The Mendocino County Coastal Permit Administrator approved a coastal development permit Jan. 23 for Thomas and Deborah Johnson to build a single-family residence and detached garage at 15405 Casper Road in the Casper area, county planner Jessie Waldman said.

County staff told the administrator the parcel (Assessor’s Parcel Number 118-020-018) is about 3.4 acres in the coastal zone and subject to the coastal element’s rural residential classification. Planner Jessie Waldman said the project now includes connection to an existing on-site well, a proposed 2,500-gallon water storage tank, a septic system and a solar array on the garage roof.

The permit’s approval followed staff confirmation of required services. Waldman said a well test on the existing on-site well showed a sustained yield of 3.89 gallons per minute, which staff found sufficient to demonstrate proof of adequate water. She also reported that the property’s septic design had been approved by the Mendocino County Division of Environmental Health on Jan. 7, 2025. "The well ... proved to have 3.89 gallons per minute," Waldman said during the hearing.

Staff described several site-specific requirements that remain conditions of approval. The county removed a prior condition requiring additional proof of water given the well test results; other conditions now require issuance of a septic permit, driveway improvements to meet Cal Fire standards, fencing along the private driveway connection to Casper Road, and adherence to recommendations intended to protect onsite environmentally sensitive habitat areas (ESHA). Waldman said the project’s driveway was routed to follow a 50-foot buffer identified in a botanical and wetland survey, and that the Department of Fish and Wildlife had reviewed and approved the biological approach, provided the proposal follows the report’s recommendations.

Planner Waldman said the County Department of Transportation provided standard recommendations for work in the right-of-way and for establishing a residential driveway consistent with county development standards. The file also shows the project was previously reviewed by the California Coastal Commission, which prompted follow-up on proof-of-water documentation and a separate drilling permit (CDP 2024-0014) earlier in the process; county staff said those drilling results were inconclusive but that the existing on-site well later demonstrated adequate yield.

There was no public comment at the hearing. After the presentation and applicant remarks, the Coastal Permit Administrator said, "I will go ahead and approve the project subject to the findings and conditions as modified by the staff memorandum, dated January 23rd, 2025," and formally approved the permit.

Appeals and next steps: County staff said applicants may choose to file a Notice of Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act for a $50 fee; filing the notice shortens the period during which a CEQA challenge may be filed from 180 days to 35 days. The Coastal Permit Administrator also noted a two-stage appeal timeline for coastal permits: 10 calendar days to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and, if not appealed there, 10 business days to the California Coastal Commission — approximately a 30-day effective timeline before the county may issue building permits. Staff advised the Johnsons they could file the optional notice and then apply for building permits after the appeal periods expire.