Saviano Winery owner urges Lancaster council to reinstate rescinded EDC incentive

Julie Denton, co-owner of Saviano Winery, told the council that an incentive package offered by the Lancaster Economic Development Corporation in January 2023 was rescinded after the winery’s opening date slipped. Denton said zoning, internal disagreements among city inspectors over a second bathroom, repeated denials on certain work and delays in issuing a TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) permit caused sequential contractor losses and slowed their opening schedule.

“We did our best to meet the deadline dictated by the contract with the expectation that the city of Lancaster, who invited us into your downtown, would work with us to ensure we had what we needed to stay on track,” Denton said. She asked council to reinstate the incentive so her small, locally owned business—She and her husband have hired three employees and hold events on the square—could bridge early operating costs.

Denton said follow-up requests for reinstatement were ignored or denied and that the incentive was an important factor in choosing Lancaster as a business location. She asked the council to consider reinstating the previously approved funding as an accommodation for delays beyond the owners’ control.

What happens next: Denton’s plea was received during public testimony; no formal action on the incentive was taken at the meeting. Council members did not take public action to reinstate or deny the request during the June 10 session.

Why it matters: Small-business incentives are a key tool in downtown economic development; owners say administrative delays and unclear zoning guidance materially affected their ability to comply with contractual opening dates.