Mendocino County zoning administrator approves Crown Castle equipment swap at Laytonville monopole

The Mendocino County Zoning Administrator on Aug. 14 approved administrative permit AP2025-0017, allowing Crown Castle to remove and replace equipment at an existing 65-foot monopole at 3750 Spirock Road in Laytonville. The Zoning Administrator approved the project subject to the findings and conditions in the staff resolution and modified Condition 1 to correct the appeal period to a 10-calendar-day window.

County planner Jamie Henry told the Zoning Administrator the proposal is limited to equipment replacement within the existing, approximately one-half-acre lease area and does not increase tower height, expand the fenced compound, or add new ground-mounted equipment. Henry said, "The project will improve network capacity and reliability while maintaining the existing footprint," and recommended approval with the resolution conditions.

The site is accessed by a 20-foot easement from Spirock Road and is served by the Long Valley Fire Protection District, Henry said. The property is in the Upland Residential zoning district and designated Remote Residential in the Mendocino County General Plan. Henry told the administrator the project qualifies as an eligible facilities request under Section 6409(a) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.

Henry said no grading, vegetation removal, or other ground disturbance will occur and staff identified no impacts to cultural or tribal cultural resources. There were no members of the public in the hearing room or on Zoom to comment.

During the brief hearing the Zoning Administrator noted a template error in Condition 1 and said it "should be 10 calendar day appeal period." With that change the administrator approved the administrative permit. The hearing was adjourned at 1:34 p.m.