Regarding the May 22 news release, “City to Begin Removing Select Anapamu Street Italian Stone Pines,” for the past several months, the Santa Barbara historic landmarked stand of Italian Stone Pines on five blocks of East Anapamu Street has been the subject of much discussion at the Historic Landmarks Commission — at least among public commenters.

Our repeated requests to agendize the complex issues associated with this iconic canopy of trees were finally realized at the commission’s last meeting. The entry in the draft minutes reads: “Chair (Anthony) Grumbine requested that staff agendize a discussion on the historic Doremus Stone Pines for June 5, 2024. He also requested that Council Member (Kristen) Sneddon bring the issue before City Council.”

Despite that direct request, the agenda for the Historic Landmarks Commission’s upcoming June 5 meeting lists only two action items, and nothing whatsoever about the landmark Italian Stone Pines.

But the staff has not provided the commissioners with the courtesy of a discussion to allow them to weigh in on the Parks & Recreation Department’s plan for the imminent destruction of five more of the trees — or how to care for those that are left.

Several of the trees now have large Xs on them, obviously slated for immediate removal, with no public discussion about replacement of these landmarks, as is required by their designation in 1997.

And certainly there has been no public discussion or outreach about proactively implementing the Urban Forest Management Plan — passed a decade ago — that provides plans, objectives and guidelines for cooperation among departments, review boards and the public in matters such as this.

Since the item failed to be placed on the agenda, despite the chairman’s request, commissioners cannot address the issue. But they can, once again, hear from those of us who speak for the trees.

The meeting is at 1:30 p.m. June 5 at the David Gebhard Room, 630 Garden St. 

Cheri Rae
Santa Barbara

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Let’s bring back State Street in downtown Santa Barbara to the vital, energetic avenue it once was. For the 40 years I experienced it, cars were able to amble up and down, with multiple stop lights and pedestrian signals to peruse the shops, the people and street music.

It was a pleasure to see and hear what new places caught my eye to check out, to see what restaurants were hopping or new to the area.

Now, I avoid even crossing with my car anywhere between Cota and Victoria streets; it’s a shambles of multiple stripes, electric bikes going 30 mph, sad empty pavement.

I have no idea what shopping, drinking or eating venues are open because I truly am not sure where to park and then walk multiple blocks to find out if my destination is still open or what new adventures I’d like to check out.

What to do? How about a combination of street and promenade? Here are my three takes as a Santa Barbara local, lover and supporter of small business owners:

1. Reopen the majority of State Street to cars, with the same cross street stop lights and midblock pedestrian stops.

2. Set up two or three blocks for a promenade for people to walk and stroll — with NO bike riding.

A promenade is for foot traffic, not dodging cyclists. Anyone with a bike must WALK their bike in this space.

Cyclists can ride their hearts out on the side streets, and the city can provide bike racks to park their rides.

This promenade would be able to convert back to an open street so that …

3. Parades and local businesses return! Let’s re-energize the events that draw tourists to our amazing city and work with local business owners to clean up the streets, incentivize those owners to open local, boutique shops and restaurants, plus create a safe and inviting environment for all.

Joy DuMay
Santa Barbara

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Yes, State Street is a mess for all of the reasons we’re continually reading about.

Should we let cars return? How about crazy drivers of ALL bikes as well as skateboarders. They don’t belong on a walking street if pedestrians are to feel safe.

What I’m wondering is, has anyone addressed the real problem? Property owners seem to care less if they have tenants or not; hence the vacancies.

Unless we fix this problem, businesses will not come back. It’s just too expensive to be on State Street.

Let’s get creative and work with landlords to lure desirable businesses back downtown at reasonable rents. If we don’t start there, it won’t matter what State Street looks like.

If buildings stay empty, perhaps some sort of vacancy penalty tax is in order.

I believe locals and tourists would shop if businesses could afford to locate to State Street.

I also think we should have a group of welcoming hospitality volunteers walking State Street. They can direct visitors, make suggestions, and have the ability to write citations for those who refuse to follow the rules.

I’ve lived here 49 years and I’ve never seen our main street where people used to stroll, shop and eat look so shoddy.

Laurie Zalk
Santa Barbara

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State Street can become a gem again and cars and trolleys do not detract from letting it shine as passengers locate stores and restaurants that might interest them.

State Street business owners want and need that exposure to prosper as people pass by and where cars can turn into low-cost parking lots and come back to shop or eat.

Pedestrian-only walkways have always been a central part of the street and should be designed to be safe and protected. However, most bicycles have recently evolved into “motorcycles” and should therefore follow the rules of road traffic and not be allowed to race down the street — and certainly not where pedestrians walk.

Pedestrians must feel safe crossing the street, and restaurant owners and shopkeepers must get exposure from motorized traffic and cycles moving slowly along a well-designed corridor.

I am in Mayor Randy Rowse’s corner with his May 22 commentary, “Santa Barbara — and Santa Barbarans — Deserve a Fully Open State Street.” We need to listen to our business owners and create a beautiful, vibrant but safe downtown corridor that is open to activities, parades and tourists but also open to cars, trolleys and emergency vehicles.

J.W. Burk
Santa Barbara

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Thank you to Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen for another hidden gem in his May 31 column, “Arnoldi’s Closes After Owner’s Death But Café Apparently Will Live On.” His “Hopefully, my last meal there won’t be my last meal there” made me laugh.

Kim Evans
Santa Barbara

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Regarding Robert Sulnick’s May 27 commentary, “Santa Barbara School District Needs Climate Change Curriculum,” the climate change hysteria crowd has one big problem. OK, two big problems.

1. Over millions of years the CO₂ record consistently shows that heat on the planet precedes CO₂, not the other way around. And so to somehow blame heat rise on CO₂ is just plain incorrect. The ice records show it’s an impossibility.

2. The other big problem is that no one has ever shown, much less proven, that CO₂ causes climate change. It’s an organic gas that currently is at 0.04%, and it has been much higher than that.

3. Fact is without CO₂ nearly all life on earth would end, as plants breath in CO₂ and breathe out oxygen, which as some people will notice is what we breathe in to live.

4. And so to insist we allow the government to take our tax dollars to spread climate lies, propaganda and scientific fraud to our young people, trapped in mandatory attended government schools, is particularly irksome.

We should deride Sulnick and work to keep his false ideas away from children, and adults. The science is settled on CO₂ and its role as a secondary product of heating, not a cause.

Thomas Cole
Montecito

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Global warming and climate change are complete liberal lies. Blaming it on gas and oil is completely lying.

Pick up your trash and stay away from my beaches.

Bradley Blue
Goleta

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Glenn Dorfman’s May 24 letter to the editor claims he is “suspicious” educating a public on how to identify “disinformation from fiction.”

I am highly suspicious of the possibility that one might not, in this crazy atmosphere of our imperative to do so, have the fortitude to do just that: make the concerted effort to separate facts/reality from fiction.

It is crucial to our way of life, to our still existing democracy to search and listen and read and do some critical thinking so we CAN distinguish. Dorfman seems to imply it is not possible, that fact/reality is a matter of opinion!

Here’s an example of disinformation proven to be just that: Fox News claimed voting machines used in the last presidential election were “rigged.” The laws of this country determined Fox was giving disinformation to the public. As a result, Fox was fined millions of dollars.

My point: Being able to count, having impartial counters examine disinformation determines reality. Reality exists.

Another recent example of gross disinformation: the losing 2020 presidential candidate claiming he had won. Our laws and ability to count prevailed in announcing REALITY. He had indeed lost, which was a matter of being able to count, not an opinion that one candidate had lost!

If we wander into Dorfman’s statement that facts are a question of opinion, we are all lost. We have a system of counting to which we all adhere: reality.

I think now as never before, in our public and private lives, we are obliged to be constantly aware that reality does exist. Lies need to be labeled as such if they are based in what is real.

I will concede, given the propensity for many to lie, a phenomena not very present when I was growing up, it is becoming a mammoth task to keep researching, checking data, confronting disinformation. We must continue to do so. Our future depends on it.

Nancy Freeman
Goleta

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