Commissioners Offer Comments On The Draft EIR For Mt. Winery

City Council will discuss prior to county hearing

Document is available

By Kara Chalmers

Members of the city's Planning and Parks and Recreation commissions expressed concerns about the draft environmental-impact report for the Mountain Winery's conditional-use permit and architectural and site approval applications at their meetings on Nov. 22 and 23, respectively.

The City Council also plans to discuss the draft EIR at its meeting Dec. 1, which members of the public and the Planning, Public Safety and Parks and Recreation commissions are encouraged to attend.

Commissioners last week told James Walgren, the director of community development, their ideas and opinions on the EIR to include in the response he will present to the City Council on Dec 1.

A consultant selected by Santa Clara County prepared the draft EIR to inform decision-makers and the public of the potential effects of the proposed use permit and architectural and site approval (ASA), which would finally legalize the concerts, theatrical events, business meetings and receptions that have gone on at the winery since 1958. The use permit would only approve the current buildings on the property and would not allow any new uses of the winery.

The entire Mountain Winery property totals 580 acres, 75 of which are in Saratoga. The winery building, parking lot and concert bowl are located on the portion within Santa Clara County. Access to the winery property is through Pierce Road, a street entirely within Saratoga's jurisdiction. According to the EIR, the primary roads affected by any winery-associated traffic are within Saratoga.

The winery is zoned "Hillside," and according to the county zoning ordinance, hillside zoning allows the uses occurring at the Winery, as long as the winery has a conditional-use permit from the county. With this permit, the winery will be in compliance with county rules. If the county planning commission does not issue a use permit, the concert series at the Winery may have to cease.

Winery owners have no set plans for expansion, but they propose an increase in the number of seats in the concert bowl from 1,750 to 2,500, which may require the bowl's reconfiguration. Other proposed winery improvements may include new performer bungalows and relocation of the kitchen from Chateau La Cresta to the Winery building, which means expanding the winery building by 1,500 square feet.

According to the draft EIR, if the applications are approved, there will be no environmental impact that can't be mitigated to the point of insignificance. For example, according to the traffic impact analysis in the EIR, the intersections of roads near the property will not be significantly affected during peak traffic hours by trips associated with the winery.

Also, the proposed concert seating expansion will not significantly affect the local roadway system (including Highway 9) in 1999, according to the EIR. But the expansion will not happen for years, if at all, so the finding may not apply at that time. Because traffic conditions may change in the future, additional studies may be done, depending on development in the area.

However, some planning commissioners questioned the adequacy of the traffic impact analysis at the meeting Nov. 23. They said the extra seats proposed at the concert bowl and the extra 1,500-foot expansion of the winery building may affect traffic and roads because extra seats probably mean more people and cars.

Parks and Recreation commissioners said at their meeting Nov. 22 that they recognize that important city trail linkages go through the Mountain Winery property at 14831 Pierce Road in the county. They recommend that the city ask that trail easements be dedicated and improved as part of approving the use permit.

The public can review the draft EIR in the county planning department, Saratoga's planning department, and the Saratoga and Los Gatos libraries.

The public will have until Dec. 15 to comment on the draft EIR by writing to the county planning department or commenting orally at a public hearing Dec. 2 at 1:30 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors' chambers at 70 W. Hedding St. in San Jose. Direct any correspondence to John Davidson, county planner, at the above address, or call 408.299.2454, extension 232.

The county Planning Commission will consider the permit at the Dec. 2 comment hearing, but will take no action at that point. The commission will address any comments in a document that, paired with the draft EIR, will constitute the final EIR. The final EIR will be available for the public to review a minimum of 10 days before the county decides how to act on it.

Sheriff's Report

Addiction to coffee

Photo: Christmas Cards

Saratoga Sampler

Sports Briefs

Los Gatos defeats Prospect in field hockey finals

High school tennis and volleyball

Saratoga National Junior Basketball selects All-Net teams