Sierra Club v. County of Napa
Opinion
Opinion
Stein, J.
Sierra Club appeals from a judgment denying its petition for writ of mandate to overturn the decision of the Napa County Conservation, Development, and Planning Department (Department) to certify an environmental impact report (EDR.) and issue a use permit to Beringer Wine Estates, Beringer Blass Wine Estates Company and Beringer Blass Wine Estates Holdings, Inc. (Beringer). The use permit will allow Beringer to develop land within Napa County’s Airport Industrial Area Specific Plan area, a project that will result in the loss of .461 acres of seasonal wetlands. Beringer, the County of Napa (County) and the Napa County Board of Supervisors (Board) are the respondents to the appeal.
We affirm.
Procedural Background
On June 25, 1999, Beringer filed an application for a use permit to develop an integrated winery facility on a 218-acre site located in the Napa County Airport Industrial Area Specific Plan area.
On March 3, 2000, the Department issued a public notice that it would act as lead agency and cause an EIR to be prepared on the project. A draft EIR was circulated from May 25 to July 9, 2001. As relevant here, the draft EIR noted that the project would cause the…