Oct. 26, 2004-

Board Vote Gives Water to Vineyard Corporation, Ignores Rural Homes, Small Farms

LAKEPORT CA-The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 (with one abstaining vote) to deny the citizen appeal of Diamond Mine Vineyard phase 2.

The Lake County, CA Citizens group called "Concerned Citizens of Coons Flat/Jerusalem Grade", a rural area between Middletown and Lower Lake, appealed Kaj Ahlmann's Six Sigma Vineyard's grading plans. The developer plans to remove 130 acres of oak woodland for vineyard expansion in an area near with rural residential homes and small farms. These small farmers and residents depend on shared water resources potentially impacted by the vineyard project.

The issue came up for a vote during the midmorning session. The board members each held copies of the written appeal findings but they did not disclose them.

Supervisor Farrington abstained from the vote, stating that he was not present at the last hearing.

Supervisor Ed Robey, who's district encompasses both the vineyard project and the concerned citizens group, supported the appeal. In his dissenting opinion Robey stated "The monitoring that was proposed really only addresses monitoring of the wells on the property to make sure there is sufficient water for the vineyard. It doesn't address the issue that was raised by the people in Coons Flat about the impacts on their water."

Robey also chastised both the applicant and the citizen group for not working out a deal privately.

Glo Anderson, organic farmer and Concerned Citizens' member, reacted to Supervisor Robey's statements. She stated "Our group was prepared to work out a deal with Mr. Alhmann but his side never came to the table. We submitted a groundwater monitoring plan proposal in previous hearings which were never considered." She continued "I'm disappointed the Board of Supervisors didn't address our concerns."

Mr. Robey made the motion to approve the appeal. None of the other board members seconded his motion. Robey's motion went down without a vote. Then they voted on the board member majority findings, supporting the vineyard plans.

The Supervisors voted 3-1 to deny the appeal with one abstaining vote. Then they closed the matter. The Board also denied the appeal of the "Concerned Citizens of Bachelor Valley" on a similar groundwater issue later in the afternoon session.

At the end of the day, after a long closed session that extended after 5p.m., The Board re -opened the Diamond Mine vineyard appeal for a few minutes to adopt the subsequent mitigated negative declaration, and include a "direct issuance of a grading permit" for the project.

Upon learning of appeal denial, Concerned Citizens' group member, Karl Giovacchini had this response: "Our primary concern for over a year has been a fair, honest and open consideration of the effects of this project on our limited groundwater resources - This has been denied."