Council to consider moratorium on Plaza tasting rooms
The Sonoma City Council will discuss and possibly vote on placing a temporary moratorium on Plaza wine tasting rooms, a move recommended by the city staff.
The October 2 agenda includes a draft ordinance that, if approved, would put all potential tasting rooms on hold until at least April of 2018.
There are 26 wine tasting facilities in what the City calls the Plaza Retail Overlay District, and a total of 30 wine tasting facilities in the greater downtown area. Under the proposed “urgency ordinance,” five additional tasting rooms now in the planning process would be exempt from any ban.
“The question is how do we maintain our community character and balance for our residents while we also continue as a viable attractive destination for visitors, which is the keystone to our economy,” states a staff report.
The report continues, “Staff does not know what the ultimate solution will be regarding regulation for wine tasting facilities rooms around the Plaza, but we do believe it is time to pause, study, discuss, reflect and look for solution-oriented options that work in for our community as a whole.”
The draft ordinance presented Monday night could be rejected or delayed by the Council, approved as-is, or approved with modifications. If it moves forward, a prioritized “tight timeframe” calls for final version of the new rules to the Council, after review by Planning Commission, by April, but later than June, of 2018.
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I’m really glad this is being addressed. I think it would be great to have more cafés and eateries on the square. This would include the locals more than just the tourists, but would also be a boon for them too.