Mountain Winery owners submit plans for a permit
Owners hope Winery can grow to seat 2,500
By Steve Enders
Bill Hirschman, new owner of the Mountain Winery, has submitted plans for the future of the winery to the Santa Clara County Planning Department and is seeking a use permit for the venue--something it's lacked for nearly 50 years.
The plans contain nothing new, but end speculation over what Hirschman intends to do with the property. If all goes according to plan, seating will expand to 2,500 people at the concerts, there will be more parking on the site and an array of other improvements and upgrades.
Also, if he wins the permit, it will be the first time that the winery has "legally" been allowed to hold concerts.
The application and plans were filed as promised to the county when it set the March 31 deadline.
The application for the use permit is just the first step in what's likely to be a lengthy private and public review process of the plans, which still require further documentation to the county, an environmental impact report and ultimately, approval from the county Planning Commission.
If and when the Hirschman's investment group, Chateau Masson LLC, has the use permit approved, it will probably move ahead with plans to develop and renovate the site to increase the scope of the Mountain Winery. That will again be up to the county to decide at a much later date.
Hirschman, a local developer with a history of building projects in the Los Gatos area was joined by his wife, Elizabeth Dodson and Saratogans Jack and Ana Smith in buying the winery.
Since most of its 579 acres is not within the city limits of Saratoga, the property is not subject to the scrutiny of Saratoga's decision-making bodies. The permit application is open for comment from the city, however, and the city's Planning Department is reviewing the initial plans and will file a response to the county by May 10.
The City Council did go on record in March, however, sending a letter to the county that it is firmly against any effort to increase the use of the property.
"We're most excited because we met the March 31 deadline," said Kristine Syskowski, project manager for the site. She also said that the group is "very concerned" about the city's stance on the winery, and is working with city officials and Saratoga residents near the winery to ease any concerns they have.
"But since it's not in Saratoga proper," Syskowski said, "there's not a lot the city can do."
She added that meetings have been and will be held with neighborhood groups in the foothills to continue to hear the residents out and answer their questions.
Residents near the winery have said they are upset with traffic and noise that comes from the winery during its summer concert series.
The company's documents to the county list possible ways to improve traffic flow through the neighborhood, and plans to address noise concerns. Those will be further studied when reconfiguring the concert bowl is considered.
The application for the conditional-use permit is the first time an owner of the winery has officially applied for one since April 1987. All indications are that Hirschman and his group may be the first to actually complete the lengthy process.
The first draft EIR for the site will be completed relatively soon, Syskowski said, and Chateau Masson hopes to see the first county public hearing on the use permit application in August or September.
In the application, plans include expanding the concert venue at the winery and making additions to the old Paul Masson winery building.
Years ago, then-owner Ravi Kumra indicated that he wanted to increase the seating at the concert venue and reconfigure the "bowl" where the shows take place.
Those ideas are echoed in Hirschman's application. If all goes according to plan, the "bowl" will hold an additional 750 seats for a total of 2,500.
Hirschman has said that the plans are by no means final, and he's hardly begun to look at anything other than securing the use permit. However, details in the application include adding 130 spaces to the parking lots at the winery, which at this time have 700 spaces. Other plans in the report outline a 1,500-square-foot addition to the winery building itself for a restaurant.
Performer dressing bungalows may be built, and the events themselves may also expand to include stage performances and theatrical acts, not just music.
Saratoga, California Since 1975
