Mendocino County, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- District review body
- 5-member Historical Review Board
- Board member term
- 3 years, max 2 consecutive terms
- Hearing deadline
- Within 50 days of complete application
- Appeal window
- 11 days before decision is final
- Approval expires
- 2 years without continuous progress
- Street vending fine
- Up to $50, enforced by Sheriff
Summary
The unincorporated Town of Mendocino sits inside a county-designated Historical Preservation District where a five-member Review Board must approve exterior work, demolition, signage, and even fences before a building or demolition permit can issue.
In addition to the use regulations provided in this division there is hereby established the Mendocino Historical Preservation District which shall be an overlay district applying to the following unincorporated areas of the Town of Mendocino... None of the following activities shall be commenced or continued within Historic Zone A, nor shall any building, demolition or any other permit necessary for such work, be issued without prior approval of the Review Board except as specifically provided in Section 20.760.040.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 010 establishes the Mendocino Historical Preservation District as an overlay covering the town's core, split by Sec. 015 into Historical Zone A (west of Highway 1) and Zone B (east of it). A five-member Historical Review Board, appointed by the Board of Supervisors to staggered three-year terms under Sec. 020, reviews applications. Sec. 030 requires Review Board approval in Zone A before any construction, demolition, exterior alteration, fence, driveway, sign, exterior painting, outdoor lighting, dumpster placement, or landscaping over six feet can proceed; Sec.
035 extends the same approval requirement into Zone B for anything visible from Zone A. Limited exemptions exist under Sec. 040 for small tool sheds, routine maintenance matching existing materials, and minor decks and fences. Applications go through Planning and Building Services under Sec. 055, with a public hearing before the Review Board within 50 days of a complete application (Sec. 060); a decision becomes final 11 days after issuance unless appealed to the Board of Supervisors under Sec. 072, and any approval expires after two years without continuous progress under Sec. 075.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 20.760.090 routes penalties through Chapter 20.736: violations are punishable as infractions under Government Code Sec. 25132 and by civil fines under Public Resources Code Sec. 30820, with a separate offense for each day a violation continues after the first citation (Sec. 20.736.010). The County can record a lien against the property for permit costs and penalties, seek injunctive relief to stop or undo unpermitted work, and require restoration of a structure to its pre-violation appearance. Street vending inside the district is a separate infraction under Sec. 20.760.095, punishable by a fine up to $50 and enforced directly by the Mendocino County Sheriff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need approval to repaint or fence my house in the Mendocino Historical Preservation District?
How long does Review Board approval last once granted?
What happens if work is done without Review Board approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California historic preservation overview
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