San Joaquin County Planning Commission is sending the wrong message
-
Print
-
Create a hardcopy of this page
-
Font Size:
-
Default font size
-
Larger font size
Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2013 12:00 am
San Joaquin County Planning Commission is sending the wrong message
The recent vote by the Board of Supervisors overturning the Planning Commission's approval of a north Lodi winery's request to operate a restaurant on its premises was the correct decision based on the law.
The winery receives extremely beneficial tax status for participating in the Williamson Act, in exchange for which the act restricts non-agricultural uses of the property; the Planning Commission's approval ignored the law, and the supervisors fixed the commission's error.
The winery's owner, understandably upset, made some comments (as reported by the News-Sentinel) that should cause the Planning Commission to give serious consideration to the message that its actions send to the community. The owner said, "I'm probably going to do whatever the hell I want and ask for forgiveness" and "The right way ain't going to work."
On multiple occasions, typically involving wineries, the Planning Commission has approved permit applications despite the fact that the applicant has flagrantly ignored the law, and in some instances has blatantly ignored direct orders from the Community Development Department to cease unlawful activities. Those who want to "legitimize" their unlawful activities hire one of a handful of well-connected lawyers who go before the commission and plead mea culpa. The Planning Commission then almost invariably gives "special dispensation" in the form of forgiveness and a permit to carry on otherwise unlawful activities.
A permit applicant's failure to abide by the law should result in an automatic denial by the commission, and a prohibition on reapplying for the permit for several years. Instead, the commission encourages and rewards unlawfulness. This is the wrong message for a governmental body to send, and warrants serious review by the supervisors who appoint the planning commissioners, if not by the Grand Jury.
Dave Isola
Acampo
Posted in
Letters
on
Thursday, February 14, 2013 12:00 am.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days. You will see 10 articles for free before being asked to register, and then you can view 10 additional articles by registering or logging in. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) free articles remaining ((%remaining_reg%) before being asked to register and (%remaining_sub%) before being asked to subscribe). Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) free articles remaining ((%remaining_reg%) before being asked to register and (%remaining_sub%) before being asked to subscribe). Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) total free articles remaining ((%remaining_reg%) before being asked to register and (%remaining_sub%) before being asked to subscribe). Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You have viewed (%viewed%) of your 20 free pages in 30 days. Please login or register at this time and enjoy the next (%remaining%) articles free of charge. After your 20 free articles, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. Because you have already viewed this article, you may view it again as many times as you would like without subtracting from your remaining free article views.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for registering on Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) remaining. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) remaining. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) remaining. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days. This is your last free article this period. On your next article we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading 20 free articles on our site. You can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 20 free articles, or you can purchase a subscription at this time and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information. If you need help, please contact our office at 209-369-2761.
Patrick W Maple posted at 6:13 am on Mon, Feb 18, 2013.
Advocates : Because we all are...your first observation is correct and could be said off this winery as well...they bullied their partners...why not everyone else? I would prefer a Black Bear or Sambo's or even an IHOP.
Doug Chaney posted at 7:32 am on Thu, Feb 14, 2013.
Then how about the winery that recently was approved to add to their facilities and a good part was built without, apparently permits or obeying any of the permitting processes? They should have also been denied, fined and made to demolish the structures they built when no one was looking. How many other wineries in the Lodi/Stockton area have used this same method? Is there any oversight at all on this well connected community that gives the appearance of some winery owners getting "special" attention? As for this deli and winery decision, if it were approved, what would be next? A Denny's at Van Ruiten? The winery's owners' biggest mistake was making that quote to the Sentinel, who seemed to make sure that it got published and made this gentleman sound like a daredevil, not a frustrated owner fighting the system to insure his business has the same playing field as the "dominators" in the Lodi/Stockton winery business.