Bill Hocker | Jun 26, 2024

Update 6/26/24

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NVR 6/26/24: Napa County vineyard appeal case ends in settlement
6/25/24 BOS meeting video (discussion begins at 1:30 into the video)

Hopefully this represents a trend that might be codified in future ordinances: that developers of large pieces of land in Napa have an obligation not only to their own economic benefit, but also an obligation to actively sustain Napa County's natural beauty and resources for the benefit of future generations in their proposals.

Update 2/29/24 KJS & Sorrento Appeal

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NVR 2/29/24: KJS/Sorrento is Napa County's next vineyard appeal case

An appeal to the approval of the project brought by the Center for Biological Diversity was continued by the board of supervisors on 2/27/24 to a new date of 5/7/23.
Notice of Appeal Hearing

1/26/24

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Laurie Claudon LTE 1/26/24: Vineyard project needs more transparency, scrutiny

This LTE from Laurie Claudon made me look up the project. I realized that Kellie Anderson brought up this project some time ago. (her 2021 EIR comment letters are here) She labeled it "a sleeper", and it has been; the FEIR was approved in November 2023 with no controversy at the same time the much smaller Le Colline vineyard rejection in August was still being mulled over in the press. It is a huge project and deserved much more scrutiny that it received.

I feel remiss in not having documented as it made its way through the meat grinder and will do so now.

Notice of Decision Letter 11/3/23
FEIR Documents (state website)
DEIR Documents (state website)
All documents (county website)
Notice of Preparation of Draft EIR 9/18/18

This is the the cover of the EIR. I can't help being struck by the beauty of the existing habitat that is about to be destroyed (similar to the photo on the Walt Ranch EIR). It's unclear what intention the consultants have in showing what is being lost as the roads are cut, the trees bulldozed, the prison of fences and trellises hammered in, the power poles and lines strung. It seems almost a perverse statement of their destructive intentions.

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