Subject: Put the Small Winery Ordinance on the Ballot!

Date: January 19, 2014 5:46:52 PM PST

Last Tuesday, January 14, the City Council passed the Small Winery Ordinance. Sounds good but the reality is that this is not the family farm. Some of the problems are:

• There is no requirement to live on the property.

• Corporations can buy parcels and put anything related to wine on them (use imagination here).

• The burden is on neighbors to mount organized protests for every issue that comes up in the life of the permit. Permits typically ride with the property forever, not the applicant. Check my letter below for the litany of possible issues depending on the entities and locations.

• All aspects are permit granted so whoever is in political power at the time calls the shots.

• 25% of the parcel can be built upon -- that could be very large.

• There are 118 eligible parcels that could be permitted. The town itself is only 3 square miles.

There were hearings but most people did not fully grasp all the implications for their own neighborhoods, especially during the holidays when everyone is very busy. But now neighbors are beginning to realize what happened and how and who wins and loses.

If the community is all for it, great, but so far only the few big winners are for it. So some of us are circulating a Referendum Petition to put it on the ballot in November. We're having an election anyway, so why not?

LATE NEWS: Already, this Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 6 PM the Planning Commission will consider the permit application of Charles Crocker under the new version of the Small Winery Ordinance. Here is his application. If you object to this new law, plan to speak against this application.

Please see:

• The Ordinance

• My upcoming Letter to the Editor, for greater detail.

If you would like someone to come over so you can sign the official Referendum Petition in person, a requirement, or if you would like to circulate a Petition, click here to get on the contact list. We have 3 weeks to get 400 signatures. Also, please forward this email to others who may be interested.

MEET US IN THE PARK ON TUESDAY!

This Tuesday, Jan. 21 (before the Planning Commission meeting), someone will be in Lyman Park from 11 AM to 4:30 PM with the Petition to gather signatures. Take a moment in your day to support everyone's right to vote! Bring a photo ID (like a driver's license).

Thanks a lot,

Sandy