Napa Grape War: Zoned Private Land vs. Neighbors

It is a fight over the limits of land ownership. Other Napa land owners are paying keen attention to the outcome as more vineyards are planned.

It has taken Hall Winery, owner of the 2,300 acre Walt Ranch, a decade to gain approval to plant 200 acres of mountain side grapes. The property sits in a designated agricultural district where the planting of grapes is encouraged.

“The county has studied every possible environmental impact that you can imagine: trees, plants, wildlife and they concluded that the project will have no significant impact,” says Mike Reynolds, Hall Winery President.

Though final approval came on August first, environmental and land use groups, along with some down slope neighbors want the Board of Supervisors to say no to the vineyard at Friday’s Board meeting.

“The concern on this side: mostly the increased heavy truck traffic, which would be going through our community and also them tapping into a water aquifer that could go dry at any time,” says Lowry Seva, a Circle Oaks resident who lives down slope from the proposed vineyard.

“This project is truly horrifying because…

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