eldoradogirlBy Shelly Cobb, Community Association for the Modoc Preserve volunteer
Contrary to what everyone may believe, Community Association for the Modoc Preserve (CAMP) is not opposed to Phase II of the Multi-use Path project. We would like to see the project completed without compromising the Modoc Preserve or the trees along Modoc Road.
The reason for this open letter to County Public Works (CPW) and the County Board of Supervisors (CBOS) is to suggest a Phase II compromise that CAMP will support, without reservation. I encourage the County Planners and Supervisors to act quickly on this option, in light of looming ATP grant allocation deadlines for the PS&E and ROW milestones (February 2023).
Based on the 2018 original ATP grant application, Santa Barbara County Public Works was awarded the $5.35MM ATP grant based on the following project description : “The project will reduce barriers along the corridor by REPLACING sections of Class II bike lanes with a more safe and attractive separated path, suitable for people of all ages and abilities.”
Had the County strictly adhered to this project description all along, we would not be where we are today, as the Modoc MUP Phase II project would not require trees along Modoc Road to be removed (Alignment A), nor Land Trust approval and an easement onto the Modoc Preserve (Alignment B).
Instead, some time after receiving the ATP grant award, CPW changed and expanded the project scope. Instead of REPLACING the existing Class II bike lanes, they decided to AUGMENT and EXPAND the project along Modoc Road to accommodate BOTH the existing Class II bike lanes AND the new Class I multi-use path.
This is where the conflict began.
Until this change in project scope was made, the County had the full support of the community, and no opposition to the project.
The expanded project scope has had the community in an uproar since learning about it in June-July. Friends and political allies have been torn apart, forcing people to choose between only two very controversial options:
– Alignment B, the County’s “preferred” option.
This option will require Land Trust approval and La Cumbre Water Company easements to be granted, which is unlikely given that this project involves heavy construction, concrete/asphalt roads, retaining walls, soil degradation, certain impact to the wetlands, trees, wildlife and habitat, impact to existing equestrian and pedestrian paths, and changes to drainage and topography on private and legally-protected land (the Modoc Preserve).
– Alignment A.
This option will require up to 48 mature trees to be removed, including 29 much-loved historic Canary Island palms and several protected oaks. This option is extremely unpopular with many in the community.
Both alignments will require at least 22+ trees to be removed from this wetlands preserve area, trees which provide screening and privacy to the residents of Hope Ranch, as well as urban habitat and a wildlife corridor for 71+ bird species, including various types of owls and hawks, as well as bats, foxes, coyotes, snakes, amphibious creatures, Monarch butterflies, bees and other insects.
Neither option protects this rare and unique urban preserve. Neither one feels like the “right thing to do”.
Let us all remember that the goal of this project was originally to “close the gap” between the 4.5 mile Obern Trail and the new Multi-use Path along Los Positas and the east end of Modoc Rd (Phase I). Phase II would be non-controversial if CPW would simply match the existing Obern Trail and keep the Class I Multi-use Path entirely on Modoc Rd. Please note: the existing Class I Obern Trail Multi-use Path does NOT have Class II bike lanes running on either side of it, and similarly, the Modoc Road Multi-Use Path Phase II was never intended to have Class II bike lanes running alongside it either.
The project description at the very top of the ATP grant application was used to sell the project idea to the community, and to CalTrans, which resulted in both community buy-in, as well as the $5.35MM ATP grant award.
The original alignment and project description is preferred by CAMP and at least 5,600 community members who have signed our petition: https://www.change.org/SaveModocRoadTrees
Thus far we have successfully convinced CPW to preserve trees on the west end of Modoc Multi-use Path Phase II, on the end closest to the intersection of Modoc Road and the Obern Trail (thank you).
Now we are are asking the County to design the rest of the Phase II path in the same way, i.e., put both the eastern and western halves of the Modoc Rd Multi-use Path Phase II project entirely within the County ROW, as was the originally plan, AND instead of removing the row of 29 historic Canary Island Palm trees along Modoc Rd, we are asking the County to REPLACE, not AUGMENT, the existing Class II bike lanes so that the Class I Multi-use Path will fit on the existing footprint of Modoc Road, thereby preserving the Canary Island palm trees and the Modoc Preserve for all to enjoy.
By adhering to the original project description, we can all go back to our normal lives and start to repair the bonds that have been broken between community members, our County Public Works department, and our elected leaders.
Simply stated, we want the County to “preserve the Preserve” AND “connect the gap” by putting the Class 1 Multi-use path all the way up on Modoc Rd by replacing the existing Class II bike lanes. No trees need to be cut down.
Additional statements the County made in the original ATP grant application :
1.) Page 4 (https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp5b.jpg):
“The Project will reduce barriers along the corridor by replacing sections of the Class II bike lanes with a more safe and attractive separated path, suitable for people of all ages and abilities.”
2.) Page 22 (https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp6.jpg):
“For bicyclists significant safety barriers would be removed by upgrading existing shoulders and Class II bike lanes to a Class I pathway with a dedicated right-of-way and physical separation from vehicular traffic.”
3.) Page 25 (https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp7.jpg):
“Finally by removing the need for westbound travelers to cross midblock at the Obern Trail, yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
“The replacement of the westbound bike lane with the path on the same side as the Obern Trail will ameliorate the problem of visibility and poor driver yield compliance.”
This clearly states that the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road would be removed, thus eliminating the need for bikers to make a dangerous turn left across eastbound traffic onto the Obern Trail at the West Encore Dr intersection as they must do now.
4.) Page 26 (https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp8.jpg):
“By adapting an existing right-of-way, the County will be able to minimize costs, freeing up resources for improvements in other areas of the transportation system, while maximizing the use of an already established route.”
This very clearly states that the Class I MUP would use an existing County right-of-way.
5.)Page 27 (https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp9.jpg):
“The Project design incorporates the new facility within the existing right-of-way by realigning the geometrics of the roadway through narrowing traffic lanes and reducing shoulder width. Implementation of the project will allow the County to gain experience with innovative buffer and pavement marking treatments.”
This clearly states again that the new Class I MUP would use the existing County right-of-way.
In summary, we ask the County to stick to the original project description in the ATP grant application and build Phase II of the Modoc Road Class I MUP using an existing County right-of-way by replacing the Class II bike lanes with a more safe and attractive separated path, suitable for people of all ages and abilities. Specifically, noting the replacement of the westbound Class II bike lane (north side of Modoc Road) with the path on the same side as the Obern Trail, which will ameliorate the problem of visibility and poor driver yield compliance. By adapting an existing right-of-way, the County will be able to minimize costs, freeing up resources for improvements in other areas of the transportation system, while maximizing the use of an already established route.
Unless County Public Works and the Board of Supervisors work together to take quick action to change its current direction, the County is headed for legal entanglements with the Land Trust that could lead to delays in obtaining the easements required for Alignment B. Any further delays could cause the County to miss the February 2023 ATP grant allocation deadline which would derail Phase II of this project.
I respectfully implore County Public Works to consider re-convening the Board of Supervisors to ask their approval on Alignment A with the caveat that the Class II bike lanes would be REPLACED not AUGMENTED, and all trees along Modoc Rd will be spared.
P.S. For those of you who feel that CAMP has blown the Modoc Preserve concerns way out of proportion, I leave you with these edited remarks made recently at the November 1 County Board of Supervisors meeting by Ted Rhodes, President of Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs and Land Trust of Santa Barbara board member:
Although I am an avid biker who supports multi-use trails, I recently set that hat aside to speak on behalf of Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs before the County Board of Supervisors regarding the proposed multi-use trail proposed for the Modoc Preserve.
Yes, it was our nonprofit organization, Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, in partnership with the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County, who spearheaded the successful, heady, grassroots public acquisition efforts of the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve & Viola Fields some twenty plus years ago with the support of over 3,000 donors, foundations, and public agencies, including the County of Santa Barbara. We subsequently gifted the land to the City of Carpinteria as open space dedicated “forever and in perpetuity” to passive and active recreation.
It is extremely important for everyone involved in this proposed Modoc Road multi-use trail to realize and acknowledge that, to ensure the Carpinteria Bluffs remain in natural open space in perpetuity, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, working on behalf of Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, used a critical tool – a conservation easement – that became legally attached to the property and to the legal agreement with the City. More recently, again on our community’s behalf, the Land Trust placed a similar easement on the Rincon Bluffs Preserve that the Land Trust and Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs subsequently acquired and also gifted to the City of Carpinteria. Such easements are necessary to ensure permanent protection of the open space qualities of special open space lands, such as the Carpinteria Bluffs.
Successful at protecting open spaces and ranch lands around our county, the Land Trust holds similar conservation easements on special lands all over Santa Barbara County. This includes the Modoc Preserve. It is no wonder that, at the recent Board of Supervisors hearing, I found it perplexing & most distressing that no county planner or other county staff members had contacted the Land Trust before proceeding full-tilt with this proposed multi-use trail through the Modoc Preserve. Such wanton disregard of the conservation easement in place and attached to the property deed sets a very disturbing precedent for all of us here in this county involved in saving and protecting natural open space lands.
By giving this project the go ahead without further consultation with the Land Trust constitutes basically blowing off all our past diligent efforts & concerns, as well as current ones, to ensure, through conservation easements, that the natural qualities and conservation values of special places like the Carpinteria Bluffs, the Rincon Bluffs Preserve, the Sedgwick Reserve, and, yes, the Modoc Preserve, remain protected in the future. Such a vote to move this project forward at this time not only negates the past efforts the Land Trust has put in to protect the Modoc Preserve, it may jeopardize current & future efforts by many of us here in this County working so hard to protect countless other special places, not only for us but for those who come after us.
Many Santa Barbara residents will enjoy Alignment B for years and years to come. Grateful for what the County approved and hopeful the community will support this reasonable solution which keeps the beautiful palms and provides a much better (and safer) cycling experience for everyone — including children.
LOL! That’s funny…but, what isn’t that funny is if you take a read of the 2030…2040…2050…SBCAG RTP’s…holy shmoly!!!
100’s of million$$$ targeted for similar projects in SB County…
There’s a $15MM (today’s dollars) plan in 2030 to build a bike path from State St. through the Muni golf course and over HWY 101 with a dedicated bike overpass to connect with the Las Positas/Modoc MUP…will probably be $50MM by then…
You think taxes and COL for this town is high now…nobody will be able to afford a car by then…natural gas is going away sooner than you think…plus, the County just announced that it is planning to add 8000 housing units to unincorporated areas of SB County…all the more reason to protect the small amount of open space that we have…
Anyone that is thinking Alignment B is a done dealio and the County is ready to start construction on this MUP, doesn’t understand the legal side of this “kerfluffle”…seriously, they are not any closer to obtaining an Easement from Land Trust now (today) than they were when they first tried to change the scope of the project from building it in County ROW to encroaching into a protected nature preserve…
Not a good move…that was in May, 2018…going on 4 1/2 years ago…
So far they have over promised and under-delivered…
They argued for building it in County ROW to save money, enabling the saved alternative transportation funds to be used elsewhere in the County…their argument is still true today…but, the cost has increased from $5.35MM to $8MM…tick…tick…tick…kaching…kaching…kaching…
So if they don’t get alignment B with a few trees cut – they’ll go with A and put it in their easement which will remove many more trees right? Seems to me that a handful of equestrians and NIMBY’s are forcing a poorer outcome.
This is where the NIMBYs have got it seriously wrong. The project WILL be done. There is no stopping it. If the tree lovers push and prod hard enough for a full EIR, we might learn that ALL of the non-native trees need to go. The exact opposite of their desire.
If they convince, through legal actions, I guess, that Alignment B is no good, then the county will default to Alignment A and, there you go again……more trees will go.
You all best accept that you successfully lobbied for LESS trees to be removed and better habitat restoration and be happy that not ALL of the trees will be gone.
The Modoc Preserve is private land owned by the La Cumbre Water Company. This land was preserved through a Deed of Conservation Easement between the Water Company and the Land Trust of Santa Barbara. There are complex legal entanglements that will slow planning way down. We’ve pointed this out a million times. Please keep up.
I don’t live right there next to these apparently sacred palms, but I support safe bike lanes and the greater good.
ZEROHAWK – “haha those palms were planted in the 60s”
Your statement is easily proven false…keep it *real*…
How can anyone here take you seriously with statements like that?!?!
https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/modoc_encore_palms2500-1024×655.jpg
https://modocpreserve.com/modoc-preserve-harold-chase
“In fact within a four block radius of my home, two blocks from state, there are no native trees.”
Probably no native Santa Barbarians…let alone native humans…;-)
For Chip of SB , Zero Hawk , Ginger 1 , A-1668536675 , and any other of my lovely fellow Santa Barbarians….What you just seem to not be able to understand is this…. The Modoc Preserve is PRIVATE PROPERTY !!! You can want plan B , you can hope for it , cry for it , Greg Hart can tell the press about it , whatever, it is not going to happen. You do not have a say in what happens to the Preserve. I’m sure you understand what private property is . The County does not own it and the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County is highly , highly unlikely to grant and easement for Plan B because it would violate the terms ( which are legal and binding under the the State of California ) of the Deed of Conservation Easement. Under the terms of that easement construction of a multi-use bike path is not allowed. Period. You can have your opinion about it but it is a fact. As the project is proposed , there is absolutely no way the Land Trust would grant the easement and as long as they won’t , the LCMWC can not and will not either. The Land Trust can not violate the terms of the Conservation Easement because to do so would not only put their organization in some legal jeopardy , but it could cost them their reputation and their donors. Once one Easement would be violated then all of them could be challenged in the future . Legally , that just won’t happen. None of this kerfuffle ever needed to happen if the County would have stuck to their original plan drafted into the original grant application which was awarded in 2018. That plan was to replace the existing bike lanes going East and West with a two-way lane complete with barriers on the South side of Modoc Road eliminating the need for that dangerous left hand turn onto the Obern Trail. That plan was widely approved. No trees needed to be sacrificed, no need to encroach onto a widlife/wetland sanctuary with tons and tons of toxic asphalt and concrete . The County will have to go back to the Board of Supervisors and vote for Plan A and then take it from there.
This is straight from the Land Trust Website:
The Modoc Preserve along Modoc Road is owned by the La Cumbre Mutual Water Company, which serves Hope Ranch and nearby neighborhoods. After reviewing various options for this land and seeking the approval of its shareholders, the Water Company in 1999 granted a conservation easement to the Land Trust, to keep this land open and undeveloped for community benefit. The Water Company retains the right to build facilities like water wells, pipelines and access ROADS, and otherwise the land will remain as open space.
Visiting the Modoc Preserve
Located in Santa Barbara, the Preserve is accessed from Modoc Road or Vieja Drive, south of Highway 101.
About the County’s Proposed Multi-Use Bike Path Project
The Modoc Preserve is protected open space with native plant and animal habitat and public access trails under a conservation easement held by the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.
The County of Santa Barbara is considering several proposals for a multi-use bike and pedestrian path in this area. On 11/01/22, the County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) assessment. The Land Trust has not approved any proposal that affects the Modoc Preserve or the conservation easement that protects it. Previously, the Land Trust notified the County that we, along with the landowner, La Cumbre Mutual Water Company, do not have enough information about the proposed project to make a determination about the path and the conservation easement. The Land Trust and the water company are working with Public Works and Supervisor Hart’s office to understand the design options and determine the project’s compatibility with the existing easement.
I don’t read anything in here stating this project ultimately CAN’T happen. All I hear is opponents to the MUP trying to browbeat the Land Trust into taking their position while supposedly speaking for them.
thats a lot of words for a small handful of native trees and dozens of non native and invasive trees…..and yes you are blowing this WAY out of proportion and it’s going to be done regardless. i’ll go and enjoy the path, you can complain about it. we have choices and we have free will. you do you, and i’ll ride the path with my kids and smiles.
ZEROHAWK: could not agree more. Behind the scenes, there are under a dozen Encore Rd Tract NIMYs yelling and screaming about “saving” a few trees while there are thousands of kids and not-kids- anymore who will benefit from the multi-use safe and accessible path. Many more people will have access to and knowledge of the Modoc Preserve, which will be restored and properly managed.
Enough already. You lost, but what you forget is that you won. We have a better MUP plan and increased public awareness about the Preserve and the process. I appreciate your energy and activism but you are done now.
Are they really trying to stop ANY path being made? From what I understand, the “tree lovers” just don’t want the path taking out any of the trees along there. Which plan did they go with? With so many op-eds and Nextdoor posts, I can’t tell what actually was resolved, if anything.
“Enough already. You lost, but what you forget is that you won…I appreciate your energy and activism but you are done now.”
Sorry…somewhere along the way you have deluded yourself into thinking that you are the “DECIDER”…
We have won a reprieve for at least 34 trees right now…and, forced the County to build the western half of the MUP on Modoc Road out of the Modoc Preserve like was the plan when they wrote the $5.35MM ATP grant for this project…
What we have won was already baked into that $5.35MM ATP grant written by SB County Public Works back in May, 2018…and, submitted to CalTrans to REMOVE the Class II bike lanes because they are unsafe…and, REPLACE them with the Class I MUP on existing County ROW…
They can’t unwrite it…
A legal argument of NEGLIGENCE by the County, would be made should the County fail to remove the westbound bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road to ameliorate foreseeable bike/vehicle accidents and injuries that inevitably will occur…like stated in their 2018 ATP grant to secure funding for this project…where they also argued for building the MUP in existing County ROW…to optimize the funds and save money for other bike infrastructure projects in the County…
https://modocpreserve.com/negligence
https://modocpreserve.com/right-of-way
CAMP recommends sticking to the original language and intent of this bike infrastructure project with the upgrade of the existing Class II bike lanes by replacing them with a much safer Class I MUP in existing County ROW (right-of-way)…
There are at least 20 potential points of contact between vehicles and bikes by folks needing to access, or leave, their homes by either a driveway or street along Modoc Road opposite of the proposed Modoc Road Class I MUP.
Additionally, many larger service vehicles use these same 20 access points…plus, they also park in the westbound Class II bike lane to service residents who are immediately on the north side of Modoc Road…these service vehicles include USPS mail vehicles, UPS, Fedex, Cox Cable, SCE electrical maintenance, potable water delivery…etc…
Again, this is in addition to eliminating the inherent danger for cyclists of the left hand turn from the westbound Class II bike lane across eastbound Modoc Road traffic onto the Obern Trail Class I bike path…as well as failure to yield from motorists also going westbound and cyclists who fail to properly signal before initiating their left hand turns.This was the clearly the stated intent of the ATP grant application made by SB County Public Works…
https://modocpreserve.com/modoc-road-north-westbound
“Finally by removing the need for westbound travelers to cross midblock at the Obern Trail, yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
“The replacement of the westbound bike lane with the path on the same side as the Obern Trail will ameliorate the problem of visibility and poor driver yield compliance.”
This is not only the fairest and smartest use of these alternative transportation resources, it would also be the fastest path forward to achieve the intended goals of increasing bike and motorist safety…while reducing the County’s liability by inaction of a foreseeable cyclist injury…as well as to help mend the divisiveness, turmoil, and discord in the community as a whole that this project’s roll out has created.
From the Land Trust’s website: “The Water Company retains the right to build facilities like water wells, pipelines and access roads, and otherwise the land will remain as open space.”
“The Modoc Preserve is protected open space with native plant and animal habitat and public access trails under a conservation easement held by the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.”
“PUBLIC ACCESS TRAILS”- currently their trails are not aligned with what their intention states on their website- if they claim they are for public access then they need to be accessible to the public and therefore there needs to be ADA access for people in wheelchairs and other mobility aids. The MUP would provide just this access. It is NOT all about bikes- it is for all people, for the public to be able to access the space. A path along Modoc would not provide access for all, it is still much more dangerous than a PATH separated by trees from the road. To put the entire path along Modoc would require removing the class 2 lanes- unacceptable by all standards- and also it would require cutting into private property, for the homes on the northern side, and building up the entire grade of Modoc which is far far more costly and involved.
It is not the “bicycle lobby” advocating for this path, it is: mothers, children, environmentalists, grandparents, working class commuters, students, families and conservationists among many others who know the facts, understand that the Multi Use Path will benefit everyone and once it is built, you will be grateful it is there.
I think the tree lobby is going to have to step up it’s game. The bicycle lobby has absolutely trounced them. The tree folks might be able to block the construction of roads and buildings, but they have met their match when it comes to bike paths!
CHIP thinks there is a lobby for everything.
sorry dude, no bike lobby involved, just a bunch of people walking, running, pushing strollers and people on bikes, scooters, skateboards, mom joggers with their strollers, and so on….oh wow that sounds like a massive chunk of our society. yeah lobbyists.
They can. That is, in fact, the main plan for Alignment B. (Bike path would be on the other side of the Canary Palms.) This op ed, along with others who want to “save the trees”, do not like this option. (It minimizes tree removal but does not eliminate it. )
FERNALD – good point. Seems to be a path on the other side of the trees already, just use that?
Build the bike path. Honestly don’t care if they bulldoze all the non-native trees. Tired of busy body boomers getting in the way of making our city nice
Alignment B is going to be awesome, well-used and loved by the community, just like the Obern trail is, and all this fuss will soon be a distant memory. Can’t wait for them to get started.
$8MM for 1317 yards…or, $6074/yd…$2K/ft…
Time to build is anyone’s guess…safe place to start is probably double their estimate…
Hard to imagine the guys that work for the out of town contract construction companies would be in a hurry to finish the job…;-)
I guess that’s why they call it good work if you can get it…;-)
https://modocpreserve.com/modoc-road-bike-path-construction/
$2k per foot is nuts! You’d think it was going to be paved in gold for that kind of money.
Fron the County’s FAQ…
“Cost and Funding?
The estimated project cost is $8M, of which $5.4M is funded by a grant from the California State Active Transportation Program (ATP). ”
https://www.countyofsb.org/3429/Modoc-Multi-Use-Path?contentId=d346a67d-41f0-4657-af85-366acbdf26c8
“Biker hit at Modoc/encore. On Tuesday, 11/9,, at 830am a 20 year old biker was hit from behind”
Thank you for helping to make our case…firstly, give thanks that both people involved will recover…but, let’s wait for the official POLICE report to draw conclusions as to fault…both drivers gave statements…and, there will be an official accounting of the accident…like the other 4 bike/vehicle accidents on this 3/4 mile long stretch of Modoc Road…
https://modocpreserve.com/modoc-road-bike-accidents
From what I understand…and, I think you left this important detail out, is that the cyclist was turning left from the westbound Class II lane on the north side of Modoc Road onto the Obern Trail…there may be a question as to proper signalling and defensible space…etc…
Regardless, this is exactly what the grant written in 2018 by SB County Public Works was trying to “ameliorate”…by eliminating this bike lane…and, eliminating the need for cyclists to make a dangerous turn left across eastbound traffic onto the Obern Trail at the West Encore Dr intersection as they must do now…”yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
This is language in the ATP grant written to secure funding for this project…it’s a cornerstone reason for the project in the first place…
“Finally by removing the need for westbound travelers to cross midblock at the Obern Trail, yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
Read my Edhat post this morning on NEGLIGENCE… NOV 16, 2022 07:55 AM
https://modocpreserve.com/negligence
It would be NEGLIGENT of SB County Public Works to not act on and follow their own arguments that they made in the ATP grant application written by them in 2018 to secure this tranche of $5.35MM of taxpayer money, to improve bike and motorist safety along this section of Modoc Road. The main intent of the ATP grant was to REPLACE the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road and upgrade it with a Class I MUP separated from traffic on the south side of Modoc Road.
3.) Highlighted on Page 25 (https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp7.jpg) of the SB County Public Works $5.35MM ATP grant application written in May, 2018 by SB County Public Works employee and cycling advocate, Matt Dobberteen, it clearly states:
“Finally by removing the need for westbound travelers to cross midblock at the Obern Trail, yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
This means that the westbound lane on the north side of Modoc Road would be removed eliminating the need to turn left across eastbound traffic onto the Obern Trail at West Encore Dr.
“The replacement of the westbound bike lane with the path on the same side as the Obern Trail will ameliorate the problem of visibility and poor driver yield compliance.”
This clearly states that the westbound Class II bike lane which is on the north side of Modoc Road, would be replaced as proposed in the ATP grant application.
Gallery of images proving the County’s argument…the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road is UNSAFE…
https://modocpreserve.com/modoc-road-north-westbound
There is no other interpretation other than the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road would be removed, thus eliminating the need for bikers to make a dangerous turn left across eastbound traffic onto the Obern Trail at the West Encore Dr intersection as they must do now.
NOV 16, 2022 07:55 AM
A-1668631192
“Seems like the County should have publicly vetted this before applying for a grant that is based on designs that fall into questionable legal grounds.”
Exactly…we said this from the get go…classic cart before the horse scenario…exacerbated by a marketing campaign that wasn’t forthright in the difficulty/complexity of achieving the heavy lift of a legal roadblock…a Conservation Easement on PRIVATE PROPERTY…which is a nature preserve…fought for…and, the battle to keep the property from being damaged by future development was won…and, became “settled law” in 1999…
A lot of money and time has been spent…4 1/2 years…and, now the all of the public turmoil and discord over the past 5 months…poor design…poor environmental review…poor execution of project roll out…abject failure of communication…total disrespect of the Landowner and Trustee…etc…
Accountability? Good question…
We deserve better than this…
What the heck are you talking about? Stick to pretending to be an environmentalist rather than a bike safety advocate…you pull that off better.
CAMPs been railing on about how this path is a money grab and unnecessary because the Class II bike lanes on Modoc are safe. Someone’s killed on a bike at this same intersection in 2019 and CAMPs response is they were homeless and at fault but the Class IIs are sufficient. Then apparently this week another person is struck on a bike on Modoc and CAMPs response is the Class IIs are dangerous and must be removed. Which one is it?
I’m just glad we can finally agree a separated path is needed on Modoc after the County Supes came to the conclusion that people’s safety matters more than the opinions of a handful of neighbors who run a blog.
If safety is the top priority – which it should be – the current plan is the best. A separated path for pedestrians and people who don’t feel safe on Modoc AND Class II bike lanes for people on ebikes and fancy road bikes who want to go fast.
Eliminating the existing Class II bike lanes to squeeze in an inferior project without touching the sacred palms makes no sense. I hope the County sticks to the plan people already came out in full force to support.
SBC RESIDENT…
Get real…it’s the bike lobby that has always lied about the details of the tragic 7/5/2019 fatality to exploit it for your position…shameful…we have repeatedly stuck to the facts in the detailed collision report that we received from SB County Public Works PIO…
https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/modoc_accident-1.jpg
“Due to rider drug impairment, they failed to yield to the SUV, and drove their bicycle directly into the path of the SUV”…other details that were released stated that the deceased bike rider was not wearing a helmet and the bike did not have lights…
This was unfortunately a mental health issue…
Wow…about time someone from the bike lobby addressed the elephant in the room…and, finally said something about the Class II bike lanes…it’s been like pulling teeth…;-)
“pretending to be an environmentalist”…
Really?!?!
It’s actually pseudo-science kool-aid drinking invasion biology nativists that are pretend environmentalists…
Anyone that thinks it’s OK to remove 20,000ft2 of shade canopy and wildlife habitat because of the tree’s immigration status and replace them during an extreme drought with knee-high oak saplings because they are…wait for it…native…is the pretend environmentalist…
https://modocpreserve.com/shady-dealings
“Handful of neighbors who run a blog?”
Talk about self-serving tripe!
Keep thinking that…over 5600 people agree with us…
https://www.change.org/p/save-the-modoc-road-trees
Here’s a couple of hundred people that have written in their own words that they don’t agree with you…
https://modocpreserve.com/petition-comments
Your characterization of CAMP and our arguments are obviously off the mark…you have no credibility because you can’t be objective…so, you do you…keep twisting our words and yourself into pretzels…fortunately, you are not in control here…your projecting is not going to change your outcome…because, we have already won…;-)
I’d just consider all this pushback to your op-ed a sign of which way the community winds are blowing or at least the winds on Edhat. It is a few Encore/Horse/NIMBY people fighting this. Just look at who’s writing zillion-word replies to each non-supportive comment on this thread, same handful of folks with different names have been bullying everyone on other social media platforms to conform to their views. If the whole thing was a legal no-brainer like they say why would they be spending hours leach day lobbing their point of view?
Ah there it is…the true colors come out. I actually respect you more for at least admitting (inadvertently) you oppose the project and don’t care about cyclists safety. At least that’s consistent with everything else that has come out of CAMP.
It’s the author’s opening line I take exception with: “Contrary to what everyone may believe, Community Association for the Modoc Preserve (CAMP) is not opposed to Phase II of the Multi-use Path project.” Get real. That’s an insult to anyone who has read a local newspaper or been on Nextdoor in the last year.
The trees are saved so find another angle. Blaming the people who’ve been hit by cars or the Class II bike lanes on Modoc ain’t it.
Why aren’t we moving for the progressive action of completing this bike path? This will increase access and make nature in Santa Barbara more available to many instead of the limited few. I understand wanting to protect nature, though this bike path is going to address an environmental concern long-term. It’s going to help people be healthier, live more active outdoor lifestyles, and the city is going to plant new trees. Fewer cars, more active families, less disease and illness. Whatever happened to the idea of impermanence, or using foresight instead of hindsight? We’re so privileged to be in Santa Barbara, a place where we can ride our bikes and commute 350 days of the year, and now we have all this bureaucratic back up because some peoples feelings are hurt and their is a nostalgia associated with the trees. The county could’ve let everybody know further in advance, and they didn’t. Bad on them. now they are working to mitigate the trees that will be removed, but it seems like the opposition still isn’t happy. Isn’t it good enough? Think of all the children and families and ways in which this will serve the community. I understand that somebody has to stand up against politicians and protect the open spaces, but they’re not getting rid of the entire preserve. They’re going to add a feature to it that allows people to travel through it. If anything it’s going to increase peoples awareness of nature and all the health benefits that come along with walking running biking and being in nature. I am an environmentalist, I love trees, not as much as those fighting to protect every one, edit makes me sad that the two groups can’t find a common ground. Alternative B seems fair. I understand we’re going to disrupt animals and habitats, and horseback riders and dog walkers, though if evolution has proved anything time and time again, it’s that animals and human beings are incredibly adaptable. Clearly I’m just a bystander with my own bias. I find it commendable that camp is fighting for what they feel is right. They’ve put in a lot of hard work. I also agree with everybody who wants this bike path to be completed, and I hope it gets done. Structuring cities around bike paths makes a ton of sense.
“To put the entire path along Modoc would require removing the class 2 lanes- unacceptable by all standards”
Wrong…it wasn’t “unacceptable” to SB County Public Works when they wrote the language of the $5.35MM ATP grant for this project back in May, 2018…
Let’s revisit those words written on paper by a cycling advocate and employee of the County to sell this project to CalTrans in Sacramento…
We’ll start by getting some legalese out of the way…
NEGLIGENCE
Definition: neg·li·gence /ˈneɡləjəns/
Failing to do the required thing…failure to take steps to prevent foreseeable accidents…guilty of, or characterized by, neglect of duty…failure to use reasonable care, and actions or inaction results in an injury…
It would be NEGLIGENT of SB County Public Works to not act on and follow their own arguments that they made in the ATP grant application written by them in 2018 to secure this tranche of $5.35MM of taxpayer money, to improve bike and motorist safety along this section of Modoc Road. The main intent of the ATP grant was to REPLACE the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road and upgrade it with a Class I MUP separated from traffic on the south side of Modoc Road.
3.) Highlighted on Page 25 (https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp7.jpg) of the SB County Public Works $5.35MM ATP grant application written in May, 2018 by SB County Public Works employee and cycling advocate, Matt Dobberteen, it clearly states:
“Finally by removing the need for westbound travelers to cross midblock at the Obern Trail, yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
This means that the westbound lane on the north side of Modoc Road would be removed eliminating the need to turn left across eastbound traffic onto the Obern Trail at West Encore Dr.
“The replacement of the westbound bike lane with the path on the same side as the Obern Trail will ameliorate the problem of visibility and poor driver yield compliance.”
This clearly states that the westbound Class II bike lane which is on the north side of Modoc Road, would be replaced as proposed in the ATP grant application.
Gallery of images proving the County’s argument…the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road is UNSAFE…
https://modocpreserve.com/modoc-road-north-westbound
There is no other interpretation other than the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road would be removed, thus eliminating the need for bikers to make a dangerous turn left across eastbound traffic onto the Obern Trail at the West Encore Dr intersection as they must do now.
Furthermore, (and this is very important) ALL of the housing that exists along this 3/4 mile long section of Modoc Road targeted for the Class I MUP, is on the north side of Modoc Road, on the north side of the current westbound Class II bike lane as depicted in the image gallery above of residential mailboxes, driveways, and streets along the north side of Modoc Road, immediately north of the Class II westbound bike lane…
I have counted at least 20 potential points of contact between vehicles and bikes by folks needing to access, or leave, their homes by either a driveway or street along Modoc Road opposite of the proposed Modoc Road Class I MUP.
Additionally, many larger service vehicles use these same 20 access points…plus, they also park in the westbound Class II bike lane to service residents who are immediately on the north side of Modoc Road…these service vehicles include USPS mail vehicles, UPS, Fedex, Cox Cable, SCE electrical maintenance, potable water delivery…etc…
Again, this is in addition to eliminating the inherent danger for cyclists of the left hand turn from the westbound Class II bike lane across eastbound Modoc Road traffic onto the Obern Trail Class I bike path…as well as failure to yield from motorists also going westbound and cyclists who fail to properly signal before initiating their left hand turns.
This was the clearly the stated intent of points 1.) and 2.) in the ATP grant application made by SB County Public Works…
https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp5b.jpg
“The Project will reduce barriers along the corridor by replacing sections of the Class II bike lanes with a more safe and attractive separated path, suitable for people of all ages and abilities.”
https://modocpreserve.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/modoc_atp6.jpg
“For bicyclists significant safety barriers would be removed by upgrading existing shoulders and Class II bike lanes to a Class I pathway with a dedicated right-of-way and physical separation from vehicular traffic.”
It would be NEGLIGENT of SB County Public Works to not act on and follow their own arguments that they made in the ATP grant application to improve bike and motorist safety along this section of Modoc Road.
The main intent of the ATP grant was to REPLACE the westbound Class II bike lane on the north side of Modoc Road and upgrade it with a Class I MUP separated from traffic on the south side of Modoc Road.
Furthermore, this original “alignment” by SB County Public Works would not necessitate the removal of trees or require the difficult to obtain Easement into the legally protected Modoc Preserve nature preserve and it would fulfill the intent as stated in the ATP grant application points 4.) and 5.) above
“By adapting an existing right-of-way, the County will be able to minimize costs, freeing up resources for improvements in other areas of the transportation system, while maximizing the use of an already established route.“
CAMP recommends sticking to the original language and intent of this bike infrastructure project with the upgrade of the existing Class II bike lanes by replacing them with a much safer Class I MUP in existing County ROW (right-of-way)…
This is not only the fairest and smartest use of these alternative transportation resources, it would also be the fastest path forward to achieve the intended goals of increasing bike and motorist safety…while reducing the County’s liability by inaction of a foreseeable cyclist injury…as well as to help mend the divisiveness, turmoil, and discord in the community as a whole that this project’s roll out has created.
Many many people are very supportive of a bike path, BUT not at the expense of the canary palms or the eucalyptus groves. It seems a reasonable point of view. The finger pointing and name-calling is not productive. Just find a solution.
The disinformation specialists promoting alignment C neglect to state that it requires steep sections, which are non-ADA compliant. I support alignment A, because the Canary Island palms are likely to die within the next century.
SBDUDE…we predict that some form of a Modoc Road reconfiguration is going to solve the simple math of this problem…we have already proven that not enough design thought was given on the western half of the project…because, now it fits on existing asphalt infrastructure on Modoc Road without going into a protected nature preserve and cutting down 34 trees…many of which are heritage trees…like was the original plan back in June when we the neighborhoods adjacent to the Modoc Preserve found out about the County’s fast track plan to bulldoze it through…
They just need to put their thinking caps on…and, recalibrate their tape measures…there is a way to do it…even without making Modoc Road a one-way for 3/4 mile…
You would think for $8MM we could get a workable solution…heck, we still haven’t seen a rendering of the Via Senda/Las Palmas/Modoc intersection…
County Public Works and the Board of Supervisors seem to be working hard at their own kind of Kanye West crazy. And it is amazing how gullible some people are. So much misinformation and hyperbole and downright iies coming from people who mistakenly believe it’s only a few trees and only a few who are protesting tree removal and desecration of the preserve. I just looked at the Save the Modoc Trees petition. There are 5,652 signatures. People do care. A lot of people. My family and I live nowhere near Modoc Rd. but we sure do enjoy riding our bikes and also driving along that stretch of road next to the preserve. Keep it green. County Public Works needs to know that what we all want is a multi-use path that doesn’t entail killing off trees and harming our environment. There’s a better solution. CPW and Board of Supervisors needs to stop being lazy and myopic. Step into the 21st century. Save the trees. Keep the preserve intact.
I feel like I should make some popcorn. It’ll be fun to see how this turns out. I mean, as long as we get a separated bike path, I’m good. However, the NIMBYs are so strident and keep saying the same things over and over that I sorta want them to lose just because of that.
A-1668623538 Thank you for being objective enough to allow the signal/noise ratio attenuation get to the point that this truth has been allowed to percolate to the surface…
We have been transparent and forthright in our positions and statements…the truth will prevail…
We have been saying this from the beginning…it’s the LAND…not just the trees…but, it’s been drowned out by the native/non-native red herring argument…which I suppose, was part of the obfuscation plan including renaming alignments the same name, even though they changed…causing even more confusion…even with some highly educated individuals, a few with legal backgrounds, that we have talked with over the last 5 months…
In a nutshell…if this Conservation Easement is violated…it would open the door to allow violations to ANY of the other open space Conservation Easements on the books in SB County…
Which is what Ted Rhodes, President of Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs and Land Trust of Santa Barbara board member has been saying…and, was reprinted by Shelly above in the op-ed…
Anyone who wants to be taken seriously on this issue needs to understand the fundamental nature (excuse the pun…;-) of a Conservation Easement…
“It is extremely important for everyone involved in this proposed Modoc Road multi-use trail to realize and acknowledge that, to ensure the Carpinteria Bluffs remain in natural open space in perpetuity, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, working on behalf of Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, used a critical tool – a conservation easement – that became legally attached to the property and to the legal agreement with the City. More recently, again on our community’s behalf, the Land Trust placed a similar easement on the Rincon Bluffs Preserve that the Land Trust and Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs subsequently acquired and also gifted to the City of Carpinteria. Such easements are necessary to ensure permanent protection of the open space qualities of special open space lands, such as the Carpinteria Bluffs.
Successful at protecting open spaces and ranch lands around our county, the Land Trust holds similar conservation easements on special lands all over Santa Barbara County. This includes the Modoc Preserve. It is no wonder that, at the recent Board of Supervisors hearing, I found it perplexing & most distressing that no county planner or other county staff members had contacted the Land Trust before proceeding full-tilt with this proposed multi-use trail through the Modoc Preserve. Such wanton disregard of the conservation easement in place and attached to the property deed sets a very disturbing precedent for all of us here in this county involved in saving and protecting natural open space lands.
By giving this project the go ahead without further consultation with the Land Trust constitutes basically blowing off all our past diligent efforts & concerns, as well as current ones, to ensure, through conservation easements, that the natural qualities and conservation values of special places like the Carpinteria Bluffs, the Rincon Bluffs Preserve, the Sedgwick Reserve, and, yes, the Modoc Preserve, remain protected in the future. Such a vote to move this project forward at this time not only negates the past efforts the Land Trust has put in to protect the Modoc Preserve, it may jeopardize current & future efforts by many of us here in this County working so hard to protect countless other special places, not only for us but for those who come after us.”
Good Morning A-1668631153 , I came up on the scene of that accident and actually talked to the driver while the officer was taking statements . The Driver said that the cyclist didn’t signal before he was going to turn left onto the Obern Trailhead , turned in front of the car giving the driver no indication that he was going to do so and giving him no time to stop. The driver was not cited there and at least one bystander heard the officer giving the cyclist a lecture for NOT wearing his helmet. Any accident is a shame and I feel sorry for the rider and the motorist especially because it never should have happened. As has been pointed out before on this and other platforms , the County’s original MUP plan for phase 2 was to reconfigure Modoc Road to remove the Westbound bike lane leaving plenty of room for the two -way Class 1 lane complete with barriers thus eliminating the left hand turn into auto traffic to connect with the Obern Trail. As time went on the County changed their plans and one of their proposals was to have the bike lane meander onto the Modoc Preserve. Some of us have said this over and over but let me give it another try….Plan B was never a viable one as proposed because the Land Trust cannot violate the terms of the Conservation Easement. They have an obligation under California law to stick within those terms which would prohibit building an asphalt and concrete structure. That is only one of the many issues which would pose major problems for the project site to encroach onto the Preserve. I can only suspect that Chris Sneddon and Greg Hart were not aware of the Conservation Easement when they decided to go forward with it.
From the very start of the SAVE THE MODOC ROAD TREES grassroots movement the goal has been to save the iconic trees and preserve the Preserve. These volunteers have spent many hours trying to help put forth alternative plans for a bike lane. It has never been about not wanting a safe bike lane but rather , how that would be accomplished . I myself being a 70 yr. old resident of the immediate area have ridden up and down Modoc from grammar school to high school in a time when cars were a lot heavier without warning systems like they have nowadays and was never worried for my safety but I guess folks are just more scared now. In any case , those who blast Camp members and other supporters of the Trees on Modoc should remember that there will be a new bike lane it is just likely not to be on the Preserve property so why all the anger and vitriol ? Instead , I ask you as a friend and a neighbor to support the County’s original 2018 MUP plan so that when they go back before the BOS to vote on Plan A they would vote instead for the original 2018 MUP plan and save ALL the trees on Modoc Road. It would be a win-win for everyone.
Thomas John my friend , it is called “educating the public” .