Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good morning. I will open the Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 zoning administrator meeting. Mr. Hawks, agenda review.

Thank you, Mr. Zoning Administrator. You have two items on the agenda today. The first is Raymond Vineyards Winery Napa Knockout Combat Sports Legacy and Honor Gala Temporary Event Application P2600139. This is going to be presented by Joseph Doda. And this just to make you aware that this is an item that staff will be asking for continuance on. The second item is Nickel & Nickel Winery Arts for All Gala, Category 4 Temporary Event Application P2600148, and that will be presented by Alexander Sanchez. And that is it for the agenda review.

Great. Thank you. At this time, I will take item 2A, Raymond Vineyards Winery, Napa Knockout, Combat Sports Legacy, and Honor Gala Temporary Event Application P2600139. Mr. Dota, the floor is yours.

Awesome. Thank you, Mr. Parker. Hello, Ms. McMahon. My name is Joseph Dota, Planner 1 of Napa County Planning, Building, and Environmental Services. I'm here to not really present, but to recommend continuance to special zoning administrative meeting to be held on July 15th, 2026 at 1.30 p.m. For temporary event application P26-00139, Raymond Vineyards Winery Napa Knockout Combat Sports Legacy and Honor Gala. We're recommending continuance to allow the applicant to work with staff to address outstanding comments. That is all.

Great. Thank you. At this time, I will open the floor for public comment, showing nobody in the room. Do we have anyone on the line?

We do not have any public comment.

At this time, I will close public comment, and I will take staff's recommendation to continue this item to a date certain of July 15, 2026, at 1.30 p.m. Thank you, Mr. Dutta. And at this time, I will take Item 2B, Nickel & Nickel Winery Arts for All Gala, Category 4, Temporary Event Application P2600148. Mr. Sanchez, the floor is yours.

Good morning, Mr. Parker, Ms. McMahon. Alex Sanchez, Planner 1 with the Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Department for Napa County. I will be presenting Item 2B this morning. The item before you is a request for a Category 4 temporary event license for the Arts for All Gala hosted by Napa Association, Napa Valley. The application request for Arts for All Gala was made on May 21st, 2026 by Corey Fagendas, who is a representative for the Napa Association, Napa Valley nonprofit. The event venue is at Nickel & Nickel Winery, address 1864 St. Helena Highway, Oakville, California, being held on July 12th, 2026 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. with approximately 420 attendees. The Arts for All Gala is described to be an event that encompasses a live auction offering travel adventures, performing art experiences, collectible wines, a dinner, and musical performances by American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. The applicant has confirmed that the event will be open to the public and is limited by the number of tickets sold. Provided is an aerial view of Nickel & Nickel Winery, This is the first time this event will be held here, which requires approval by the zoning administrator in pursuant of County Code Chapter 5.36. To ensure compliance for the temporary event manual minimum standards table, The application was distributed for review to eight departments, three PBS departments, which includes planning, building, and environmental health, four applicable county departments, fire, public works, sheriff's office, and emergency medical services, and one outside agency, California Highway Patrol. Proposed site plan description. The proposed site plan illustrates designated fire lane access from St. Helena Highway CA 29 into Nickel & Nickel Winery, ensuring emergency vehicle circulation throughout the event area. Guests will enter through one main guest entrance with two additional ADA accessible entrances and exits, all providing access routes to the registration area. The registration area leads into the reception space, which will be located beneath a 4,802 square foot reception tent and includes a 192 square foot stage, and six out of the 14 tables will accommodate ADA accessibility. Following reception activities, attendees will proceed along an accessible ramped walkway, connecting the reception space to the main event space. The main event space will be underneath a 12,838 square foot tent. The event area will accommodate 40 guest tables with tables 4, 7, 19, 22, 33, and 40 designated to have one chair removed for ADA access. The applicant has agreed to modify seating arrangements in both the reception and main event spaces as needed so that any table can be made ADA accessible through tray removal or table reconfiguration. Located behind the main stage, an ADA accessible entrance and exit will be provided for participants and staff. The access area allows direct access to the kitchen and cooking deck for staff only, which is underneath 150 square foot tent. Two refrigerated trucks, one generator, and two 40-yard roll-off dumpsters will be located within the northeastern part of the venue for staff to consistently maintain housekeeping activities throughout the event. Three restroom locations will be available, one by the main guest entrance, one adjacent to the registration area, and one located in the northwestern portion of the winery, all ADA accessible. All three tents and generators do have a separate permit under F22600193. In conclusion, staff has deemed that the applicant will sufficiently abide by the compliance of the minimum standards addressed in the temporary event manual for this event. A public hearing has been noticed to property owners within 1,000 feet of the event parcel and other parties, also advertised in the Napa Valley Register on June 4th. Staff recommend the following. One, find the project ministerially exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. And two, approval of the requested Category 4 temporary event P26-00148 following the compliance under County Code Chapter 5.36 and all applicable minimum requirements within the temporary event manual before the launch of the event. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Sanchez. At this time, I will open the floor for public comment, showing nobody in the room. Do we have anybody on the line?

No public comment.

Showing nobody on the line, I will close public comment. Thank you for the presentation, Mr. Sanchez. One quick question. Since the publication of the agenda last week, have we received any public comment on this item?

We have not at this time.

At this time, given that this application is likely to meet the minimum standards table, the temporary events manual, I'm going to find that this project is ministerial exempt from CEQA and approve the temporary event category for license P2600148. Thank you. At this time, we will adjourn today's meeting at 9.09, and we will reconvene on July 15th at 1.30. Thank you.