Chateau Ste. Michelle wants to redevelop with hotel, stores, housing

The homeowners of Chateau Ste. Michelle hope to redevelop the Seattle space wine vacation spot, presumably by including a resort, shops and a minimum of 90 houses, a consultant advised Woodinville Metropolis Council members final month.

The present zoning for the 118-acre property would enable these additions, however Chateau Ste. Michelle’s homeowners additionally desire a zoning change from the town that would enable further, denser housing on the Sammamish River Valley website.

They might not get that change, judging by feedback from among the council members who heard in regards to the potential redevelopment at a gathering Jan. 16. The rezone may enable houses to be constructed not solely on undeveloped land west of the vineyard advanced, but additionally inside the advanced.

“I don’t see how that helps the imaginative and prescient we’ve got,” Councilmember Michelle Evans mentioned in regards to the rezone, voting along with her colleagues to assessment Chateau Ste. Michelle’s land-use proposal as a standalone query this 12 months, fairly than consolidating it right into a broader replace of Woodinville’s 20-year complete plan, as requested by the distinguished vineyard.

A complete plan modification, whether or not reviewed by itself or packaged with different potential adjustments, would pave the best way for an precise rezone.

“I don’t see what the profit to the town is,” Councilmember Sarah Arndt mentioned.

Jack McCullough, an actual property lawyer who represented Chateau Ste. Michelle on the Jan. 16 assembly, mentioned his purchasers may need to construct about 90 indifferent houses on the undeveloped land, which already has residential zoning, and as much as 60 city homes inside a rezoned vineyard advanced.

He confirmed the council preliminary designs that will add a resort, a brand new music venue and potential shops or market halls on the Chateau Ste. Michelle grounds whereas retaining a tasting room and the vineyard’s Manor Home.

The prevailing advanced dates to 1976, when Chateau Ste. Michelle constructed a French-style vineyard on the location of an property that after belonged to Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson. It’s now a part of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which describes itself as the most important vineyard within the Pacific Northwest and sells wines below a number of labels, together with 14 Arms and Columbia Crest.

The corporate bought for $1.2 billion in 2021 to the personal fairness agency Sycamore Companions and has stopped making wine in Woodinville, after lengthy splitting its manufacturing between the Seattle suburb and Jap Washington.

The brand new homeowners listed Chateau Ste. Michelle on the market in 2022 however later took the property off the market and began engaged on redevelopment concepts about six months in the past, mentioned McCullough, the corporate’s consultant, describing the main points of the designs he shared with the council Jan. 16 as speculative.

“The aim of possession is to attempt to protect and make sustainable what’s nice in regards to the website,” McCullough mentioned, arguing the additions may present financial help for the vineyard’s current Woodinville operations.

He famous two places “the place we might contemplate creating city home models,” if the vineyard’s zoning was modified from “industrial enterprise” to “vacationer enterprise.” To construct housing in a vacationer enterprise zone, Chateau Ste. Michelle would additionally want to barter a growth settlement with the town.

“This isn’t high-rise residential, not giant condo buildings,” McCullough mentioned, downplaying the potential density after plenty of public commenters warned the council {that a} main housing challenge may spoil the character of Chateau Ste. Michelle whereas rising site visitors and air pollution.

A number of commenters talked about the demise of one other beloved native enterprise, Molbak’s Backyard + House, which just lately closed in downtown Woodinville after the sudden collapse of a long-awaited redevelopment challenge.

“Would New York be New York with out Central Park? Would Seattle be Seattle with out Pike Place Market?” commenter Susan Carroll requested, evaluating these sights to Chateau Ste. Michelle’s significance for Woodinville.

Mayor Mike Millman mentioned he may help “90% of what’s being proposed” by the Chateau Ste. Michelle homeowners however voiced reservations in regards to the rezone.

“Our imaginative and prescient is to construct out a really sturdy, walkable, vibrant downtown, with housing concentrated in that space,” versus the extra rural and industrial space the place Chateau St. Michelle is situated, Millman mentioned. “I really like numerous what this challenge is. … Having mentioned that, I’m not favorable to city houses in the principle property. I feel that’s not what Woodinville desires.”

Though the council rejected Chateau Ste. Michelle’s request to have its land-use modification thought of as a part of the excellent plan replace that cities should full each 10 years, the vineyard can nonetheless advance its proposal individually, Woodinville’s growth companies director mentioned.

“At this level, Ste. Michelle has not formally withdrawn their complete plan modification software for consideration below the annual course of and we’re ready for them to inform us what they need to do,” Kevin O’Neill, an assistant to Woodinville’s metropolis supervisor, wrote in an e-mail Thursday.

McCullough didn’t return requests for remark this week.

Councilmember Rachel Greatest-Campbell urged the town’s planners to deal with the potential rezone’s particulars, not the “fairly photos” offered.

“I don’t belief the images,” Greatest-Campbell mentioned about the Chateau Ste. Michelle designs, noting that properties will be bought and developments can evolve.