BACK IN BUSINESS WINERY REOPENS AFTER SOUR GRIPES.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

AGUA DULCE - The troubled Agua Dulce Winery has reopened its doors, despite impending questions over land-use permits and water availability.

Last week, the winery was granted a Clean Hands Waiver allowing the business to open its doors through Dec. 31 while acquiring conditional use permits from the county.

``If they abide by these conditions, then that's what we wanted. If they don't, then we can't tolerate it,'' said Manny Fernandez, a director on the water board of neighboring community Sierra Colony.

Stretched out over 90 acres adjacent to Fernandez's home, the vineyard appears like a green oasis in the otherwise parched surroundings.

The winery was shut down by the county earlier this year after revelations by Fernandez and other Sierra Colony residents that it was out of compliance with its county clean hands waiver.

After several months of negotiations between Sierra Colony residents and winery owner Ray Watt, a new waiver was issued and the winery was reopened, according to Paul Novac, planning deputy for county Supervisor Michael Antonovich.

``The terms of those conditions were negotiated between a committee of eight Sierra Colony homeowners and the winery,'' Novac said.

Fernandez, one of the residents who negotiated with the winery, said that the talks were a step in the right direction.

``At this point we have a tenuously good relationship with the vineyard. They have a monitor that visits several times a week to ensure that all of the conditions are met,'' Fernandez said.

Winery officials are pleased to have the operation back up and running, and are now looking toward their conditional use permits.

``The doors are open,'' said Jennifer Hoberman, a spokeswoman for the winery. ``We have a monitor out there to confirm and monitor our compliance and we will operate under those conditions set forth.''

But questions still linger over water use in the area, Fernandez and other nearby residents said.

A study on the availability of water in the area could be completed in the coming weeks, the results of which might dictate whether the local aquifer has enough water to sustain the winery and the 60-home community.

``If we find that they are depleting the aquifer, then we will sue them,'' Fernandez said.

The water board recently settled a pending lawsuit with the county over the same issue, paving the way for the current clean hands waiver to be reissued, Fernandez said.

Residents of Sierra Colony - where homes range from $750,000 and $1.5 million - have a limit set on their water use and often wake up to find nothing but air flowing out of their faucets, said Dennis Tomlinson, another member of the water board.

If the residents go over that limit, they must pay a per-gallon fee for water to be trucked into the community.

And that could be compounded when all of the residents finish their homes.

``One-third of the residents have not even put in their lawns,'' Tomlinson said.

Nicholas Grudin, [phone]

nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color in SAC edition only) Lush vines lead into Sierra Colony, where many of the 60 homes have dead or dying lawns because of water shortages.

(2 -- color in SAC edition only -- ran in SAC and AV editions only) Water board members Carey Lee Moisan, left, Manny Fernandez and Dennis Tomlinson say they hope management of Agua Dulce Winery keeps its word on operational permits.

(3 -- ran in SAC edition only) Residents of Sierra Colony in Agua Dulce often wake up to find nothing but air flowing out of their faucets.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer