County taking action to shut wedding venue near Oakdale and close pot dispensary in Salida

Its website says the Robinson Family Ranch wedding venue is nestled among the luscious almond trees outside Oakdale.

Stanislaus County officials said Tuesday that the wedding business in the 5300 block of River Road is not permitted in that scenic agricultural zone. In closed session, the Board of Supervisors voted to authorize legal action to shut down the commercial wedding venue.

Supervisors also authorized legal action to shut down Western States Holistic Laboratories as a marijuana dispensary on Broadway Avenue in Salida. Representatives for Western States have told the county they will vacate the premises by month’s end, which would resolve the issue without going to court, County Counsel John Doering said.

Doering said the county took action against Robinson Family Ranch after complaints about traffic and noise. Code enforcement officers were denied access to the property but were able to document more than seven wedding events over the summer, the county’s top attorney said.

According to its website, Robinson Ranch offers a “unique and elegant” setting for weddings and special events. The site displays numerous photos of brides and grooms, wedding parties, cakes, table settings and a horse-drawn carriage.

Constance Robinson, who runs the wedding venue, did not return calls seeking comment on Tuesday’s action.

Robinson Ranch was among the outdoor commercial wedding venues that sparked debate when the county considered a public events and outdoor entertainment ordinance in 2007 and early 2008. The proposed ordinance would have legalized outdoor wedding businesses in agricultural zones and established rules for the events.

But the ordinance was defeated in a 4-1 Board of Supervisors vote in January 2008.

Those opposing the ordinance, including farm representatives and neighbors of wedding venues, said the events create noise, traffic and litter and could disrupt farm activities such as spraying. Wedding business owners said the proposed rules were so strict their businesses would fail.

The county allows occasional outdoor events on agricultural land under a special permit.

Doering said the county will contact Robinson Ranch and ask it to stop hosting weddings. If the business does not comply, the next step is a lawsuit asking for a court injunction.

County officials started communicating with Western States in July about closing the medical pot dispensary in Salida. An attorney for the nonprofit has told the county the dispensary will close later this month, Doering said.

Hubert Waldo, chief executive officer for Western States, said he believes the county should relax an ordinance that essentially prohibits the dispensaries in the unincorporated area. Western States has dispensed medical cannabis and lab-tested products for more than a year.

“There are patients out there we deal with and they will not be able to get their medicine here in the county,” said Waldo, noting the closure date is Aug. 24. “Doctors send their patients to us to get them off the (pain) medication they put them on.”

In April, county supervisors authorized a lawsuit to shut down a marijuana dispensary at Kiona’s Farm’acy at River Road and Highway 120, just north of Oakdale. Officials confirmed June 9 that the Oakdale dispensary closed after the landlord issued an eviction notice, Doering said.

This story was originally published August 11, 2015 at 6:15 PM with the headline "County taking action to shut wedding venue near Oakdale and close pot dispensary in Salida."