Board of Supervisors pass Update to The 1992 Mendocino Town Plan
County of Mendocino Board of Supervisors met today at St Anthony”s Parish Hall in Mendocino to discuss the Update the 1992 Mendocino Town Plan 
A Sensitive Coastal Resource Area was the main subject of debate. If the County Supervisors elect to follow the mandate of the 2007 Board of Supervisors then the public will have the legal right to challenge Board of Supervisors decisions to the California Coastal Commission. Without that designation to the Town Plan of Mendocino, Board of Supervisors decisions cannot be appealed to the California Coastal Commission.
Zoning lines were discussed as well as the ability to inherit a “Vacation Home Designation” when property changes ownership. Arranging the Town borders into line with utility district borders was discussed and discarded as too cumbersome with very little benefit. A structure which had a zoning designation of Residential in one half of the structure and commercial in the other with the delineation running down the middle of the living room will be rezoned completely into commercial designation.
Vacation Rental Units and Temporary Housing Units not in compliance with existing permits will be given a chance to bring their units into compliance with the future goal of removing Vacation Rental Units from residential zones. The Mendocino Art Center will receive another permitted unit to bring their total of 12 up to 13 units.
5th District Supervisor Dan Hamburg chastised the Department of Building and Planning for neglecting to implement the mandate from the previous meeting of The Board of Supervisors to implement a Sensitive Coastal Resource Area in 2007. Hamburgs motion to accept the “Alternate Proposal” from Building and Planning where ” Sensitive Coastal Resource Area ” (SCRA) designation would be included in the Town Plan was defeated by a vote of 3 to 2. Dan Hamburg and Dan Gjerde voting for the “Alternate Proposal”, while 1st District; Supervisor John McCowen, 2nd district Supervisor John Pinches, 3rd District Supervisor Carre Brown voted against the designation.
After more debate as to the role of the Supervisors and their responsibility to their constituents who elected them or to the County in general, 2nd District Supervisor John Pinches made a motion to accept the recommended proposal from Planning and Building, where no SCRA was designated for the Town of Mendocino. This passed with a vote of 4 to 1, Supervisor Dan Hamburg casting the only dissenting vote.
