The Sea Ranch, California
Encyclopedia
The Sea Ranch is a planned unincorporated community and census-designated place
(CDP) located in Sonoma County
, California
, United States
. It is a popular vacation spot. The community's development played a role in the establishment of the California Coastal Commission
. The population was 1,305 at the 2010 census.
, about 100 mi (160.9 km) north of San Francisco
and 120 mi (193.1 km) west of Sacramento
. Sea Ranch is reached by way of State Route 1
.
About 4 mi (6 km) northwest of Sea Ranch is Gualala, California, a small town which supports and is in turn supported by Sea Ranch.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP covers an area of 16.2 square miles (41.9 km²), 99.74% of it land and 0.26% of it water.
was 80.7 people per square mile (31.1/km²). The racial makeup of Sea Ranch was 1,220 (93.5%) White, 15 (1.1%) African American, 3 (0.2%) Native American, 10 (0.8%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 37 (2.8%) from other races
, and 20 (1.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 117 persons (9.0%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 689 households, out of which 58 (8.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 407 (59.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 19 (2.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 9 (1.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 27 (3.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 21 (3.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 197 households (28.6%) were made up of individuals and 113 (16.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89. There were 435 families
(63.1% of all households); the average family size was 2.25.
The population was spread out with 105 people (8.0%) under the age of 18, 18 people (1.4%) aged 18 to 24, 92 people (7.0%) aged 25 to 44, 495 people (37.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 595 people (45.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 63.7 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
There were 1,818 housing units at an average density of 112.4 per square mile (43.4/km²), of which 85.8% were owner-occupied and 14.2% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 38.8%. 81.5% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 18.5% lived in rental housing units.
, who gathered kelp
and shellfish
from the beaches.
In 1846, Ernest Rufus received the Rancho German
Mexican land grant which extended along the coastline from the Gualala River
to Ocean Cove. The land was later divided. In the early 1900s, Walter P. Frick bought up the pieces to create Del Mar Ranch, which was leased out for raising sheep
. In 1941, the land was sold to Margaret Ohlson and her family.
Architect and planner Al Boeke envisioned a community that would preserve the area's natural beauty. In 1963, Oceanic California Inc., a division of Castle and Cooke Inc.
, purchased the land from the Ohlsons and assembled a design team. Principal designers included American architects Charles Moore
, Joseph Esherick
, William Turnbull, Jr.
and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin
. The principal photographer for the project was the architectural photographer Morley Baer
, a friend and colleague of both Turnbull and Halprin.
The project met opposition that led to notable changes in California law. While the County Board of Supervisors
initially regarded the developer's offer to dedicate 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) for public parkland as sufficient, opponents felt more coastal access was necessary. The site, containing 10 miles (16 km) of shore, had been available to the public but would be reserved for private use under the developer's plan. Areas below high tide were and would remain public property, but the plan provided no access through the development. In addition, California's coast at the time was only open to the public along 100 of its 1300 miles (2,092.1 km).
Californians Organized to Acquire Access to State Tidelands (COAST) was formed in response to this issue, and their 1968 county ballot initiative attempted to require the development to include public trails to the tidelands. While the initiative did not pass, the California legislature's Dunlap Act did pass that year and required that new coastal development dedicate trails granting public access to the ocean. This episode led to the establishment of the Coastal Alliance, an organization of 100 groups similar to COAST, that placed Proposition 20 on the statewide 1972 ballot. The initiative passed, and it established the California Coastal Commission
, which continues to regulate land use on the California coast.
Sea Ranch is noted for its distinctive architecture, which consists of simple timber-frame structures clad in wooden siding or shingles. The building typology of the Sea Ranch draws on the local agricultural buildings for inspiration, in the way that those buildings are designed to deal with prevailing weather and topography. Originally, the Sea Ranch had local lumber mills to draw on for the Douglas Fir and Redwood used in the homes. The majority of the 1800 or so homes currently finished are smaller second homes, though there is also a small contingent of about 300 full-time residents. Approximately half the homes are rented as weekend rentals. The eventual build out will consist approximately 2400 homes- the number varies as some current owners purchase adjacent vacant lots and merge the two, to preserve open space. The buildings could be considered as a hybrid of modern and vernacular architecture, also known as the "Third Bay Tradition
" also referred to as "Sea Ranch" style.
The original design guidelines suggest that buildings have a site specific relationship with the landscape, although this is more difficult as the development approaches build out, and a lot of the newer homes are actually in-fill between already developed lots. Sea Ranch specific design review requirements include various design guidelines so that the buildings don't detract from the scenery. Details such as exteriors of unpainted wood or muted stains, a lack of overhanging eaves, and baffles on exterior lighting subdue the appearance of the buildings in the landscape. Lighting is also baffled to minimize nighttime "light pollution"; there are no street lights, and the night sky is dazzling. The lack of roof overhangs is also intended to allow the near-constant strong breezes to pass over the buildings without the turbulence the overhangs would create. The lighting design on the interior of the home is energy-efficient and promotes comfort and safety for the elderly.
Landscaping in The Sea Ranch is regulated by a design manual which prohibits perimeter fences and limits non-indigenous plants to screened courtyards. A herd of sheep is used to keep grass cut low to the ground to reduce the threat of fire during the summer months.
(completed in 1965) was awarded the American Institute of Architects
Twenty-five Year Award
in 1991, and was added to The National Register of Historic Places
in 2005.
The Sonoma County Regional Parks Department provides coastal access from six places along State Route 1 in the Sea Ranch area:
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) located in Sonoma County
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a popular vacation spot. The community's development played a role in the establishment of the California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory oversight over land use and public access in the California coastal zone....
. The population was 1,305 at the 2010 census.
Geography and environment
Sea Ranch is located along the Pacific CoastPacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
, about 100 mi (160.9 km) north of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and 120 mi (193.1 km) west of Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. Sea Ranch is reached by way of State Route 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
.
About 4 mi (6 km) northwest of Sea Ranch is Gualala, California, a small town which supports and is in turn supported by Sea Ranch.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP covers an area of 16.2 square miles (41.9 km²), 99.74% of it land and 0.26% of it water.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Sea Ranch had a population of 1,305. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 80.7 people per square mile (31.1/km²). The racial makeup of Sea Ranch was 1,220 (93.5%) White, 15 (1.1%) African American, 3 (0.2%) Native American, 10 (0.8%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 37 (2.8%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 20 (1.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 117 persons (9.0%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 689 households, out of which 58 (8.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 407 (59.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 19 (2.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 9 (1.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 27 (3.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 21 (3.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 197 households (28.6%) were made up of individuals and 113 (16.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89. There were 435 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(63.1% of all households); the average family size was 2.25.
The population was spread out with 105 people (8.0%) under the age of 18, 18 people (1.4%) aged 18 to 24, 92 people (7.0%) aged 25 to 44, 495 people (37.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 595 people (45.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 63.7 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
There were 1,818 housing units at an average density of 112.4 per square mile (43.4/km²), of which 85.8% were owner-occupied and 14.2% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 38.8%. 81.5% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 18.5% lived in rental housing units.
2000
In 2000, of the residents in the census tabulation, 365 (48.6%) were male and 386 (51.4%) were female. The median age was 61.3 years. Nine residents (1.2%) were aged under five years, 713 residents (94.9%) were aged 18 years or more, and 287 (12.4%) were aged 65 years or more. The census categorized 732 (97.5%) as white, 8 (1.1%) as black or African American, 2 (0.3%) as Asian, and 9 (1.2%) as two or more races. The census counted 13 residents as Hispanic or Latino. The average household size was 1.88, and the average family size was 2.17. The census counted 1,211 housing units, 365 of them owner-occupied, 35 renter-occupied, and 811 (67%) vacant. The median reported household income was $69,327, and the median per capita income was $21,587. There were 25 people (3.3%) living below the poverty line.History
The first people known to be at Sea Ranch were PomosPomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
, who gathered kelp
Kelp
Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....
and shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
from the beaches.
In 1846, Ernest Rufus received the Rancho German
Rancho German
Rancho German was a Mexican land grant in present day Sonoma County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Ernest Rufus. Rufus named the ranch after Hermann, the German hero who defeated the Roman legions in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest at the time of the Emperor Augustus...
Mexican land grant which extended along the coastline from the Gualala River
Gualala River
The Gualala River is a river on the northern coast of California. Most of the river is in Sonoma County, but a portion is in Mendocino County. The headwaters of the river are high in the Coast Range, and it empties into the Pacific Ocean...
to Ocean Cove. The land was later divided. In the early 1900s, Walter P. Frick bought up the pieces to create Del Mar Ranch, which was leased out for raising sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
. In 1941, the land was sold to Margaret Ohlson and her family.
Architect and planner Al Boeke envisioned a community that would preserve the area's natural beauty. In 1963, Oceanic California Inc., a division of Castle and Cooke Inc.
Castle & Cooke
Castle & Cooke, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company at one time did most of its business in agriculture...
, purchased the land from the Ohlsons and assembled a design team. Principal designers included American architects Charles Moore
Charles Willard Moore
Charles Willard Moore was an American architect, educator, writer, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and winner of the AIA Gold Medal in 1991.-Life and career:...
, Joseph Esherick
Joseph Esherick
Joseph Esherick was an American architect.Esherick was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1937, Esherick set up practice in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1953 and taught at University of California, Berkeley for many years...
, William Turnbull, Jr.
William Turnbull, Jr.
William Turnbull, Jr., FAIA was an American architect whose unique building designs challenged the more traditional architecture of California's West Coast...
and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin
Lawrence Halprin
Lawrence Halprin was an influential American landscape architect, designer and teacher.Beginning his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, in 1949, Halprin often collaborated with a local circle of modernist architects on relatively modest projects. These figures included William...
. The principal photographer for the project was the architectural photographer Morley Baer
Morley Baer
Morley Baer , an American photographer and teacher, was born in Toledo, Ohio. His parents, Clarence Theodore Baer and Blanche Evelyn Schwetzer Baer brought up Morley with a tradition of old world customs and mid-West values. Baer learned basic commercial photography in Chicago but subsequently...
, a friend and colleague of both Turnbull and Halprin.
The project met opposition that led to notable changes in California law. While the County Board of Supervisors
County board of supervisors
The Board of Supervisors is the body that supervises the operation of county government in all counties in Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Sussex County, New Jersey as well as a handful of counties in New York...
initially regarded the developer's offer to dedicate 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) for public parkland as sufficient, opponents felt more coastal access was necessary. The site, containing 10 miles (16 km) of shore, had been available to the public but would be reserved for private use under the developer's plan. Areas below high tide were and would remain public property, but the plan provided no access through the development. In addition, California's coast at the time was only open to the public along 100 of its 1300 miles (2,092.1 km).
Californians Organized to Acquire Access to State Tidelands (COAST) was formed in response to this issue, and their 1968 county ballot initiative attempted to require the development to include public trails to the tidelands. While the initiative did not pass, the California legislature's Dunlap Act did pass that year and required that new coastal development dedicate trails granting public access to the ocean. This episode led to the establishment of the Coastal Alliance, an organization of 100 groups similar to COAST, that placed Proposition 20 on the statewide 1972 ballot. The initiative passed, and it established the California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory oversight over land use and public access in the California coastal zone....
, which continues to regulate land use on the California coast.
Design
Third Bay Tradition
The Third Bay Tradition is an architectural style from the period of 1945 through the 1980s that was rooted in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, with its best known example being Sea Ranch. Considered a hybrid of modern and vernacular styles, the tradition was codified by the design works of...
" also referred to as "Sea Ranch" style.
The original design guidelines suggest that buildings have a site specific relationship with the landscape, although this is more difficult as the development approaches build out, and a lot of the newer homes are actually in-fill between already developed lots. Sea Ranch specific design review requirements include various design guidelines so that the buildings don't detract from the scenery. Details such as exteriors of unpainted wood or muted stains, a lack of overhanging eaves, and baffles on exterior lighting subdue the appearance of the buildings in the landscape. Lighting is also baffled to minimize nighttime "light pollution"; there are no street lights, and the night sky is dazzling. The lack of roof overhangs is also intended to allow the near-constant strong breezes to pass over the buildings without the turbulence the overhangs would create. The lighting design on the interior of the home is energy-efficient and promotes comfort and safety for the elderly.
Landscaping in The Sea Ranch is regulated by a design manual which prohibits perimeter fences and limits non-indigenous plants to screened courtyards. A herd of sheep is used to keep grass cut low to the ground to reduce the threat of fire during the summer months.
Points of interest
Condominium OneCondominium 1
Condominium 1 is a private home in Sea Ranch, California. It sits on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.The home was the first major work of American architect Charles Moore...
(completed in 1965) was awarded the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
Twenty-five Year Award
Twenty-five Year Award
The Twenty-five Year Award is an architecture prize awarded by the American Institute of Architects to buildings and structures that have "stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years", and that "[exemplify] design of enduring significance." The project receiving the award can be located anywhere in...
in 1991, and was added to The National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2005.
The Sonoma County Regional Parks Department provides coastal access from six places along State Route 1 in the Sea Ranch area:
- Black Point (trail) at 35035 State Route 1
- Gualala Point Regional Park at 42401 State Route 1
- Pebble Beach (trail) at 36448 State Route 1
- Shell Beach (trail) at 39200 State Route 1
- Stengel Beach (trail) at 37900 State Route 1
- Walk On Beach (trail) at 40101 State Route 1