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Wedding venue agrees to a settlement
Villa Amodei will pay $18,000 over complaints of unpermitted ceremonies
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The owners of Villa Amodei, a wedding venue near Somis, agreed Monday to pay the county of Ventura almost $18,000 to settle 13 complaints of weddings held this year without the proper permit.
The settlement closes the book on the dispute over the weddings held this spring and summer and clears the way for a Planning Commission hearing that could give Villa Amodei its permit in time for the 2009 wedding season.
The deal was finalized Monday morning, Ventura County Planning Director Kim Rodriguez said. It came a day before the Board of Supervisors was scheduled to hear an appeal from the Villa Amodei owners of a county Planning Commission ruling against them. The item will now be dropped from the board's agenda.
"I think this is a good deal for both of us," Rodriguez said. "The decision of the Planning Commission stands and we can move forward with what everyone wants to move forward on."
The commission should decide "within the next couple of months" whether Villa Amodei will be issued a permit to hold weddings and what conditions might be attached, Rodriguez said.
Villa Amodei is a 30-acre property in Balcom Canyon owned by George and Debra Tash. Their daughter, Jennifer Amodei, lives there with her husband and runs the wedding venue.
This spring, some of their neighbors in Balcom Canyon began complaining about noise and traffic from the weddings, and they filed a series of complaints with the county accusing the Amodeis and Tashes of holding commercial events without a permit.
The county Planning Department agreed and issued "notices of violation" for 13 weddings held between May and September.
The settlement applies to all 13 of those weddings. The Amodeis and Tashes admitted no wrongdoing, but they gave up any right to appeal the violations or to sue the county over them.
The Amodeis and Tashes also pledged to not hold any "special events, weddings or festivals" without a permit, and agreed that any unpermitted events could be shut down.
The Villa Amodei matter is being watched closely by the county's wedding industry. Venue owners claim the county lacks a fair and efficient process for granting permits in unincorporated areas.
The wedding issue came to light this spring when the county sent warning letters to venue owners who had been holding unpermitted weddings. A few were later cited, but the Amodeis and Tashes were the only owners to appeal their alleged violations.
Now, all of the owners are trying to obtain permits by the time the 2009 wedding season starts, although in the past, the process has often taken years.
Rodriguez said she expects things to move more quickly now, because the county has assigned a planner to do nothing but process wedding venue applications.
Posted by danp on October 14, 2008 at 6:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How long does it take to write a letter saying, "you can hold weddings."? 2 minutes? How long does it take county planning to do this? 2 years. This is what I call the great law of the county planning times table. 1 minute of actual work = 1 year of planning. Oh ya, you have to pay for the 2 years. Now I say 2 years is the MINIMUM. Some permits take 5 years, or even 10. Some are postponed indefinitely if they don't like you. Of course who would want something as evil as weddings to enter our town? With all of those catering and various other jobs associated with them, what would we do with all that money?
Posted by VivaVentucky on October 14, 2008 at 7:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This country of ours is over regulated!!! Starting an independent business in America is one long process of jumping thru hoops while throwing cash to the wind. People complain about the homogenization of America, with a Starbucks on ever corner, and so on, but many times it is only the corporations with deep pockets that can afford to play the expensive waiting game of starting a business. We should have cheap food carts on the corner in business areas, with wild competition keeping prices down and food good. We should do away with the ridiculous concept of a dance permit, people should be allowed to host a dance event at any venue. Dogs and alcohol should be allowed on the beach that God gave us. Got a pretty place to have weddings? Nice! After all, it can be a couple's most important day of their lives. Traffic, noise, confetti in the wind? Whatever! We need to live authentically and vibrantly! Over-regulation and the rise of ubiquitous corporate businesses in every neighborhood kills diversity and regional cultures.
Posted by Equitable_Enforcer on October 14, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Balcom Canyon is a peaceful area. It is not a commercially zoned area. Folks work hard to be able to live there. Their peace and quiet should not be shattered by the noise and pollution created by weddings/traffic at any time of the day or night, especially the kinds of weddings that are all too frequently held in our county. At the second complaint, the venue should have been shut down, period.
As for civil servants/politicians taking too long to do a task, I'm reminded of Parkinson's Law which states basically that "...work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." It was articulated in a humerous essay by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in the 50's and was based on his experience with the British civil service.
Posted by Equitable_Enforcer on October 14, 2008 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Whoops. Typo. humorous not humerous
Posted by Thinkbeforeyoupost on October 14, 2008 at 8:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How much noise could a wedding make? Is this really such a big problem? If parking is a problem, they have 30 Acres for goodness sake. Isn't there enough room with 30 acres to have some sort of parking lot?
Posted by eclipsewatcher on October 14, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh for crying out loud, go suck a lemon!!!
Posted by FedUp on October 14, 2008 at 10:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"How much noise could a wedding make?"
A LOT. noise travels in the canyon a lot. especially when you have got bands and DJ'd music playing. not cool to be a "neighbor" to them.
Posted by barefoot on October 14, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fedup
Heaven forbid you have to deal with 13 weddings in 365 days. This sounds like such pain.
Posted by Oranges on October 14, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Barefoot-
Nice spin. it's 13 weekends out of 52 or 25%. And when you look at the timing it's 13 weekends or 3 months, summer months. So it's OK for your neighbor to have a rager every weekend during the summer. I only wish I could live next to you.
Shut um' down and insist they farm or leave.
Posted by barefoot on October 14, 2008 at 11:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oranges
You have no Idea about what you’re talking about. These weddings aren’t ragers. I don’t know what kind of weddings you go to that are.
I know for a fact that these are classy events that have had noise studies done and have shown that there is no effect on the community.
Also they are not all weekend long and they are not back-to-back in three months. You really need to get your facts straight and Stop making up so many lies.
Posted by danp on October 14, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ya, the county should totally force the land owner to farm. What Amendment should we give up next? How about you give up your right to free speech so the rest of us can post rational thoughts.
Posted by Snafu on October 14, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
God forbid we should make drivers take tests to get a license, or for medical doctors to pass state boards! You people who whine about how "hard" it is to start a business because of all those "details" have obviously never owned a business. You're probably also the ones who cut in line or don't want to follow the rules set up for a civilized society.
The bigger question is this: Why couldn't Villa Amodei just get their permits BEFORE hosting their weddings? Laziness? Tax evasion? If they're willing to settle and pay $18,000 you know they've GOT to making a bit of money there.
I'm glad I don't live next to them. 30 acres sounds like a lot of property to you city folks but it's really not, especially when it's in a canyon with bands playing--ANY time of day.
Posted by barefoot on October 14, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Again can someone that knows what there talking about talk.
Posted by getreal on October 14, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope they eventually get their permits and have more weddings. The location is beautiful!
Posted by ladydefinger on October 14, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
londoncalling, for goodness sakes - hang up! Villa Amodei was the only venue that went IN before being sited in an attempt to get their permit. And, what about you? I'll just assume that if 30 acres is small change to you, you must have 1000's of acres. Let me see. That must mean you have tons of money. So why don't you get some help and stop spreading lies about people you know nothing about.
Posted by farmboy on October 14, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
farmboy equitable enforcer
YOU ARE DEAD WRONG THE VILLA AMODEI RANCH IS IN A COMMERCIAL ZONED WORKING RANCH AREA SO WAKE UP AND GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT
Posted by Equitable_Enforcer on October 14, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
farmboy, you may well need Prozac as evidenced by your outburst.
I said that the property is not zoned as commercial. I didn't comment on what the zoning is ... only what is is not. My point was ... not commercial and therefore not appropriate as to the noise and traffic generated due to some of the weddings. I was correct. The property is zoned as AE (Agricultural Exclusive).
If the other property owners were not disturbed by the noise and traffic, they'd have not complained.
Posted by Franko on October 14, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I support the wedding venue. I say this because I happen to live on a ranch and let me tell you it is not always peace and quiet. First, because it is out of town, people that drive these back roads are always driving like 100 mph. Second, for what ever reason, every time a crew comes in to pick/harvest the surrounding ranches, they always manage to leave trash behind, park on private property and heaven forbid if you have any type of fence to protect your property, it will surely get run over by a forklift or semi-trailer. During the week and even certain weekends, tractors and heavy equipment from surrounding ranches can be heard at first light. So, unless the people living around Balcom Canyon have never experienced what I am talking about, then they have every right to complain about the noise. Maybe a wedding every single weekend during the summer is a bit much, hopefully there is room for compromise... Even with the above mentioned nuisances, I wouldn't live anywhere else!
Posted by ladydefinger on October 14, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Equitable_Enforcer - who apparently is not equitable at all. The neighbors were complaining way before the first event took place. Maybe they have a crystal ball and that crystal ball gave them some way to see into the future. But, lo and behold, 5 noise studies later, and guess what? No noise! Why don't you people leave my friends alone already. Get a life.
Posted by Thinkbeforeyoupost on October 14, 2008 at 4:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think the neighbors complained because they weren't invited to the wedding party! :) I don't know about anyone else, but 30 acres is a lot of property in my book! If a wedding was held in town and was making a lot of noise, the police would ask the party people to hold it down. Then, when the time came( I think it is 7:00 pm) they would shut it down. 7:00 may by wrong, it may be 10:00pm, but decent people would be aware of the neighbors and the problem would never arise. My neighbors have a party now and again, but they always inform me before hand.
Posted by farmboy on October 14, 2008 at 4:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
EQUITABLE ENFORCER
YOU ARE WRONG AGAIN LOOK UP THE DEFINITION OF AE ZONE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF
Posted by Franko on October 14, 2008 at 7:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As I post this, the time is 7:21 pm; it also is pretty dark now too. The forklift operator who is working for the ranch across from me just finished loading the semi-tractor with fruit and is probably headed to the local packing house. He spent approximately 40 minutes loading the trailer and in doing so he would block both lanes of the road as the trailer is parked in one lane and the forklift occupies the second lane. The noise generated by both pieces of equipment travels all the way up to my property. This happens a lot, but living out here, I consider this a very small price to pay for the not having neighbors looking down on me while I am out in the back yard. My point is that all the ranches surrounding the wedding site probably generate some type of noise as well. If the weddings are over by 10 pm and aren’t held every single weekend, then I still don't see a problem.
I may also add that most farmers are not making much money as of late due to Mother Nature and the violate fruit market. If the Omedei folks can make some money on their property for renting it out for six to 8 hours, then more power to them!
Posted by 4justice on October 14, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The facts:
The Amodei have no NOV against their permit the matter is resolved fully. The PC was not up held but erased. The good new after a summer of free weddings is the Amodeis now have truck loads of evidence that everything the neighbors claim is false. They paid 18,000 to settle the real cost of this hideous crime 150.00 not 1,000. But how lucky for the other venues which despite the fact that they had over 35 wedding each and multi able complaints against them and police to verify this unbelievable crime. They only have to pay 150 dollars and can continue to book and run their business. A blatant manipulation of the law Mrs. R.
Funny how the reporter fails to mention that Kim PD and the neighbors were being investigated for fraud and that is why the county settled. Read the settlement agreement it is public. But they all better stop playing games with the Amodeis and proceed with their permit that they proved time and time again they deserve. Or the neighbors that are pulling political favors and PD that are bending the rules will be paying through the nose like the Amodeis did, or maybe just end up in jail where they belong.
Posted by barefoot on October 15, 2008 at 8 a.m. (Suggest removal)
4justice
Thank you for sharing. It's about time someone said the truth. I much rather read that then a bunch of lies.
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