Historic Los Patos underpass slated for removal; commission backs EIR findings, urges salvaging and interpretation

The Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission on April 23 reviewed the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the Los Patos Way underpass removal and voted to forward comments to the Planning Commission endorsing the EIR's findings while urging specific mitigation and documentation measures.

The commission's review focused on cultural resources after the Union Pacific Railroad and Caltrans proposed removing the Los Patos Way off-ramp and the adjacent railroad bridge. Eric Goodall, supervising design engineer for the city's streets engineering division, told the commission that "Union Pacific Railroad has determined that the bridge will need to be removed" when the US 101 off-ramp is removed, and described the project's purpose and alternatives, including a no-project and relocation option.

Commissioners questioned the feasibility of alternatives and pressed staff and the applicant on mitigation. Staff and project consultants told the commission the draft EIR identifies "significant and unavoidable" impacts related to cultural and historic resources because the structure had previously been evaluated and considered eligible for historic consideration in an HSSR (Historic Structure/Sites Report). The draft EIR proposes mitigation that includes preparing HAER (Historic American Engineering Record)-level documentation before demolition, salvaging square-cut sandstone where feasible for reuse (for example as facing stones on the nearby Cabrillo Boulevard bridge), and installing an interpretive display near the former bridge site.

Commissioners asked the project team to expand mitigation and documentation where possible. Rachel, a consultant who worked on the reports, told the commission relocation was considered as an alternative but that under CEQA "it would still be a significant and unavoidable impact" to move the structure; she said relocation was analyzed in the draft EIR. Commissioners asked staff to request that the Planning Commission and project contractors explore additional salvage and storage options for both the sandstone and the steel girders, and to test high-resolution 3-D scanning for archival documentation.

The commission voted to continue the matter to the Planning Commission with the HLC's comments. The motion as stated on the record asked that the commission's comments: confirm the EIR conclusions are appropriate; support HAER-level documentation and a high-resolution (3-D) digital record; endorse an on-site interpretive display near the former bridge location; and encourage salvage and reuse of square-cut sandstone (including reuse on the Cabrillo bridge) and that staff and the applicant explore options for salvaging and reusing steel elements where feasible. The roll-call vote was unanimous in favor.

The EIR and the commission's comments will be provided to the Planning Commission and included in the final EIR. If the Planning Commission approves the required coastal development permit and the EIR process is completed, the project will return to the HLC at the demolition/findings phase for the commission to make any required demolition findings and for subsequent design review by the Architectural Board of Review where applicable.

Meeting materials and the draft EIR identify Union Pacific Railroad as the owner of the bridge materials and right-of-way; commission members repeatedly noted that salvage and reuse depend in part on the railroad's willingness to relinquish material or to permit city contractors to salvage and store elements. Commissioners also emphasized that any interpretive display or reuse approach should preserve contextual information and be documented as part of mitigation.