The applicant, Rangjung Yeshe Gomde California, operates a Buddhist retreat center on a 250-acre property at 66000 Drive Thru Tree Road, off State Route 271. The center is a Shedrub Mandala for the study and practice of Buddhism under the spiritual direction of Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and emphasizes teachings from the Chokling Tersar lineage .



The proposed temple would rise 73 feet, 9 inches, more than twice the 35-foot maximum height permitted under the property‘s suburban residential zoning designation. According to county planning documents, the temple would be sited in a meadow encircled by trees, approximately 1,200 feet from Route 271, with the South Fork Eel River located 900 to 1,000 feet to the west. Additional improvements would include road access, a septic system, and parking .

Planning Staff Recommends Approval

County planning staff have recommended approval of the height variance, citing "special circumstances applicable to the subject property related to its size, topography, location and surroundings" .

Mendocino County Planner Matt Goines explained that religious assembly is permitted by right on the property, meaning the temple would not require a conditional use permit if it complied with the height limit.

"They‘re allowed to do it with just a building permit, so if this project had come in at under 35 feet and they did everything else the same, they would essentially just come in for a building permit and get approved as a religious assembly," Goines told the Times-Standard. "The only thing that really is the issue is the height" .

The staff report notes that the temple would not be visible from the freeway. Because the site is located in a meadow beneath a hill, "portions of the building are set substantially lower in relation to the surrounding uphill terrain than would occur on a level building site." Additionally, the temple would be set more than 1,000 feet from any surrounding residence, and large trees in the area, some exceeding 100 feet in height, would further obscure the structure .

"The combination of the property‘s large size, pronounced topography, substantial separation from neighboring development, interior location, and surrounding mature forest distinguishes the site from a typical developed suburban residential property," the staff report states. "These characteristics are physical circumstances applicable to the property itself and are particularly relevant to the requested height variance because they substantially reduce the visibility and off-site effects normally associated with increased building height" .

Strong Public Support

The proposal has generated significant public support. A letter submitted with the application has garnered 36 signatures, a notable figure given that the census-designated community of Leggett tallied only 24 residents in the 2024 Census .

"We‘ve had an incredible amount of support. It was wild," Goines said. "It was really touching to see how many people came out to support this, local and non-local people. That was really surprising to me, how many people were able to chime in" .

Economic Hopes for a Shrinking Community

Goines suggested that expansion of the Buddhist center could bring economic benefits to Leggett, a small rural community that has experienced substantial population decline over the past decade.

"Smaller rural communities struggle, especially right now," Goines said. "So anybody who is in a rural community like this and is looking to invest some money into it and try to have people come in … and possibly help boost some of the local economy and stores in town, I think that the planning department and the building department should do what they can to help them achieve those goals. As long as they fall within the parameters of zoning and building codes, there‘s no reason we shouldn’t do everything we can to help them out" .

Background on Gomde California

Rangjung Yeshe Gomde California was founded in 1998 by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The center currently hosts retreats, academic programs, meditation instruction, and visits by Tibetan Buddhist teachers. The organization has previously described plans for a larger campus that would eventually include accommodation, classrooms, dining facilities, and a temple capable of seating approximately 400 people .

The 250-acre property already contains multiple structures, including at least five residential buildings, a large barn, and multiple accessory structures. The proposed temple would be constructed in an undeveloped area of the property .

According to a 2015 report in The Ukiah Daily Journal, the organization had sought to upgrade its facilities following damage from an unusual tornado that destroyed a dining tent. The center is part of an international collection of retreat centers located in Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands .

The Mendocino County Planning Commission will take up the item at its regularly scheduled Thursday meeting at 10 a.m. .