Edhat Staff
The County of Santa Barbara has scheduled a public town hall meeting concerning changes to the Modoc Multi-Use Path.
This past May the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department held its first monthly stakeholder advisory group meeting for the Modoc Multi-Use Project.
“Since then, the County has worked with the La Cumbre Mutual Water Company, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, and representatives of local stakeholder groups to design a path that addresses individual and shared goals,” the county states.
The Class 1 pathway for bicyclists and pedestrians along Modoc Road will connect Goleta, UC Santa Barbara, and Isla Vista to Santa Barbara’s Cliff Drive.
The County negotiated with the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County to use part of the Modoc Preserve for the pathway and the county recently settled a lawsuit with residents along Modoc.
It was agreed the preserve’s wetlands would remain intact a more eco-friendly substance called GraniteCrete would be used instead of hot-mix asphalt.
Click here to download the updated plans.
Now residents are able to view the changes to the current plans and provide feedback.
The Town Hall Meeting will take place on Thursday, October 26, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Vieja Valley Elementary School.
“The County will host a town hall meeting and welcomes additional input from the public on sections of the path that travel through the County’s right of way,” the county website states.
A 20-minute presentation will begin at 6:00 p.m. It will be followed by a Q&A session and an opportunity to speak with County staff. A Zoom link will be available for those who would like to watch the meeting without making verbal comments.
To RSVP for the meeting, request a Zoom link, or provide comments, click on this link.
For more information, contact Lael Wageneck at lwageneck@countyofsb.org or (805)568-3425.
Very happy about this project. I’m a member of the Hope Ranch Riding & Trail Association, and also bike Modoc often on my road bike. Unfortunately, when it comes to biking, with the current narrow bike lane, my kids do not feel safe riding so close to ~40 mph car traffic ~3 feet away from their handlebars. Thankful for this approach which will enable young and old to transit our community and connect the two bike paths making a significant improvement in the cross-town link (while also saving the beautiful palms).
Looks like a pretty good compromise. Only 2 of the (non-native) palms would be removed, the rest remain intact. What’s not to like? That “calming median” down the middle of upper Modoc – ugh. Why is that needed?