Tag: Hop Kiln Winery

Angela Hart, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Two controversial decisions in an increasingly contentious battle over winery development in Sonoma County are being appealed, placing the issue squarely before the Board of Supervisors.In Dry Creek Valley, a group of neighbors is contesting the Board of Zoning Adjustments’ decision to allow Ken and Diane Wilson to build a 25,000-case winery northwest of Healdsburg.
The zoning board on April 16 approved the Wilsons’ permit to construct the new Hale Winery on their 40-acre vineyard, but a nearby resident submitted an appeal to the Board of Supervisors on Monday — the last day to file. Neighbors are taking issue with the number of events permitted, the analysis of potential traffic impacts from the winery, and the study gauging impacts of music and construction noise on neighbors.
“Dry Creek Road used to be a hidden gem, but it’s becoming a lot more popular than it was years ago — cars are screaming up and down there all the time,” said Andrew Dieden, who filed the appeal and lives on the thoroughfare that winds through the heart of Dry Creek Valley. “The increased traffic poses a potential safety threat.”
Ken Wilson said he was surprised to learn about the appeal late Monday. He reasserted the need for special events at his new winery and said he wouldn’t draw more traffic to the area during existing wine industry gatherings such as barrel tasting weekend.“
We just accept the traffic that’s already there. We don’t create it,” Wilson said. “And other events are very important to my bottom line — they do bring a lot of people to the area, and often times they are here with their checkbooks ready.”
The appeal against the Wilsons’ Hale Winery comes amid a pronounced backlash from rural residents — particularly in northern Sonoma County — who complain that the impacts of new and existing winery developments on their neighborhoods detract from the county’s rural character, and that the increased traffic from popular winery events threatens other motorists and cyclists in the area.
Winery owners also are pushing back. David DiLoreto, an owner of Hop Kiln Winery, an existing winery that is expanding on 79 acres on Westside Road in the Russian River Valley, filed an appeal earlier this month of the zoning board’s April 2 decision to restrict events to 12 total per year — half of what he sought — including eight industrywide events and four special gatherings.
Read more via: Two controversial winery development decisions appealed | The Press Democrat