Supervisors Grant Rezoning Request For Old Wards Ferry Vineyard

Sonora, CA — The owner of a local vineyard has been granted a request to rezone a portion of his property to accommodate a proposed commercial venture in Tuolumne.

Ron Peterson went before the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors seeking the change that would allow him to host weddings and social events at his vineyard on Old Wards Ferry Road.

Peterson says that the vineyard has been losing money and he needs to diversify to realize a positive cash flow. Opponents of the project say they are concerned about noise and traffic safety among other issues.

The board was given an amended development agreement that includes numerous regulations pertaining to parking, hours and days of operation and the number of guests allowed at each event.

The board and city planning commission will take public input in 18 months to review whether the conditional use permit should be terminated or extended.