Save Gualala

02/09/2026

Save Gualala wants to thank our 1,748 supporters for your tireless help during the past six years in restoring missing elements to the long-awaited Downtown Streetscape project. We’ve won several new safety features for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

Your testimony plus over 180 letters to local, county, and state officials helped to shape a project that now includes:

· ADA-compliant sidewalks on both sides

· Four crosswalks with safety flashers

· Two pedestrian safety islands

· Flower beds at both entries to town

· A county commitment to maintain landscaping

· Bike lanes on both sides for kids and adults

· Clear sightlines for drivers exiting parking lots

· Turn pockets to turn into busy downtown areas

· “Speed Feedback” signs for northbound and southbound lanes

To be sure, the current “landscaping” plan falls far short of what Caltrans showed to a crowded Town Hall in May 2023. That presentation included over 20,000 sq feet of colorful local plants throughout downtown. The current plan includes only the spreading of wildflower seeds on 5,100 sq feet at the northwest and southeast ends. Plus, we are just learning of serious problems with past Caltrans wildflower seeding efforts.

With your strong support, Save Gualala appealed the landscaping issue to the state Coastal Commission, noting it violated several “strict requirements” of our LCP. However, our appeal was rejected by commission staff. We then urged the full commission to review the matter. But the commissioners – without even reading our rebuttal to the staff report – voted 12-0 last week to approve the project.

Save Gualala will pursue LCP-compliant landscaping options with appropriate agencies, but we don’t plan to file a costly lawsuit that could further delay this much-needed project while putting millions in funding at risk. Work on the project is scheduled to start this year.

If you’d like to know more, or if you’d like to help Save Gualala, please reach out to us at [email protected]. (And you can still sign our petition at Change.org/SaveGualala )

Thank you again for helping to Save Gualala!

06/22/2025

Please Help Now to Get Landscaping Back Into the Streetscape Plan

If you haven’t already sent an email to get native landscaping back into the Gualala Streetscape project, please do it immediately! It’ll take 3 minutes and we need your help RIGHT NOW. The County will decide this matter this week and needs to read your comments first.
Unless County Planners restore the landscaping, Downtown Gualala could become a sea of concrete and asphalt with no plants. Or the entire project may be put on hold while the California Coastal Commission reviews the case, putting millions in funding at risk.
We need this landscaping for aesthetic and economic reasons. Without it, visitors would find little reason to visit our stores, restaurants, and hotels.
A bureaucratic government squabble is the obstacle. The County already maintains roads all around Gualala, but is refusing to take responsibility for the 0.4-mile Streetscape Project downtown. Caltrans won’t install landscaping unless the county does.
The No. 1 Goal in our Town Plan – our Local Coastal Plan -- is “to better integrate future development with the natural surroundings.” The plan specifically requires for low-profile, low-maintenance, low-irrigation plants in specific areas. The community approved the plan in May 2023 only after Caltrans showed illustrations like this.
PLEASE send an email NOW to the County Planning Dept. And Please cc: Save Gualala so we can keep track of your responses. Simply say something like this (Be sure to include the CDP_2024-0040 in your subject line and/or email):
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“CDP_2024-0040 I live, work, and shop in the Gualala area and want the County and Caltrans to restore landscaping to the Streetscape project now to avoid any further delays in this much-needed project. Landscaping is required in our Coastal Plan, and it’s critical for both aesthetic and economic reasons. “
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PLEASE sign with your own name and town (Gualala, TSR, Anchor Bay, Pt. Arena, etc.). It’s OK to send one for each member of your household.
PLEASE send your email RIGHT NOW to:
[email protected]
cc: [email protected]
And if you’d like to attend the meeting in Ukiah, please tell us a [email protected]

06/03/2025

Please help RIGHT NOW to reverse a major change to the Gualala Streetscape Plan that would eliminate landscaping, leaving just a sea of concrete and asphalt downtown. PLEASE write a short email to the county like the one below saying you want the landscaping restored.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS!! The County will make a final decision on June 26, 2025. Be sure to include the application number, and please send a copy to Save Gualala so we can track them. Here’s a sample email:
_____
“CDP_2024-0040 I live, work, and shop in the Gualala area and want the County and Caltrans to restore landscaping to the Streetscape project now to avoid any further delays in this much-needed project. Landscaping is required in our Coastal Plan, and it’s critical for both aesthetic and economic reasons. “
_____
PLEASE include your name and town (Gualala, TSR, Anchor Bay, Pt. Arena, etc.)
PLEASE send your email RIGHT NOW to:
[email protected]
cc: [email protected]
_____

BACKGROUND: Save Gualala wants this project built the way the community approved it – no more changes or delays. The low-maintenance, low-profile natural landscaping (like in the Caltrans drawing below) is vital to the future of Gualala, which depends heavily on attracting visitors to support our restaurants, hotels, and retail stores.

Without landscaping, most motorists will simply drive through Gualala to other destinations. It could remain that way for the next half-century or more. Of course, the landscaping will also make the town more attractive for all of us. We simply want the County to follow requirements in our Town Plan, which is also our Coastal Plan.

The county already maintains county roads around Gualala, but is refusing add the 0.4-mile stretch of Hwy. 1 downtown. This natural landscaping grows naturally in Gualala and requires almost no maintenance.

The 2002 Gualala Town Plan aimed to make Hwy 1 “a scenic element of the Gualala townscape” with native landscaping, sidewalks, separated bike lanes and traffic lanes that better reflect our natural surroundings. It will also include several crosswalks and safety lights. The Gualala Community approved a plan to do that in May 2023.

PLEASE SEND YOUR EMAIL NOW!
And THANK YOU for helping to Save Gualala!

05/15/2023

PLEASE come to Gualala Arts at 6 pm Thursday (5/18) as CalTrans and GMAC present the updated Streetscape plan for Downtown Gualala. They will show the plan, answer your questions, and hear your comments.

The much-improved plan retains the charm of downtown Gualala while adding vital safety improvements and native landscaping. The Gualala Town Plan (which is also our Coastal Plan) requires Hwy 1 to be “a scenic element of the Gualala townscape” with landscaping, sidewalks, more crosswalks, bike lanes, and a roadway that reflects the natural surroundings while reducing congestion.

The revised plan reflects two decades of community discussion, including detailed input from the Caltrans survey of local residents. It was developed by Caltrans in coordination with the California Coastal Commission, the Mendocino Council of Governments, GMAC, and many community members.

The California Transportation Commission has allocated nearly $10 million through a highly competitive statewide grant program to build this project. It’s important for Gualala-area residents to show support now or risk losing the grant.

The new design will greatly benefit local businesses and their employees – particularly hotels, retail stores, and restaurants. It encourages visitors to slow down, park near stores, and walk (or bike) around town instead of speeding through. It will also reduce the risk of rear-end accidents.

GMAC members endorsed the plan at a Special Meeting in April. So has Save Gualala, which represents nearly 1,700 residents, community members, and visitors who criticized earlier concepts.

Detailed sketches of the plan are available in advance at: https://tinyurl.com/Hwy1Plan .

If you cannot attend in person, PLEASE show your support by sending an email with your comments to GMAC Chairman Robert Juengling at [email protected] AND to [email protected].

10/31/2022

Some good news about Gualala's Streetscape Plan!

The 2002 Gualala Town Plan aims to make Hwy 1 “a scenic element of the Gualala townscape” with native landscaping, sidewalks, separated bike lanes and 3 auto lanes that better reflect our natural surroundings. A 2019 survey found 89% of us back this vision to make Highway 1 safer and more attractive for kids, seniors, and visitors.

Over the past few years, a few business owners tried to derail our plan. However, last summer, the California Coastal Commission told Caltrans and Mendocino County to stick to the Town plan. Caltrans is now working with the Gualala Municipal Advisory Council, Save Gualala, and others on a plan that will do just that.

As it now sits, the “Streetscape” plan adds landscaping, sidewalks, bike lanes, and other elements required by the Town Plan and long-supported by the vast majority of local residents and visitors. Save Gualala strongly supports this effort to preserve Gualala’s charm while adding important safety features.

The new design will also benefit local businesses and their employees – particularly in the hospitality and retail areas – by encouraging visitors to stop instead of speeding through, park near stores, and walk around Gualala. This is vital to the economic future of Gualala.

It's too early to declare victory because Caltrans has not released a final design. However, there is reason for confidence. The project was recently awarded another $400,000 by the state’s Alternative Transportation Program and $256,000 to complete the design. The $10 million project – first conceived in 1995 -- is set to be completed by 2026. About $508,000 has been spent.

Save Gualala thanks its supporters for speaking out since 2019. We would like to hear from members who want to play a meaningful role in this and other efforts to protect our town.

02/02/2022

Caltrans wants feedback on its Alt 4-C, a crazy new plan to turn Downtown Gualala into an ocean of concrete and pavement. Please help Save Gualala by telling them you don't like it.

Caltrans Alt 4-C would replace existing and planned native landscaping with more pavement in the heart of downtown. Why? Just to add four temporary parking spaces in a town that already has more than 600 spaces. It would also take the place of Alt 4-A, which was approved last year by a large majority of people through the Caltrans Town Hall and Survey process. Alt 4-A balances parking needs with landscaping to make sure our Main Street fulfills our Town Plan's vision to transform the drab highway into "a scenic element of the Gualala Townscape."

Here's are two ways you can help:

1. Attend Thursday evening's GMAC meeting and tell the council that you want to stick with Alt 4-A and want Caltrans to scrap Alt 4-C. The meeting starts at 6 and this item will likely come up in the first half-hour. Here's the link: https://www.tinyurl.com/GMACFeb2021 (or you can go to Zoom.US and type in meeting number 867 4277 0542 and passcode 297929)

2. You can also write to the council at [email protected]. All comments will be forwarded to Caltrans and the Mendocino Council of Governments.

Remind Caltrans that Gualalans already told them how they want the highway to look for the next half century. Tell them you STILL want Alt 4-A!

6 PM Thursday, Feb 3. Be there and speak your mind!

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01/29/2022

Don't let Caltrans turn downtown Gualala into a sea of concrete and asphalt!

The mammoth state agency is trying to do that with a plan it calls Alternative 4C. And you can help stop them. Please write to [email protected] and tell them you favor Alternative 4A and want to kill Alternative 4C.

Caltrans Alt 4C would replace existing and planned native landscaping with more pavement in the heart of downtown. Why? Just to add four temporary parking spaces in a town that already has more than 600 spaces. Alt 4C would also force Gualala to go through yet another painful and divisive round of public hearings and debates, and would undermine our Town Plan -- if the Coastal Commission goes along.

Alt 4A, which was already approved by a large majority of local residents a year ago in a Caltrans Town Hall and Survey, respects our Town Plan's requirements for native landscaping on both sides. Yet it still provides temporary parking where needed.

If you live in southern Mendocino County or Northern Sonoma County, you can help stop Caltrans with one quick email. Write to GMAC's Streetscape Committee, tell them which town you're in, and say you want to stick with Alternative 4A and stop Alt 4C before it ruins our historic downtown for the next half-century. Please include your name; anonymous comments aren't counted.

Don't wait for others to act. Your voice really matters on this critical issue. So, please, help Save Gualala! Thank you!

01/22/2022

ALERT: Stop Caltrans From Paving Over the Heart of Gualala

A year ago, a large majority of Gualalans surveyed by Caltrans united behind a plan to protects our historic downtown. That plan, Alternative 4A, balanced interim parking with natural landscaping to reflect our town's natural beauty. GMAC and Save Gualala both endorsed Alternative 4A. It was good for our hotels, restaurants, retail stores AND our environment.

Now Caltrans wants to ignore what Gualalans chose for Gualala. Caltrans hatched a new plan called Alternative 4C. Simply put, it's the $32 Billion agency's latest plot to bury the heart of our downtown beneath a sea of concrete and pavement. As one resident said: "It's butt ugly."

Alt 4C would once again strip out all existing and planned landscaping at the very heart of our historic downtown -- the area in front of the Gualala Hotel. Caltrans wants to replace native landscaping with a fourth lane of blacktop to add just four more "interim" parking spots. They'd also rip out the thick hedge in front of the Hotel Breakers that currently hides the parking lot behind it. The so-called "interim" would last until the Surf Center rebuilds the entire center to add more parking. (The center has been promising that for over 15 years hasn't turned a shovel of dirt.)

Gualala already has 600-plus spaces off the highway, so four more would only make our Main Street dangerous and ugly. Plus, Alt 4C would require another divisive town debate and Town Hall -- the fourth in four years. And it would need an amendment to the Coastal Plan -- a process that could take years and creep into other issues. We really don't need that!

YOU can stop this bad idea RIGHT NOW! Send a short email to [email protected]. Just say you favor Alt 4A and want Caltrans to kill its ugly Alt 4C. GMAC will pass all your comments on to the decision makers at Caltrans and the Mendocino Council of Governments. Your voice will be heard, but only if you say something.

Help Save Gualala: Send that email NOW.

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PS: Want to know more? You can watch the entire 1 hour, 45-minute discussion with Caltrans planners on the GMAC YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/uogN64ytGwg

07/01/2021

Preserving what we love about Gualala takes constant effort. With your help, Save Gualala's 1,690 supporters -- including over 450 locals here on Facebook -- helped stop Caltrans from turning our Main Street into a four-lane mess this year -- and that fight isn't over yet.

But now you have a chance to do even more to preserve Gualala's coastal charm.

The Gualala Municipal Advisory Council (GMAC) currently has four openings, and Supervisor Ted Williams plans to fill them all soon. This is a great opportunity for local folks who'd like to help protect and shape the future of Gualala. We strongly encourage Save Gualala supporters to apply. We'd especially like to see our neighbors from all parts of our community on the council -- young and old, women and men, parents, hospitality workers, artists, merchants, contractors, and residents from every ethnic background and personal preference.

Not only has GMAC always taken an active role in protecting our downtown, but it also works to protect our water supply, ensure new development reflects the beauty around us, produce Zoom forums about Covid, support our local businesses and workers, plan for EV chargers, improve our WiFi services, build more worker housing, and much more.

Council members play a huge role in advising county, state, and federal officials on all sorts of matters, fulfilling their mission to give voice to our community. Members must be registered to vote in Mendocino County, and must live south of Iverson and north of the river, between the ridge and the ocean. They meet the first Thursday of each month for a few hours, which is the core requirement of serving.

Recently, GMAC asked for more volunteers to apply to the County Clerk by filling out an online application at TinyURL.com/GMACApp . They suggested you also print out your application and send a copy by email to both the County Clerk and to Supervisor Ted Williams. Here are the Emails: [email protected] for the clerk, and [email protected] for Supervisor Ted Williams. You can call the county clerk for further info at (707) 463-4441, and/or contact Vice Chair Tom Murphy at [email protected].

If you can give just a few hours a month to help, please consider volunteering for GMAC. It may be the best way for any of us to help Save Gualala for future generations.

01/25/2021

HELP MAKE GUALALA SAFER WHILE PRESERVING ITS CHARM

PLEASE take a few minutes to write to Caltrans and tell them you support its latest proposal for the Gualala Downtown area – Alternative 4A. (These comments were due Jan. 29, but we're confident Caltrans will appreciate your continued interest.)

After a quarter-century of debate, it’s time for Gualala to come together behind this plan to help our downtown reflect the natural beauty around us and add long-overdue safety features to protect our kids, seniors and everyone in between. Both Save Gualala and the Gualala MAC support this plan, which also complies with our Coastal Plan requirements.

This painting by a young Save Gualala volunteer shows a familiar highway view with ALL the elements of Alternative 4A included: landscaped sidewalks, interim parking, speed controls, and bike lanes on the (otherwise unused) shoulders. The photo shows the same scene now, without any improvements. The point is that we can both maintain our small town charm while making long-overdue improvements that will serve us well for another half-century.

Without your input, Caltrans may revert to the four-lane highway plan it proposed last year, which would have been 76-feet wide at this intersection based on Caltrans’ own data. Or it may come up with something even worse. So PLEASE take a few minutes to write to Caltrans at [email protected] and tell them this. Please include your name, town and zip code:

“I support Alternative 4A with 1 traffic lanes, 1 lane for interim parking or turns, landscaped sidewalks, speed controls, bike paths on the shoulders, and a MAXIMUM width of 60 feet.”

The town you save may be your own! Thank you!

01/11/2021

SAVE GUALALA ENDORSES CALTRANS ALTERNATIVE 4A for DOWNTOWN GUALALA

Caltrans has responded to YOUR concerns and presented two much-improved alternatives for Highway 1 as it passes through Downtown Gualala that scale-down the project to three lanes from four. While the new proposal doesn't fulfill ALL requirement of the Gualala Town Plan, it leaves a path to completing them in the future.

We want to thank the agency, the Gualala Municipal Advisory Council, and the Mendocino Council of Governments for responding to our petition. At this point, 1,462 local residents and visitors from throughout California and across the US have supported our petition.

GMAC summarized the new alternatives, conducted a community hearing, and voted unanimously to endorse Alternative 4A. See the discussion here: https://www.TinyURL.com/HighwayDowntown

Accordingly, SAVE GUALALA IS PLEASED TO ENDORSE ALTERNATIVE 4A, which provides for:

-Landscaping throughout the project;;
-Two travel lanes with speed controls to enforce the 25 mph limit;
-A third lane to be use alternately for Interim parking or Turn pockets;
-Interim parking on the east side, north of Church St.;
-Sidewalks and Separated Bike Paths throughout.

WE STRONGLY URGE ALL SUPPORTERS -- ESPECIALLY THOSE IN GUALALA'S 95445 Zip Code -- to attend the Caltrans Public Meeting Thursday, Jan. 14, 5-7 pm pt, support Alternative 4A, and to complete the Caltrans survey to choose all of the above elements.

Meeting link:
https://cadot.webex.com/cadot/j.php?MTID=mf541e2009ec40510866ca816cf74f05e
Meeting number: 146 960 2408
Join by phone: 408-418-9388

WebEx Help: : https://help.webex.com/en-us/nrbgeodb/Join-a-Webex-Meeting

PLEASE complete the Caltrans Survey: https://arcg.is/1r4PK4

We are near success on this petition, but we need your help to carry the ball over the goal line. So PLEASE follow through at the Town Meeting and on the Survey.

And THANK YOU!!

After a detailed discussion with community members, the Gualala MAC voted unanimously for a new Caltrans plan for Downtown Gualala. The new plan, called Alte...

12/10/2020

Help preserve Downtown Gualala’s rural charm for the next half-century. A new Caltrans’ Streetscape proposal is due out any day. Learn more in this 12-min summary by Gualala MAC’s project committee. Your opinion is very important! tinyurl.com/GMACUpdate

And please sign the Save Gualala petition at Change.org/SaveGualala to help keep the paving to a minimum (2 traffic lanes, 1 for interim parking/turns). We don't want anyone to pave over our paradise!

Caltrans has developed a new proposal for its Gualala Downtown Streetscape project it plans to release in mid-December. This presentation by the GMAC Street...