Community Association for Modoc Preserve - CAMP

09/18/2024

Here's some food for thought from our amigos up in Santa Cruz...

The road to hell is paved with good intentions...;-)

We are building biking paths all over Santa Cruz County, but if we can’t keep what we already have safe, will that new infrastructure be underutilized? Jamie Barsimantov shares what it’s been like to ride on the San Lorenzo River levee bike path over the past 20 years.

02/10/2024

Well…you didn’t have to be Nostradamus to predict this mud slide after completion of Phase 1…

https://modocpreserve.com/modoc-road-mup-phase-i-cluster-fudge/

02/09/2024

The Preserve has been loving the rain lately...caught some beautiful Monarch butterflies enjoying the sunny weather...click for image gallery...

11/04/2023

This should be food for thought.

It does not accurately describe either the foundation of Israel or the tragedy of the Palestinians.

10/24/2023

Good afternoon Modoc Preservationists,
I chopped the latest Modoc Road MUP path overlay (15000 x 3334) up into 10 bite size pieces in this gallery lightbox...makes it a bit easier to digest...and, colored the path red...
Starts west at Obern Trail and moves east to Via Senda...

0   Modoc Preserve Nature Open Space October 24, 2023Alignment BHope RanchLas PalmasModoc Nature PreserveModoc PreserveModoc Preserve wetlandModoc RoadModoc Road bike pathMulti-Use PathSanta BarbaraVia Senda Related Posts SHADY DEALINGSSHADY DEALINGS Inconvenient Truths: The removal of these 2...

10/21/2023

The Town Hall meeting for input on the Modoc Road Multi-Use Path is on 10/26 from 6-8 at Vieja Valley School.

It would be great if you all could attend.
If you can't attend you can request a zoom link here https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/ea1cf65dd38b4098a67ae7e6ba017623

It is important to share design input as to what we want the project to look like in County right-of-way (ROW) by sending emails with the discussed talking points below to both:
Lael Wageneck: [email protected]
and
Chris Sneddon: [email protected]

Here are the talking points for the town hall meeting which you can copy and paste or use as a guide:

We support:
1. Keeping the path along Modoc Road past East Encore. This was included in the MND and approved by the Board of Supervisors. It cannot be re-litigated now.
2. Saving as many trees as possible. This includes the two palm trees at Vista Clara and the mature Eucalyptus trees at the east end of the Preserve.
3. Following the lead of the Land Trust and the Water Company in all matters located inside the Preserve.
4. A new crosswalk at East Encore Dr.
5. A new sidewalk between East Encore Dr. and Vista Clara, plus repairs to the existing sidewalk that currently exists from the East Encore Dr. area and West Encore Dr.
6. We support construction of a barrier/fence between the MUP and the Modoc Preserve to minimize the environmental vandalism and prohibited bike and motorcycle incursions in the Modoc Preserve.

We oppose:
1. Any new landings or rest areas next to the MUP.
2. We are opposed to a crosswalk at Vista Clara. There is no line of sight with high traffic speeds...it is a dangerous crossing...it would necessitate the removal of at least 2 additional palm trees.
3. A median on Modoc between Via Zorro and Vista Clara.
4. Removing any additional trees.
FYI: the latest 35% plans that came out this morning show a crosswalk at West Via Zorro, with zero trees being removed so we generally support it as it would likely help slow traffic.

Here is the latest link : https://www.countyofsb.org/modocmup

This has been a long hard fight and it is not over.

Please send your emails ASAP...THEY MATTER!

10/21/2023

Saving Modoc Road Trees...
We are opposed to the Vista Clara crosswalk which will save 2 Canary Island palm trees...

10/21/2023

Town Hall Meeting - October 26, 2023 - 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. - Vieja Valley Elementary School

In May 2023, 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 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. A 20-minute presentation will begin at 6 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.

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/ea1cf65dd38b4098a67ae7e6ba017623

We will post an update to the 35% plans and other updates at least one week before the meeting. (October 19 - click here to download the updated plans)

https://cosantabarbara.app.box.com/s/k9cskb4w2sgh9sg9v5fkg6dxni22y0ui

For more information, contact Lael Wageneck at [email protected] or (805)568-3425.

10/01/2023

Hello fellow Modoc Preservationists,
We have some good news for the Modoc Preserve!

CAMP and SB County have reached a "Settlement Agreement" to our CEQA challenge to the County's MND that we filed December 1, 2022...

After much wrangling...the County has finally agreed in writing to exclude the use of hot-mix asphalt from within the borders of the Modoc Preserve...see "b"...
Additionally, also in writing, they have agreed to follow LTSB's lead as to location and materials within the Preserve...see "c.”

The big take-a-way is that we have succeeded in putting the Land Trust in the driver’s seat.
Here is the heart of our settlement agreement with the County:

a. The County will construct the portions of the Project that are located outside the Modoc Preserve within the existing County right-of-way and utilizing the existing asphalt infrastructure of Modoc Road, to the extent feasible, as determined by the County.

b. The County will not construct any portion of the Project that is located upon the Modoc Preserve using hot mix asphalt.

c. The County will construct any portion of the Project that is located upon the Modoc Preserve in a location and using materials that are consistent with the existing Modoc Preserve conservation easement, as determined by the easement
holder, the Santa Barbara County Land Trust.
One of the main driving factors in reaching this settlement is that both Land Trust of Santa Barbara County...and, La Cumbre Mutual Water Company supported our recommendation of GraniteCrete as an acceptable path material...and, it appears that the County is also supporting this recommendation.

We can all feel proud of our efforts over the last 15 months...most of the trees in the Modoc Preserve have been saved...and, the environmental footprint and impact(s) to the Preserve has been minimized...and, importantly...acknowledgement of the existing Modoc Preserve Conservation Easement that we fought for, and won in 1999, is at the heart of preserving the Preserve going forward. We fought hard for this, and it is a major achievement to have it in writing in a binding legal document.
None of this would have been possible without your support, and we are deeply grateful to all of you who contributed time and money to our legal effort.
CAMP (…and, CAMP social media) will continue to exist as a non-partisan grassroots watchdog group which supports preserving the Modoc Preserve.
There are many details of the project that still remain to be worked out…and, we will try to keep you informed as they become more specific.
Thank you all,

Warren, Deb, & Eva

10/01/2023

https://www.independent.com/2023/09/30/modoc-road-pathway-reaches-a-settlement-with-neighborhood-group/

The agreement will connect Isla Vista and Goleta to Santa Barbara's Cliff Drive via a Class 1 path for cyclists and pedestrians.

09/03/2023

Pretty accurate article...for the most part...

Santa Barbara County to hire easement consultant to negotiate right-of-way along Modoc Preserve.

06/10/2023

We were honored to have spent time yesterday with US Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) touring the Modoc Preserve and having an open dialogue about the importance of open space...clean air...clean water...and, the protection of natural areas...etc...

He could not believe that there were plans one year ago to pave the area where we are standing in the Preserve (left) with asphalt...

Salud has been working hard to add federal protections to the Carrizo Plains...

https://carbajal.house.gov/