Santa Barbara County has extended its COVID-19 pandemic provisions allowing businesses to expand capacity, build temporary structures and operate outside certain requirements of approved permits.

The Board of Supervisors extended the provisions until Oct. 31, 2023, after recommendations for approval from the county and Montecito planning commissions.

Supervisor Joan Hartmann said it was a “stunning effort” by Planning and Development staff to get the provisions implemented so quickly last year.

Allowing wine tasting rooms to serve food and move more operations outside has created higher per-head revenue for the businesses and a safer tasting environment for everyone, according to Matthew Bieszard, general manager of Gleason Family Vineyards.

“We’re serving more guests than ever before,” he told the Board of Supervisors during last week’s public comment session.

Planning and Development Director Lisa Plowman said the in-development agricultural enterprise ordinance includes permanent revisions that allow incidental food service at wine tasting rooms, and that will likely be in effect by 2023.

In June 2020, the county issued dozens of emergency food service permits to wineries and breweries so they could open for business under state COVID-19 reopening rules.

While tasting rooms were closed, many of them got creative with ways to boost wine sales.  

Board chair Bob Nelson said the success of the provisions could provide a lesson for the county and a model for testing out land-use changes on a temporary basis.

— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.