Bill Hocker | Aug 21, 2015

Agenda and Documents for APAC #10

The final meeting of the APAC will take place on Mon. Aug 24th, 9:00am at the County building. There were high hopes that that this would be a transformative process. Those hopes are fading.

Director Morrison's Proposal Z regarding winery use permit compliance passed untouched through the committee. It is the most concrete proposal that the committee has approved, but the reality is that it would have been presented to the planning commission for review with or without APAC review or approval. It is important, though hardly transformational, that the committee thinks the county should enforce its ordinances.

All other actions thus far by the committee have been to defeat reform proposals or, like the mild admonition on the use of setback variances, marginal tools to control winery proliferation.

The two issues that might have represented significant proposals from the committee, the redefinition of agriculture to remove the equivalency of crop processing and marketing activities in its definition (just dropped by Eve Kahn), and the adoption of Framework X parameters with restricted visitation and capacity for given parcel size and location, were both defeated.

Fortunately, the original Framework X, if I have interpreted correctly comments at the last PC meeting, will still go on to the planning commission for review on Sept 2nd, perhaps with some modifications that come out of the final APAC meeting.

Proposals have still been coming in from committee members:

Harvest Duhig has introduced an almost empty version of the framework for APAC #10 to allow the committee to again to vote on the concept if not the substance of the document. It's not empty however - it includes a by-right "CEQA" small winery definition from the County's local procedures for implementing CEQA (Appendix B page 2). This definition has less restricted capacity and visitation than 10 acre parcels under framework X. (Where did this provision come from? and when? Wineries are not in the categorical exemptions of CEQA §15303)

Mayor Dunbar has also introduced a new set of winery definition parameters. As much as I respect Mr. Dunbar in his efforts for the committee, it would be a great disappointment if this last minute proposal were approved. The provision that defines the total development area on a parcel regardless of use and the prohibition of hold and haul are desirable. The green bonus (for the phony LEED certification) is a giveaway. The small winery definition which doesn't limit t&t or marketing events seems no different than the status quo. A kitchen to be used only for certain things and not for others seems like an invitation for abuse and difficult to enforce. Although the 3:30 close time is a great idea it seems that it does not does not apply for marketing events which have much greater neighborhood impact day or night. And not making the restrictions retroactive means a run on the planning department in the next 4 months - the last thing needed now are more winery applications.

The Napa Valley Vintners, perhaps to deflect criticism after rejecting Framework X, have submitted a proposal to promote a One-Napa summit of the cities and the county to begin looking at long term development issues beyond just wineries. This was a goal of the Mar. 10th joint PC/BOS which hasn't happened because, as one supervisor confided, Napa City was uninterested until Napa Pipe was resolved. Napa Pipe, of course, doesn't set a hopeful model for city-county cooperation on other issues.

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