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Romano and Judy Isola 22745 North Bender Road Acampo, California 95220 June 5, 2012 Mo Hatef, Senior Planner San Joaquin County CDD 18 10 East Hazelton Avenue Stockton, CA 95205 Re: St. Jorge Winery, Acampo, CA Dear Ms. Hatef: We reside directly next door to the St. Jorge Winery, and we are against St. Jorge's application to the County for a permit to expand its winery by adding a music amphitheater ("wine garden"), a commercial kitchen, additional public restrooms, and other structures. We are also against St. Jorge's application to the County for a permit to increase the number of private events it may host from 4/year to 25/year, and to increase the number of persons who may attend these events from 25 to 150. These are the reasons that we are against St. Jorge's applications: St Joree Ruins Neighborhood Aesthetics When we look next door in St. Jorge's direction we see something entirely different than can be seen in any other direction. In all directions except St. Jorge's we see vineyards, orchards, or other residences similar to our own. In the direction of St. Jorge we see densely packed buildings that are sorely out of character with their surroundings, and which make up a commercial entertainment center, not a winery. The buildings and other improvements St. Jorge has built ruin the aesthetics of the neighborhood because they are completely out of character with the neighborhood. [See Photo Set A] As one example, St. Jorge now seeks an after-the-fact permit for a large commercial kitchen which has already been built on the premises. When we go into our vegetable garden, we see a huge stainless steel venting apparatus, chillers for large-scale refrigeration units, and other industrial-sized equipment that has no place being on our property line. The amphitheater (referred to in St. Jorge's permit application as a "wine garden") is another example. From our vineyard and