Business & Tech

St. James Vineyard Postpones Hearing for Event Permit

Public hearing on winery's request to host weddings, outdoor events rescheduled for April 25.

A St. James vineyard looking to get town approval to host weddings and outdoors events has requested its public hearing be postponed until April. 

Whisper Vineyards, part of Borella's Farm Stand on Edgewood Avenue, asked Smithtown Town Board to reschedule its March 21 public hearing for a special exception permit to host outdoor events to April 25. The farm owners and town are at odds over whether Whisper Vineyard's right to host special events is protected under state agricultural laws. 

"While you are permitted to have weddings on a farm or vineyard, the primary purpose must be to sell wine and must show a profit at selling wine," said Frank DeRubeis, Smithtown's Planning director. "We happen to think what Whisper is proposing has no relationship to this." 

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DeRubeis pointed to guidelines from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, which offers towns guidelines for what activities are and aren't allowed on agricultural property. Whisper Vineyards are on one of three properties in the town that fall under this designation. 

Under the state's guidelines, special events held at a farm winery must show "the per event sales of the farm’s distilled or brewed products and/or wine and wine-related food products as a result of such activities must exceed the fees charged for such activities, less the actual cost to offer the activity/hold the event." 

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DeRubeis said the town has asked the winery's owners to share their financial records after each event to prove their sales. 

However, if they are unwilling to do this, the town has the right to impose their own restrictions on the winery's special event permit. 

DeRubeis said the town planners took a close look at the East End wineries and carefully wrote code to avoid some of the issues those communities have faced. The town's limitations would prohibit live music after 9 p.m., bars parking on neighborhood roads and limits events to the warmer months. 

These limitations are not an effort by town officials to make business difficult for Whisper Vineyards. 

"They indicated they want to do this as an additional source of income for the farm, and I'm not necessary opposed to that," DeRubeis said. 

Whisper Vineyards is still waiting for its New York State license to operate and sell wine, years after planting the first grapes in 2004. Owners Steve and Laura Gallagher received the necessary ordinance from the town in 2010.

The plans for the 18-acre vineyard include a 19,000-square-foot, energy-efficient winery, tasting room and seasonal café. The facility will be housed in a renovated version of a mid-19th century barn that is currently standing on the family's land delegated to grapes on the south side of Edgewood Avenue. 


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