The City of Moorpark Planning Commission approved two agenda items on Aug. 27. The first request, from Cavaletti Vineyards, was to operate a winery that would produce and sell wine as well as offering wine tastings.
The property that the winery is looking to open on is located in a general commercial zone. This means that the Moorpark municipal code required a conditional use permit.
Vice-Chair Adam Havertock stated, “It’s an appropriate use for the space. I think it sounds like we all agree that we are comfortable with giving them reasonable hours of operation,” Havertock also expressed, “It’s a less troublesome use than the gym that was there prior. It’s gonna have less of an impact on the local residence so this one, it’s easy.”
The board unanimously approved the request with a 4-0 vote, though Commissioner Bruce Hamous excused himself from the hearing.
“I like this. I like everything about this. I’m glad to see another winery coming to town and I think it’s a great addition to the community,” expressed Chair Debra Aquino.
The second item on the agenda was an existing permit that the commission had issued previously in January for Trench Shoring Company. The applicant was requesting a modification to the hours of operation and where they could store materials on the site. The commission was initially concerned that allowing hours of operation to change, it would disturb neighbors early in the morning. But the applicant has taken steps to reduce noise, such as quieter reverse sirens for trucks and utilizing noise reducing panels.
“You hire a lot of people here in Moorpark and you do a lot of business. You bring tax revenue in and I’m really happy about that. I think that you guys have been a real good corporate customer. You have addressed several issues that we had before such as the trucks backing up and the rubber tires for the plates turning,” stated Hamous.
The commission decided to consider an alternative for a different hours of operation and unanimously approved a special condition with a 4-0 vote, though Commissioner Di Cecco excused himself from the hearing.
“You’re trying to be a good corporate neighbor, but you also have a business to run and you’ve got to meet some of the demands that are out there,” remarked Hamous.
The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24.
