Sonoma County halts events at Bella Vineyards

Sonoma County planning commissioners on Thursday voted unanimously to ban all events at Bella Vineyards north of Healdsburg and to halt wine tasting in the winery’s popular storage cave.

The swift vote by the Board of Zoning Adjustments came in less than 10 minutes after little discussion by commissioners. The action represented a strong crackdown unprecedented in the county’s history of regulating events at wineries.

“I’m saddened we got to this point,” said Jason Liles, a planning commissioner who represents Healdsburg. “I’m hopeful this will once and for all put to rest any confusion or disagreement.”

The restrictions on Bella take effect immediately. While banning a range of events, cave tastings and dinners, it does not prohibit the winery from holding wine tasting in its primary tasting room.

The formal vote came a month after county planning officials first presented evidence outlining more than a decade of permit infringements by Bella - from building code violations, to unauthorized events to prohibited wine pairing dinners in the hillside cave.

Lynn Adams, who owns Bella with her husband Scott, said the winery will appeal the decision, advancing the issue to the Board of Supervisors sometime next year.

“We feel this whole process has been really rushed,” Adams said after Thursday’s decision. “I’m sad, but I’m not surprised.”

Greg Carr, a planning commissioner who represents the Sonoma Valley, said the sanction of Bella - the first time Sonoma County has restricted a winery from hosting special events or participating in industry-wide promotions - would heavily influence the county’s signature industry.

“The bigger picture is how wineries are allowed to market their products and connect with consumers,” said Carr, who previously worked for the county’s Permit and Resource Management Department. “The Bella issue highlights the lack of clarity about how events are defined and what wineries are allowed to do. When I was working for the county, I was certainly as confused as anyone.”

Carr said, however, that Bella clearly violated their zoning permit. The winery’s owners contend the county’s general plan allows their events.

The Board of Supervisors last month tasked county planners with coming up with clear definitions and a new countywide event policy.

Tennis Wick, the county’s planning director, said he will convene a working group next year to gather input from the wine industry and the public. Wick said the department will tackle the issue of over-concentration of events at wineries - a matter that has generated controversy in recent years.

Rural residents have complained about increasing noise and traffic in their rural neighborhoods and threats to natural resources like groundwater.

Fred Corson, who attended Thursday’s hearing and who lives on West Dry Creek Road about seven miles south of Bella said the county needs to address the issue now.

“The longer they don’t, the longer there will be confusion,” Corson said.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@press?democrat.com. On ?Twitter @ahartreports.