The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors is considering possible regulations for residents who want to rent sections of their property as “dude ranches” or “hip camps,” a popular form of outdoor lodging for tourists looking to experience the county’s natural beauty.
The discussion followed a series of countywide stakeholder meetings held in May and June throughout the county to gather feedback on a potential ordinance that would allow a new type of transient habitation called “low-intensity camping.”
During the board’s Sept. 9 meeting, Mendocino County’s Department of Planning and Building Services made recommendations to the supervisors based on those stakeholder meetings and an online survey published on the department’s website, where county residents could answer a number of questions about what the guidelines should be for a low-intensity camping ordinance.
After getting feedback from supervisors, Planning and Building Services will modify its list of requirements for a potential ordinance before presenting them to the board in the future. The proposed requirements will also undergo a review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
State bill shapes local plan
According to a report by Planning and Building Services, the department is also following a set of guidelines laid out in a state bill that has been proposed but not yet passed by the Legislature. Assembly Bill 518, introduced by Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego, proposes statewide requirements for owners of private properties who want to provide “hip camps” or “dude ranches.”
The requirements listed in AB 518 state that the resident who wants to create a low-intensity camping site must own at least 2 acres, have no more than nine camping sites per property, ensure a property manager is available at all times, and campsites cannot be rented for more than 12 consecutive nights, along with other stipulations.
The Board of Supervisors discussed the requirements outlined in AB 518 to understand which ones are necessary for an effective ordinance and which would create too much red tape for residents trying to manage low-intensity campsites successfully.
One of the main concerns the supervisors discussed was the state bill’s allowance of campfires.
Supervisor Ted Williams spoke about the dangers of allowing campfires at low-intensity campsites without implementing requirements to mitigate fire risks in the community.
“Imagine we authorize it and in the first month somebody lights a fire and takes out one of our communities, we are all going to feel really foolish that we allowed it.” Supervisor Ted Williams
“It seems like most of us agree on the basics. Except for fire,” Williams said. “In the county, people who live here are concerned about fire, so they typically don’t have late summer outdoor burns. Whereas someone from Los Angeles may not understand the risk as much as we do because we’ve lived through fire. I think we can regulate how it’s done, and there should be a clearing and no combustible materials within a certain distance.”
Williams said that he would like to see the county be as restrictive as possible regarding campsite fires in a low-intensity camping ordinance.
“Imagine we authorize it and in the first month somebody lights a fire and takes out one of our communities, we are all going to feel really foolish that we allowed it,” Williams added.
Supervisor Maureen Mulheren, who agreed with Williams on the importance of fire safety, also said it shouldn’t be assumed that tourists don’t know how to safely have campfires.
“I’ll go along with it. I understand the risks and concerns about fire safety,” Mulheren said. “But I think we are putting people into a box and that’s a weird thing to do.”
Balancing fire risk and access
Williams added that even though many visitors may understand fire risk and safety, it only takes one spark to ignite a wildfire.
“All it takes is one. It’s that one irresponsible party to burn us all down,” Williams responded.
Mulheren also raised concerns about other issues, including the minimum number of acres required for residents to operate a low-intensity campsite. According to Planning and Building Services, when they spoke to people throughout the county during the stakeholder meetings, many locals said they wanted residents to have a minimum of 10 acres before starting a low-intensity campsite.
However, Mulheren said this creates an equity issue for people who want to operate a small-scale campsite or outdoor experience. She said residents with small properties should also have the opportunity to participate in this type of economic development.
“I think that 10 acres takes out of this market individuals that are unable to afford larger properties,” Mulheren emphasized. “But they would be really good site stewards and community stewards and good holders of the land. Taking them out of the equation because they don’t own 10 acres, to me is not equitable.”
But during the public comment section of the meeting, Kerri Vau, a real-estate agent based in Ukiah, said placing a minimum of 2 acres on the ordinance would create disturbances in neighborhoods.
“I believe it should be 10 acres or more on the size of the parcel,” Vau exclaimed. “I am totally opposed to 1 acre or 2 acres, you will have neighborhood problems.”
The next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for Sept. 23 at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at 501 Low Gap Road.