The Lompoc City Council agreed to allow food preparation and service in the city’s Wine Ghetto, but tossed the topic back to the Planning Commission to craft rules for a temporary special permit.
On Tuesday night, City Council members heard from several industry representatives, including many who operate in the Wine Ghetto, an industrial park filled with multiple tasting rooms and production facilities.
While most agree food service would be positive for the Wine Ghetto, the stumbling block centered on what type of permit would need needed.
“To be business friendly, we have to do something,” said Councilman Victor Vega.
The Planning Commission on Feb. 8 denied the food-service request, saying it didn’t fall under the rules for a temporary-use permit.
A conditional-use permit would be more complex and costly, city staff said.
The industrial park’s owner, Morris Sobhani, and real estate agent Tom Davidson appealed the Planning Commission decision.
Both complicating and simplifying the issue is the fact that Lompoc is working to complete a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update to include a special overlay allowing food service in the Wine Ghetto.
“Staff has already done some of the work,” Councilwoman Jenelle Osborne said. “And I think with some of the input we’ve had tonight, and with some of the rules that already exist, we might be able to create something sooner rather than later that we can get in place so that the Wine Ghetto can have this.”
Several winery representatives said food is needed to help the industry grow locally and compete with counterparts in other cities.
“We want Lompoc to be great, and we want Lompoc to compete with Buellton, with Los Olivos, with all these places that are incorporating food with wine,” said Joey Gummere from Transcendence Winery. “We want to get the tourism here. We want to get the people to stay here.”
Regarding concerns about the costs of modifying facilities to accommodate food service, Gummere said that should be up to wine industry investors to worry about, not the city.
Wastewater is a viable concern, but not likely to become a big problem with the addition of limited food preparation and service, he added.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a huge restaurant. We just want a place where people can come and they want to stay and have small bites of food, or small dishes,” he added. “It would be wonderful for all us that are in Lompoc to have that for our business and create that opportunity.”
Steve Pepe, president of the Economic Alliance of Northern Santa Barbara County, noted that the lack of food in the Wine Ghetto was identified as a top barrier to success several years ago.
The Economic Development Committee was told the Lompoc zoning code would not allow food, but Pepe said the Santa Barbara Funk Zone and Buellton do quite well mixing food and wine in non-traditional areas.
Five years ago, wine industry representatives were told to wait for Lompoc’s zoning update, Pepe said, but it likely will take at least another year. Meanwhile, Los Alamos and Buellton have seen their eateries bloom with additional tasting rooms opening in those communities.
“Next year, unless you take some action, paraphrasing Ross Perot, you’ll hear a great sucking sound as the Ghetto tasting rooms move to Buellton,” said Pepe. ”The wine industry didn’t tell Buellton what kind of food service it wanted. The marketplace will decide that.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
