The Mendocino County Coastal Permit Administrator on Oct. 9 approved coastal development permit CDP2025-0009 for a Caltrans capital preventive maintenance project along State Route 1 between Post Mile 14.7 (just north of Point Arena) and Post Mile 33.9 (Philo‑Greenwood Road).

Caltrans described the project as preventive maintenance that will upgrade and replace highway asphalt, guardrails, traffic striping, lane delineation, road signs, bridge approach transitions, and shoulder backing, and will place concrete vegetation control under guardrails. The project also proposes a staging area at Alder Creek Beach Road.

Project planner Shelby Miller said the proposal was referred to trustee agencies, including the California Coastal Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because of proximity to Point Arena mountain beaver habitat. Miller told the administrator that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the project is covered by an existing programmatic letter of concurrence and that staff added conditions consistent with the biological study and that concurrence. “The project complies with the policies and provisions of the local coastal program and is categorically exempt from CEQA under section 15301, existing facilities,” Miller said.

The Coastal Commission’s review raised concerns about maintaining shoreline access at public beaches; in response staff added condition 18 to ensure that access will be maintained and available at all times during construction. Caltrans project manager Tony Simonovich was present and said the agency had staff available for questions. With conditions tied to the biological recommendations and the programmatic concurrence, the Coastal Permit Administrator approved the project as recommended by staff.

The county record cites the CEQA categorical exemption (section 15301) for existing facilities and incorporates trustee‑agency conditions and the USFWS programmatic concurrence into the project conditions. The county added a condition ensuring staging at Alder Creek Beach Road does not impede public shoreline access during construction.