Commission approves West Side/Lower West safety project with 32 of 33 proposed tree removals; one large red gum retained for study

The Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Commission on July 23 approved the removal of 32 street or setback trees associated with the West Side and Lower West Neighborhood Transportation Management Plan implementation, while holding one large tree for further study.

Public Works Supervising Transportation Planner Jessica Grant summarized the project as a multi-year effort to fill sidewalk and bike-lane gaps, improve crossings and add safer routes to schools. Grant said the project was adopted by City Council in 2020 and secured a state Active Transportation Program grant as the primary funding source.

The transportation plan requires right-of-way changes across several streets; the project team requested removal of 33 trees to accommodate protected bike lanes, widened sidewalks and safer crossings. Grant told the commission 30 of the 33 trees are in the city right of way and three are on private property, and the project team identified 40 planting locations and proposed a two-for-one replacement ratio (66 replacement trees) to mitigate canopy loss.

The Street Tree Advisory Committee inspected the sites and recommended approval of all 33 removals but asked Public Works to analyze whether the large river red gum on Modoc Road (tree number 1) could be retained. Public Works engineers said preserving that tree would require a curb jog that would cost two on-street parking spaces in a neighborhood where parking demand is high; retaining the tree could also be possible by shifting the sidewalk edge two feet from the tree base, but that was a preliminary estimate.

Commission discussion focused on balancing tree preservation, canopy replacement, pedestrian safety and neighborhood parking. Commissioner Sebastian Aldana moved to approve removal of 32 of the 33 trees and allow staff discretion to retain the Modoc Road river red gum if feasible; Commissioner Nielsen seconded. Vice Chair Clark recused from the vote. A roll-call voice vote recorded Chair McGill, Commissioner Aldana, Commissioner Lesnar Buxton, Commissioner Nielsen and Commissioner Ramsey voting in favor; Vice Chair Clark was recused. The commission requested staff make a documented effort to preserve the Modoc Road tree and to meet the project’s proposed replacement commitment.

Public commenters raised site-specific concerns. Daniel Fox, speaking about the Euclid Avenue corner at West Sola, asked whether new sidewalks would include landscaping and warned a planned sidewalk would cross a newly built ADU driveway.

Grant and staff said replacement plantings would be pursued primarily within the project footprint and nearby vacancies in the city tree inventory; they also committed to working with the Parks Department arborist to identify the remaining replacement locations.

Ending: The commission’s decision clears the way for Public Works to proceed with the transportation improvements while preserving one high-value tree for additional study; staff will finalize planting locations, pursue the two-for-one replacement target and document any administrative decisions about the Modoc Road tree in project records.