Four Montecito homeowners have won a temporary injunction to block Santa Barbara County from moving forward on a plan to install parking spaces along East Mountain Drive near the Hot Springs Trailhead.
Superior Court Judge Donna Geck concluded that the county’s parking plan cannot move forward until it is determined whether an environmental review is needed.
The county wants to add parking spaces along the public right of way on East Mountain Drive. Neighbors are outraged over the proposal, which they say will wreck Montecito’s semi-rural character.
The county claims some homeowners have placed rocks, signs and obstructions in the public right of way to prevent people from parking near the Hot Springs Trail.
The plaintiffs, Christopher Anderson, Ross Bagdasarian, Peter Barker and James Moreley, contend that the county needs to perform an environmental review before taking such a drastic action.
“As we expected, the opinion was detailed and thorough,” attorney David Cousineau of the law firm Cappello & Noël said. “While not a decision on the merits, it recognizes that the project expands use of an ecologically sensitive habitat and its scope is continually evolving. I am looking forward to seeing the full administrative record and getting to a decision on the merits.”
The ruling by Geck acknowledged that landscaping elements such as rocks and mature plants have been installed within the county’s rights of way in many of the residential areas of Montecito. If the parking plan moved forward, the county would be selectively enforcing its power on only some parts of the public right away without determining whether a full environmental review is necessary, the ruling stated.
“The injunction being issued merely maintains the very long-standing status quo during the pendency of a proceeding,” the ruling stated. “There is no greater danger now than has existed for many years.”
The court imposed a $10,000 bond on the petitioners.
The Hot Springs Trail has long been a popular hiking spot for local residents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, posts on TikTok, Instagram and other social media sites turned the trail into a regional destination for people to bathe in the hot springs and camp in the back hills of Montecito.
The county currently provides eight parking spaces at the base of the trail. The demand for parking, however, is much greater, with hundreds of people driving to the site daily.
The county contends that private homeowners have deliberately blocked public access to the Hot Springs Trail by placing boulders, walls, landscaping, illegal “No Parking” signs and other unpermitted private encroachments in the county road rights of way.
Homeowners have raised concerns about facilitating more parking and more people using the trail when there are fire and evacuation concerns.
County Supervisor Das Williams, whose district includes the area in question, said he was disappointed with the ruling because it is illegal for people to place private stuff in the public right of way.
“Putting rocks out where people can legally park contributes to chaos and the rampant unsafe parking that does take place,” said Williams, a Carpinteria resident. “While this is a temporary injunction pending the legal challenge, it will delay efforts to increase safety and decrease conflict at the Hot Springs Trailhead.”
By Joshua Molina, Santa Barbara Noozhawk Staff Writer, Photo Credit: Joshua Molina/Noozhawk photo
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, May 6, 2022
Link to article: Judge Grants Montecito Homeowners Injunction Over Parking Plan for Hot Springs Trailhead | Local News – Noozhawk.com
