Glenn & Judy Schreuder | May 8, 2014

Here is an article to today’s paper:

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/pelosi-family-wins-delay-of-winery-project/article_b3f7252e-d68e-55cd-85ef-40ae556ea9ba.html

Excerpt:…In another action, the commissioners did vote to approve a 24,000-gallon winery to be built off Silverado Trail near the intersection of Deer Park Road that will be called Titus Vineyards and Winery.

They expressed concerns that the winery’s visitation and marketing plans were too large given the winery’s small production size. The developers sought a maximum of 60 visitors per day plus special events, but ultimately agreed to reduce that to 40 visitors daily and a maximum of 200 each week, plus special events.

Some commissioners said increased winery visitation requests, part of the increased reliance on direct-to-consumer sales in the Napa Valley wine industry, continues to raise problems of related impacts such as worsening traffic. They also questioned if they were straying from the intent of the Winery Definition Ordinance, a landmark 1990 county ordinance that mandates wineries maintain a connection to agriculture.

“Market conditions have changed faster than long-standing land-use policies at the county have been able to adapt,” Commissioner Matt Pope said. “It’s a new world, and I don’t think it’s the one the WDO anticipated 24 years ago.”

But Commissioner Mike Basayne said resolving these issues should be done at a policy level, which would require consulting with the Napa County Board of Supervisors. The Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors will be hosting a joint meeting May 22.

“I am not prepared to make this application the poster child for the tipping point for direct-to-consumer,” Basayne said. “The numbers continue to be more and more aggressive."

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