Sonoma County seeks feedback on proposed winery events ordinance
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors is set to consider the adoption of the Winery Events Ordinance on Mar. 14, 2023. The ordinance would establish new standards for winery events in the area, including parking requirements, food service guidelines, traffic management, and noise level controls to mitigate the impact of winery visitor-serving uses on agricultural land.
New and modified use permits would be subject to the new standards, while existing permits would not be impacted. Permit Sonoma, the county's permitting agency, would use the new standards to evaluate individual projects and their impacts on the surrounding community.
The goal of the Winery Events Ordinance is to provide consistency and clarity to the use permit evaluation process, reduce impacts to neighboring properties, protect agricultural lands, and preserve the rural character of the area. The draft ordinance is the result of years of feedback from stakeholders and communities across the county, with input received during numerous meetings and workshops.
While the Board of Supervisors did seek changes to the initial draft approved by the Planning Commission, members of the public will have an opportunity to provide comments and feedback at the upcoming meeting. The meeting will be open to the public both in-person and virtually, and those who cannot attend may send an email to PRMD-WineryEvents@sonoma-county.org or call (707) 565-1900, and select option 5.
The Winery Events Ordinance aims to balance the interests of wineries and the community in which they operate. The new standards aim to ensure that the wine industry can continue to thrive while addressing concerns related to the impact of winery events on the surrounding community and agricultural lands.
