Bill Hocker | Oct 20, 2014

As she has previously, Sandy Ericson of the St. Helena WIndow brings to our attention the clearest examples of the issues facing Napa in containing the development trends that threaten our rural economy. This article from the Sonoma Press Democrat has direct comparisons to the tourism winery development in Napa:

Sonoma County cracks down on Bella Vineyards

From the article and directly related to our project on Soda Canyon Road :

"With increasing demand for events in bucolic vineyard settings, neighborhood groups and others are pushing officials to crack down on wineries operating outside what their permits allow. Critics also want the county to reassess winery permits, placing a heavier weight on characteristics like size and conditions of roads, as well as environmental factors such as water availability and noise. Wine industry groups, too, have been asking for clearer definitions for types of events currently permitted."

Amen.

I have to admit, after reading the online comments to the article, the citizenry of Sonoma County seems pretty hostile toward the preservation of an agrarian economy, making the Planning Department action all the more commendable .

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