MENDOCINO COUNTY — The county’s Zoning Administrator on Dec. 17 approved a series of administrative permits to modify existing wireless communications sites, while adding a new condition that requires applicants to provide evidence from the CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit that defensible space around communication sites is maintained and acceptable before final inspection.

Project planners described six eligible-facilities permits that add temporary and permanent antennas, equipment cabinets and diesel generators at multiple sites, including 35601 Sherwood Road (AP2025-0026), 45151 North Highway 1 (AP2025-0028), 20001 South Highway 1 (AP2025-0029), the Signal Ridge/Filo area (AP2025-0030), 38351 Comshi Ukiah Road (AP2025-0031) and a Manchester site (AP2025-0032). Staff said the work is confined to existing leased areas, qualifies for a Class 1 CEQA exemption (California Code of Regulations §15301), and, in several items, involved redlined revisions to conditions to align with federal FCC rules on eligible facilities requests.

The hearings drew residents’ concerns about site access, vegetation and safety. Kevin Wandell, who said he lives at 35001 Sherwood Road and that the tower access road crosses his property, told the zoning administrator: “They’ve been tearing up the roads... They cut the chain, the locked chain... I wanna know who’s gonna pay for it.” Matthew Moore, an authorized agent for Verizon Wireless, responded: “I’ll look into the road development that we’re doing... Anything damaged during the course of construction... we’ll be repairing this.”

Several residents and staff also raised wildfire-safety issues after the CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit submitted comments recommending a defensible-space area of about 300 feet (or to the property line, whichever is shorter) around communication sites. Planning staff said CAL FIRE’s recommendation was added to the conditions of approval in several items and read draft language into the record requiring applicants to show CAL FIRE’s clearances prior to final building inspections. Jessie Waldman, Mendocino County planning staff, told the hearing that the defensible-space requirement is “required because communication sites are essential for public safety, especially during times of emergency.”

Staff and the zoning administrator acknowledged lease constraints that can limit how much clearing an operator can perform without the landowner’s permission. Waldman said applicants may work with CAL FIRE and the tower owner to determine “other acceptable means as determined by CAL FIRE,” and staff said the county’s timing mechanism is typically to require evidence at final inspection.

Some applicants and their legal counsel also requested edits to conditions where they conflicted with federal law governing eligible-facilities requests. For the Signal Ridge item, staff recommended and the zoning administrator adopted redlined changes that removed or revised conditions the county determined conflicted with FCC rules and related federal guidance; planners repeatedly cited the federal eligible-facilities framework and Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations in support of those edits.

In each item the zoning administrator reviewed staff reports and posted redlined resolutions and then approved the projects subject to the revised findings and conditions. For items where CAL FIRE raised post-report concerns, the zoning administrator directed staff to add language requiring applicants to provide proof of CAL FIRE’s acceptance of defensible-space measures prior to final inspection. The administrator also encouraged neighbors with site-access or maintenance complaints to follow up with county planning staff and noted that broader site‑operation issues would be addressed through underlying use-permit renewals when they come before the county.

The hearing concluded after the final approval and the administrator adjourned the meeting at 2:24 p.m.