Tyler Hayden
This story was originally published by the and is reproduced here in partnership with Edhat.
By Tyler Hayden of The Independent
In a bold and creative gambit to save the 130-year-old Mission Canyon Bridge from demolition, a group of neighborhood residents is nominating as historic landmarks four adjacent sycamore trees that would likely be removed during the construction.
The mature trees ― two on the east side of the bridge, and two on the left ― are between 45 and 65 feet tall and three to four feet in diameter. Based on physical inspections and comparisons to photographs of the early days of nearby Old Mission Santa Barbara, an arborist estimated they are approximately a century old.
Not only are the four trees the most significant and established trees abutting the bridge, the Coalition to Preserve Mission Canyon argues in their application, they are “character-defining” features of the Mission Canyon corridor; culturally significant to the Chumash, who occupied a nearby village and used sycamores to craft cookware; and important parts of the creek’s sensitive riparian habitat.
“This area has evolved naturally for the last 200 years,” said Coalition chair and lifelong canyon resident Lanny Ebenstein in reference to what the group calls its “unique rural ambiance” that would be lost if the corridor were to be redesigned and reconstructed in the name of traffic flow and safety, as city planners and an opposing camp of advocates is proposing. “We need to get into the attitude of saving and preserving instead of demolishing and replacing,” Ebenstein said.
As opposed to widening and rebuilding the bridge at a cost of at least $11 million in grant money ― 10-15 percent of which the city would need to cover ― the Coalition is suggesting Santa Barbara spend a fraction of that amount on low-impact improvements, such as paving, signage, and restriping, to address what it admits are needed updates to the roadway infrastructure. They say the work could be done for around $100,000 without sacrificing the route’s scenery and natural landscape.
The Coalition also takes issue with the suggestion that the area is patently dangerous for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Collision data doesn’t back up that claim, they say, and the driving force behind the bridge replacement is a perceived ― not actual ― lack of safety. The current configuration and relative narrowness of the roadway forces users to pay attention and slow down, which is a good thing, they say. Widening the bridge would increase speeds and risks.
Moreover, the Coalition argues, the low-end rating Caltrans has given the bridge ― 52 out of 100 ― is not based solely on its structural integrity. The figure takes into account its “functional obsolescence,” meaning it doesn’t technically meet modern roadway standards for turning radii and approach alignments but remains a viable structure. The actual physical issues of the bridge ― rust on the supports, a hole in the underside concrete ― can and should be addressed without tearing the whole thing down, they insist.
During a press conference this Tuesday in front of Rocky Nook Park — during which a passing walker and a biker separately raised their fists and shouted their support to “save the bridge!” — Coalition member and former county supervisor Frank Frost recalled an adage he and his colleagues often used on the dais. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he said. “That saved us a lot of money.”
I wonder if the people who built this bridge had to fight the defenders of the previous cow path?
I actually think there is a secret society of Druids that controls this town. After them it’s the society of crows and dog owners.
Save the historic telephone pole! They want to take that down too, right near the entrance to Rocky Nook Park where it has long historically blighted the Mission Canyon’s bucolic views. Is nothing sacred?
I sure hope that if/when they end up cutting these trees down, that the wood will be sold off or donated. You can make some amazing things with sycamore wood, as the Chumash did back in the day. I’d love to get my hands on some to have some matching bowls made, and maybe a large serving tray. Not sure who would do that locally, although I have some very good connections in Montana for bowl turning.
Neiborhood : an area or section of a city.
It certainly is in our neighborhood. I’ve yet to speak with one neighbor who supports the needless gentrification of this historic site.
Find me a native Santa Barbaran who thinks this is a good idea.
12:12: The party owning the house next to the rock wall is very much in favor of rehabilitating this roadway section, since the owner is tired of spending his own money fixing the “historic” rock wall careless drivers keep crashing into. In fact one recent crash was on full display at the very first community meeting with the city held at Rocky Nook Park. Were you at that meeting, 12:12? Or did you fail to participate in any these community feedback events.
BRAVO for this Coalition!
I sincerely hope that they have better success with CalTrans/DOT than we are in North County as regards the historic stone bridge over Alamo Pintado Creek in Los Olivos.
History, character, cultural significance and riparian habitat *should* count for everything, especially in these times. Sadly most times they do not. Powers that be really DO want to “pave paradise”.
This section slated for pedestrian and roadway improvements is not “anyone’s neighborhood”. It is a small connector link with no houses are present. None. The level of exaggerated opposition for the relatively few minor changes, with a very strong emphasis on the project’s historic preservation goals sounds suspicious. What else is going on? This bridge sector improvement simply are not in anyone’s immediate neighborhood. But it does link large numbers o canyon and hillside residents so it does serves as one of their few evacuation routes out of these canyon and hillside areas into the downtown and main transportation corridors. No NIMBY claims for this project because there are none. View the map of the proposed project. If this opposition group demands “historic”, then put back in the narrow one lane, high hump-backed bridge that was originally there, along with the complete aquaduct arch that would probably block a Sprinter van today. In other words, seal off this entire area and find another way in and out of the Riviera, Mission Canyon, Foothill and Las Canoas area residences