Planning Commission approves one-time 600-person Bocelli benefit at Monte Olivo Estate with safety conditions

The St. Helena Planning Commission on May 20 approved a temporary use permit (TUP) for a private ticketed Andrea Bocelli dinner and entertainment event at Monte Olivo Estate, 2500 Spring Mountain Road, allowing a maximum of 600 guests on June 20, 2025, subject to conditions the city says are intended to reduce wildfire and public-safety risk.

Commissioners said the approval was contingent on a set of conditions including a field demonstration of ingress/egress and bus staging acceptable to St. Helena Fire and Police, pre-event neighbor notifications, evidence of required insurance and licensing, a requirement that the event organizers accept cancellation by the city if a current public-safety risk (including wildfire) is declared, and a post-event operations report.

The staff recommendation said the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and noted the TUP code requires the director to refer events with attendance above 400 to the commission. Senior Planner Jackie O'Neil summarized the proposal and operational plan, including staged cutaway buses bringing guests from Charles Krug Winery, limited on-site parking for staff, building and fire-inspections, on-site medical coverage by RockMed and on-site St. Helena Police officers. O'Neil said the event would end at 10 p.m. and that the applicants provided a noise study and a traffic-management plan.

Applicant team members said they had…