A debate is fermenting in Deschutes County—and elsewhere in Oregon—over the emergence of vineyards and wineries on land regulated under the state’s highly-restrictive exclusive farm use (EFU) zoning .
The issue has evolved with the increasingly difficult economics of ranching and farming and the burgeoning popular thirst among consumers for the bottled fruit of the vine.
In early March a Deschutes County
The Grossmann family in the Lower Bridge area of northern Deschutes County
The Deschutes County application comes at a time that several issues related to wineries on EFU land have gained prominence in the Oregon Western Oregon differ substantially from those across the Cascades Crest, some of the issues are common to both regions.
In particular, sections of state law related to special events held at wineries on EFU land and the type of food service permitted have come to the forefront in the discussion. Several bills addressing the issues are circulating through the halls in Salem.
The Deschutes County Planning Commission’s staff report before the hearing officer on the Faith Hope and Charity application focused on several key points in state law, ORS 215.452 (later amended by Senate Bill 1055).
The staff questioned whether by planting grapes on 15 acres of their property the Grossmann’s had met a requirement of the state law that a winery “…Owns an on-site vineyard of at least 15 acres…” if production will be less than 50,000 gallons annually.
The issue as interpreted by the staff in its findings was not whether the vineyard existed but that “there is no history of grape production at this vineyard.”
But at the March 8 hearing, the Crossmanns’ attorney maintained that many wineries across Oregon
In public comments, Kerry Damon, ranch and vineyard manager at Ranch at the Canyons in Terrebonne, argued that building the winery was necessary for the “operational infrastructure” needed to process grapes before the first harvest.
In the case of Faith, Hope and Charity some grapes would be acquired on a contract from Monkey Face Vineyards, the private vineyard of Ranch at the Canyons, an “agriculture preserve” residential community on the Crooked River across from Smith Rock State Park
Apart from the grape production issue, the staff report said the hearing officer should consider if the application met the state law’s requirement regarding a “limited service restaurant”; whether retail sales would be “directly related” to promotion and sale of wine produced at the winery; and the location and screening of any above ground utilities.
Although not addressed by the planning staff, the issue of special events at the winery was raised by several speakers at the hearing who said they were neighboring landowners.
One adjacent neighbor complained of traffic into the winery for previously held weddings and another said noise and excessive drinking were a concern.
A nearby rancher questioned if allowing wineries would effectively be “going down a slippery slope” by subverting the original intent of the 1970s legislation establishing EFU zoning.
But, he also offered support for someone venturing to plant a vineyard in Central Oregon .
“I’m on both sides of the fence,” the rancher observed. “I hope it works out for them, and if it does I’ll plant bananas.”
