The Mendocino County Coastal Permit Administrator on Jan. 9 approved Coastal Development Permit (CDP) 2019‑0035 for property at 44771 Compu Kyukiah Road, authorizing after‑the‑fact restoration work following removal of dead and dying bishop pine trees, establishment of a 1,000‑foot wildlife‑friendly perimeter fence, and associated fuel‑reduction and recreational site improvements. The administrator also adopted the project’s mitigated negative declaration.

County planner Keith Groenendyke summarized staff’s position: the project is in the coastal zone approximately 1.6 miles south of the town of Mendocino and would be carried out under a mitigated negative declaration. Staff noted substantial comments from California Coastal Commission staff and proposed edits to several findings and permit conditions. Among the changes recommended and accepted during the hearing were revised tree‑replacement language to allow a combination of natural regeneration and planting to meet the 3:1 replacement ratio, clarified invasive‑species cover limits, and an adaptive approach to the mitigation plan if survival rates are low after monitoring.

Applicant representative Ron Christensen told the administrator the work addressed the removal of dead and diseased trees carried out in 2019 and the installation of a boundary fence to deter trespass from the nearby Mendocino Grove campground. He said the property owners do not propose commercial camping and described safety and trespass concerns, including guests collecting firewood and leaving waste on the property. Nearby Mendocino Grove representatives — including Theresa Raffo and Chris Fucchi — told the hearing they had not observed the extent of trespass described by the applicant and urged the county to consider fence design and visual impacts.

Public commenters and professionals raised design and wildlife‑compatibility concerns. Architect Kelly Grimes questioned the proposed 7‑foot fence, saying most “wildlife‑friendly” fences are 4–5 feet tall with openings at the base; other commenters asked that the fence be set back to allow plantings to soften the visual effect along the private road. County staff said the fence design uses T‑posts and non‑barbed mesh and has a small opening at the bottom; the applicant agreed to reduce the permitted maximum height to 6 feet during the hearing.

The administrator approved the CDP as amended at the hearing and adopted the mitigated negative declaration, with approvals conditioned on the findings and the revised permit conditions summarized in staff’s December 18, 2024 memorandum. The decision document notes two appeal periods: 10 calendar days to the Board of Supervisors and 10 business days to the California Coastal Commission. Staff also confirmed deletion of the county Department of Transportation driveway condition (condition 5) and removal of the related final grading condition (condition 25), per the DOT request and applicant statements that no grading or commercial driveway work is proposed.

Key permit conditions amended or clarified at the hearing include: requiring a 3:1 replacement ratio for removed bishop pines achieved by natural regeneration supplemented with plantings as needed; an adaptive mitigation plan requiring an alternate restoration plan and a permit modification if five‑year survival is less than 80%; maximum fence height limited to 6 feet; and clarified limits on invasive species cover. The permit also specifies the camping proposed is private (noncommercial). Appeal and compliance deadlines are recorded in the final notice of final action.