Planning Commission to review draft Winery Events Ordinance on May 19

The Sonoma County Planning Commission will continue its consideration of a draft Winery Events Ordinance during a virtual public hearing on May 19 at 1:05 PM.

The draft ordinance would apply to new and modified use permit applications for winery visitor-serving uses in agricultural zoning districts outside of the Coastal Zone. 

The wine and tourism industry plays an important role in Sonoma County’s culture and economy. However, an overconcentration of winery events can negatively impact surrounding communities. Permit Sonoma seeks to balance these interests with new regulations for winery events. 

The Planning Commission took up the draft ordinance on June 3, 2021 and directed staff to return with a new table that compares the proposal with existing Citizen Advisory Council/Commission guidelines for winery visitor-serving uses. Permit Sonoma invites all interested persons to attend and provide comments.

The draft ordinance, comparison table and public comments previously submitted to Permit Sonoma are available at Permit Sonoma, 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95403l. They are also available digitally through the Winery Events website.

The Planning Commission public hearing will be conducted via video conference on May 19 beginning at 1:05 PM. No in-person commenting will be held. Members of the public may watch, listen and participate in the hearing through Zoom or by phone. In addition, written comments may be submitted until May 18 at 5 PM via email at PRMD-VacationRentals@Sonoma-County.org.

The agenda for the virtual Planning Commission hearing and project staff report will be posted one week prior to the hearing on the Planning Commission calendar.

For more information about the public hearing, to submit comments, or to review project files digitally, members of the public are encouraged to email the county at PRMD-WineryEvents@sonoma-county.org, call (707) 565-1900, option 5, or visit the project website at https://permitsonoma.org/regulationsandinitiatives/wineryevents

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Contact Information: 
Bradley Dunn, Policy Manager 
Bradley.Dunn@sonoma-county.org
2550 Ventura Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 321-0502