Napa County supervisors reject appeal, clearing path for new Mt. Veeder winery

The county’s planning commission approved the winery in August, but Water Audit California appealed, citing various environmental and procedural issues.

A proposed winery in Napa County’s Mt. Veeder area is moving forward after the Board of Supervisors rejected an appeal against the project Tuesday.

The Hillwalker Vineyards Winery, proposed for 1871 Mt. Veeder Road in the mountains northeast of Napa, will be allowed to produce up to 7,000 gallons of wine a year, welcome up to 113 visitors per week and hold 12 marketing events annually. The project won’t involve new construction but will convert a residential cave into a commercial wine cave and modify a pool house restroom to meet accessibility standards.

The county’s planning commission approved the winery in August, but Water Audit California — an environmental group known for challenging Napa winery proposals over water concerns — appealed, citing various environmental and procedural issues. The group argued that project documents failed to disclose an unnamed tributary stream and that some submitted graphics weren’t formatted correctly.

County staff countered that mitigation measures had reduced potential impacts on the stream to insignificant levels and that the submitted materials met all required standards.

Supervisors unanimously denied the appeal.

Board Chair Anne Cottrell called the winery “incredibly small-scale,” noting that its 7,000-gallon production cap is just 2,000 gallons above the county’s micro-winery limit.

Supervisor Liz Alessio praised applicant Kevin Morrison for prioritizing sustainability in the project, highlighting his use of regenerative farming and dry farming techniques to reduce water use.

“Our small business community, small family wineries, they’re such an essential part of the fabric of Napa County, both in past and present,” Alessio said. “We need to do everything we can to preserve that.”

Source: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/napa/mt-veeder-napa-winery-appeal-hillwalker/