Preserving The Sea Ranch Landscape & Community
A proposed 155-foot industrial cell tower on deed-restricted land that explicitly prohibits such use threatens the landscape, undermines community trust, and runs counter to Sea Ranch’s core ethos of “living lightly on the land.”
Join the 250+ other Sea Ranchers who have already made their voices heard!
What’s Happening
The TSRA Board of Directors is currently evaluating a proposal to construct a 155-foot steel cell tower, with up to 48 antennas, a 60 kW generator, and a 3,600 sq ft fenced mechanical enclosure. The lead site being studied is located near the Dog Park off Deer Trail — on TSRA common land and within view of nearby homes, trails (including the Bluff Trail), Del Mar Center, and Highway 1.
In August 2025, the TSRA Board voted 5–2 to allocate up to an additional $40,000 in Association funds to study this site. Many members became aware of the project only after this vote, and concerns have grown about transparency, environmental impacts, visual effects, health considerations, and the long-term precedent this project would set. Hundreds of Sea Ranchers have come out in opposition of the project, and been routinely dismissed by the Board.
In Feb 2026, The TSRA Board voted 4-3 to approve the Dog Park location as the site of record, and to proceed with allocating more member funds to advance the project. This was done with full knowledge that the proposed site has deed restrictions which would prohibit the construction of a cell tower, and with full knowledge that they will face serious legal challenges these facts are ignored and they and choose to proceed.
This is a significant industrial/commercial project on community land (“commons”) that, if passed, will be with us for decades. An endeavor of this scale, with significant environmental, aesthetic, financial, and quality-of-life implications, should not be conducted in a vacuum unilaterally by the Board.
We have requested that the Board pause any additional decisions and funding and to refer the project to a forum to more thoroughly discuss and evaluate the project with community involvement, such as the Planning Committee, Design Committee. As members of TSRA and co-owners of the “commons,” we want to learn more and to have a voice regarding if, or how, this project moves forward, including:
Current, objective study results evaluating if any significant cell service coverage gaps exist.
Transparent review of the financial modeling, liability, and risk assessment to TSRA.
Conduct a comprehensive and impartial analysis, prioritizing community impact weighed alongside projected benefits.
This website is a community resource created to help members understand the project, review the evidence, and make their voices heard.
Why This Project Matters
Environmental & Ecological Impact
The 155-foot tower would rise far above the tree line, introducing industrial infrastructure into a protected natural area. This site contradicts the Sea Ranch founders’ covenants, which for 60 years have guided the community to “live lightly on the land.” Many members view this as a dangerous turning point, a precedent that risks normalizing future intrusions and slowly eroding the unique character that makes Sea Ranch special.
Uncertain Justification & Alternatives
TSRA has not provided clear evidence of coverage gaps or the need for a tower at all. A transparent review of less intrusive alternatives such as mesh networks, improved backhaul, or co-location has not taken place. Financial projections also leave open questions about whether the project would be net profitable. Without a verified need, a fair evaluation of options, or reliable financial justification, the case for this project remains uncertain.
Governance & Transparency
TSRA’s handling of this project has raised serious concerns. The Dog Park location appears to have been the intended site from the start, despite being presented later as an “option,” and despite significant deed restrictions prohibiting commercial use on the land. Key information has been selectively shared or downplayed. The Board’s quiet, procedural moves suggest an effort to advance the project without full member awareness, leaving many feeling misled. As a result, member trust, already strained, has been irreversibly damaged.
Visual, Aesthetic, and Property Impacts
The proposed tower would stand far above the tree line, becoming a prominent industrial structure visible from nearby homes, trails, and key public viewpoints. This would fundamentally alter the natural landscape and scenic character that define The Sea Ranch. For homeowners closest to the site, real estate professionals estimate potential property value declines of up to $100,000, reflecting both the visual intrusion and the loss of the quiet, preserved setting that buyers expect at Sea Ranch.
Timeline at a Glance
Over the past two years, the TSRA Board has steadily advanced a plan to build a TSRA-funded commercial cell tower at the Dog Park site—well before most members were aware a project was underway. After soliciting carrier interest and exploring the revenue potential of a north-end tower, the Board directed financial planning, launched feasibility studies specifically at the Dog Park, and continued spending member funds even as the community only learned of the project through word-of-mouth. Despite substantial opposition, the Board voted in August 2025 to make the Dog Park the lead site for continued study, committing additional money and moving the project forward. A community open session is planned for December, but many members feel they were brought into the process far too late.
What Sea Ranch Members Are Saying
Hundreds of Sea Ranchers from all corners of the community have raised thoughtful questions and concerns about the proposed tower. Below are representative comments collected from the open petition since members became aware of the project.
How You Can Get Involved
Sign The Petition
Let your voice be heard!
Help demonstrate that members demand a transparent, inclusive process for projects that have a lasting impact on The Sea Ranch and what it stands for.
Email the Board
Share your questions and concerns: Email the board at boardofdirectors@tsra.org
Attend the Next Board Meeting
Catch up on what has happened to date. Stay informed and participate in public comment.
Join the Community Mailing List
Receive updates, events, and action opportunities.
In solidarity, your neighbors from across all corners of The Sea Ranch
Loren Adrian
Lorna Anderson
George Bell
Joan Bell
Russell Joe Bellmer
Igor Belov
Susan W. Blair
Tempra Board
Richard Boulet
David Bourne
Henry Bowles
Jennifer Bowles
Ed Brush
Marilyn Brush
Alicyn Campbell
Geoffrey Campen
Thomas Carlisle
Caryl Carr
Norman Case
Chris Casey
Wayne Cassani
Mark Cavage
Seeta Chaganti
Donnalynn Chase
Mark Chase
Kimberly Chun
Lesley Clement
John Clerkin
Elizabeth A Clune
Christine Cocanour
Megan Cole
Peter Cole
Katherine Conrad
Barbara Croner
Kirsten Gale Cutler
David DeBoer
Kim DeBoer
Richard Denton
James W. Docker
Fumiko Docker
Richard Dong
Michael Doran
Philip Lo Duca
Madeleine Dunphy
Tom Escover
Murphy Ferguson
Tom Ferguson
Catherine FitzGerald
Paul FitzGerald
Chris Foss
Kate Foss
Pat Fox
Suzanne Frazier
Carolyn French
Craig Fruchter
Maria B Gayotto
Veronica Geczi
Brendan Glackin
Mel Gomez
Shelley Guidi
Marjie Van Gunten
Susan Hamlin
Deidre Harrison
Sarah Hebenstreit
Klaus Heinemann
Aaron Hirsh
Rich Holmer
Pamela Hopins
Paul Howard
Dard Hunter
Brian Iso
Elizabeth Iso
Meri Issel
Barbara Johannes
Eileen Kallaway
Ailene Kanbe
Trina Kaplow
Elizabeth Keene
Debra Kempi
Ross Kempi
Ann Shea Kent
John Kent
Connie King
Samantha Knox
Janet Kukulinsky
Laurie Lamantia
Robert Larson
Susie Laurenson
markus lavenson
Lawrence Lawlor
Vicki Leeds
Carolyn Lenert
Hugh Lennon
Rowena Lennon
David Liebendorfer
Doug Lipton
Dana Lomax
Debbie Lombardi-Lytle
Susan MacDonald
Timothy MacDonald
Robert MacSweeney
Mari Mahan
Deanna Marsh
Jonathan Marsh
Dale McDuffie
Stephen Mende
Ofer Morag
Michael B Morgan
Shirley Linden Morrison
Rebecca Morrison
Travis Nance
Wendy Nemeroff
Richard P Nobles
Jim Nomura
Derek Norman
James Noss
Peggy O'Day
Patrick O'Rourke
Liz Lummis ONeil
Mark Paez
Arthur Patterson
Lavenson Peggy
Franklin Perkins
Terry Pfardresher
P.M.R. Platt
Gary Prochazka
Kristin Ramsdell
David Robertson
Sallie Romer
Diana Ruiz
Lois Sangster
Emily Schindler
Leslie Shackelford
Gary Shannon
Suzanne Shaug
Adrienne Sher
Mia Simon
Maureen Simons
Heather E. Smith
Martha Smythe
Gordon Soares
Diana Souverbielle
Joyce Souza
Mark Spomer
Joseph Styles
Tina Styles
Adena Svingos
Chris Swarth
Amy Van Syoc
Joseph Tarantino
Joyce Tarr
Gina Tega
Lynne Teismann
Beverly Thayer
Sonam Thunden
Clement Tissandier
John Tomberlin
Gregg Tosello
George Tsaconas
Trina Turk
Kathleen Urbelis
Markus Urstoeger
Chanee Vijay
Sabrina Watson-Fox
Ben Wheeler
Kelli Wheeler
Wyatt Wheeler
Jack Wheeler
Angelo Whitfield
Richard Winn
James Wyckoff
Robert Cushing Yeager
Judi Yeager
Sage Zimmerman
Faith
…And more than 100 more Sea Ranchers in opposition who wish to remain anonymous