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Resnicks apologize, plan to donate land to SLO County

June 24, 2016
Stewart and Lynda Resnick

Stewart and Lynda Resnick

Statement from Lynda and Stewart Resnick

As the owners of Justin Vineyards & Winery, we try to instill in our local team a neighborly spirit, environmental responsibility and entrepreneurial independence, but when we learned of the terrible situation at our Sleepy Farm Road property, not to mention our poor reputation within the community, we were ashamed and are sorry.  We were asleep at the wheel.

Over the last few days, we’ve been conducting an internal review of the project and learned that while genuine efforts to meet county ordinances were made, unfortunately, there were absolutely unacceptable lapses of judgment. We’ve also talked to local residents to better understand the issues and our standing within the Paso Robles community and found that our actions are an embarrassment, and for that, we take full responsibility.

We are horrified by the lack of regard for both neighbor and nature that has been exhibited, especially the removal of native oak woodlands, and we hope that the community will accept our deepest and most sincere apologies and find it in their hearts to forgive us. We want to make things right, starting now.

Deforestation by Justin Vineyards

Deforestation by Justin Vineyards

We have already been in active and positive discussions with the San Luis Obispo County planning and building leaders and shared our plan to donate this 380-acre parcel of land at Sleepy Farm Road, and we’re actively exploring the best possible ways to make that happen, in addition to looking for other conservation opportunities in the greater Adelaida area.

As part of this preservation, we will ensure that all necessary steps are taken to conserve this land in cooperation with county and local officials. Also included in this re-mitigation process will be the implementation of immediate sedimentation and erosion control measures; the elimination of our pond project and restoring it to its natural grade; implementing measures to permanently protect oak woodlands from being removed on at least 100 acres of our property; and planting 5,000 new oak trees across our properties.

These actions are just the beginning of our commitment to being a better, more engaged neighbor, a true steward of the land, and a local voice that lives up to the spirit of Paso Robles. We want to walk arm-in-arm with our neighbors to ensure the future of sustainable farming in the region.

We know that proof of this will be in our actions, not just our words, and we look forward to working together to earn the support and trust of the Paso Robles community.

 


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I think the County needs to revoke their business license on all the properties they operate. We don’t want or need their goods and services. They can take their poor business practices somewhere else. I have a few suggestions for those as well.


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Oh great. So they donate a liability, an eroding landslide of a hillside they’ve created from an oak forest. Rich people think all they have to do is toss some money around, and all will be fine. How about some real repentance, Resnik PR team?


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It’s the rich people’s way, have a problem, throw enough money at it until it goes away or as in this case becomes someone else’s problem.


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Now is a good time to re-read Dan Blackburn’s piece, “Is water banking in SLO County’s future?” http://bit.ly/294MsPa (1/27/14)


Question Bruce Gibson’s public display of disappointment by Paso Robles’ residents to crush Measure B-16 which would have adopted a water district last March: http://bit.ly/294Nvid (3/8/16)


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The SLO Effect always proves itself valid: You screw with the land here–and you end up the repentant douche bag pleading for another chance. There is true power in the SLO Effect.


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These folks had their lawyer craft the best response to this, that would keep the company’s profits up as much as possible. That’s all this is.


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The ONLY reason they “apologized” is, they got caught…


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True, true, true. If they really wanted to show remorse then they would do something similar to other large vineyards close to Paso. No doubt, the loss of revenue for a

multi million dollar conglomerate would be insignificant.


So I say, put your money where your mouth is.


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True, true…

Elitists will do anything to get their way, and further their personal wealth and power.

Just look to the examples set by the reining elites in politics, music, media and hollywood.

Do as I say, not as I do…

It only becomes thorny when it effects the locals(see working class), neighbors and those who will eventually feel the real effects of this type of behavior.It is happening all over this nation, but this current example just happened to be in our back yard. Shame on these people and I can guarantee this would not happen nor, be tolerated in the resnicks own neighborhood.


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My problem with new County land use ordinances is not the ordinance but the lack of enforcement. The Building Codes are ignored all over the place.


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Totally agree! Our so-called county officials that are paid extremely good salaries to do their jobs and enforce codes failed miserably and should bear some of the responsibility for this fiasco. The removal of oak trees, grading, digging a large reservoir did not happen overnight. This destruction could have been and should have been stopped much sooner,

if code enforcement was done as expected by those highly paid officials.


And while I’m at it – Mr. Frank Mecham should have the male protuberances to stand up and accept partial responsibility for this. Now I see why he is not running for supervisor again.


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Now wait here, Ok, say they donate that land they just stripped clean. Who do you think is going to be responsible for the costs when the rain does come and that land has no ground cover, regardless of the reclamation of the property, there is no way it will be ready to hold its own then heavy rains do come. Who do you think is going to receive that run-off and possible landslides that it could create. Non the less additional problems for adjacent neighbors and their property directly affected. I know I am thinking far fetched with the way the lack of rain is around here. Or maybe I’m thinking to much. It just doesn’t pass the smell test for me. They are and always will be in it for greed, they got caught and would have never given a second thought to it had they gone undetected. JMO


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Plus these sleezeballs will get a tax deduction for 50% of some inflated value for the land letting the taxpayers pick up the tab for most of their cost. I will never drink Justin wine again


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You can do a lot with wattle, burlap tarps, water trucks and reseeding before the rains.


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And will the citizens pay for this or will the Resnicks??


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If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? is a philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality.

My question is this…would they have apologized, and donated land, and looked for other conservation projects if no one had said anything? Or would the pond and vineyard project have proceeded?


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