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SCR March 2015 Update
SCR March 2015 Update
Bill Hocker | Mar 1, 2015 on: Soda Canyon Road
March 2015 Update
Members and friends of the Soda Canyon Community,
Several things of import are upcoming.
Wed. Mar 4th (tomorrow): Krupp Bros Winery at the Planning Commission
Late Breaking: Application withdrawn for fear of having existing visitation reduced!! Visitation drives every winery decision now. And, although Jan Krupp was submitting the application, the Krupp brothers aren't even the owners of the property any more! In any case this is a modest victory!
For those of us on Soda Canyon Road a familiar name is coming before the planning commission. Dr. Jan Krupp, former resident and still grape grower extraordinaire on the road is applying for a use permit to move his already-approved winery on the Silverado Trail just south of the Soda Canyon junction to another location on the site that encroaches on the 600' setback established for wineries on the Trail. He also appears to be asking for a doubling of the winery's visitation numbers. If you would prefer not to have yet another vineyard occupied by a building, or are opposed to even more tourists making the pilgrimage from his new winery to the vineyards at the top of Soda Canyon Road.
Krupp Bros Winery Agenda item 9B
The location is here
Tues. Mar 10th: Napa County Development Forum
The process to define what our neighborhoods will be like in the coming decades begins on March 10th with a joint Planning Commission-Board of Supervisors community forum It is the first meeting in a lengthly discussion on, essentially, the future of Napa County. It is a public forum, and every individual or group that is concerned about that future is encouraged to attend. It has just been announced that the forum will take place on Mar 10th at the Napa Valley Unified School Auditorium beginning at 9:45am
Vision 2050
The grand coalition of community groups and individuals that formed last month to work together to protect the rural and agrarian character of their communities and of the county as a whole has been named Vision 2050. The Soda Canyon community group, Protect Rural Napa, will be contributing to the Vision 2050 effort to present a unified voice for residents at the upcoming Development forum.
The Caves of Soda Canyon Update
The "very minor modification" is going to be given a public hearing before the planning commission! I will let you informed about the date. In the meantime letters may still be sent to county planner Suzie Gambill
The Caves of Soda Canyon has requested a very minor modification from the county to recognize and allow an unpermitted portal to their caves. The additional portal was dug straight through the ridge to access an also-unpermitted terrace overlooking the Napa Valley. The county is accepting letters of opposition or support through March. Contact planner Suzie Gambill at the County. Protest letters are shown in the comments on the the SCR Caves Page
The notice of intent is here
The drawings are here
Mountain Peak Update
The county planner on the project, Sheveta Sharma, indicated last month that once the project has been resubmitted it would be several months before they have completed their review. She has just indicated that it has not yet been resubmitted and that a notice to neighbors within 1000' of the project would be notified at the time of re-submission.
Finally
Community involvement in the last year has managed to change the climate at the county government from a concentration on increased development to a concern for the undesirable future that development is creating. Your voice matters to the future we will all share on Soda Canyon Road and in the rest of the County. Write letters, make a sign, speak or just show up at the meetings. You may also log in on the SodaCanyonRoad.org website and add comments or email them to me and I will add them.
Bill Hocker
March 2015 Update
Members and friends of the Soda Canyon Community,
Several things of import are upcoming.
Wed. Mar 4th (tomorrow): Krupp Bros Winery at the Planning Commission
Late Breaking: Application withdrawn for fear of having existing visitation reduced!! Visitation drives every winery decision now. And, although Jan Krupp was submitting the application, the Krupp brothers aren't even the owners of the property any more! In any case this is a modest victory!
For those of us on Soda Canyon Road a familiar name is coming before the planning commission. Dr. Jan Krupp, former resident and still grape grower extraordinaire on the road is applying for a use permit to move his already-approved winery on the Silverado Trail just south of the Soda Canyon junction to another location on the site that encroaches on the 600' setback established for wineries on the Trail. He also appears to be asking for a doubling of the winery's visitation numbers. If you would prefer not to have yet another vineyard occupied by a building, or are opposed to even more tourists making the pilgrimage from his new winery to the vineyards at the top of Soda Canyon Road.
Krupp Bros Winery Agenda item 9B
The location is here
Tues. Mar 10th: Napa County Development Forum
The process to define what our neighborhoods will be like in the coming decades begins on March 10th with a joint Planning Commission-Board of Supervisors community forum It is the first meeting in a lengthly discussion on, essentially, the future of Napa County. It is a public forum, and every individual or group that is concerned about that future is encouraged to attend. It has just been announced that the forum will take place on Mar 10th at the Napa Valley Unified School Auditorium beginning at 9:45am
Vision 2050
The grand coalition of community groups and individuals that formed last month to work together to protect the rural and agrarian character of their communities and of the county as a whole has been named Vision 2050. The Soda Canyon community group, Protect Rural Napa, will be contributing to the Vision 2050 effort to present a unified voice for residents at the upcoming Development forum.
The Caves of Soda Canyon Update
The "very minor modification" is going to be given a public hearing before the planning commission! I will let you informed about the date. In the meantime letters may still be sent to county planner Suzie Gambill
The Caves of Soda Canyon has requested a very minor modification from the county to recognize and allow an unpermitted portal to their caves. The additional portal was dug straight through the ridge to access an also-unpermitted terrace overlooking the Napa Valley. The county is accepting letters of opposition or support through March. Contact planner Suzie Gambill at the County. Protest letters are shown in the comments on the the SCR Caves Page
The notice of intent is here
The drawings are here
Mountain Peak Update
The county planner on the project, Sheveta Sharma, indicated last month that once the project has been resubmitted it would be several months before they have completed their review. She has just indicated that it has not yet been resubmitted and that a notice to neighbors within 1000' of the project would be notified at the time of re-submission.
Finally
Community involvement in the last year has managed to change the climate at the county government from a concentration on increased development to a concern for the undesirable future that development is creating. Your voice matters to the future we will all share on Soda Canyon Road and in the rest of the County. Write letters, make a sign, speak or just show up at the meetings. You may also log in on the SodaCanyonRoad.org website and add comments or email them to me and I will add them.
Bill Hocker