Santa Barbara County residents place boulders in public right-of-way

A few residents of a wealthy Santa Barbara County neighborhood are once again trying to make it difficult for the public to access its popular trails and hot springs.

According to a letter sent by the county’s public works department, SFGate reported, at least six Montecito residents were ordered to remove boulders and plants obstructing public parking areas used by hikers on East Mountain Drive and Riven Rock Road. The letters went to homes near the popular Montecito Hot Springs trailhead. Visitors park on the public streets next to residents’ houses there once the small trailhead parking area fills up.

The county sent out similar letters to residents about obstructing the public right-of-way on East Mountain Drive in 2022, SFGate reported.

The department sent the letters on March 18, ordering residents to remove the obstructions by March 28. Public works warned the residents of civil litigation or criminal prosecution if they did not comply, along with fines and penalties totaling $850 per day. Santa Barbara County public works did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

If Montecito residents want to do landscaping on a public right-of-way legally, homeowners may apply for an encroachment permit, according to the public works’ letter. Many homes in the area are on large properties and are not visible from the street.

Michael Healy, a resident who lives near the trailhead, said he believes the public works department is trying to reach an agreement with residents about protecting the parking spaces. Cars parked on the side of the street pose a potential safety risk, as they could block the path for emergency vehicles or an evacuation, he added.

The median home price in Montecito is just under $7.5 million, according to Redfin data. Some of Montecito’s residents include Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The obstructions in Montecito are not the first case of wealthier Californians attempting to block public spaces.

Earlier this year, homeowners in the Bay Area put up a chain-link fence to block access to the beach, despite $4.7 million in fines from authorities. The fence blocked off a walkway behind a quarter-mile stretch of beachfront condos in Santa Cruz County. In 2023, Malibu residents were penalized for obscuring access to a public beach.