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Analysis Background The winery has been in operation at this location since at least 1958, when the first of ten development applications were approved. There have been multiple expansions to the winery. On January 15, 1998, the Planning Commission approved the most recent land use application to expand the winery, Use Permit application No. UP-97-16, in six phases over a ten-year period. UP-97-16 approved a total square footage of 640,344 square feet. 68,808 square feet of buildings have been constructed. The remaining 571,536 square feet of buildings were approved but not constructed. The applicant applied for a Revisions of Approved Actions application on December 16, 2011 to extend the time by revising the phasing to five phases over a twelve year period. The total proposed building square footage at full buildout is 571,536 square feet. No additional square footage is being proposed from the original approval and the building layout is in a similar configuration as the original Use Permit (UP-97-16). The winery employs 211 workers and operates three shifts Monday through Friday during the non-crush season and three shifts seven days per week during the crush season, typically August through October. The wine tasting room operates seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Neighborhood Opposition The Community Development Department received three letters in opposition. The letters expressed concerns regarding noise, traffic, landscaping, and trash. Noise: Two neighbors expressed concern regarding excessive noise levels due to traffic at all hours from the winery and recommended limiting shipping and receiving hours and constructing a sound barrier on the north side of the barrel room due to noise emanating from an exhaust fan. Noise sources emanating from any agricultural operation, including activities associated with the processing or transportation of crops are exempt from the noise provisions pursuant to Development Title Section 9- 1025.9. However, the applicant has agreed to resolve this conflict with the neighbor and construct a noise barrier along a portion of the northeast corner of the existing barrel building to lessen the noise from the exhaust fan. Traffic: Neighbors are concerned about the project's impact on existing roadways and recommended building a bridge and pipe tressel over the Mokelumne River to off-set traffic on Woodbridge Road. A traffic study dated February 9, 1999 was conducted by Korve Engineering, Inc. when the original Use Permit application was submitted for the expansion of the winery. Project-generated traffic has remained in compliance with the traffic study and the traffic study identified no significant traffic related impacts as a result of the proposed improvements and concluded that there was no need for any off-site roadway improvements. The applicant has supplied data showing that by full buildout (2024), the estimated average number of vehicles anticipated per day will not exceed the threshold of 50 trips in any given hour. As a result, an addendum to the traffic study would not be required because the Department of Public Works determined any impacts to the existing levels of service would be less than significant. One neighbor requested to lower the speed limit on Woodbridge Road. The Department of Public Works indicated the speed limit at the project site is 45 m.p.h. Beyond the project site, the speed limit is 30 m.p.h. from State Route 99 to approximately 500 feet east of State Route 99 along Woodbridge Road. Public Works indicated the department is currently working on a speed reduction evaluation in that area to ascertain if a reduction in speed limit would be warranted. If it can be justified, the 45 m.p.h. speed San Joaquin County UP-97-16/RME, Inc. Community Development Page 3