New trees, drought-tolerant landscaping and a cul-de-sac are coming to the end of Los Patos Way, but at least one official says the city of Santa Barbara missed a significant opportunity by not building housing.

The Planning Commission on Thursday voted 4-2 to certify the environmental impact report and approve a coastal development permit for the underpass.

The project is part of a larger plan that includes closing the freeway exit off Highway 101 and demolishing the railroad bridge.

Commissioner Brian Barnwell criticized the city for not taking advantage of the property and selling the land for housing. He pointed to a 5-unit apartment building on Los Patos Way. He said two recent land transactions were worth “millions and millions and millions” of dollars.

“I don’t ever in my experience remember an applicant coming in front of us with an extremely valuable piece of real estate saying, ‘I want to plant flowers and put in a driveway,'” Barnwell said. “I have never heard anyone do that.”

Barnwell said the city overlooked a chance to sell the property to the Housing Authority or a developer. The city needs housing, and it is facing a budget shortfall, he said.

Los Patos Way stretches from the Exit 95 offramp on Highway 101 to Cabrillo Boulevard and sits alongside the Andree Clark Bird Refuge and a series of new businesses at a development called “The Post.”

“It’s a gorgeous spot,” Barnwell said. “It’s very active and busy.”

The larger project includes a plan to eliminate “Exit 95,” which leads to Los Patos Road. The Union Pacific railroad bridge is also set for demolition, and crews plan to remove about 100 trees.

Union Pacific requested that the city remove the Los Patos underpass in conjunction with construction of the new Cabrillo/Union Pacific railroad bridge. Union Pacific plans to remove the bridge to avoid continued maintenance and potential crashes or accidents.

The bridge, built in 1901, has only a 12-foot, 3-inch clearance, which makes it a dangerous exit for some RVs and big trucks.

In addition, Union Pacific has said that it wants the underpass removed over concerns that it would become “an attractive nuisance.”

The projects are separate, but the agencies are working together to complete the railroad tracks and the underpass.

Santa Barbara city staff said even though the area will be used for landscaping, the city in the future could discuss turning it into housing. It’s a much longer conversation, however, said Kathleen Kennedy, project planner.

“It is right-of-way, so there is no coastal land-use designation on it and the process to go through that would require a rezone, it would require going to the Coastal Commission for lots of processing, which we do, but it is a long process and there are also other utilities in that area,” Kennedy said. “It’s sort of a bigger project.”

Commissioner Lesley Wiscomb, who supported the underpass project, said the area is not safe and the new plans will eliminate accidents by closing the offramp.

“I think staff has come a long way on this project over many years, and it has taken a lot of hard work,” Wiscomb said.

Caltrans has been working on widening Highway 101 between Ventura and Santa Barbara for nearly a decade. Crews plan to build a shoofly (rail bypass) to allow continued train travel during construction of a new rail bridge over Cabrillo Boulevard. A replacement offramp will be constructed as part of the U.S. 101 HOV project (redesign of the U.S. 101/Cabrillo interchange).

The shoofly will be constructed on the north side of the existing mainline track and will be built entirely on UPRR right-of-way.

Commissioners Wiscomb, Lucille Boss, Donald Deluccio, and Benjamin Peterson supported the project. Commissioners Barnwell and John Baucke opposed. Commissioner Devon Wardlow was absent.