Class K reform, overdue or unnecessary? The supes will discuss on Feb. 27

MENDOCINO Co., 2/23/18 — The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will be considering changes to the Class K building code at their upcoming meeting on Tuesday, February 27 at 10:15am. The provision, a peculiarity of Mendocino building code, allows for homeowner built structures to be inspected under a different rubric, and has been a fixture of Mendocino construction, with its back-to-the-land and ranching culture, for decades. The supervisors will hear recommended revisions to the building code, and then discuss potential changes and potentially give direction to staff about revising the code.

One potential revision that will be discussed is whether Class K structures should be required to have sprinklers installed. County counsel’s opinion on the question can be found here, and the documents to be considered by the supervisors can be found here.

The discussion was originally scheduled to take place February 6 but was rescheduled to this coming Tuesday, February 27. The agenda lists the Class K discussion as a timed item for 10:15am. Public comments can be given at the meeting in person. For those that can’t make it in person, the meetings are broadcast live on the Mendocino County Youtube page. You can also submit your comments to the Board of Supervisors by phone at (707) 463-4441 or email at [email protected] or send questions to [email protected]

The full agenda of the upcoming supervisors meeting is available at this link. The relevant documents can be found here.

Here’s the full press release about the upcoming meeting:

Ukiah, California: January 29, 2018

Board of Supervisors to Discuss Class K Housing at the February 27 Board Meeting

On January 24, 2017, the Board of Supervisors referred Chapter 18.23 of the Mendocino County Code, commonly known as the Class K Ordinance, to the Board of Supervisors Public Health, Safety, and Resources Standing Committee (PHSR) for review. On December 4, 2017, the Standing Committee reviewed revisions and referred the item back to the Board of Supervisors.

On February 27, 2018, the PHSR Standing Committee, in conjunction with Mendocino County Planning and Building Services, will present recommended Class K revisions to the Board of Supervisors for Board discussion and direction. The presentation was originally forecasted for the February 6, 2018, Board meeting and has now been rescheduled to February 27, 2018.

In addition, the Board of Supervisors authorized the release of County Counsel’s opinion on the ability of Mendocino County to exempt limited density rural dwellings (Class K) from otherwise

required California Building Code Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and fire sprinkler standards.

The opinion is available online at www.mendocinocounty.org/government/news-and-meetings.

The Agenda for the February 27, 2018, will be published 72 hours prior to the meeting and will be available online at www.mendocino.legistar.com. For more information, please contact the Executive Office at (707) 463-4441 or [email protected]