In 2015, the city of Sparks comprehensively revised the zoning code (Title 20 of the Sparks Municipal Code) which, amongst other changes, provided for the first time the ability to establish a winery in Sparks. Title 20 limits wineries to the A40 (Agriculture) and A5 (Agriculture) zoning districts based on the premise that wineries would be growing the grapes used for their wines. During this same revision process, the City added the ability to conduct Craft Distilleries and Breweries in Sparks. These latter two uses are permitted in the Downtown/Victorian Square area of the Mixed-Use zoning district. 

There is currently interest in establishing a winery in one of the new retail buildings under construction at Victorian Square.  While the zoning code provides a mechanism to approve uses not contemplated at the time of adoption of the code through the Conditional Use Permit process, this mechanism is not available in this instance because wineries were considered and limited to the Agricultural zoning districts.  Therefore, the only mechanism to potentially permit a winery outside the A40 and A5 zoning districts is by amending the permitted use table in Title 20 to add “Wineries” as a permitted use in additional zoning districts.

City staff view a winery which utilizes grapes or grape juice not grown on site to be functionally similar, in terms of its characteristics, to Craft Distilleries and Breweries, both of which are currently permitted in the Downtown/Victorian Square Mixed-Use District. The City’s Planning staff thus believes urban style wineries may be appropriate in the Mixed-Use, and perhaps other, zoning districts.

1. The City Council may direct the City Manager to initiate a code amendment to permit wineries in additional zoning districts. 
2. The City Council may decide not to direct the City Manager to prepare a code amendment.

I move to direct the City Manager to initiate changes to Title 20 of the Sparks Municipal Code to permit wineries in additional zoning districts.