Santa Barbara parks commission approves Cliff Drive tree removals with required replacements; rules set for several other tree requests

The Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Commission on June 25 approved removal of 23 street trees along Cliff Drive as part of the Cliff Drive Vision 0 active-transportation project, conditioning the approval on planting at least 70 replacement trees and a two‑year establishment watering commitment.

The Commission opened the agenda item after a presentation from City staff and project planners. Michelle Bedard, project planner, described the corridor and the active‑transportation design, saying, “The project is at the whole corridor of Cliff Drive from the west boundary along Arroyo Burro County Beach Park to Castillo Street.” She told the panel the proposal includes a two‑way separated bike path, 14 new crosswalks (bringing the total to 18), four new traffic signals and roughly 70 opportunities for new street trees along the corridor.

Why it matters: Commission members and the Street Tree Advisory Committee said the project advances Vision 0 safety goals by separating bicyclists from vehicle lanes and adding crosswalks, while acknowledging the loss of mature trees is significant. The Commission framed its approval to balance public‑safety and multimodal access goals with urban‑forest outcomes by requiring replacement plantings and a guaranteed maintenance window.

Key facts and debate - Project scope: separated bike paths primarily on the south side of Cliff Drive, four…