MENDOCINO CO., 7/5/25 — The controversy over a 1904 water tower slated for demolition on Mendocino’s Main Street has sparked two lawsuits against Mendocino County and the county’s Board of Supervisors.
The lawsuits allege violations of California’s environmental law after the board voted to allow removal, overruling the Mendocino Historical Review Board. The tower’s owners say it is structurally damaged beyond repair, but locals and historical board members argue it is a landmark that should be preserved.
The town of Mendocino is a federally recognized historic district and has been since 1971, according to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
On May 20, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors voted 4-to-1 in favor of the owner’s appeal, which sought to remove the water tower. Only 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams, who represents Mendocino, voted against the appeal. The vote overturned three previous decisions by the Mendocino Historical Review Board.
At the meeting, which drew debate from community members on both sides of the issue, county planner Liam Crowley said that the tower does not meet the criteria for a historic structure.
“We don’t consider this structure to be historically, architecturally or culturally significant because it’s not listed in the Inventory of Historic Structures within the Mendocino Town Plan,” Crowley said.
The tower, which houses the staircase leading to Flow restaurant, was moved to its current location in 1976 from Mendosa’s market on Lansing Street, according to the Kelley House Museum. According to the museum, the tower was structurally unsafe at that time it was moved, and locals Barry Cusick, Jim Coupe, and Gus Costa salvaged and rebuilt the tower adjacent to what was then a deli owned by Coupe and is now Flow Restaurant and Lounge.
According to the Kelley House, Coupe, who died several years ago, said that three men were working together to maintain the historical integrity of the tower.
Coupe’s daughter, Cynthia Coupe, said her father loved Mendocino and after moving there in the early ‘70s became deeply involved in the community. She said in addition to saving the tower, he started the annual Mendocino Fourth of July Parade and helped found the Mendocino Land Trust.
“It feels like such a piece of Mendocino history,” she said of the tower. “Every time I walk by there, I think of my childhood and my dad.”
Coupe also said that even though she would be sad to see the tower go, she understands that the tower’s historical significance needs to come second to public safety.
The two lawsuits both separately allege that the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors violated the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, by not conducting an environmental review prior to approving the appeal to remove the water tower.
CEQA requires public agencies to evaluate the environmental consequences of their discretionary actions before approving projects, according to the Governor’s Office.
The first suit, filed by local realtor Scott Roat on June 16, also alleges that the county “violated its own land use and procedural laws.”
In his petition, Roat, representing himself, argued that the board relied on flawed evidence, including an engineering report that lacked structural analysis and failed to consider restoration. He also stated that the tower’s absence from the town’s historic inventory was meaningless because the list was labeled preliminary and incomplete.
“I have no ego involved in it, I just want to preserve the character of our charming Mendocino,” he said.
The second lawsuit, filed ten days later on June 26 by the Mendocino Preservation Fund and Citizens to Save the Water Tower, alleges the Board of Supervisors violated CEQA and emphasizes that CEQA protects historic buildings as part of the environment.
“CEQA protects the historic ‘built’ environment to the same extent as the state’s natural resources, such as air, water and forests,” it states.
On Monday, less than two weeks after the first suit was filed and just days after the second, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new state budget that includes “sweeping CEQA exemptions.” While the changes are primarily aimed at accelerating affordable housing projects, it remains unclear whether they will have any impact on the two pending lawsuits.
Deirdre Lamb, also a local real estate agent and a member of the Mendocino Preservation Fund and the Historical Review Board, echoed Roat’s frustrations about the Board of Supervisors’ decision.
Like Roat, Lamb emphasized that the absence of the tower from the town’s inventory of historic buildings isn’t because the tower lacks historical significance, but because the volunteer who was cataloging structures didn’t have time to finish the list.
“Mendocino has a skyline,” Lamb said. “There’s the skyline of New York and it has the Empire State Building, the skyline of San Francisco with the tower, our skyline is water towers.”
Jennifer Raymond, who lives in Ferndale and co-owns the property with her brothers, said it “never crossed their minds” that they would be asking to take the iconic tower down. After inheriting the property, she hoped to repair the tower, which she said had been maintained for decades.
But after walking through it with the property’s maintenance person, and later consulting two contractors and a structural engineer, she said it became clear the tower was a public safety hazard.
“When the engineer took a screwdriver and jammed it at the bottom of one of the main supports, it went all the way into the wood up to the handle,” said Raymond, who initially said she was shocked about the tower’s condition. “It was very convincing.”
She said both contractors told her they wouldn’t work on it, with one even going so far as to tell her he’d lose his license if he did.
Raymond said they tried twice to get approval from the Historical Review Board for alternative designs, but were denied both times. After that, they listed the property for sale, but buyers were scared off by the tower’s condition. That’s when they decided to apply for removal.
She said she understands why people are upset, and that she was “devastated” when she found out about the tower’s condition. After listing it for sale she said she contacted MendoParks, which operates the Ford House, a museum and visitor center that’s across the street, about relocating the tower to that property and thus keeping it as part of the skyline. But she said red tape ultimately killed that hope.
“We live in fear of a huge earthquake or something, even bad wind and rain, and a big part of it coming down and someone being hurt or killed,” Raymond said.
In a press release, the attorney for the plaintiffs of the second suit addressed the owner’s assertion that the tower is unsafe, questioning why Flow Restaurant is still open if this is the case.
“The property owner raised issues regarding its structural integrity, although the County has not issued any kind of warning to the owner, nor has the owner limited the hundreds of customers who use the stairwell to access the restaurant upstairs,” the release reads.
Another concern raised by Roat is the potential precedent of the Board of Supervisors overruling the Historical Review Board, especially since Williams voted to deny the appeal.
In a Facebook post about a week before filing suit, Roat called out this issue. “This isn’t just about losing a structure. It’s about whether the Mendocino Historical Review Board — and the community it represents — has any real authority in shaping the future of this iconic village.”
Along the same lines, Williams said he’s concerned about the impact it may have on his ability to find people to serve on the Historical Review Board, or MHRB. “It’s hard for me to find people willing to serve on MHRB,” he said. “It’ll be even harder if they know when they reach a decision that it’ll be overturned in Ukiah.”
As for the tower itself, Williams highlighted the importance of the historic district for the local economy, noting a point that many involved voiced – that the historic nature of Mendocino is why tourists visit and spend money there.
“I don’t know if the town were to open up and allow anything and you had Starbucks, McDonald’s, would it be the same visitor economy? Would you have people coming and spending money the way they do today? I think it would be diminished,” he said.
Ukiah-centric politics has reaped a large portion of its general fund from Coastal Mendocino for decades with very little benefit to our community. Areas zoned as residential/recreation are now commercial cannabis grows. I have rented property for 50 years which has a deeded ingress and egress to another single family home (property split by divorcing couple over 50 years ago) which was awarded permission by this county to build a steel framed concrete indoor grow house of surprising proportions. Notice of hearing was noticeably late. Despite opposition by 3 adjoining property owners it was unanimously approved. Heavy industrial traffic ensued on my one lane driveway included unsafe drivers. Last week the bridge building company McCullough drove down my driveway , a large dump truck, several days in a row to deliver what I assume was topsoil for the cannabis grow house. Drainage ditch eroded, road surface gone, trees scraped and oozing sap. The people who awarded and permitted this commercial operation had never visited the property. The aforementioned drive and drainage system is ruined. Was CEQA required? Ted Williams has been a star working for Mendocino and I support him.. support the return of respect for the MHRB and rejection of the questionable judgment of the other vsupervisors and Building and Planning Dept.
Ukiah-Centric politics is not the problem nor does this coastal region hold the bread basket of tax revenue for the county. There is significant sales tax generation in the Ukiah area for the clear reasons there is more more commercial activity happening in the Ukiah valley. Mendocino city has been fighting everything from water projects to any development at all. It takes ten years of coastal commission nonsense to build a house here let alone a new business or something that hasn’t already been established for the boomers here. If Mendocino city doesn’t like the what happened in the BOS vote than become your own charter city and make your own destiny. Otherwise this is a complaint without a complaint.
Confusing. Does Ukiah ultimately rule what happens in Mendocino?
(I suppose that is tbe county seat?)
Wondering how much Mendocino controls what goes on in it’s own jurisdiction…?
The Ukiah valley is just the place where most of the population lives in Mendocino County or at least closely grouped together to form the largest backbone of the local populace. The claim of Ukiah-centric politics is merely a claim even though there is a clear contradiction by the fact the county controls most of the jurisdiction parcels in the county, so this is mostly a false statement.
This is an excellent example of death by a thousand cuts. Similar to how Starbucks was allowed to open a store in Willits. When they were given permission for the restaurant, the original plans included removing the two large redwood trees, at the north end of their lot. This got changed, quickly, when the people of our town found out about this corporate bullying. You allow removal of one tower, then you have allowed “them” to get their foot in the door…it will deteriorate the villiage from there, until it becomes unrecognizable.
Mendocino has very strict rules to prevent coorporate chain stores do they not?
Obviously folks love Mendocino as it is and it survives just fine without such stores.
Trump would have to show up with the national guard + their guns to guard builders of a Starbucks anytime in the next 50 years. I can’t see anyone in Mendocino selling the place out willingly.
Jennifer Raymond
July 7, 2025
As one of the owners of the water tower, I can appreciate the feelings of those who are opposing its removal. My brothers and I, who acquired the property in 2021, after our parents’ deaths, are as emotionally attached to this water tower as any Mendocino resident. We lived here when the water tower was located behind Mendosa’s Market, and we watched as it was disassembled, moved and rebuilt in its current location by Barry Cusick and Jim Coupe.
Quite honestly, we never dreamed that we would be requesting to remove this water tower. However, shortly after we acquired the property, we became aware of serious safety issues, including substantial decay in the main structural supports. We consulted licensed contractors about possible repairs and were told that the structure was beyond repair due to the extent of deterioration in its main supports. Hoping for another option, we hired a structural engineer to conduct a thorough inspection and make recommendations. His report concluded that the water tower could not be repaired and would need to be completely rebuilt.
Rebuilding the tower would necessitate bringing it up to current building codes, and would likely include a new concrete foundation, changes to the structure of the tower, and changes to the stairway. A project of this magnitude would also trigger ADA compliance, meaning that a lift would need to be added to provide accessibility to the upstairs restaurant. Because a lift cannot be incorporated into the open design of the water tower, we developed and submitted plans for alternate structures that would accommodate a lift. All of our proposals were rejected by the Mendocino Historical Review Board, leaving us with a structure that poses a significant threat to public safety.
Opponents of our attempts to rectify this situation have made accusations that the current condition of the tower is due to neglect by the owners. This is simply untrue. Our parents, the previous owners, made substantial repairs to the tower through the years, including increasing the size of the foundation and replacement and repairs to structural members and metal braces.
The current condition of the tower is not due to neglect, but to the continual exposure to moisture, which eventually causes decay, even in old-growth redwood. Three of the main support members have substantial decay at their bases, just as they did in the 70’s, fifty years after the tower was first built. At that time, it was purchased for $1.00 and relocated to its present location. The main supports were shortened to remove the rotted portions, and it was rebuilt in its current configuration. In this way, the water tower was preserved. Fifty years later, it is time to repeat the process.
We would be thrilled to have the water tower restored, however, as explained above, this cannot be accommodated in its present location. If an individual or group is interested in taking on this project, and willing to reconstruct the tower within Zone A of the Mendocino Historic District, we will have the tower dismantled and the wood delivered to that location. In this way, its legacy will be continued, and it will remain a part of the Mendocino community and viewscape.
Jennifer Raymond
I wish to point out that the ADA access was discussed at the MHRB meeting, and it was pointed out that an elevator to the restaurant could easily be installed inside the (spacious) building. This point is kind of being ignored, as is the cost estimate by the pest control people which included lumber and was not unduly costly. Not sure why preserving/repairing the tower is such a thing to dig your heels in about. Property owners in Mendocino have a duty to maintain structures as per MHRB guidelines. You can install a lift inside the building, have a staircase built either inside or outside, and repair the tower and take the staircase out of it.
Thank you Jennifer Raymond for your information and thoughtful response to the MV article.
The owners have done their due diligence. The community must be reasonable. They are being blocked in every direction in which they try to find a solution. Ultimately it can not be their responsibility to endlessly keep and maintain something that is a public safety liability as much as they wish they could magically “make it better”.
Those who want the tower “no matter what” should buy it and will likely have to move it and/or fix it themselves if no contractor will. Time to be adult and face the unfortunate reality that wood has a lifespan. It is not infinite. And to those who think Mendocino’s economy or appeal would suffer from the loss of this tower…that is absurd on the face of it. Those things don’t ride on the existence of this tower!
Mendocino is made of many wonderful things. No one wants to loose the tower, but change and endings are sometimes inevitable.
It’s wood, it can easily be reconditioned, restored, etc…
Here’s a nice resolution… Mr. Roat, and the Mendocino Preservation Fund and Citizens to Save the Water Tower, purchase the property, and do what is needed, with the tower, to restore, and preserve it. I am sure they could acquire funds from the local people, for assistance in this purchase…
Here’s a nice resolution… Mr. Roat, and the Mendocino Preservation Fund and Citizens to Save the Water Tower, purchase the property, and do what is needed, with the tower, to restore, and preserve it. I am sure they could acquire funds from the local people, for assistance in this purchase…
There are hundreds of woodworkers on the California Coast, Announce the rebuilding and restoration by community and I guarantee that it will get done.
Or… donate the tower, to the town, woodworkers donate their labor, to the town, and move it, and restore it then. Everybody is taken care of.
Perhaps contact the Timber Framers Guild, tfguild.org? They may have suggestions as to who/how to help with restoration.
This is a crock of manure. This is not that hard to rebuild and make safe. So some structural engineer got his panties in a bunch and you can’t roll a wheelchair up it. Have we lost all ability to get basic stuff done in this world?
Um, these days it sure seems so… look at Washington DC !
Egos rule, stupidity reigns supreme… common sense ? The process of clear thought and processing information is a lost art, I think.
The “inventory of historic structures” is just that – a list people worked on, and never got completed. All of Mendocino town west of the highway is nationally registered as historic and therefore to be preserved. Also I see the line of a table, on the second level of that watertower indicating it maybe is being used for patron seating.
As an occasional visitor to Mendocino I say, “Save the Tower”! But How?
As every wooden boat owner knows: Inject every part that is failing with a two-part liquid epoxy designed to penetrate and restore rotted wood. “By saturating the fibers with a resin that hardens overnight. It works on dry, rotted, or weathered wood by encapsulating the fibers, making the repaired area stronger than the original wood. The product can be applied by injecting it into the wood, allowing it to soak in through capillary action. Once cured, the material is sandable, paintable, and can be drilled and fastened into.” (“Git Rot” website).
Personally, I can attest that this really works. Time consuming, yes. But you’re saving a historical landmark in a town that is historical.