Proposal
Statement
(revised
12-14-06)
Pelton
House Winery
PLP05-0010
APN 120-040-011 /
120-090-023(ptn)
Overview:
In
February 2005, Jess S. Jackson and Barbara R. Banke filed applications for a
Use Permit and Lot Line Adjustment with the
Context:
[K1]The site is situated on the
northerly side of Highway 128, east of
The
site presently lies on portions of two parcels totaling +656.5 acres in
area. As part of this proposal the two
parcels would be adjusted so that the winery and related improvements would lie
entirely on a single parcel of 107.6+ acres with the other parcel
comprising +548.7 acres. This is
further described by the lot line adjustment exhibit (sheet C2) submitted with
the project plans.
Proposal:
This
proposal requests a Use Permit and Lot Line Adjustment for a winery and tasting
room including the restoration/adaptive re-use of an historic winery. The applicant has redesigned the proposal to
reduce its size, to decrease its visibility, and to enhance the historical
preservation of existing structures.
Principal design changes include:
• Revision
of processing capacity from 10,000 cases to 5,000 cases.
• Relocation
of crush and fermentation activities along with the first year barrel chai to a
new, mostly below grade structure far removed from Route 128 and
neighboring residences.
• Restoration
of the historic stone winery at the front of the site as a small-scale second
year barrel chai, rehabilitation of the existing Folker residence, and the
addition of a small, connected support structure containing associated
mechanical, electrical, storage, toilet rooms and winery tasting room.
Among
other benefits, the redesigned proposal offers the following:
1) Activities
associated with grape delivery, crush, primary-fermentation and barreling down
will be located approximately 3/4 of a mile from Highway 128, within the
interior of the site. Such location
would minimize grading and visibility by placing approximately 75% of the
structure below grade.
2) The
redesign allows the Folker residence and historic stone winery to be restored
and adaptively reused with a small new supporting structure tucked in
between the two existing buildings. The
stone winery and support structure are connected by a trellised walkway. The proposed new structure is
just +2225 square feet, (about one half the size of the previous
proposal) of which +1025 square feet are dedicated to the winery tasting
room.
3) The
proposed structural retrofit concept of the stone winery required under the
building code (un-reinforced masonry) has been revised to keep existing walls
intact with minor re-grouting and stone replacement. The applicant will also consider alternate
construction techniques that maintain the exterior stone fascade.
4) The
revised restoration of the stone winery utilizes the concept of “attic” spaces
within the upper volume without adding a full second floor in keeping with the
historic design of the building before a fire destroyed the second floor.
5) Site
circulation has been redesigned to move the parking lot behind the Folker home,
to reduce its size, and to allow use of the existing driveway.
6)
A well will be drilled to serve the domestic needs of the winery at a
site located near the lower facility.
This location is in an area defined as “1-Major Groundwater Basin” on
Figure RC-2b of the Sonoma County General Plan.
7)
The limitation of up to four Special Events per year, with a maximum of
200 persons per event is retained.
This
revised project is further detailed on the accompanying plans prepared by BAR
Architects.
Summary
This
application requests a Use Permit and Lot Line Adjustment for a winery and
tasting room including the restoration/adaptive re-use of an historic
winery. The proposed promotional and
marketing activities within the tasting room are consistent with the General
Plan and Zoning Regulations. The Lot
Line Adjustment reduces the degree of non-conformity of an existing legal
parcel, and allows for the proposed facilities to be located on one lot.
Several
features of this proposal make it unique in the context of promoting
1) The
restoration and adaptive reuse of a historic winery building, badly in need of
repair.
2) The
introduction of a small support facility in association with existing
agricultural structures rather than the clearing and construction of all new
structures within the rural landscape.
Connection of the structures by trellised walkway creates a unified
grouping while differentiating the historic winery building as suggested by the
Landmarks Commission.
3) The
location of the facility not only in the context of the larger ranch but also
within the context of Kellogg and the
Policy / Zoning Discussion:
The
proposed winery complex is consistent with both the
A. General Plan - The proposed winery complex would
implement and further the following General Plan Goals, Policies and
Objectives:
• Policy AR-6d: Follow these guidelines for approval of visitor service use in
agricultural areas, such as wine or cheese tasting:
(1) The use is compatible with any agricultural
activity or existing residential use in the area.
(2) The use is compatible with existing
agricultural production activities in the area.
(3) The use will not require the extension
of sewer or water.
• Policy AR-6g: Concentrations of visitor serving uses in local areas, even if related
to surrounding agricultural activities, are detrimental to the primary use of
the land for the production of food, fiber and plant materials and may
constitute grounds for denial of such uses.
• Objective AR-1.1: Create and facilitate opportunities to promote and market agricultural
products grown and processed in
• Policy AR-1a: Permit a wide variety of promotional and marketing activities of
county grown and processed products.
• Goal AR-6: Allow new visitor service uses and facilities in some agricultural
areas but limit them in scale and location.
• Objective AR-6.2: Permit tasting rooms and stands for the sale and promotion of products
grown or processed in the County in all agricultural land use categories if
they support and do not adversely affect the agricultural production activities
of the area.
B. Zoning Regulations - The proposed winery complex is
permitted by the following Sections of the
• 26-06-020(g): Preparation of agricultural products which are not grown on site,
processing of agricultural products of a type grown or produced primarily on
site or in the local area, storage of agricultural products grown or processed
on site, and bottling or canning of agricultural products grown or processed on
site, subject, at a minimum to the criteria of general plan Policies AR-5e and
AR-5f.
• 26-06-020(j): Tasting rooms and other temporary, seasonal or year-round sales and
promotion of agricultural products grown or processed in the county subject to
the minimum criteria of general plan Policies AR-6d and AR6g. This subsection shall not be interpreted so
as to require a use permit for uses allowed by Section 26-06-010(g).
• 26-64-030(a)(5)(i) and (iii): Other new structures provided they are
subject to design review and
(i) They are
associated with existing structures [or]
(iii) The location
within the setback is necessary for the use.