8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com The wine industry continues to wobble, as evidenced by the 2025 crop report, which showed Monterey County wine grapes declined in gross value for a second consecutive year, falling 25 percent. Local leaders hope reviving the Agricultural Winery Corridor Plan could help change that. Originally requested by the now-disbanded Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association in 2001, the plan was intended to find ways to keep the local wine industry economically viable. “We understand that the wine industry has been impacted since the adoption of the 2010 General Plan,” Assistant Planner Katie Scariot told the County Planning Commission on July 8. “We hope the implementation of the Ag Wine Corridor Plan can help support the industry better.” The plan aims to encourage agricultural and winery-related development within three areas of unincorporated Monterey County: along River Road, Metz Road in the Central Salinas Valley and Jolon Road in South County. The plan identifies where winery-related businesses could locate, what types of facilities and how many would be allowed, clustering businesses intended to help growers diversify their revenue streams. One goal is to move beyond grape production by creating higher-value wine experiences. Uses include artisan wineries with small, on-site wine production, tasting rooms and restaurants. Hospitality uses also include the creation of inns and venues for occasions like weddings, release parties and industry events to increase foot traffic. Commissioners debated how to craft an ordinance that supports the wine industry without being so exclusive that it locks out broader agritourism opportunities. Some also questioned whether a wine-centered plan remains relevant today given the decline in wine consumption as a whole. “People are not drinking like they used to,” Commissioner Francisco Mendoza said at the July workshop. “It would be a good idea to concentrate on some of the other ways they can generate revenue, which are your hotels, maybe loosen it where it makes it easier to have events.” The Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing on the proposal on Aug. 12. To meet mandates of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, three options have emerged to achieve groundwater sustainability. In August, the board of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency will select one of these portfolios to recommend to the state’s Department of Water Resources for review. A hurdle is the cost. “We’ve had some real struggles,” Advisory Committee Chair Curtis Weeks told the board on July 9. “They see a number and they can’t talk about the merits of the project.” The project portfolios all incorporate some amount of demand management (reduction in pumping), optimization of the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project, and use of a Monterey County Water Resources Agency permit to divert water from the Salinas River. Both Portfolios 1 and 3A utilize a brackish groundwater restoration project (BGRP), each at different scales, affecting both cost and outcome. Portfolio 1, the most expensive option, projects $1.3 billion in capital costs and $117 million in annual operating costs. It includes a large-scale BGRP, Salinas River recharge in Castroville and the East Side subbasins, CSIP improvements and 10-percent demand management. Portfolio 3A would be $1 billion with annual operating costs of $74 million. It would scale back BGRP and add infrastructure to deliver treated water to Salinas, Marina and Castroville to reduce urban pumping. Portfolio 4 is considered the low-cost option with an estimated $600 million in capital costs and $8 million in annual operating costs. It has the highest demand management, at 20 percent. Portfolio 1 would meet seawater intrusion targets by 2040 and 2042, while Portfolio 3A reaches them over a longer period, according to technical consultant Derrik Williams. Portfolio 4 would not meet state requirements. “It’s a hard puzzle,” says Piret Harmon, SVBGSA’s manager. “We could just pick a project that works for seawater intrusion in 180/400 Subbasin and not worry about the others, but the holistic approach in the end will [be] the most cost-effective.” Wine Wave Winery Corridor plan seeks to boost a struggling agricultural sector. By Katie Rodriguez NEWS PUBLIC PROCESS Gonzales City Council meets to conduct regular city business. Public comment is accepted. 6pm Monday, July 20. Council Chambers, 117 Fourth St., Gonzales. Free. (831) 675-5000, gonzalesca.gov. FOR A VIBRANT ALISAL Learn about the City of Salinas’ Alisal Vibrancy Plan. The Community Development Department will share information on the plan during this presentation. 6-7pm Wednesday, July 22. Cesar Chavez Library community room, 615 Williams Road, Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7096, tinyurl.com/Alisal2026. GET THE MESSAGE Seaside Planning Commission meets to consider recommending an ordinance that allows electronic display signs for places of worship and meeting facilities on residential streets. Public comment is accepted. 6pm Wednesday, July 22. City Council Chambers, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. Free. (831) 899-6707, ci.seaside.ca.us. CLEANING UP The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will have a booth set up at the North County Farmers’ Market with information about the ongoing cleanup of the Vistra battery energy storage facility in Moss Landing. English and Spanish speakers will be available. 2-7pm Thursday, July 23. North County Recreation Center, 11261 Crane St., Castroville. Free. epa.gov/ca/mosslanding-vistra-battery-fire. RUN FOR OFFICE The candidate filing period for the November election is now open. Candidate forms will be available only during this period. Deadline to submit forms is 5pm Friday, Aug. 7. Free. (831) 796-1499, countyofmonterey.gov/elections. NOT TOXIC The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recently released a report evaluating contamination levels in the drinking water at Fort Ord from 1985-1994, concluding there was no health risk to those who used the water. The public is invited to weigh in on the report. Comments due Aug. 22. Free. bit.ly/ FortOrdATSDR. WOMEN’S VOICES The Women of Monterey County 2026 Survey is now available. The survey, conducted by the Monterey County Commission on the Status of Women, asks women for their priorities and concerns. Survey is ongoing in English and Spanish at countyofmonterey.gov/csw. Project Push Salinas Valley officials weigh three groundwater sustainability project portfolios. By Katie Rodriguez The tasting room at De Tierra Vineyards is one example of the industry’s presence in Carmel. The proposed plan would support similar projects in rural Monterey County. E-MAIL: publiccitizen@montereycountynow.com PUBLIC CITIZEN “People are not drinking like they used to.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
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