Local
Fairfax’s first winery gets stuck in red tape
By: William C. Flook
February 1, 2009
When zoning regulators blocked Fairfax County’s first and only winery from being created, an apparently embarrassed Board of Supervisors took a unanimous vote in December to reconsider that policy.
It was an encouraging moment for Kirk Wiles, one half of a mother-son team looking to start the 35-acre Clifton-area winery by the spring.
But just as quickly as it came, the moment deflated: The supervisors reversed their vote at a recent meeting.
It’s a bureaucratic tangle that reflects Fairfax County’s alienation from Virginia’s rural and agricultural roots. The commonwealth is home to more than 100 wineries, none of them in Fairfax.
County zoning staff argued that Paradise Springs Winery qualified as a industrial use prohibited in the area because it would import outside grapes. Supervisors disagreed.
But when they realized they would have little authority to regulate the winery under state law, the board moved to undo its December vote and instead seek legislation in the General Assembly that would give the county some authority over the winery. Opposed by Virginia’s wine industry, the bill died last week in a House committee.
“There was no shot of that bill ever making it,” said Wiles, who said he is left to plead his case before the Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday.
Wiles said he believes the board wants the winery to open, but said staff has taken a “ridiculous” interpretation of zoning regulations.
Del. Tim Hugo, R-Centreville, who introduced the bill in the House, said neighbors are concerned about traffic, trucks and drunken drivers. He said the winery “could be a good thing, but people want to have controls on it.”
“I think they have legitimate concerns,” Hugo said. “I think we need to find a way to address those.”
Wiles plans not only to make and sell wine, but to offer wine tasting and tours on the site, which sits just outside of Clifton at the edge of Hemlock Overlook Regional Park.
It was an encouraging moment for Kirk Wiles, one half of a mother-son team looking to start the 35-acre Clifton-area winery by the spring.
But just as quickly as it came, the moment deflated: The supervisors reversed their vote at a recent meeting.
It’s a bureaucratic tangle that reflects Fairfax County’s alienation from Virginia’s rural and agricultural roots. The commonwealth is home to more than 100 wineries, none of them in Fairfax.
County zoning staff argued that Paradise Springs Winery qualified as a industrial use prohibited in the area because it would import outside grapes. Supervisors disagreed.
But when they realized they would have little authority to regulate the winery under state law, the board moved to undo its December vote and instead seek legislation in the General Assembly that would give the county some authority over the winery. Opposed by Virginia’s wine industry, the bill died last week in a House committee.
“There was no shot of that bill ever making it,” said Wiles, who said he is left to plead his case before the Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday.
Wiles said he believes the board wants the winery to open, but said staff has taken a “ridiculous” interpretation of zoning regulations.
Del. Tim Hugo, R-Centreville, who introduced the bill in the House, said neighbors are concerned about traffic, trucks and drunken drivers. He said the winery “could be a good thing, but people want to have controls on it.”
“I think they have legitimate concerns,” Hugo said. “I think we need to find a way to address those.”
Wiles plans not only to make and sell wine, but to offer wine tasting and tours on the site, which sits just outside of Clifton at the edge of Hemlock Overlook Regional Park.
