Napa County supervisors to consider appeal for winery controversially planned near Glass Fire scar

The controversial Vida Valiente winery proposed for about 18 acres in the hills northeast of St. Helena will have another chance to win approval after being shot down by the Napa County Planning Commission in May.

The winery, proposed for 407 Crystal Springs Road, requested to produce up to 30,000 gallons of wine annually, as well as hold marketing events and wine tastings. The project would involve building a new 17,622-square-foot building and 13,675-square-foot wine cave.

But the commission voted 2-1 to oppose the project May 1 — one commissioner was absent and another recused themself. Commissioners Kara Brunzell and Megan Dameron said they had concerns about public safety and fire risk along the rural road, which is located in the burn scar of the 2020 Glass Fire.

Applicant Hayes Drumwright challenged that decision with an appeal May 23. His arguments included that the denial was made based on Crystal Springs Road’s substandard conditions. That’s a public road and, according to the appeal, the cost of improving it would disproportionately burden him.

Drumwright also argued that the commission’s decision wasn’t based on evidence but “relied on neighbor fear and speculation.” County staff, in a response to the appeal, said Drumwright was incorrect.

But county staff agreed that the cost of improving Crystal Springs Road may be prohibitive for a single applicant and recommended the Napa County Board of Supervisors grant the appeal.

Staff had also recommended the planning commission approve it.

The supervisors will decide whether to uphold or strike down the appeal at a hearing at 2 p.m. Tuesday .

Should the board approve the project, however, it will be modified from the original proposal to reduce visitation.

Rob Anglin, Drumwright’s attorney, sent a letter to the board July 22 proposing to modify the proposal to allow for:

• For tastings, 22 people a day, or 100 people a week — down from the originally proposed 28 people per day, or 120 per week.

• An elimination of two annual marketing events with 125 attendees, bringing the total number of such events to zero.

• And a reduction of 12 annual events with 24 attendees, instead of 24 such events.

In total, that would reduce the maximum annual visitation from 7,246 people to 5,668 people. Anglin notes that’s below the average annual visitation of about 8,000 and median annual visitation of roughly 6,340 for wineries that produce 30,000 gallons of wine.

The commissioners in May were concerned about the winery’s proposed location, where a single-family home had been destroyed in a fire. Commissioners said they worried how well Crystal Springs Road would serve the originally proposed 120 visitors a week, with 29 marketing events, particularly if they had to evacuate from a fire.

Dameron said at the May hearing that she walked and drove Crystal Springs Road and found it was narrow, with blind spots, damage and areas where two cars driving in opposite directions can’t pass.

“This is a recipe for disaster,” Dameron said. “Our own general plan acknowledges that fire events are expected to become more frequent in the future. We need to be responsible with our planning and take this climate science into account.”

Dameron said her decision was “simply about public safety” and that she thought the location wasn’t ideal for hosting visitors and events.

About a month after the commission hearing, on June 5, the Crystal Fire sparked north of the proposed winery location and grew to about 60 acres. The fire threatened multiple structures in the area. Only one outbuilding was destroyed, and no homes or residential buildings were damaged.

You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com .