Panel: Not So Fast With That Winery

An advisory panel to the City Council decided to send the elected politicians a cautionary plea: Not so fast with a winery.

The City Council discussed in February some potential uses for a historic home it owns on the north end of town. Now that of the , built in 1923, several wineries and an artists’ group have expressed interest in renting the property.

Council members, some and tasting room, sent the matter to the Open Space, Trails and Equestrian Commission for a once over.

But a single look-see is not enough, commissioners said Monday. In fact, the council is doing things all out of order.

“We’re not interested in short-circuiting the process or short-changing the community,” said Chairman Robert Ferguson. 

Rather than consider any one proposal, the commission should “look at the bigger animal, the bigger vision,” said Commissioner Tom Ostensen. 

Among the “questions in search of answers” – as Commissioner Al King phrased it – are issues of parking and traffic circulation on Camino Capistrano, noise from the I-5 freeway, preserving the historical character of the house and the archeological importance of the stie to the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians.

Ron Tamez, owner of Hamilton Oaks Vineyard and Winery of Trabuco Canyon and one of only four wineries which have expressed an interest in the Swanner House to put in a written proposal,  was surprised to see the brakes pulled so hard after the City Council indicated it wanted to fast-track the project.

“Is this a process that could take a month or six months or 18 months,” Tamez asked. He later told Patch he was hoping to have the keys by May 1 so that he could set up his operation and plant the vines.

The commissioners couldn’t say exactly how quickly they would move, but they did indicate they weren’t looking  to bring the process to a halt.

“We do not want you to be discouraged,” Ferguson said. “We’re here to help, not to hinder.”

The matter is scheduled to return to the City Council at its March 20 meeting.