Ordinance Updates

On September 10 2024, the Board of Supervisors formally adopted the amended Mendocino County Zoning Code - Division I, which applies to all parcel locations determined to be inland and not within the Coastal Zone or the Town of Mendocino. Links to the amended Zoning Code can be found below.

• Mendocino County Zoning Code (clean version)(PDF, 4MB)
• Mendocino County Zoning Code (redline version)(PDF, 7MB)

Mendocino County’s Local Coastal Program (LCP) has not been comprehensively updated since it was certified by the California Coastal Commission in 1992. The Department of Planning and Building Services, with the assistance of the County Executive Office, applied for Round 8 of the LCP Local Assistance Grant funding in September 2022, to be used to perform a comprehensive LCP update. On November 16, 2022, the California Coastal Commission granted the County’s application.

The update will include revisions to the Coastal Element of the General Plan (Land Use Plan, “LUP”) and Coastal Zoning Code (Implementation Program, “IP”). The overall goal of the project is to improve local coastal planning in Mendocino County to better address coastal resiliency and climate change adaptation by updating technical studies, descriptions, policies, maps, and the implementation plan for the LCP in order to adapt to the impacts of climate change, sea level rise, and associated coastal hazards while maintaining the overall quality of the coastal zone environment in the interest of all people.

Recent Updates on Grant

• Coastal Groundwater Study - Well Owner Volunteers Needed(PDF, 183KB)
• March 14, 2024 Local Coastal Program Update Presentation(PDF, 1MB)

Awarded Contracts

• Coastal Groundwater Study: Larry Walker Associates, Inc.
• Visual & Archaeological Resources: EMC Planning Group, Inc.
• State Route 1 Traffic-Highway Capacity Study: TJKM

Additional Information on Grant and Award

• County Press Release
• Coastal Commission Staff Report
• Grant Application
• Grant Agreement LCP-22-06

Local Coastal Program Links

• Coastal Element of the General Plan
• Gualala Town Plan
• Mendocino Town Plan
• Coastal Zoning Code – Division II of Title 20 of Mendocino County Code
• Town of Mendocino Zoning Code – Division III of Title 20 of Mendocino County Code

Regional Planning Studies

• State Route 1 Corridor Study Update - June 25, 2008(PDF, 3MB)
• Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020 Update(PDF, 31MB)
• Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report - March 2021(PDF, 6MB)

For questions or to be placed on an interested parties list, contact LCPUpdate@mendocinocounty.gov

For more information, please visit our Mendocino County Sea Level Rise Resilience Strategy page.

In January 2024 the Mendocino County Department of Planning and Building Services was awarded a grant from the California Coastal Commission in the amount of $342,736 for the Mendocino County Sea Level Rise Resiliency Strategy project.

The project consists of planning and development of a coordinated and organized Sea Level Rise Resiliency Strategy for Mendocino County, utilizing consultant support, in collaboration with community input from public and private stakeholders across the region. The overall goal is to develop a roadmap for future project development in Mendocino County by establishing baseline conditions, forecasting potential impacts from sea level rise in multiple scenarios and timescales, and developing a list of priority resilience or mitigation projects for which future funding can be pursued. The Sea Level Rise Resiliency Strategy will consider the entire Mendocino County Coastal Zone.

• Grant Agreement LCP-23-09

For questions or to be placed on an interested parties list, contact LCPUpdate@mendocinocounty.gov

Online hosting services such as Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, and others allow individuals to rent out real property on a short-term basis, commonly known as short-term rentals. Short-term rentals throughout Mendocino County have implications for transient occupancy tax revenues, lodging options, housing stock, and neighborhood stability. Currently, the only short-term rental regulations within the County’s Zoning Ordinance are in its coastal regions, Division II (Coastal Zoning Code) and Division III (Mendocino Town Zoning Code).

The Inland Short-Term Rental Ordinance will provide regulations for the inland areas of the County captured by Division I of the Zoning Ordinance. The overall goal of the Inland Short-Term Rental Ordinance is to provide standards related to the nature and ongoing operations of short-term rentals within the inland areas of the County. These standards will maintain functional, safe, and attractive communities compatible with the General Plan and community objectives, infrastructure availability, environmental, safety, and economic constraints.

For further information, please visit our Short Term Rentals page.