The Daily Journal
August 16, 2006

County Plants Seeds for Vineyard Zoning

by Michelle Durand

With three new vineyards sprouting in San Mateo County, the Board of Supervisors is considering specific zoning ordinances targeting chemicals, slope size and water use.

The push for zoning ordinances is not uncommon in more wine-oriented locales like Napa or Sonoma counties but increased interest in the venture has San Mateo County poised to mimic the rules.

The county shouldn’t look at whether vineyards themselves are a good fit for the county but rather how to manage them, said Chief Deputy County Counsel Mike Murphy.

Without regulation, the vineyards pose a “severe threat” to property values, said La Honda resident Bo Varga.

"The board gave the OK to craft an ordinance for possible vote at a later meeting.

Murphy suggested the county consider a watershed ordinance because it would address erosion, sediment control, water quality and quantity and habitat restoration.

The county staff focused on this possibility, giving them an edge if that is the plan developed, Murphy said.

Any new rules are unlikely to touch Clos de la Tech, a 20.6-acre vineyard under construction by Silicon Valley entrepreneur T.J. Rodgers, because an environmental review is being prepared and storage caves were created with permits. However, neighboring La Honda residents urged the Board of Supervisors not to grandfather in its exceptions while creating new guidelines for any future vineyards.

If San Mateo County allows steep slopes at Clos de la Tech, it will set a precedent both locally and statewide, said Toby McCleod, a La Honda resident who creates environmental documentaries.

McCleod showed the board slides of the vineyard, including diagrams of slopes between 45 and 70 degrees.

Clos de la Tech is the last of three county vineyards under consideration. The first, Alpine Road Vineyards in La Honda, was graded without permits in Fall 2001 and created significant erosion. The owners were ordered to spend $500,000 on off-site remediation.

Rhys Vineyard is in Santa Clara County but drainage flows under Skyline Boulevard into the upper watershed of Pescadero Creek. Neighbors threatened a lawsuit but eventually settled with the vineyard.

The Committee for Green Foothills has pushed for an ordinance since 2002, said Lennie Roberts.

In March, Supervisor Rich Gordon asked for more information on which Tuesday’s preliminary hearing was based.

Page last updated August 17, 2006 .