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Hearing to consider: Agriculture Department and Planning Department proposed amendments to Title 130 (Zoning Ordinance) of the County Code (OR23-0001) that would amend the Ranch Marketing Ordinance (Zoning Ordinance section 130.44) and the Winery Ordinance (Zoning Ordinance section 130.40.400) and staff recommending the Planning Commission recommend the Board of Supervisors take the following actions:
1) Recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Addendum to the Targeted General Plan Amendment/ & Zoning Ordinance Update (TGPA/-ZOU) Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) consistent with Sections 15162 and 15164 of the CEQA Guidelines (Attachment A); and
2) Recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Request to consider recommendation for adoption of proposed amendments to the Ranch Marketing Ordinance, Winery Ordinance, and conforming changes to the Zoning Ordinance (OR23-0001) relating to the ability of a ranch marketing operator or a winery owner to hold special events, submitted by El Dorado County.
The proposed amendments include but are not limited to:
1) Require an annual administrative permit, to be processed by the Agricultural Department, to hold special events under the Ranch Marketing Ordinance or the Winery Ordinance;
2) Reduce the special events authorized by the Ranch Marketing Ordinance or Winery Ordinance to 12 per year, unless authorized by a special use permit or temporary use permit;
3) Create a process that an operator of a ranch marketing area or winery owner to hold an additional 2 special events per year, up to a maximum of 24 special events a year, for every confirmed additional 5 acres of crop cultivated;
4) Eliminate the requirement for a winery owner or the operator of the ranch marketing area to keep and provide to the County a complaint log during special events;
5) Establish a real estate disclosure requirement for agricultural properties related to ranch marketing;
6) Provide that contiguous properties under common ownership can be included for purposes of determining the acreage cultivated for qualifying for ranch marketing activities under the Ranch Marketing Ordinance or special events under the Winery Ordinance;
7) Other necessary or convenient changes to accomplish those goals and to promote economic development while ensuring agricultural production remains the primary use or function of the property.
“CEQA Compliance. Paragraph reserved”
Staff has met with various agricultural organizations in consideration of these changes, including but not limited to; El Dorado County Farm Bureau, El Dorado Wine Grape Growers, Fairplay Winery Association, Apple Hill Growers Association. Staff has also participated in multiple public outreach meetings and met with many constituents to address their concerns with proposed changes.
Proposed changes were brought to the Agricultural Commission for discussion and review on August 14, 2024, to the Planning Commission on September 12, 2024, and the Board of Supervisors on September 24, 2024. At the September 24, 2024 Board of Supervisors meeting resolution of intention 166-2024 was approved directing the agricultural department and the planning department to amend the zoning ordinance with the above changes.
The proposed Ordinance would be effective 30 days after final adoption by the County Board of Supervisors.