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Commission approves street-tree palette updates for South La Cumbra and Gutierrez blocks
Summary
The commission approved staff-recommended changes to street-tree designations: Catalina cherry and Palo Verde for the 0–100 blocks of South La Cumbra and three additional species (as listed in the staff report) for East/West Gutierrez Street to improve nursery availability and lower water use.
The Santa Barbara City Parks and Recreation Commission on Wednesday approved multiple modifications to the street tree master plan to favor low-water-use and nursery-available species in selected blocks.
Staff told the commission the 0–100 blocks of South La Cumbra currently contain medium-water-use trees that are no longer conforming to the city’s low-water-use goals. The Street Tree Advisory Committee recommended two replacement species, Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia) and Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida), to replace Eucalyptus microcorys and Pitosporum designations on those blocks. The commission voted to adopt those changes.
For East and West Gutierrez Street, staff proposed adding three species to the allowable palette for multiple blocks to increase species availability and diversify canopy types. Commissioners discussed canopy height and right-of-way constraints; staff said the recommended species reach at most about 35 feet at maturity and were selected to avoid conflicts with power lines and constrained planting strips. Commissioner Nielsen moved to accept the committee recommendations; the motion was seconded and the commission approved the additions unanimously.
Commissioners said the changes are intended to give crews and contractors more options when original-designation stock is unavailable at nurseries and to better align plantings with water-conservation goals.
