SONOMA, Calif. – Chuck Williams first opened his little shop in Sonoma in the heart of Northern California wine country in 1956 — and eventually saw it grow into the Williams-Sonoma chain that is now worth some $3 billion.

The cookware giant wants to build a store at the same site in Sonoma where it first opened more than a half-century ago, but it could be thwarted by a City Council proposal that calls for a moratorium on chain stores in the city’s historic district. The five-member City Council was expected to vote on a moratorium on chain stores Wednesday night as it drafts a zoning ordinance that will regulate and possibly ban “formula” stores with at least 250 outlets.

Mayor Joanne Sanders worries that the proposed ordinance could hurt the local economy for the 10,000 residents in a town that was once the capital of the California Republic in the 1800s. The small-business owner is opposed to chain-store regulations and believes there is room for growth while maintaining the charm of the rural community nestled in the Sonoma Valley.

She believes the kitchenware store would draw more tourists and create badly needed jobs.

City planners say Williams-Sonoma wants to open a smaller, boutique-style version of its typical outlet, one that would honor its origins. The store would not be on the main historic plaza, but would have to meet new criteria not currently on the books if the draft ordinance is approved.

Williams-Sonoma is currently negotiating the contract on the property where Chuck Williams, now 97, first started selling his high-end cookware imported from France, city planners said.