Board upholds zoning administrator, approves Petrillo special-events permit with conditions

The Solano County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to deny an appeal of the Zoning Administrator’s June 19 approval of Minor Use Permit MU2308, clearing the way for a Petrillo family ranch to operate a small-scale agritourism events facility subject to conditions.

Permit details and conditions: staff said the approved permit allows outdoor special events using existing lawn areas and temporary tents. The project as presented originally proposed up to six events per year with a condition allowing up to 12 events per year under the permit and a cap of about 60 vehicles per event (the applicant estimated that figure for a 150-person event). The county conditioned the permit to require an event management plan approved by the fire district and county resource management, ADA-accessible parking, upkeep of Vickery Lane prior to events, proof of commercial event insurance, and a requirement that permanent restroom facilities be installed if the use continued beyond an initial period.

Public safety and neighborhood concerns: more than two dozen nearby property owners, several of whom live within a half-mile, spoke against the permit at public hearing. Neighbors repeatedly cited wildfire history in the area, one-in/one-out roadway configuration, noise, traffic, and light impacts. Several speakers described experience fighting 2020 wildfires and said the site’s single private access road raised evacuation concerns. Fire and building officials said they inspected the property and had no outstanding objections under current code for the limited temporary uses; staff added that a formal event-management plan and any structural work would require further review and permits.

Applicant response: Rhonda Petrillo described the property as a longtime family farm with orchards and a farm stand. She said the agritourism events are intended to support farming operations and local suppliers and described prior experience hosting events and public safety measures on the property.

Board action and rationale: staff recommended denying the appeal and upholding the Zoning Administrator’s decision; the board followed staff’s recommendation and approved a resolution to that effect by a 5-0 vote. Supervisors emphasized the conditional nature of the permit and noted that recurring complaints could prompt revocation proceedings and that any new structures or permanent facilities would require separate plan review and potential SRA (State Responsibility Area) standards.

What to expect: before events begin, the applicant must submit and obtain county and fire-district approval of an event-management plan, demonstrate required insurance, and ensure ADA-accessible accommodations and agreed road maintenance measures. The board’s action did not approve any new permanent structures; it approved a use permit with the stated conditions.