The California Department of Transportation\u2019s (Caltrans) approximately $9.5 million improvement project was undertaken to address pedestrian safety and disability access along Highway 1 through Fort Bragg in Northern California\u2019s Mendocino County.<\/p>\n
But as soon as residents saw a tall new fence start to go up, they took action.<\/p>\n
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A new fence installed along Highway 1 in Fort Bragg, California, sparked backlash from residents who said the structure obstructed views of the Pacific Ocean. (Myung J. Chun\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
ONCE-HIDDEN COASTAL TOWN FACING DISRUPTION AS SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TRANSFORM LOCAL LIFE<\/a><\/p>\n “The entrance to our town now has a fence that is substantially higher than the original fence and blocks the view of the ocean \u2014 a view that has long been part of what makes Fort Bragg special,” Mary Rose Kaczorowski, a candidate for Fort Bragg City Council, wrote in a letter to the editor of the Ukiah Daily Journal.<\/a><\/p>\n “This is not simply a matter of replacing an existing fence; it changes the character and view of one of our town\u2019s important gateways,” she wrote.<\/p>\n The new fence along Main Street replaced an older, shorter wooden fence that allowed passersby to see the Noyo Headlands and ocean beyond it, according to SFGATE.<\/a><\/p>\n “We\u2019re marketing towards being a sea town, but you can\u2019t see the sea. It\u2019s a bit of a buzzkill,” Aiden McFadden, a front-desk associate at the Seabird Lodge, told SFGATE.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/a><\/p>\n A view of the original fence at 810 S. Main St., Fort Bragg, California. (Google Maps)<\/p>\n “We understand why they\u2019re putting in the fencing, but we didn\u2019t expect there to be an actual wall, a barrier, between us and the ocean view,” she said. “The original fence did its work.”<\/p>\n Kaczorowski wrote that residents and “everyone who comes to Fort Bragg” deserved “a clear explanation of why this substantially higher fence was installed and how the decision was made.”<\/p>\n “Did anyone stop to ask how this substantially higher fence would affect the people who live here \u2014 or how it would change the view at the entrance to our town?” she wrote. “That is precisely why coastal local residents are shocked and angry at the fence that blocks our coastal view.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n Caltrans held an open house for public comment on the project in April.<\/p>\n In August, Fort Bragg City Manager Isaac Whippy announced in a news release that the city had heard the community\u2019s concerns regarding the new wooden fencing\u2019s height, appearance and impact on views.<\/p>\n “The fencing is part of Caltrans\u2019 Fort Bragg sidewalk<\/a> and Americans with Disabilities Act improvement project,” Whippy explained. “It replaced an existing fence that was removed to accommodate sidewalk widening and accessibility improvements. The fence and its associated construction costs are components of Caltrans\u2019 broader project contract and are not a separate City construction project.”<\/p>\n After residents raised concerns, “City staff reviewed the permit and related project documents, which indicate that the replacement fencing was intended to match the previous conditions,” the release further stated.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fort_bragg_fence.jpg\")
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