Napa County Rejects Winery Project

(Wines&Vines) - A proposed winery project of the type springing up in wine regions from Santa Barbara, Calif., to Washington state was soundly rejected by the Napa County Planning Commission on Wednesday, even while they acknowledged that it would be welcomed at another site.

Members even chastised the applicants for wasting the commission’s time with a completely unsuitable project.

The plan

The proposal was for a single custom-crush winery subdivided into 14 individual spaces spread between four buildings on a 12-acre site on Highway 29 between Drew and Maple lanes near Calistoga. The area now contains numerous non-conforming buildings and activities.

The project also would have boasted an event center and commercial kitchen as well as a water-treatment system and holding pond.

The site consists of eight non-conforming parcels, which would be merged into one of 11.84 acres, large enough to host a winery. (One narrow parcel holds a private road, to which neighbors have easements.)

The proposed winery cluster would have a residential appearance with typical local stone and wood buildings and landscaping. It would include a three-story tower reminiscent of the valley’s once-ubiquitous water towers. Numerous trees would be removed, including native oaks, but would be replaced two for one with trees native to the area.

Before the implementation of the Agricultural Preserve in 1968, the property was used for industry and commercial uses, which were allowed to continue unless abandoned, which some were, but not expanded.

The applicant was PD Development, whose partners include Dan Piña and Ignacio Delgado with consultant winemaker Cary Gott. Piña also owns Napa Wooden Box Co. The Flynnville Winery project, named after its former owner, petitioned to produce 300,000 gallons of wine per year. Napa County allows one winery per 10-acre parcel in its unincorporated agricultural preserve and agricultural watershed (hillside and mountain) zones, and typically allows production o about 20,000 gallons per small winery. The Flynnville site is partially in each zone. The group also asked for 33% coverage of the site with buildings and other development, whereas the legal limit is 25%. (Its 82,236 square feet of winery buildings were to include a 2,477-square-foot welcome center, a 4,015-square-foot hospitality building and 5,730 square feet of covered crush pad area as well as the individual winery spaces.) It also requested a maximum of 500 visitors per weekend day and 350 visitors per weekday plus one 500-person event per year, five 250-person events per year, eight 100-person events per year, eight 50-person events per year and two 25-person events per year.