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Latest News from Save Yountville Hill
Mary Ann Moffitt | May 1, 2015 on: Yountville Hill

How can you help support Save Yountville Hill?

Save Yountville Hill recently gathered a group of its core supporters to update them on the status of the Yountville Hill Winery project application. Subsequent to that meeting, the County of Napa issued notification that the “scoping” for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) required for the project’s continued consideration will begin with a public meeting on Wednesday May 13, 2015 @ 1:30pm, at the below address.

You are encouraged to participate in this process.

Napa County Administration Building
1195 Third Street, Suite 305
Napa, California

Click here for a summary of the current status of the project application.
Click on the following links to see:
County's Notification of Preparation
and the revised Project Statement submitted by the Applicant.


Save Yountville Hill remains committed to opposing the establishment of an exploitive, tourist-serving commercial facility on this highly visible and environmentally sensitive 10.9-acre site within Napa County’s Agricultural Preserve, and will evaluate the revised project application to ensure that the integrity of the County’s zoning and conservation regulations are maintained.

Participation in Agricultural Protection Advisory Committee (APAC)

In April 2015, the Napa County Board of Supervisors appointed members to the recently formed Agricultural Protection Advisory Committee (“APAC”). APAC is an advisory body of the Napa County Planning Commission, and was formed to evaluate and make policy recommendations on Napa County’s Winery Definition Ordinance (WDO) and other regulations governing winery development within Napa County.

Save Yountville Hill is pleased to have Bruce Phillips sit on the committee as a voting member.

APAC began semi-monthly meetings on April 13 and is scheduled to deliver its policy recommendations to the Napa County Planning Commission in September 2015. These policy recommendations will involve the following topics:
  1. Minimum parcel size for new wineries
  2. Minimum percentage of grapes used in the winery to be grown on-site (i.e. an estate grape requirement)
  3. Requirement that new or expanded wineries result in no net loss of vineyards
  4. Requirement that a majority of winery employees be directly engaged in vineyard or production operations
  5. Permissibility of variances for road and stream setbacks for new wineries
  6. Requirement that wineries include the number of temporary events in their use permit approval as part of its marketing plan
  7. Development standards for wineries located in the Agricultural Preserve and Agricultural Watershed zoning districts

APAC meetings are open to the public and provide for public comment on matters before the Committee.

How can you help support Save Yountville Hill?

Financial Contributions

Save Yountville Hill appreciates the dedication over the past year of its roughly 700 members who successfully appealed the decision to approve the Yountville Hill Winery, and hopes that we may continue to rely on your support as we move forward. Having expended almost $80,000 to date to oppose the project, Save Yountville Hill is grateful for the broad financial support we have received from the community.

It is anticipated that Save Yountville Hill will require an incremental $100,000 to ensure that whatever project is approved for the site is consistent with Napa County’s zoning and conservation regulations, which were designed to protect agricultural and viewshed lands from the impacts associated with commercial, tourist-serving development.

Support Save Yountville Hill by making a secure PayPal donation here

Participate in the Process:
Save Yountville Hill continues to welcome the vocal support of our position, and encourages those able to participate to attend the upcoming EIR Scoping Session on May 13, 2015. Alternatively, written comments regarding the impacts of the proposed project may be submitted to the below address:

Napa County Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Department
Attention: Sean Trippi
1195 Third Street, Suite 210
Napa, CA 94559
Telephone: (707) 299-1353
Fax: (707) 299-4235
Email: sean.trippi@countyofnapa.org

Thank you for your continued support.