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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7.1 Wine Region Connectivity~~~~ Off' nU~~~ /ii ~ 111 L~~ - ~ ~~~ DATE: TO: FROM: STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL CITY CLERK File # 470-50 March 20, 2012 Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers ~~ Joni Pattillo, City Manager ° ~' SUBJECT: Update on Wine Region Connectivity Ad-Hoc Committee Prepared by Linda Smith, Economic Development Director/Public Information Officer EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In Fiscal Year 2011-2012, the City Council established an ad-hoc committee to explore ways for the City to better connect with the Livermore Valley Wine Region. The Wine Region Connectivity Ad-Hoc Committee was comprised of Mayor Sbranti and Councilmember Swalwell. This report will update the efforts of the Ad-Hoc Committee. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council accept the report. ~, ,~~, ~ ~.~ Gt_~, ~~- ~ ~ Submitted By Economic Development Director DESCRIPTION: -,_~_ . _ r~~". .. ,. Reviewed By Assistant City Manager One of the City Council's Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Key Initiatives was to "Explore ways Dublin can better connect to the Livermore Valley Wine Region, including examination of zoning options to allow grape growing, utilizing the small business incentive program and explore membership in the wine growers association." Following the adoption of the initiative, the City Council established a Wine Region Connectivity Ad-Hoc Committee, comprised of Mayor Sbranti and Councilmember Swalwell, to work on this project. The Committee held its first meeting of the Wine Region Connectivity Ad-Hoc Committee on August 8, 2001, Staff was asked to research several items. The requests included the following: Page 1 of 2 ITEM NO. 7.1 • How a request to establish a winery in Dublin would be handled under today's General Plan, Specific Plans and zoning. If there are obstacles, how does an applicant overcome them? • Review a map of the undeveloped or unplanned properties that remain in Dublin • Better understand the definition of open space and whether the planting of vineyards would qualify under that definition. • Explore ways to establish a more aesthetic vineyard feel in Dublin, including design standards for new development. • Evaluate opportunities to include vineyards in proposed and future developments. • Explore planting of vineyards in the Caltrans right of way at the on and off ramps in Dublin. • Explore a demonstration vineyard at the new Central Park as part of the Dublin Crossings project. • Explore inclusion of vineyards as part of the landscape of the community. On October 6, 2011, Staff presented summary memo of the work completed to date on the above items (Attachment 1). Following that memo, Staff conducted additional research on the Open Space designation and determined that, while a provision does exist for agriculture, the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan did not study the environmental impacts of agricultural uses in the open space designations, where most of this open space exists. However, given the existing encumbrances on the vast majority of these properties, Staff would not recommend making changes to the existing EIR. Rather, Staff recommends that the focus remain on the 500 acres of Rural Residential/Agricultural land where productive agricultural activities could occur, by right or be conditionally permitted, based on the Planned Development document that dictates the acreage. Further, the Committee engaged the stakeholders in the Livermore Valley Wine Region to find ways to increase Dublin's presence. As a result of these discussions, the City has joined as a Bronze Sponsor for the 2012 season with the Livermore Wine Growers Association (LVGA) and Staff is also working with the LVGA on the San Francisco Chronicle insert that will feature the Tri-Valley as a wine region destination. Lastly, based on the checklist of items, Staff will continue to evaluate new development projects (notably Dublin Crossings and possibly Doolan Canyon) with the understanding that incorporating vineyards as part of an overall design and theme are important considerations. With this memo, Staff considers that work of the Ad-Hoc Committee to be complete and that any future action items relating to wine region connectivity will be rolled into Economic Development Ad-Hoc Committee for Fiscal Year 2012-2013. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: None. ATTACHMENTS: 1. October 6, 2011 Memorandum Page 2 of 2 City Manager's Office MEMORANDUM DATE: October 6, 2011 TO: Wine Region Connectivity Ad-Hoc Committee CC: City Council VIA: Joni Pattillo, City Manager FROM: Linda Snuth-Maurer, Econonuc Development Director SUBJECT: WINE REGION RESEARCH UPDATE At the first meeting of the Wine Region Connectivity Ad-Hoc Committee on August 8, 2001, Staff was asked to research several items. The requests included the following: • How a request to establish a winery in Dublin would be handled under today's General Plan, Specific Plans and zoning. If there are obstacles, how does an applicant overcome them? o Review a map of the undeveloped or unplanned properties that remain in Dublin • Better understand the definition of open space and whether the planting of vineyards would qualify under that definition. • Explore ways to establish a more aesthetic vineyard feel in Dublin, including design standards for new development. • Evaluate opportunities to include vineyards in proposed and fiiture developments. • Explore planting of vineyards in the CalTrans right of way at the on and off ramps in Dublin. • Interested in exploring a demonstration vineyard at the new Central Park as part of the Dublin Crossings project. • Explore inclusion of vineyards as part of the landscape of the community. Establishing a Winery in Dublin The City has a General Plan land use designation called Rural Residential/Agriculture, which allows for agricultural activities, such as wineries. The vast majority of this designation also falls with the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. All totaled, there is more than 450 acres of land that would fall under this designation. The 450+ acres are fiirther defined in Planned Developments and as part of a zoning overlay district in the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. Each of these PDs has separate ways to handle a request for a winery - ranging from a Site Development Review to a Stage 2 PD. In most instances, these processes can be handled concurrently and there aren't any obstacles in place that would preclude a winery developing in the designated areas. That being said, Staff has not researched the status of each property as to whether there are conservation easements or Williamson Act designations in place. These documents are recorded against the property and would require title reports for each property. Definition of Open Space Staff reviewed the definition of open space and has deternuned that active agricultural lands do not fall into that definition. Reviewing Design Standards -Planting of Vineyards in Existing and Future Developments One of the requests was to evaluate whether design standards featuring vineyards in new communities should be explored. The City has one community in East Dublin -Fallon Crossing -that will feature three acres of planted vineyards as part of its aesthetic feel and theme. Until this point, Staff has neither encouraged nor discouraged the planting of vineyards as part of new housing projects. If the City Council desires to encourage a vineyard theme in fiiture communities, Staff would need to amend the design standards in the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. For existing developments either planned or built, the developer would need to amend their Site Development Review or subnut a new Site Development Review for landscape changes. Caltrans Right of Way Landscaping Staff has explored with Caltrans the option of including landscaping in the clover leafs of the five (5) freeway interchanges in Dublin. We have confirmed with Caltrans that no fniit bearing plants/trees are allowed to be planted in these areas, even if the plants/trees are technically non-fniit bearing. They specifically indicated that vineyards are not allowed. Exploration of Demonstration Vineyard at Dublin Crossing's Central Park At the August 2011 meeting to discuss the Dublin Crossings project, the City Council expressed a desire to include a demonstration vineyard in the new Central Park. Staff noted this request and will make sure to include this in the planning process for the Parkin the future. Inclusion of Vineyards as part of the Landscape of the Community Staff believes that, if the City Council approves any or all of the proposals above, vineyards will become part of the community's landscape.