TO: NAPA COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR
FROM: Sean Trippi for Brian D. Bordona - Planning, Building, Environmental Services Director
REPORT BY: Riley Hebb, Planner II
SUBJECT: Firetree Family Vineyards Micro-Winery Use Permit P25-00134-UP and Viewshed Permit P25-00302-VIEW
RECOMMENDATION
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CAMPO ALEGRE, LLC & FIRETREE VINEYARDS LLC / FIRETREE FAMILY VINEYARDS MICRO-WINERY / USE PERMIT P25-00134-UP AND VIEWSHED PERMIT P25-00302-VIEW
CEQA Status: Consideration and possible adoption of a Class 3 (CEQA Guidelines section 15303) Categorical Exemption pursuant to Appendix B, of Napa County’s Local Procedure for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (Additional Categorically Exempt Projects in Napa County), Item No. 10 - Construction and operation of small wineries, other agricultural processing facilities and farm management uses. The project is not included on a list of hazardous materials sites complied pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5.
Request: Approval of a Micro-Winery Use Permit to establish a new winery with an annual production capacity of 5,000 gallons including the construction of new buildings for production and hospitality/administrative uses, an unenclosed outdoor pavilion, tours and tastings by appointment only, on-site consumption, on-site driveway improvements to meet the Napa County Road and Street Standards, parking, landscaping, and other improvements associated with wineries. The project also includes a request for a viewshed permit to allow for proposed production and accessory buildings and the unenclosed outdoor pavilion to be located on slopes over 15% in locations partially visible from Old Sonoma Road, a County-designated Viewshed Road. The project site consists of three properties totaling approximately 98.99 acres, zoned Agricultural Watershed (AW) with a General Plan land use designation of Agriculture, Watershed and Open Space (AWOS), located at 4235 Old Sonoma Road, Napa; APN’s 047-030-020 (winery), 047-030-028 (driveway), and 047-030-038 (driveway - formerly APN’s 047-030-025 & -027).
Staff Recommendation: Adopt the Categorical Exemption prepared for the project and approve Micro-Winery Use Permit No. P25-00134 and Viewshed Permit No. P25-00302, as conditioned.
Staff Contact: Riley Hebb, Planner II, (707) 299-1334, riley.hebb@countyofnapa.org
Applicant Contact: Nicolas Messaritis, (415) 357-4400, nicolas@arcanumarchitecture.com
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PROPOSED ACTIONS:
That the Zoning Administrator:
1. Find that the project is Categorically Exempt from the CEQA based upon the recommended Findings 1-3 in Attachment A;
2. Approve Viewshed Permit No. P25-00302-VIEW, based on recommended Findings 4-10 of Attachment A, and subject to the recommended Conditions of Approval in Attachment B;
3. Approve the Micro-Winery Use Permit Application No. P25-00134-UP based on the recommended Findings 11-15 in Attachment A, and subjected to the recommended Conditions of Approval in Attachment B.
Discussion:
The request is for a new 5,000 gallon per year Micro-Winery on an existing 53.9-acre parcel (APN 047-030-020-000). The proposed winery project will include the following:
1. a new 2,825 square foot production building with a 527 square foot covered crush pad;
2. a new 2,055 square foot enclosed hospitality space;
3. a new 625 square foot unenclosed outdoor pavilion;
4. a 120 square foot pump house;
5. installation of either a process wastewater treatment system or a hold and haul water system and a sanitary wastewater treatment system;
6. eight parking spaces;
7. tours and tastings for up to 10 visitors a day and 70 visitors per week, Monday through Sunday;
8. on-premise consumption of wines produced on-site within the hospitality building, tasting deck, and unenclosed outdoor pavilion, in accordance with Business and Professions sections 23358, 23390 and 23396.5;
9. two (2) full-time employees;
10. production hours between 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and visitation hours 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday;
11. a new driveway compliant with the Napa County Road and Street Standards;
12. two water storage tanks, one (1) 35,000-50,000-gallon underground, and one (1) 5,000 gallon above ground; and
13. removal of two (2) oak tree and landscaping and design measures to blend the facility into the surrounding environment and screen production and hospitality buildings and outdoor tasting pavilion from Old Sonoma Road, in conformance with the Viewshed Protection Program.
Wine production would consist of fermentation from grapes grown entirely on the estate. No marketing events are proposed. Water for the project will be provided by the Congress Valley Water District.
Staff has reviewed the proposed project and supports granting approval, subject to the attached findings and recommended conditions of approval included in Attachments A and B, respectively. Micro-wineries are conditionally permitted uses in the Agricultural Preserve (AP) and Agricultural Watershed (AW) zone districts. The project site includes 43-acres of vineyards which would provide grapes for onsite wine production. The winery and site improvements as proposed are suitable for the proposed location, considering existing development, access, and surrounding uses. Furthermore, staff finds that the proposed winery is consistent with the standards of the AW zoning district, the provisions of the Micro-winery regulations, and other provisions of the Napa County Code. Based on the reasons stated above, staff recommends approval of this project, subject to the recommended Conditions of Approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed project would be considered under Class 3 (CEQA Guidelines section 15303) of Appendix B, of Napa County’s Local Procedure for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (Additional Categorically Exempt Projects in Napa County), Item No. 10 - Construction and operation of small wineries, other agricultural processing facilities and farm management uses. The project site is not included on a list of hazardous materials sites complied pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Property Owners: CAMPO ALEGRE LLC, 4235 Old Sonoma Rd., Napa, CA 94558/ FIRETREE VINEYARDS LLC, 1408 2nd Street, Napa, CA 94559
Applicant: Nicolas Messaritis, (415) 357-4400, nicolas@arcanumarchitecture.com
Zoning: Agricultural Watershed (AW)
General Plan Designation: Agriculture, Watershed, and Open Space (AWOS)
Application Filed: May 5, 2025
Resubmittals Received: October 24, 2025, February 13, 2026, April 10, 2026
Application Deemed Complete: May 7, 2026
Courtesy Notice: A Courtesy Notice was mailed to all property owners within a 1,000-foot radius and interested parties on July 14, 2025.
Project Site Area: The winery buildings are proposed a 53.9 acre parcel (047-030-020-000) and the driveways are across two properties, a 19.93 acre parcel (047-030-028-000) and a 25.16 acre parcel (047-030-038-000, formerly 047-030-025-000 & 047-030-027-000).
Existing Development: The project parcels are currently developed with 43 acres of vineyards, three (3) domestic wells, one main dwelling, one guest house, one grounds keeper’s dwelling, one agricultural barn, and grazing livestock.
Proposed Winery Characteristics:
The proposed project will include a new production building, with a covered crush pad, office and lab, barrel storage, ADA restroom, exterior crush pad entry, and a new hospitality building with outdoor hospitality terraces, wine pairing preparation and tasting rooms, and a parking area with an ADA compliant space.
Proposed Winery Building Size (enclosed floor area): 5,000 square feet
Proposed Winery Development Area: 9,101 square feet
Proposed Winery Coverage Area: 53,550 square feet [53,550 square feet of the total 4,312,004 square feet or approximately 12.3%] (Maximum allowed 25% or 15 acres, whichever is less)
Proposed Production Capacity: 5,000 gallons per year
Proposed Accessory /Production Ratio: 2,408 square feet accessory /6,170 square feet production totaling 39% (maximum permitted 40% accessory uses to production uses)
Proposed Number of Employees: Two (2) full-time employees
Proposed Visitation: Tours and tastings by appointment for up to ten (10) visitors daily, a maximum of seventy (70) visitors per week
Proposed Days and Hours of Operation: Production hours 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and visitation hours 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday
Proposed Parking: Eight (8) total spaces (two employee parking spaces, one ADA compliant space, and five guest parking spaces)
Setbacks:
Required Road Setback: 300-feet from Buhman Avenue, Old Sonoma Road, and private road
Required Property Line Setbacks: 20-feet from property lines
Proposed Setbacks Winery Buildings: ±375-feet from Buhman Road (west), ±2,300-feet from Old Sonoma Road (south), ±360-feet from the private road (north), and ±63-feet from the east property line Proposed Setbacks
Unenclosed Outdoor Pavilion: ±316-feet from Buhman Road (west), ±2,500-feet from Old Sonoma Road (south), ±310-feet from the private road (north), and ±150-feet from the east property line
Signage: Monument style signage proposed on entry structure stating, “Firetree Family Vineyards” with an additional sign stating, “Tours and Tastings by Prior Appointment Only”.
Adjacent General Plan Designation/Zoning/Land Use:
• North: Agriculture, Watershed, and Open Space/ Agricultural Watershed/ Vineyards
• South: Agriculture, Watershed, and Open Space/ Agricultural Watershed/ Vineyards and Rural Residences
• East: Agriculture, Watershed, and Open Space/ Agricultural Watershed/ Vineyards, Open Space, and Rural Residences
• West: Agriculture, Watershed, and Open Space/ Agricultural Watershed/ Vineyards and Open Space
Nearby Wineries located within one (1) mile of the project:
Truchard Vineyards, Truchard Winery, and Keiu Hoang Winery
Viewshed Protection Program: The project also includes a request for a viewshed permit to allow for proposed production and accessory buildings and the unenclosed outdoor pavillion to be located on slopes over 15% in location partially visible from Old Sonoma Road, a County-designated Viewshed Road.
Parcel History: Campo Alegre LLC owns the main parcel where the new micro-winery is proposed, on approximately 53.0 acres. On this primary parcel, there is a single-family residence, permitted under building permit 28577, a residential wine storage cave, permitted under building permit B07-00523, a residential pool, permitted under building permit 30792, as well as a grounds keeper’s house, ag barn, and historical ruins that all pre-date 1955, when Napa County started requiring building permits. The original 30 acres of vineyards were planted prior to 1991, when vineyards begin to require permits, but 16.5 of those acres were replanted, per an approved Erosion Control Plan (01070-ECP) across 047-030-025-000 and 047-030-038 (formerly 047-030-027-000, and 047-030-028-000) which are owned by Firetree Vineyards LLC. Erosion Control Plan P17-00175-ECPA was approved for the same previously mentioned parcels, for a replant of 27.8 acres. There is a single-family residence and carport, permitted under building permits 27089 27090, respectively, on parcel 047-030-038.
Code Compliance History: There are no active code violations related to the project site.
Discussion Points:
Setting:
The project is proposed on a 53.9-acre parcel (APN: 047-030-020-000) with access through portions of a 19.93-acre parcel (APN: 047-030-028-000) and a 25.16-acre parcel (APN: 047-030-038-000), located at 4235 Old Sonoma Rd., approximately 0.39 miles from the intersection of Buhman Avenue, and Henry Road. The proposed winery is situated approximately 1,110 feet from an unnamed blue line stream. Existing development includes approximately 23 acres of vineyards, two (2) existing access driveways, one for existing vineyard access and other for the existing main dwelling located on the 53.9-acre parcel, approximately 1,500 feet south of the proposed winery location. According to Napa County Vegetation Mapping System, the project site consists of approximately 52.64 acres of California Annual Grassland, approximately 36.8 acres dedicated to agriculture, and the remaining acreage being a mix of Eucalyptus and man-made vineyard irrigation ponds. A small section of vineyards and two (2) oak trees will be removed to accommodate the new driveway configuration. The proposed winery will be served by the Congress Valley Water District; there will be no new groundwater use.
The project site is located between two knolls, with the average slope ranging from ±5-30 percent slope and the parcel elevations are between 190-250 feet above mean sea level. An ephemeral watercourse is located approximately 900 feet southeast of the project site; therefore, the proposed project is consistent with the required 35-foot setback per NCC §18.108.025.
The surrounding area consists of existing vineyards and rural residential uses to the north, south, east, and west of the project site. There are three (3) wineries located within a one-mile radius of the proposed project, the nearest is 0.57 miles away. The nearest offsite residence is located 1,500 feet north of the proposed site.
Micro-Winery Use Permit Proposal:
The purpose of the application is to establish the proposed Micro-Winery for Firetree Vineyards, with construction of a new winery production facility and a new hospitality building. The proposal includes the construction of an unenclosed outdoor pavilion, with ADA compliant path connecting the hospitality building to the pavilion. The applicant will preserve all native oak trees on the property, except for two (2) being identified for removal for creation of new access driveway realignment. A firetruck turnaround has been incorporated into the project proposal in accordance with the Napa County Road and Street Standards.
The proposed production facility includes a covered crush pad, ADA compliant restroom, production vestibule, production room, winemaker’s office, two (2) storage rooms, barrel room, and electrical room. The proposed hospitality building includes an elevator, elevator machine room, mechanical room, barrel display, ADA restrooms, wine pairing preparation area, unenclosed covered breezeway with in-ground fermentation tanks, VIP tasting room with wine display. The second floor includes an unenclosed covered rooftop wine tasting area and an additional wine pairing preparation room.
The proposed wine production capacity is 5,000 gallons with all fermentation conducted on site with entirely estate grown fruit. Barrel storage, aging, and bottling will occur on site in the production building and covered crush pad.
Building Design:
The proposed winery buildings will be designed with stained western red cedar exterior siding materials, stone veneer, bronze corrugated metal roofing, clear tempered glass windows and doors with matte black metal frames. The proposed colors are consistent with the County’s color palette and the standard condition of approval limiting exterior colors to earth tones.
Water Availability:
A Tier 1 Water Availability Analysis (WAA) was prepared by Applied Civil Engineering, as directed by the County’s Water Availability Guidelines (May 2015). Per the Tier 1 analysis water for the proposed winery will be provided by the Congress Valley Water District (District). The existing residences and vineyards receive water from the District as well but are on separate meters. The estimated water use for the project is 2.18 acre-feet per year (af/yr) as follows: 0.034 af/yr for daily visitors; 0.034 af/yr for employees; 0.108 af/yr for winery process; and 2.01 af/yr for landscape irrigation. The District has no developed water supply resources or storage but has a wholesale water supply agreement with the City of Napa in order to provide potable water to customers within its service boundaries. The proposed project has obtained a will-serve letter from the District and demonstrates that all water use proposed for this project will be served by the District. Since water for the proposed winery is provided by the District, a Tier 2 and a Tier 3 are not required.
Wastewater Treatment:
The project proposes two options for process wastewater disposal. The first option proposes a new winery process wastewater treatment system, where the wastewater will be treated and reused for vineyard irrigation. The system will comply with Napa County and State Water Quality Control Board requirements. A new Onsite Wastewater Disposal Feasibility Study was prepared by Applied Civil Engineering, dated November 14, 2025, which details the wastewater system that will accommodate the micro-winery. The second proposed option detailed in the study is for a Hold and Haul system to be sized to store seven days of peak process wastewater flows. All sanitary wastewater is proposed to be pretreated and disposed of in a subsurface drip type septic system. Proposed project plans, dated April 7, 2026, provide detailed location of the reserve area required for sanitary wastewater disposal and meet the requirements stated in the study.
Access:
The project site is accessed using an existing driveway from Old Sonoma Road, via a residential driveway, as well as a gated driveway with access from Buhman Avenue, for vineyard maintenance. The project proposes to reconfigure the driveway from Buhman Avenue to be the main access driveway serving the winery. There will be no access to the winery from Old Sonoma Road. Both the Engineering Division and the Fire Marshall’s Office have reviewed the proposed realignment and have approved the proposed new driveway being consistent the Napa County Road and Street Standards.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
On April 20, 2022, the Bay Area Air District (BAAD) adopted updated thresholds for determining the significance of individual projects’ greenhouse gas impacts under CEQA. Under the new thresholds, proposed land use projects may be analyzed for consistency with a qualified greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy in the event one has been adopted. To date, Napa County has not adopted a qualified GHG reduction strategy pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15183.5. Absent an adopted strategy, BAAD recommends that a land use project include specified minimum design elements to ensure that the project is contributing its “fair share” toward achieving the state’s key climate goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. Napa County has not adopted a qualified GHG reduction strategy or an air quality plan, therefore projects will be evaluated per the BAAD recommended minimum design elements.
The project will be required, through Conditions of Approval, to meet relevant design standards identified by BAAD, including prohibiting the use of natural gas appliances or plumbing and compliance with the California Building Code Title 24 standards. Additionally, Conditions of Approval require implementation of the checked Voluntary Best Management Practices Measures submitted with the project application which include BMP-4 Alternative fuel and electrical vehicles in fleet, BMP-11 Bicycle Incentives, BMP-16 Water efficient landscape, BMP-17 Recycle 75% of all waste, BMP-18 Compost 75% food and garden material, BMP-24 Limit the amount of grading and tree removal, BMP-27 Are you, or do you intend to become a Certified “Napa Green Land”?, BMP-28 Use of recycled materials, BMP-29 Local food production, BMP-30 Education to staff and visitors on sustainable practices, and BMP-31 Use 70-80% cover crop.
Viewshed Protection Program:
Napa County Code Chapter 18.106 establishes: Section 18.106.030(A): Applicability-New and Expanded Structures. No building permit, erosion control plan for structural development, grading or other administrative permit shall be issued by any county staff, agency or department for any new structure or improvement to an existing structure if the structure is located on a slope of fifteen percent or more as defined in Section 18.106.020 or if the structure is located on any minor or major ridgeline as defined in Section 18.106.020 except as specifically provided for herein. The ordinance applies to all new structures located on slopes of fifteen percent or more or located on a minor or major ridgeline The proposed production and hospitality buildings and unenclosed outdoor pavilion, located on a minor ridgeline, are located on slopes greater than 15% and would be visible from Old Sonoma Road, a designated Viewshed Roads; therefore, they are subject to the Viewshed Protection Program.
The project relies on visual screening attained by utilizing a professionally prepared landscaping plan. The
landscape plan consists of 11 Live Oak trees and a willow, ranging in size from 24-inch to 60-inch box, planted southeast of the winery; generally, between the winery buildings and Old Sonoma Road. The planting plan also includes 37, 60-inch box olive trees in the courtyard area between the two buildings and another 22 olive trees within the parking area, 20 Live Oaks along Buhman Avenue, and 12 Live Oaks to the north/northwest of the winery. The proposed landscaping, associated with the existing vegetation along portions of Old Sonoma Road will provide screening in conformance with the Viewshed Protection Program and in compliance with defensible space requirements. The project’s conformance to the Viewshed Protection Program’s required findings has been detailed within Attachment A.
Biological Resources:
Although the project utilizes a semi-developed landscape, there is still potential for the project’s construction phase to pose a disturbance to Swainson’s Hawk, as well as nesting raptors and other native birds, roosting bats, and northwestern pond turtle. To address any potential impacts to Swainson’s Hawks and other nesting raptors, birds, roosting bats, and northwestern pond turtle, the applicant has included pre-construction surveys prior to any on site construction activities and vegetation removal that would occur during the nesting season, per the project description, Project Components 1-4. Because the trees proposed for removal are outside of mapped oak woodlands, forests, and riparian woodland, the vegetation canopy cover retention and removal mitigation requirements under Conservation Regulations do not apply.
Grape Sourcing:
The project site includes approximately 32-acres of vineyards, which would produce approximately 5,000 gallons of wine all from estate grown grapes.
Staff Recommendation:
Public Comments:
At the time this staff report was completed no public comments have been received.
Decision Making Options:
As noted in the Executive Summary Section above, staff recommends approval of the Use Permit and Viewshed application with conditions of approval, as described in Option 1, below. Decision making options include the following:
Option 1 - Approve Applicant’s Proposal (Staff Recommendation)
Disposition - This action would result in approval of the Micro-Winery Use Permit and Viewshed Protection Program Permit. Staff recommends this option as the request is consistent with the Zoning Ordinance, applicable General Plan policies, and other County regulations as presented in the Recommended Findings (Attachment A).
Action Required - Follow the proposed actions listed in the Executive Summary. If conditions of approval are to be amended, specify conditions to be amended at time motion is made.
Option 2 - Modify the Applicant’s Proposal
Discussion - This option would result in modification to the winery’s requested by appointment visitation, and/or wine production levels to address concerns of the Zoning Administrator and/or public comments if solicited.
Action Required - Follow proposed action listed in Executive Summary and amend scope and project specific conditions of approval to require a reduction in requested operational conditions. This option would have proportionately fewer environmental impacts, since no groundwater use is proposed and wastewater generation would be reduced and would result in less traffic trips, and thus, no new analysis beyond that already discussed above would be necessary. If major revisions of the conditions of approval are required, the item will need to be continued to a future date.
Option 3 - Deny Proposed Project
Discussion - In the event the Zoning Administrator determines that the project does not, or cannot, meet the required findings for the granting of the Micro-Winery Use Permit and Viewshed Protection Program permit, the Zoning Administrator should articulate what aspect or aspects of the project are in conflict with the required findings. State Law requires the Zoning Administrator to adopt findings, based on the General Plan and County Code, setting forth why the proposed use permit is not being approved.
Action Required - The Zoning Administrator would deny the project.
Option 4 - Continuance Option
The Zoning Administrator may continue an item to a future hearing date, at its discretion.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Attachments:
A. Recommended Findings and Final Agency Approval Memos
B. Recommended Conditions of Approval
C. CEQA Memorandum
D. Use Permit Application
E. Water Will-Serve Letter & Water Availability Analysis
F. Wastewater Analysis
G. Traffic Study
H. Graphics