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Rural Santa Barbara County split over proposed changes to winery rules

Flickr member Damian Gadal

New wineries in Santa Barbara County could face new rules if local leaders approve a list of proposed changes to the county's Winery Ordinance. 

The proposal limits the number of visitors a winery can have, tasting room size, tours and special events based on a tier structure that now includes acreage minimums.

Brian Tetley with Santa Barbara County's Planning and Development Department says members of the community have been calling for an update to what they perceive as weaknesses in the roughly decade-old original.

The update's Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was released Monday and is open for public through July 13, 2015. A public hearing is scheduled for later this month in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Residents and business owners in rural wine country are divided over how to move forward.   Supporters of the update feel the changes are necessary to keep the industry in check, while those against the updates are concerned the rules could stifle future growth.

Matt Allen is an attorney in Los Olivos who represents wineries. He says the update was costly to create and unnecessary.

"If the industry is stopped at this point and capped by this effort to kind of restrict wineries, it may never get to the point where it has enough marketing muscle that outside of our little area people really understand what we're about and what great wines are produced here," said Allen.

According to documents summarizing public discussion of the proposed changes, those in favor said the growth of tasting rooms in the area has brought increased traffic, noise, and inebriated drivers. There is also concern over additional water consumption and demands on infrastructure.