Traci Tesconi
Permit & Resource Management Department
County of Sonoma
2550 Ventura Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
February 16, 2007
RE: File #PLP05-0010 Jess Jackson & Barbara Banke,
16701 Hwy. 128, Calistoga,
A.P.N 120-090-023; 120-040-011
Dear Traci,
The Knights Valley / Franz Valley Association's Board
of Directors is providing
initial comment on this application for 1) a Lot Line Adjustment to
allow additional buildings within the agricultural preserve 2) Use Permit
for a maximum 5000 case winery to include an attached public tasting
room with retail sales and 4 special events for up to 200 people.
Based on a review of the revised application referred
to our board of directors on
January 26, 2007 we wish to submit the following concerns:
1) The visitor serving land uses proposed for this project
would be precedent-setting for Knights
Valley. There have been no use permits for public tasting rooms and
industry events approved
in Knights Valley.
2) The project must be consistent with the overriding
policies and intent of the
Franz Valley Area Plan for agricultural and resource conservation.
3) Historic designation of the adobe and stone barn on
the property should be
pursued by the applicant and the county.
4) Errors need to be corrected within the application
and on future deed records.
See attached referral comment document with the highlighted addresses
and comments.
5) The community outreach meetings suggested in this application
have not taken place, but are
very much encouraged. Some of our residents received a letter from the
applicants in
December '06 indicating that the applicants will be scheduling a community
meeting in order
to present the revised project design and elicit additional input from
the residents. Once this
community meeting does take place we anticipate that additional community
suggestions and
comments will be forth coming (see letter attached).
Respectfully submitted,
Board of Directors of the Knights Valley / Franz Valley
Association
Craig Enyart, President
Wes Thollander
Herb Westfall
Bruce Meyer
Jaime Zukowski
Gloria Ball
John Pelkan