The city of Santa Barbara’s Architectural Board of Review and the Montecito Board of Architectural Review heard a proposal on Monday to replace the Coast Village Road interchange in Montecito with a roundabout.
Drivers and pedestrians often are confused about who has the right of way at the busy intersection, which includes the five-way crossing of Coast Village and Olive Mill roads, North Jameson Lane and the Highway 101 exit and entrance ramps, said James Faber, project designer with T. Y. Lin International.
The project would replace the five stop signs with a six-leg, single-lane roundabout.
The roundabout is in the early stage of concept review, and no final decisions were made on Monday afternoon.
The project received general support and positive feedback at the meeting. ABR and MBAR members agree the new roundabout will improve the Montecito area.
“This is just the beginning,” ABR chairman Kevin Moore said before making a motion for an “indefinite continuance” of the roundabout project. “We have to get something on paper to react to.”
ABR members Bob Cunningham, Richard Six and David Watkins were absent from the meeting.
In general, ABR members said they believe the roundabout “is a great step forward” for Montecito, and the group suggested the city consider how to mitigate the possible impacts on homeowners living near the project site.
Board member Howard Wittausch raised concerns about roundabouts possibly slowing down emergency vehicles.
MBAR members Claire Gottsdanker, David Mendro, Donald Sharpe and John Watson were present to comment on the project.
MBAR members suggested “keeping an open mind” and listening to resident’s remark about the roundabout design. Some members expressed concern about design constraints, and suggested the idea of an oval-shaped roundabout instead of a circle.
MBAR accepts the proposed design in general, and members said the landscape is “consistent with Montecito.”
This roundabout is a “much-needed” traffic solution for the area, said Gottsdanker, a Montecito resident for 60 years.
“It has been something that has been looked at several times,” she said. “I think it’s now time to move forward with a roundabout.”
Project plans call for adding sidewalks, landscaping, lighting and directional crosswalks.
It also includes proposed tree mitigation plans, reconstruction of bus stops, possible utility relocations and “working with adjacent property owners to address any impacts to private property,” said Laura Yanez, city project engineer.
Installation of a roundabout in Montecito is intended to reduce the number of serious crashes, project planners said. Benefits also include improving safety for cars, bicyclists and pedestrians, reducing traffic congestion and increasing mobility.
The roundabout project “comes out of” Highway 101 widening through Montecito “as a specific balancing project to address the additional traffic load that’s expected as a result of the Highway 101” project, said Megan Arciniega, city planner. The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments is managing the Highway 101 project with Caltrans.
The roundabout must be complete before the widening of a stretch of Highway 101 in Montecito, Arciniega said.
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County and Caltrans jointly own and operate the intersection at Coast Village and Olive Mill roads, North Jameson Lane and the Highway 101 exit and entrance ramps
The city boundaries “literally stop halfway through this intersection,” said Arciniega, adding that “it’s the most awkward intersection and that’s one of the reasons why.”
Coast Village Road is a gateway to Santa Barbara and Montecito’s business and retail district.
During public comment, several residents spoke in favor of the roundabout.
Bob Ludwick, president of the Coast Village Association, said he encourages continuing conceptual review.
“I transition this intersection every day, and I have since the 1970s,” Ludwick said. “Someday it needs to have an enhancement. This is a good idea, and we love the aesthetic ideas.”
A handful of Montecito residents raised concerns about potential environmental impacts during the construction of the project.
Roger Rittner, owner of a home along the corner of Olive Mill Road and North Jameson Lane, took to the podium to voice his concerns about the roundabout’s design proposal.
The roundabout “will negatively impact the environment of” his property, Rittner said, and “the aesthetic it presents to the streets.”
The design will “destroy” Rittner’s front fence, two oak trees and other plants along North Jameson Lane and Olive Mill Road, he said.
“The trees are the only source of shade to the front of our property,” Rittner said. “The fence and trees constitute both a visual and sound barrier from the traffic noise.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
