By this time next year, work should begin on an in-between portion of a Class 1 pathway for bicyclists and pedestrians along Modoc Road, which will connect a sequestered bike path from Goleta, UC Santa Barbara, and Isla Vista to Santa Barbara’s Cliff Drive. A few hurdles remain — in large part, a negotiation with the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County to use part of the Modoc Preserve it controls — but a lawsuit was recently settled with neighbors concerned about the 1,600-foot segment of the path that will run along the preserve.
Warren Thomas, who heads the neighborhood group called the Community Association for Modoc Preserve, was pleased that the wetlands within the preserve would remain untouched and that dozens of trees would continue to grow. “After much wrangling, the county has finally agreed in writing to exclude the use of hot-mix asphalt in the preserve,” Thomas said. Instead, where the multi-use path runs across preserve lands, a permeable, durable, non-resin, non-petroleum surface called GraniteCrete will be used.
The county representative for the neighborhood, Supervisor Laura Capps, was grateful the hurdle of the lawsuit had been cleared. “We have a diverse stakeholder group working on a multitude of issues that will deliver what I see as our top priorities: safety and access,” she said.
Project leader Chris Sneddon with County Public Works saw the settlement as a moment of collaboration and compromise, one that would provide “safe, efficient access for all users through this corridor.” He noted that cyclists, walkers, and interested neighbors would have a chance to view the current plans and give feedback during a Town Hall on Thursday, October 26, 6-8 p.m., at Vieja Valley School.