April 2018: WCA Supports Landmark's Use Permit Modification for Hop Kiln Estate
In 2018, the owners and representatives of Landmark Vineyards, new owners of Westside's historic Hop Kiln estate met with representatives of the Westside Community Association early in the process while restoring the historic structures and planning modifications to the 2015 Use Permit. The representatives understood WCAs and neighbor concerns, and modified their project to address road safety, noise and event-related issues.
The WCA Advisory Committee wrote the attached April 18, 2018 Letter, supporting the Landmark (Hop Kiln) project, as modified, including moving the driveway to provide adequate site and stopping distance. As with WCA's support of the DeVero Permit Modification to add a winery structure, there is often solution space when the Applicant and the community work together to reduce impacts.
On March 21, 2017 the new owners Landmark Estate Vineyards LLC withdrew the Appeal filed on April 9, 2015 and accepted entitlements within Resolution 15-006, and an application for 1 year extension of Use Permit. On June 5, 2017 the WCA Advisory Group submitted a letter with some questions as to the use of the new structures, and requesting an opportunity to review the entire plan, including the replacement of the canopy/tanks.
Nov - Dec 2018: Board of Supervisors' Approves Westside Farms Project
WCA representatives met with the applicant and County staff over the course of three years, working to reduce the scale and impacts from the proposed project given site constraints, historic resources, noise and road safety issues. The WCA August, 2017 Letter was submitted into the record prior to the September 21, 2017 Planning Commission Hearing, as were previous WCA letters (below) and a technical consultant letter outlining the deficiencies in the Noise Study. At the hearing, WCA representatives supported County Staff's original finding that the Uniform Rules for Ag Preserves (Williamson Act), do not allow the hospitality uses proposed for the Baling Barn, and submitted evidence that the Barn does not comply with the definition of "Guest Quarters" - it is a separate dwelling unit.
Community Groups Lost the Appeal - requirements of Williamson Act not resolved: A coalition of community groups, outside the Westside Area, appealed the decision to the Board of Supervisors, given the countywide policy issues associated with this project. The August 14, 2018 Appeal hearing was cancelled at 9:15 am as both the Appellants and Applicant submitted new information into the record that required review and response by County staff.
The Board of Supervisor's hearing was held late in the year, with Appellants requesting the project be reduced in scale and intensity. The Supervisors' approved the project, setting some difficult precedents countywide, let alone for areas of concentration.
Background: July 2015: In response to WCA concerns, the Ramey's provided a letter with information on certain aspects of their project, and the Deputy Director of Planning clarified a mutual-misunderstanding as to County policy.
On January 14, 2015, the Westside Community Association filed a letter of concern with the PRMD. Issues of concern include the Ramey's large scale proposed facilities located in the scenic corridor and moving their 60,000 case winery from its current location in Healdsburg with access to the Hwy 101 corridor, to our scenic, rural byway that is already burdened by an over concentration of winery-tasting-event facilities.
On December 2, 2014, the WCA Advisory Committee members presented a letter and testified at the joint Design Review and Landmarks Commission (historic properties) hearing. Our letter raised substantive issues relative to scenic corridor restrictions and the regulations concerning reconstruction of non-conforming structures.
2018 - 2019: Several Project Applications Withdrawn:
Toad Hollow Application Withdrawn Another new stand alone tasting-room application was filed for the Syar (Toad Hollow leases a building) property. The WCA Advisory Committee December 5, 2018 letter recommended this project be denied as there's little to no connection to local agriculture. In April, 2019 the Applicant withdrew the request for a Use Permit.
See Table of Applications for a list of all withdrawn applications.