To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Scott Orr (707)565-1754, Katerina Orella (707)565-1392
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fourth
Title:
Title
Permit Sonoma File No. LLA26-0010 Chen’s Vineyard Lot Line Adjustment, 4050, 4146, and 4150 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution approving a Lot Line Adjustment between four ACC (Administrative Certificate of Compliance) parcels subject to Conditions of Approval and a Land Conservation Act Contract located at 4050, 4146, and 4150 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg; APNs 090-190-001 and 090-190-003. (Fourth District)
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Executive Summary:
The proposed adjustment between the four ACC parcels is consistent with the County’s Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and the Land Conservation Act and staff recommends approval of the Lot Line Adjustment to adjust between four parcels of 22.57 acres (Parcel A), 25.95 acres (Parcel B), 1.25 acres (Parcel C), and 1.65 acres (Parcel D) in size, resulting in four lots of 11 acres (Lot A), 13.5 acres (Lot B), 13.5 acres (Lot C), and 13.42 acres (Lot D) in size. Lot Line Adjustments on lands under a Land Conservation Act Contract require that the Board of Supervisors make findings of consistency with the Land Conservation Act requirements. The adjusted parcels meet the land use and density criteria of the General Plan and Lots A, B, C, and D will meet the required findings for Land Conservation Act Requirements. The property is subject to an existing Prime Land Conservation Act contract, Ag Preserve 1-291, recorded under Book 2606, Page 708 of Sonoma County Records.
Discussion:
Ray Carlson and Associates seeks approval of a Lot Line Adjustment between four parcels (refer to Lot Line Adjustment Site Plan under Attachment 3). The legal parcels are identified as APN 090-190-001 (Portion, Parcel A and Portion, Parcel C) and APN 090-190-003 (Portion, Parcel B and Portion, Parcel D). The current parcel sizes are: 22.57+/- acres (Parcel A), 25.95+/- acres (Parcel B), 1.25+/- acres (Parcel C), and 1.65+/- acres (Parcel D). The Lot Line Adjustment will result in lots of 11+/- acres (Lot A), 13.5+/- acres (Lot B), 13.5+/- acres (Lot C), and 13.42+/- acres (Lot D). The Lot Line Adjustment is being requested to realign property boundaries in order to facilitate continued land stewardship and agricultural viability.
In January 2026, Permit Sonoma approved four ACC’s, under Permit Sonoma File No. ENP25-0027, creating Parcel A, B, C, and D. ACC’s are issued by the County to properties that have been proven to be separate legal parcels, and only gives the owner the right to sell, lease or finance the parcel separately from other contiguous parcels held by the same owner. An ACC does not involve review of or guarantee the buildability of a parcel, nor does it exempt a parcel from the requirements of any deed restriction, Federal, State, County, or local agency rules regulating the development or use of real property.
Zoning for parcel A is LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture) B6 20 (20 Acre Density), Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion) RC50/25 (Riparian Corridor with 25 and 50-foot setbacks) RC100/50 (Riparian Corridor with 50 and 100-foot setbacks) SR (Scenic Resources) VOH (Valley Oak Habitat).
Zoning for parcel B is LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture) B6 20 (20 Acre Density), Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion) F1 (Floodway) RC50/25 (Riparian Corridor with 25 and 50-foot setbacks) RC100/50 (Riparian Corridor with 50 and 100-foot setbacks) SR (Scenic Resources) VOH (Valley Oak Habitat).
Zoning for parcel C is LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture) B6 20 (20 Acre Density), Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion) RC50/25 (Riparian Corridor with 25 and 50-foot setbacks) RC100/50 (Riparian Corridor with 50 and 100-foot setbacks) SR (Scenic Resources) VOH (Valley Oak Habitat).
Zoning for parcel D is LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture) B6 20 (20 Acre Density), Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion) F1 (Floodway) RC50/25 (Riparian Corridor with 25 and 50-foot setbacks) RC100/50 (Riparian Corridor with 50 and 100-foot setbacks) SR (Scenic Resources) VOH (Valley Oak Habitat).
A condition of approval requires that prior to recording the grant deeds, the owner must submit a complete application for a Zone Change technical correction to align zoning boundaries with the adjusted parcel boundaries.
Site Characteristics:
The project site includes four contiguous parcels under same ownership, Chen’s Vineyard, LLC. The parcels are located approximately 5.7 miles northwest of the City of Healdsburg.
Parcel A is an existing 22.57-acre parcel, is a portion of APN 090-190-001, and is subject to a Prime (Type I) Land Conservation Act Contract approved by the Board in February 1972 and is devoted to agriculture. The existing development on this parcel includes two single-family dwellings, detached garage, septic system, two wells, pump shed, and access driveway.
Parcel B is an existing 25.95-acre parcel, is a portion of APN 090-190-003, and is subject to the same Prime (Type I) Land Conservation Act Contract approved by the Board in February 1972 and is devoted to agriculture. Existing structures on parcel B include an agricultural accessory structure, septic system, well, and access driveway.
Parcel C is an existing 1.25-acre parcel, is a portion of APN 090-190-001, and is subject to the same Prime (Type I) Land Conservation Act Contract approved by the Board in February 1972 and is devoted to agriculture. There are no existing structures on parcel C.
Parcel D is an existing 1.65-acre parcel, is a portion of APN 090-190-003, and is subject to the same Prime (Type I) Land Conservation Act Contract approved by the Board in February 1972 and is devoted to agriculture. There are no existing structures on parcel D.
After the Lot Line Adjustment, the Owner will seek approval for County rescission of the existing Land Conservation Act Contract and immediate replacement with new separate Land Conservation Act Contracts that will restrict the resulting adjusted lots.
Resulting Lot A will be approximately 11 acres in size and contain 10.19 acres devoted to vineyard (93% of the lot). Following the proposed adjustment Lot A will contain 0.07 acres of compatible use area including a single-family dwelling, detached garage, septic system, and a well.
Resulting Lot B will be approximately 13.5 acres in size and contain 12.07 acres devoted to vineyard (89% of the lot). Following the proposed adjustment Lot B will contain 0.13 acres of compatible use area including a single-family dwelling and a barn.
Resulting Lot C will be approximately 13.5 acres in size and contain 12.66 acres devoted to vineyard (94% of the lot). Following the proposed adjustment Lot C will contain less than 1 acre of compatible use area including a pump shed and a well.
Resulting Lot D will be approximately 13.42 acres in size and contain 13.24 acres devoted to vineyard (99% of the lot). Following the proposed adjustment Lot D will contain less than 1 acre of compatible use area including a septic system and a well.
Land Conservation Act:
To facilitate a Lot Line Adjustment, Government Code Section 51257 permits the contracting parties to rescind the existing contract and simultaneously enter into new contracts if the required findings can be made.
State regulations for Land Conservation Act Contracts and the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Uniform Rules) require that the amount of land under contract after a Lot Line Adjustment remain the same as it was before the Lot Line Adjustment and that the adjusted parcels continue to meet all the requirements for a contract. The proposed Lot Line Adjustment will not result in a reduction of land under contract and the currently contracted Parcels A, B, C and D, will individually meet the requirements for a contract after the adjustments because they will: (1) continue to be devoted to agriculture or open space with at least 50% of the parcels devoted to those uses; (2) meet agricultural income requirements (when applicable); (3) be included in an agricultural preserve; (4) will be comprised of a single legal parcel; and (5) all non-agricultural uses are compatible uses listed under the County’s Uniform Rules and do not collectively exceed an area that is 15% of the parcel or 5-acres in size whichever is less.
All existing parcels are currently under a Prime (Type I) Land Conservation Act Contract. A condition of approval requires that prior to recording the grant deeds for the adjusted parcels, the owner shall apply to rescind the existing Land Conservation Act contract and replace it with new contracts for the reconfigured lots in accordance with the Uniform Rules.
Lots A, B, C, and D will apply to rescind the existing Prime (Type I) Land Conservation Act Contract and replace it with new contracts for the reconfigured parcels in accordance with the Uniform Rules.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends the Board approve the request because all the state and local requirements for the Lot Line Adjustment can be met.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
None. The applicant pays for the costs of processing the application. There will be no new fiscal impacts as a result of this action.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1: LLA26-0010 Draft Board of Supervisors Resolution
Attachment 2: LLA26-0010 Draft Conditions of Approval
Attachment 3: LLA26-0010 Site Plan
Attachment 4: LLA26-0010 Proposal Statement
Attachment 5: Assessor’s Parcel Map
Attachment 6: Recorded Land Conservation Act Contract, Document No. M57426
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A