Santa Barbara council upholds Parks & Rec decision to remove 13 trees for Milpas safety project

Santa Barbara —n(2025-03-11) —n—At its March 11 meeting, the Santa Barbara City Council denied an appeal of the Parks and Recreation Commission's decision and upheld the commission's approval to remove 13 street trees associated with the Milpas Street crosswalk, sidewalk-widening and safety project.

The council's action follows a staff presentation that said the federally and state-funded project is focused on pedestrian safety and accessibility. Jessica Grant, supervising transportation planner for the city, told the council the corridor improvements are funded primarily through the California Active Transportation Program and are concentrated at intersections to shorten crossings, improve sight lines, add lighting and install a new traffic signal at Milpas and Yanonali. "Our staff recommendation is that council deny the appeal filed by Mr. Clayborne Schenck and uphold the parks and rec decision to approve the 13 street tree removals," Grant said.

Why it matters: Council and staff framed the changes as safety and ADA responses on a high-volume corridor used by buses and students. Grant said the project is a Vision Zero priority because of a pattern of collisions on…