The winery glut
on the web at: https://sodacanyonroad.org/forum.php?p=1104
Bill Hocker | Dec 3, 2015

At the Nov 2nd, 2015 Planning Commission meeting, Planning Director Morrison presented a brief review of projects in the planning department pipeline. A total of 51 new or major mod winery applications are currently under review. He noted that at the normal rate of Planning Commission review getting through the 51 would take 3 years. Of course the normal processing rate has been slowed a bit in the last 2 years. As he also noted, more projects will continue to be added in that time - the pipeline has not been shut off. And, as new restrictions based on the APAC recommendations are being considered for implementation by the Board of Supervisors, a surge of applications to get in under a wire may be expected as well.

The number of plutocrats and personalities in the world wishing to have a winery of their own in the Napa Valley is probably much larger than the 4500 parcels in the county available for such projects. Few of these projects will add to the wine output of the county. They will only subdivide that output into ever smaller brands, harder to sell in the wholesale chain. These vanity vintners will continue to demand tourism for retail sales and to exhibit their good-life identity, a trend encouraged by an ever expanding tourism industry wanting venues to drive demand, heedless of the impacts that tourism development is having on the rural character of the county and its agriculture based economy.

Supervisor Luce has already intimated that it is time to consider a permanent moratorium on new wineries in the Ag Preserve. The planning department is receiving applications faster than they can process them, also a reason for a moratorium. The BOS is considering changes to the General Plan regarding wineries, another cause for a moratorium while the changes are made lest there is a surge of applications.

It is time for a moratorium on winery development.

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