07/22/2025
Lawsuit Alleges County Violated Environmental Law
Mendocino, July 2, 2025 - In a shocking rebuke to the town of Mendocino, the Mendocino Historical Review Board (MHRB), and the county supervisor representing the town of Mendocino, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has approved the demolition of the iconic and historic water tower on Main Street.
In a 4-1 vote, with only local Supervisor Ted Williams voting no, the board of supervisors declared that the water tower, built in 1904 and moved to its current location 50 years ago, is not historic. While the property owner raised issues regarding its structural integrity, the County has not issued any warning to the owner nor has the owner limited the hundreds of customers who use the stairwell to access the restaurant upstairs.
Concerned citizens formed the non-profit Mendocino Preservation Fund and Citizens to Save the Water Tower and joined together to file an environmental lawsuit on June 26 to challenge the demolition. The case alleges that the County violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a citizen-enforced statute. The legal claims are that the County failed to provide public notice of the pending demolition permit application or to conduct required environmental review.
Since 1971 the town of Mendocino has been on the National Register of Historic Places, and the County code imposes historic preservation standards to all proposed new, modified, or demolished structures. The MHRB is responsible for determining whether structures in question contribute to the distinctive historical character of the district. The MHRB ruled against the demolition of the water tower three times before the property owners appealed the decisions to the Board of Supervisors.
Many residents and visitors view the water towers like cable cars in San Francisco or gondolas in Venice. The town now has only about one-third the water towers it had 100 years ago. While the loss of any of the remaining towers is concerning, few of them are located as prominently as the water tower on Main Street across from the visitor center and museum. Losing this water tower because it may need to be repaired opens the door to losing many of the others for the same reason.
Long-time resident, business owner and former fire chief Ed O'Brien commented, "it seems odd that County Supervisors representing places as far away as Covelo, Potter Valley and Ukiah would be so determined to demolish an iconic and historic 120-year-old water tower in Mendocino when the local review board and Supervisor want to preserve it."
The Mendocino Preservation Fund was established to educate the public about issues effecting the historic preservation of the town of Mendocino, to challenge decisions by policy makers that are detrimental to the historic district, and other efforts to help keep the town of Mendocino as the historic community that tourists and residents have enjoyed for generations.
Anyone interested in contributing to the Mendocino Preservation Fund can mail a check to: The Mendocino Preservation Fund, PO Box 556, Mendocino, CA 95460.
