MONTEREY COUNTY — A proposed limit on kitchen and dining space emerged as a key unresolved issue Sept. 29 as Monterey County supervisors approved new rules for winery-related development, ending years of work to put an existing county land-use plan into practice.
Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the ordinance but directed staff to return within 90 days with additional information on kitchen and dining-area size limits, employee housing and groundwater concerns.
The debate over facility size centered on whether the rules would give wineries enough room to host events and serve larger groups.
Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, told supervisors that a 1,500-square-foot limit for kitchen and dining areas, including outdoor dining, could be too restrictive for wedding receptions and food service for as many as 150 people.
“Overall, we’re very satisfied with the way this has turned out,” said Groot, while expressing concern about the proposed size restriction.
Supervisor Chris Lopez also questioned the cap and asked staff to explore allowing as much as 3,000 square feet. However, Lopez said he did not want the size limit to delay an ordinance that had been years in the making.
“I don’t want that to stand in the way of what we’re going to do today,” Lopez said. “Waiting 16 years, I think, is long enough.”
The ordinance establishes zoning rules for three designated rural areas: River Road, Metz Road in the central Salinas Valley and Jolon Road in South Monterey County. It creates a zoning-clearance process for projects that meet specified development and design standards; proposals outside those requirements may need additional permits or review.
The framework allows up to 10 new full-scale wineries across the three areas, along with winery-related visitor activities and other uses. Events with 500 or more attendees are subject to a special-permit process.
Groot noted the rules provide flexibility for an industry facing an economic downturn and could help position wineries for future investment in tasting rooms and entertainment venues. He praised county staff for working through questions during the review.
“It allows for a lot of flexibility, which I think is really important, particularly as the winemaking industry recovers from the current economic depression that they are in,” Groot said. “It’s probably going to be several years before we get to that point, but this sets us up to be in the right place for that inclusionary development of these entertainment sites, as well as the wine-tasting rooms.”
Lopez said establishing a clearer process could make eligible properties more attractive to investors. He also pointed to the potential importance of the rules for South Monterey County, where the wine industry has faced difficult market conditions.
“(The ordinance is) a beginning point for folks to walk through the door and get one of these places stood up and start reviving an industry that we need in southern Monterey County,” he said.
The Agricultural and Winery Corridor Plan was included in the county’s 2010 General Plan, but a formal process for approving qualifying projects was still needed to put the framework into practice.
The Planning Commission recommended approval in August after seeking revisions and clarification. County staff said the ordinance implements the existing General Plan and falls within the scope of the environmental impact report certified for that plan.
