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A preliminary review of the Avaanti Vineyards project produced over 15 concerned commenters and a handful of tasks for Alameda County staff at an East County Board of Zoning Adjustments meeting last month.
By February, staff will report back to the board with information on the winery’s potential traffic impacts, water usage, golf course plans, wine sales and more, according to Alameda County planner Aubrey Rose.
Though the winery would require an official hearing to obtain a conditional permit, the board’s current sentiments are uncertain.
“I cannot speculate as to the full board’s opinion,” EBZA vice chair Lori Souza told Livermore Vine after the Oct. 24 public meeting.
The proposal situates Avaanti Vineyards in the middle of a preexisting vineyard, along Reuss Road and south of the Livermore border in unincorporated Alameda County.
The winery-related facility would total 30,234 square feet across four buildings and include space for wine production, a tasting room and bottle shop, restaurant, banquet room and event center. Adjacent to the winery facility would be a 9-hole golf course and putting green.Â
On one side of the property would be a new 9,467-square-foot, two-story home with a pool.
At the board meeting in Dublin, 16 of the 20 commenters raised concerns about the potential development. Of the remaining four, three could not be heard at the in-person meeting due to technical issues for online attendees.
Additionally, the audio and video recording of this meeting is not available because of technical difficulties. In lieu of the recording, Rose provided Livermore Vine with the meeting notes.
A top worry for the speakers was water use, according Rose’s notes. The next most common concern was the winery’s traffic impact. But commenters also expressed worry over on-site wastewater treatment systems, the size of the event center, the size of the home and the idea of a short-term rental.
Following the onslaught of resident concern, Jonathan James of William Wood Architects — applicant for the property owner Uday Gurram of Avaanti Vineyards LLC — shared design considerations for the development.Â
They’ve considered parking needs, noise and glare attenuation for the courtyard and low-water plants, James said according to the meeting notes. Lighting in accordance with the Dark Sky Ordinance is still being determined.
As for the property uses, neither a bed and breakfast nor short-term rentals are being considered.
Souza was the first board member to comment. She requested staff look into the source and amount of water the project would use. She also requested details on the golf course.
“Based on the documentation, it wasn’t clear whether the intention is for a miniature golf course or a traditional 9-hole golf course,” Souza told Livermore Vine.Â
Following Souza’s comments, EBZA chair Derek Eddy clarified with the applicant that the event center capacity would be 200 people. Also, the vines on the property would all be replaced. And only one event would be held at a time, where people would arrive by bus or car.
According to Rose, other directions to the county staff included clarifying the floor-area ratio, determining the number of restrooms and annual visitors, defining the traffic impact and clarifying any policy for acreage changes under the East County Area Plan.
The board also asked staff a slew of questions, such as: How long would it take to replace the vines and what would the land be used for in the meantime? How much of the space would be refilled with vineyards? Where would the wine be sold? Would there be other wines sold on site too?
These questions are unlikely to be answered at the board’s next meeting date, according to Rose.Â
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