A grove of trees along Modoc Road survived the 1990 Painted Cave Fire, but they may not escape the latest threat: Santa Barbara County government.
Plans are in the works to remove anywhere from 40 to 61 trees along Modoc Road between Via Senda and Encore Drive, a neighborhood across from the Modoc Preserve adjacent to Hope Ranch. The trees include a combination of eucalyptus and Canary Island palms.
The county currently has two proposals for a multiuse path connecting with the Obern Trail bike trail on the west end of the neighborhood.
Residents along Modoc Road are outraged. They say they were not notified and they believe the path could be created without removing the trees. They’ve started a petition that has collected about 1,600 signatures so far.
“There are other solutions,” said Jayne Sigman, who brings her children, Lincoln and Lucille, to the area often. “It’s going to change the whole dynamic of the area.
“We come here every day, and we enjoy the nature and the wildlife. The generations to come need to be able to enjoy these trees.”
The $8 million project would create a “low-stress path” for people of all ages and abilities. It’s also intended to provide a safer alternative to Modoc Road’s unprotected bike lane. About $5.4 million of the total cost is funded by a Caltans Active Transportation Program grant.
The project will complete a missing gap in the regional network of multiuse paths by connecting the City of Santa Barbara’s recently completed Las Positas and Modoc Road Multiuse Path to the Obern Trail.
According to county officials, it will provide local connections to schools, beaches, neighborhoods and UC Santa Barbara, completing a gap in the Coastal Access Route.
In May, the county released a draft report that said all impacts could be mitigated. The project is to go before the county Board of Supervisors in September.
Two options are proposed.
Alignment A would place the path directly adjacent to Modoc Road and increase the width of the roadway. Although the option would be fully within the county right-of-way and would not require any easements, it would require removal of trees along the road.
The option avoids the Modoc Preserve but requires the most extensive tree removal, including most of the Canary Island palm trees along Modoc Road. County documents indicate 35 of the palms would be cut down along with nine eucalyptus, four other palm trees and 12 trees identified as “other.”
Under Alignment B, the path would run along parts of Modoc Road but also meander along the backside of the Canary Island palms on the eastern end of the street. This option preserves the majority of the palms and reduces the overall number of trees removed to about 40.
The county prefers Alignment B because of the enhanced user experience and reduced impacts to trees. Under the plan, 17 eucalyptus trees would be cut down, along with four oak trees, three palms and 17 identified as “other.” The plan also would require an easement from the Modoc Preserve.
“We’re looking at all the options,” said Chris Sneddon, the county’s deputy director of transportation. “But there’s no scenario where we could protect all the trees.”
Linda Tucker has lived across the street from the Modoc trees since 1961. She was 8 years old when her parents bought the house and she was among the first students to walk to nearby Vieja Valley School when it opened at 434 Nogal Drive. She ran from skunks and snakes, picked leaves and studied fish skeletons left over from the winter rains.
Today, she walks her dogs and escapes in the nature. She calls the Modoc Preserve “the field.”
“The field is a most beloved place to me and my neighbors,” Tucker told Noozhawk. “A lot of us walk the trails every day and enjoy the changing seasons in it. We guard it and love it and honor it because it is part of us and a beautiful part of the community we live in.”
Although the county said it informed area residents, she said it wasn’t until last month that she saw a small group of county officials with clipboard and maps discussing the bike lane by the trees.
“I will do everything I can to make sure that our beloved field is left untouched by heavy equipment and asphalt, that our trees remain the nesting spots for hawks and the palms the migrating destination for the orioles that have been coming there for generations,” Tucker said.
“Those eucalyptus and most of the historic palms survived the Painted Cave Fire and I want to see them survive for decades to come.”
Another neighbor, Shelly Cobb, is a beekeeper. She said she only find out about the project a week ago.
“We’re very confused about why we have to fight for the trees,” said Cobb, adding that the Modoc Preserve was created in 1999 and is owned by the La Cumbre Mutual Water Company, which serves Hope Ranch and nearby neighborhoods.
“From a wildlife perspective, this preserve means so much to us because we see monarch butterflies coming out the of eucalyptus trees. There are so many birds and wildlife that use these trees as home.”
Sneddon said he understands the neighbors’ concerns but pointed out that that stretch of Modoc Road is a crucial and final link in the transportation network from Isla Vista, through Goleta and the unincorporated part of the county, to Las Positas Road and Cliff Drive in Santa Barbara.
He said live oak trees would be replaced at a ratio of 10-to-1 or 5-to-1, depending on the size. The oaks would be planted along the bike path and/or within the Modoc Preserve or other open space areas managed by the county.
The bike path will make it safer for cyclists and keep them separated from the roadway.
“It’s creating a separate path for all modes of transportation,” Sneddon said.
Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart said the path will increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians, provide required Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
He said the county takes concerns about tree preservation very seriously. The project team is working to minimize the removal of trees and identify ways to enhance the preserve for generations to come.
“I am determined to roll up my sleeves and work collaboratively with all the stakeholders to find a design solution and alignment that will protect the environment and create a beautiful new bike path,” Hart said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.