County planners to see whether Temecula-area winery will play by the rules
A four-year dispute between a Temecula-area winery and Riverside County is before the county Planning Commission, which wants to see how the winery conducts itself before taking action.
The commission on Oct. 15 continued the case of Longshadow Ranch Vineyard and Winery until Dec. 3. Commissioner John Petty, whose district includes Wine Country, said the commission wants to see how the winery operates.
Longshadow owner John Brodersen could not be reached for comment. A recorded phone message stated that the winery was closed to finalize county land-use permits and that it could reopen in the next couple weekends.
The case dates back to October 2004, when the 16-acre winery on Calle Contento was cited by the county Code Enforcement Department for operating without a properly approved use application and having unpermitted buildings.
Longshadow submitted an application to legalize its operations and build a new tasting room. But county planners are recommending denial, saying some outstanding issues were not resolved.
To safeguard the public, three buildings located in a flood plain needed to be moved; that hasn't happened, according to a county staff report. Code enforcement received complaints from the winery's neighbors about noise from outdoor events, the report stated.
County Planning Director Ron Goldman denied Longshadow's application on May 8. The Planning Commission heard the case on an appeal.
Petty said the winery was allowed to stay open provided it follows rules such as not allowing the public inside unpermitted buildings.
Longshadow's tasting room was closed Thursday, and a gate sealed off the entrance.
Cases involving illegal wineries come up more often than the commission would like, Petty said. He said the county is working with the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association to bring all wineries up to code.
"Certainly there's a message being sent out in Wine Country (about illegal wineries) that I don't see it happening much further," Petty said.
Reach Jeff Hors