The purpose of this Initiative is to amend the Mendocino County General Plan and Inland Zoning Code and to enact the Mendocino Crossings Mixed-Use Masonite Specific Plan for the former site of the Masonite facility.
This Initiative would modify the existing land use designation of the site from Industrial to “Mixed-Use Specific Plan”. This Mixed-Use Specific Plan designation will allow for a variety of uses including light industrial, retail, commercial, residential, office, hotel, entertainment, educational, public facilities, utility installations, parking lots and structures, and open space.
The proposed Specific Plan contains a conceptual land use plan, development standards, design and landscape guidelines, circulation and infrastructure plan, and project mitigation measures to mitigate potential impacts to the community and the environment. The actual development of the site is subject to change based on market and regional demands. The Specific Plan also states that water will be supplied to the site by the same well that serviced the area when the former Masonite facility was operating there. Because the Specific Plan would be enacted by initiative, under the law it is not subject to the procedures under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). State law will ensure that other required environmental review will be completed.
The bottom line here is that Voting YES on Measure A will place a realistic zone with specific development standards on a piece of property that will just sit undeveloped for years if the existing heavy industrial zone remains. The County has continually not met its commitment to complete the Ukiah Valley Area Plan (UVAP) a plan that has been in the works now for almost 20 years. The planners working on the UVAP have always proposed a mixed use designation for this site. What Measure A proposes and your YES vote will do is finally complete what the county has been unwilling to complete for nearly 20 years.