A years-long process finally concludes
with a 3-2 split vote in favor of new regulations.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors met earlier today (March 14, 2023) to revisit the proposed Winey Events Ordinance. The hours-long discussion included a presentation from Permit Sonoma, questions and comments from board members, input from community members (on both sides of the issues) and the board’s discussion of concerns raised. In the end, the ordinance was approved with a narrow 3-2 vote and an unofficial plan to review the effects in 6 months to one year. Supervisors David Rabbitt, James Gore and Lynda Hopkins voted in favor of the ordinance, while Chris Coursey and Susan Gorin voted against.
Beginning in 2016, the Board of Supervisors charged Permit Sonoma with crafting legislation that would address new winery events and tasting room operations, insomuch as noise, parking, visitor capacity and food service impact the surrounding community. This meeting was a follow-up to one in November 2022, during which supes asked for clarity on key terminology such as “restaurant,” “event” and “hours of operation.”
Because this legislation has been debated and discussed for several years, today’s meeting was about finalizing very specific elements of the included wording. Primary among these was clarifying where the line is between food pairing and restaurant operations. Also, when does an after-hours gathering become an event — and what limitations should be in place regarding overflow parking and noise.
This legislation was written to piggyback on existing county rules, not supersede them. When in doubt about certain allowables, Permit Sonoma representatives referred questions back to what’s already codified in the county. With a move towards defining what’s not allowed (versus what is), and a civil debate among conflicting “I’ll know it when I see it” viewpoints, the board was able to finalize the last existing pieces of terminology and move the ordinance forward for a vote.
The approved ordinance defines key terms and sets standards for winery events and standard daily operations (“winery visitor serving activities”) while protecting agricultural lands and the unique character of unincorporated communities and areas. Operating standards for sizing, hours of operation, third party rentals, onsite parking, food service, traffic management and compliance with General Plan noise limits are included. The ordinance will apply to new and modified use permit applications for winery visitor serving uses and will be used by Permit Sonoma staff and decision makers when considering new and modified use permit applications for winery visitor serving uses.
To view to ordinance, visit Permit Soma or click here.
