Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good morning, everyone. I'd like to call to order the 04/22/2026 zoning administrator meeting. Miss Heb, would you like to give us the agenda reveal?

Good morning. We have two items being presented today. The first item, item a, is the wine half marathon. It's a new category for temp event and presented by me, Riley Heb. And then item b is the Maxville, wicked rhyme excuse me, Maxville Winery Wicked Rine Wine Run, which is also a new category four temp event, and that will be presented by Jackson Wilson.

Great. Thank you for an overview of today's items. I will officially open today's public hearings, and we'll start with item two a, the wine half marathon twenty twenty six, category four, temporary event application number P2500304. I'll hand it over back to miss Heb for her presentation.

Thank you. The, I'm presenting today on the wine half marathon two thousand twenty six, category four temp event application, permit number P2500304. This request, is for an approval of a new category for temp event present, filed by Tiffany Eichols of Never Run Out LLC to hold the Winehalf Marathon. This event will be held on Saturday, May 2026, May 9, from 8AM to 12PM with a maximum of 600 people in attendance and spectators. So, the whole event.

And will feature a half marathon running course through vineyards, wineries, and along public roads. This event is proposed to be held across 21 parcels starting at Quintessa Winery located at 1501 Silverado Trail in Saint Helena, and will flow through all those, parcels as seen on the agenda. Thus far, we have received one public comment regarding a concern for race events taking place on public roads and spectators crossing onto public property. CHP will be at the event helping to direct traffic, and there'll also be directional signs taking place, along the course to ensure all runners and spectators know where to go and to not go onto any properties that aren't a part of this, ask. Staff, recommendation is that we find this project ministerially exempt from CEQA and approve the temporary event application.

And that is it. Thank you.

Perfect. Thanks, Ms. Heb. If the applicant would like to say anything, we can take comments now. No?

You would just need to come up to the mic if you wanted to say yours. Oh, okay. Yeah. If you want to.

Well, I the that was a great presentation. I would just add that this is a a project that is done by the community for the community. We're trying to this is our way of helping the wine industry that is facing some challenges right now, and this industry is super important to Napa Valley. And so hopefully, this project will support the community.

Wonderful. Thank you. Go ahead.

Yeah. And and to complete yeah. To support the community, we so every now if we look in the world, most of the the wine region have their own festive wine marathon, and we think that it would be a great addition to Napa to to present Napa in a more inclusive way where wine tasting can be or the image of Napa Valley went towards something very exclusive. So we want to bring a show that wine is it can be fun, festive, and accessible to to everyone and can coexist with the world of sport. And to bring back to the community, we really hope that over the years, this race is gonna be more important.

We and receive the support of the industry in in terms of sponsoring and that we really wish to bring back particularly to the workers and for the education. I work I'm a director of a vineyard, and I I see how English classes that exist in Napa, math classes can make such a big difference to the workers who travel the world. They come from other countries without sometimes education, and it can make a big difference in their life. So if one day the one marathon can make enough money to support this super important program, that would be a dream. Thank you.

Thank you. Wonderful. Thanks so much for your interest in bringing it to the community. At this point, I would like to open the floor to public comment. As a reminder to the public, unlike conditional use permits or other discretionary permits, temporary event permits are ministerial and shall be approved and issued if the minimum standards contained in the minimum standards table of the temporary events manual are met.

Since the permit is ministerial, the purpose of today's hearing is for the zoning administrator to evaluate and consider evidence regarding whether the applicant has demonstrated that the minimum standards have been met or are likely to have been met prior to the start of the event. The zoning administrator cannot impose standards, conditions, or restrictions on the permit beyond what is provided in those minimum standards. I will begin with any public comment in the room. I don't show any public in the room. Do we have anyone on the line?

No public comment.

Perfect. I will officially close public comment. Again, thank you, Ms. Heb, for the thorough staff report and presentation. Given today's public hearing, the staff report, supporting documentation, and everything included in the administrative record, I believe there is sufficient evidence in the record illustrating the applicant will meet the minimum standards of the temporary event manual prior to the start of the event. Therefore, I find that the project is ministerially exempt from CEQA and approve the temporary event category for license P2500304.

Thank you.

Thank you. Yeah. Good luck. I'll now take item 2B, Maxville Winery Wicked Run twenty twenty six, category four temporary event application P260015. Mister Wilson, the floor is yours.

Thank you, and great job, Riley. Good morning, missus Adamson and miss McMahon and those in attendance. Jackson Wilson with the planning division here at Napa County, and I will be presenting item two b this morning. The item before you is a request for a category four temporary event license filed by Justin Ross of Wicked Wine Runs on 01/26/2026. Maxville Winery Wicked Wine Run twenty twenty six, which includes a five k and a one k run followed by a wine party event at the finish line, is proposed to be held on a singular winery parcel shown here at 4105 Childs Pope Valley Road near Pope Valley.

The event is proposed to be held on May 2 for a maximum of 1,500 people and will occur from 10AM to 6PM. The applicant is proposing outdoor amplified music during parts of the event. The event will be open to the public and limited by the number of tickets sold. This is the first time this event is taking place in this location and therefore must be approved by the zoning administrator pursuant to county code chapter 5.36. As proposed and shown here, the main event including parking, the start and finish line, the one k running course, which is in blue, and then the five k running course, which is in red, And accompanying accompanying wine party will will be located adjacent to Maxville Winery and entirely within the parcel, APN 025020023.

Here's a close-up of the event. Note that all access to the event seating, restrooms, and parking will be ADA compliant. All reviewing divisions have also approved of the applicant's parking locations shown here. In evaluating this proposal to ensure compliance with the minimum standards table, The application was distributed for review and comment to PBES departments, outside county departments, namely fire, public works, sheriff's office, and EMS, and outside agencies, the California Highway Patrol. The applicant has contracted an ALS ambulance per Napa County Emergency Medical Services Agency and has contracted a California Highway Patrol unit to be on scene per CHP requirements.

Therefore, at this time, staff has determined that the applicant will adequately address and demonstrate full compliance with the minimum standards table in the temporary event manual prior to the event. In addition, this public hearing has been noticed to property owners within a thousand feet of the event parcel and other interested parties as well as circulated in the Napa Valley Register on April 9. No public comment has been received as of this morning's hearing. This being said, staff recommend finding the project ministerially exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA, and approval of the requested permit subject to compliance with County Code chapter 5.36. This concludes my presentation.

Staff and the applicant are available to answer any specific questions that you may have on this item. Thank you.

Thanks for your presentation, Mr. Wilson. I don't see the applicant in the room. So at this point, I will take public comment. I don't think there's any public comment in the room. Do you have anybody on the line? No public comment. Okay. I will officially close the public comment. Again, thanks so much for the thorough staff report.

Given today's public hearing and staff report and documentation and everything included in the administrative record, There is sufficient evidence that illustrates that the applicant will meet the minimum standards of the temporary event manual prior to the start of the event. So I find the project ministerially exempt from CEQA and approve the temporary event category for license P2600015. This concludes today's public hearing items for the 04/22/2026 zoning administrator meeting, and I will officially adjourn the meeting at 09:11AM. Thank you.