with Shannon Ridge, said limiting events would not fit any tasting room business model.
“Winery growth has been good for the unemployment base,” Gunier said. “If we could help promote it, we would bring more jobs to the county.”
Community Development Director Rick Coel brought a number of possible zoning changes before the board Tuesday to ask for direction. He said he would work with four community members to develop the tasting room and special event changes and bring them back to the board. The people include Monica Rosenthal of the Lake County Winery Association, Chuck March of the Lake County Farm Bureau, Debra Sommerfield of County Economic Development and Gunier.
Supervisors and community members said some events such as barrel tastings or weddings at a secluded facility off state highways might have a low impact to neighbors versus loud events on private roads.
Supervisor Jeff Smith said he thinks weddings would be a great angle to bring people from out-of-county to experience the area.
Smith suggested allowing three for-profit events and having the business come back to the county for approval for three more.
Supervisor Rob Brown said he thinks some of the biggest concerns would be noise and parking.
County Administrator Kelly Cox said supervisors need to allow the department flexibility for economic development.
“If it”s a first-class operation, you don”t want to limit it to three events,” Cox said.
Dave Morin said he lives near the Moore Family Winery and though he “hates to be the resistance” he has concerns about its noise and the safety of the driveway.
Rosenthal said the best way to sell grapes to a producer is to be able to sell the wine label, which is marketed through special events like barrel tastings.
“Vineyards and wineries need to be able to do these sorts of things to stay alive,” Rosenthal said.
The proposed changes for tasting rooms would allow tasting facilities of 500 square feet or less on vineyards whether the company produces the wine on site or not. The vineyards would have to be on parcels of least 10 acres.
Supervisor Denise Rushing said she didn”t want there to be unintended consequences by allowing more tasting facilities, such as offering a “shoddier product.”
Brown asked what she considers a “shoddier product.”
“They won”t stay in business very long if it tastes nasty,” Brown said.
Sommerfield said small to medium wine labels need to sell the product directly to consumers in order to prosper.
Coel also asked for direction on a number of zoning changes, which the board initially agreed with, including: agriculture service establishments, green waste composting facilities, farmers” markets, commercial stables and riding academies, cargo containers, R3 revisions for housing element consistency, and zoning clearance and zoning permit revocation.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
