Plan to rezone Ukiah property for development moves forward

A proposal to rezone 17 acres of land just north of Ukiah from agricultural to residential is moving forward over the objections of residents who live adjacent to the Lovers Lane parcel.

The Mendocino County Planning Commission on Thursday voted 5-1 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors - the ultimate decision maker - approve the switch, largely because the county is required to create the potential for additional multifamily dwellings as part of a lawsuit settlement.

“We’re between a rock and a hard spot,” Commissioner Marilyn Ogle told several dozen residents attending the meeting.

More than 800 people have signed a petition opposing the rezoning of the land, part of a larger parcel owned by the Pinoleville Pomo Nation. There currently are wine grapes growing on the land, but they are not being maintained or harvested.

The 2010 settlement is aimed at creating opportunities for more low-income housing. Altogether, the county is required to rezone 24 acres where at least 480 multifamily housing units potentially could be constructed.

There currently is no proposal for a development on the 17-acre parcel on Lovers Lane, which could support up to 60 multifamily units and ?60 single-family homes, according to Chief Planner Andy Gustavson.

Residents of the Vineyard View subdivision adjacent to the property fear a high-density, ?low-income project would be built, negatively impacting their quiet neighborhood.

“This is not the appropriate area for multifamily dwellings,” said Ken Budrow, an area resident and president of the Millview County Water District board of directors. The property is within Millview’s boundaries, but the district is under a moratorium that prevents new water hookups, casting doubt on whether the land could accommodate a housing development, he said.

Other concerns raised by opponents included increased traffic in an already congested area and the loss of agricultural land, an issue that killed previous development projects proposed for the Lovers Lane area over the years.

“We need to preserve every bit of agricultural land in this county,” said Phyllis Curtis, president of the Inland Mendocino County Land Trust.

She said a proposed 100-foot buffer zone, which would include a berm and trees, provides insufficient protection to nearby agricultural properties, including operating vineyards and a farm where bees are kept.

Greg Nelson, a grape grower and the commission’s agricultural representative, also voiced misgivings about rezoning the land before casting the lone “no” vote.

“This is very good vineyard land,” he said.

Some residents also raised concerns that the Pinoleville tribe could eventually place the land in federal trust, which would allow it to develop the property without input from the county.

A representative of the tribe said it has applied to have the land placed in trust but would drop the bid if it’s rezoned for residential use.

Michael Canales said the tribe wants to build 40 to 50 homes for tribal members on the property and has no plans for a larger project. County officials contacted the tribe about rezoning the land, he noted.

“We’re trying to help the county get to their goals,” he said.

A hearing before the Board of Supervisors on the issue has not yet been scheduled.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MendoReporter.