Subject: 3 Hot Issues/1Mtg.
Date: June 7, 2014 11:15:48 AM PDT
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On Tuesday, 6PM, Vintage Hall, the people have a chance at more input on 3 hot issues: Having another wine tasting room, sending the re-tooled General Plan back to the Planning Commission for public debate and making it easier to protest short term rentals in the neighborhoods. 1. The wine tasting room will be approved automatically under the Consent calendar unless someone in the public or on the Council asks that a separate vote be held on that item (Item 17). It is not yet a done deal. If formally approved it will be the first time that a brand from another county (Lake County) and another state (Pennsylvania) has permission to sell their wines in St. Helena under the verbal promise that wines sold here will be 85% Napa grapes. Proving that becomes the problem. Will buyers believe the brand and grapes come from different places? Some believe it will weaken the St.Helena brand/appellation and invite speculators. Vintners, this is your issue. 2. The General Plan has been thoroughly rewritten for several years. The law says that "substantive" changes by the Council must send the GP back to the Planning Commission. The Council would prefer that not happen since their changes may then be "changed" back after the required public debate. So what is substantive? If it goes back to the PC and is openly debated, the people have the best chance at the GP as drafted and approved by the Commission in 2010. That GP was more broadly representative. I urge GP Update Committee members to step forward. 3. The question on vacation rentals is whether or not the required distance to notify neighbors should be 300"'or 150'. 30% of the neighbors must object in order to have the application rejected and 30% of a shorter distance (150') is easier to achieve than 300'. Neighborhoods, this your issue. Sandy |