LAKEPORT — The county appears close to amending portions of its zoning ordinance, after the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Tuesday indicated support for changes to topic areas including wine-related special events and farmers” markets.
Community Development staff drafted a proposed ordinance establishing changes to the Lake County Zoning Ordinance pertaining to wine-related special events, farmers” markets, wineries and tasting facilities, agricultural service establishments, green waste composting sites, multi-family residential density and zoning permit revocation.
The amendments would encourage economic development and “streamline the permitting processes and synchronize them,” Community Development Director Rick Coel told the BOS.
One wine-related change would allow local vineyard owners in certain zoning districts to apply for a minor use permit to construct a tasting facility on property with or without a winery. The stand-alone tasting room would have to exist on a site with at least 10 acres of producing vines.
Another set of changes would clearly define the three different types of wine-related special events: promotional (e.g., winemaker dinners), non-promotional (e.g., weddings) and amplified outdoor public events (e.g., concerts).
Farmers” markets would be allowed on developed sites in certain zoning areas with the approval of a zoning permit as opposed to a minor use permit, as currently dictated.
The markets would be approved for sites in commercially zoned areas with adequate facilities to accommodate peak-time customer levels and associated concerns, such as parking and fire suppression.
Markets in Agriculture (“A”) zoned sites with an existing permitted winery or agricultural service establishment and adequate facilities could also be approved.
Staff also proposed allowing commercial agricultural service establishments engaged in specific activities, such as equipment repair or custom meat cutting, in an “A” zoned parcel after approval of a minor use permit. The change to the “A” zone permitting process would match the established processes for other zoning districts.
Another amendment would allow green waste composting facilities on parcels of 10 or more acres in the Rural Lands district, following approval of a major use permit and subject to multi-agency and full environmental reviews.
One minor change would eliminate text regarding multi-family maximum residential density in the zoning ordinance that conflicts with language in the county”s General Plan, Coel said.
Zoning clearance and zoning permit revocations was the other area of recommended changes.
The amendments would allow the community development director to revoke zoning clearances or permits issued by staff that were later deemed to be fraudulent, result in violations of permit conditions or produce a danger to public health and safety.
The BOS added two modifications to the staff proposals. District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing suggested defining a minimum parcel size (of five acres) on which small wineries could be approved in the Suburban Reserve district.
Supervisors Anthony Farrington and Jeff Smith expressed interest in expanding the allowable size of incidental retail sales areas for small wineries or tasting facilities to 750 square feet. Staff recommended limiting such areas to 500 square feet.
The BOS indicated support for the proposed ordinance, with the two modifications, by voting 4-1 to waive the reading of the entire ordinance, having it read in title only, and to advance the second reading to the May 3 meeting. Rushing dissented.
Such ordinances typically go into effect 30 days after the second reading.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
