More vineyard owners seek to join Hoopes lawsuit against Napa County
Hoopes Vineyard, located on Washington Street just south of Yountville, could be joined by two additional vineyard owners in its federal lawsuit challenging Napa County’s winery regulations and enforcement practices.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in Hoopes Vineyard LLC et al. v. County of Napa have asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for permission to add Thomson Vineyards and Okell Hill Vineyards as plaintiffs.
The lawsuit was filed in 2024 by Hoopes Vineyard LLC, Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery LLC and Cook’s Flat Associates, which does business as Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery. It alleges that certain county ordinances, policies and enforcement practices governing wineries violate the U.S. Constitution and California law.
Hoopes Vineyard’s property is at 6204 Washington St., immediately south of Yountville’s town limits, although its mailing address lists Napa. The family-owned winery is operated by second-generation proprietor Lindsay Hoopes.
If the court approves the motion, Thomson Vineyards and Okell Hill Vineyards would be allowed to assert claims arising from their own experiences with Napa County’s land-use, permitting and code-enforcement processes. Both are pursuing winery development and permits related to existing vineyards and proposed winery operations, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The proposed amended complaint includes claims under the First Amendment, the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment, the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause, the dormant Commerce Clause and state law.
The court has scheduled a hearing on the motion for Nov. 20. Napa County has not yet had the opportunity to respond to the request or the additional allegations. The motion remains pending, and the proposed plaintiffs have not yet been added to the case.
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