Roundabout Meeting Next Week

Next Wednesday, August 29, Montecito residents are encouraged to attend a community meeting and open house to learn more about two roundabouts that are slated to be built in Montecito. 

The more widely discussed roundabout project is slated for the corner of Olive Mill Road and Coast Village Road, and will include a northbound exit and southbound entrance to Highway 101. The lesser-known project, which many Hedgerow neighbors have voiced concern about, places a roundabout at the corner of San Ysidro Road and North Jameson Lane, and includes a northbound entrance and southbound exit from Highway 101. The two projects are being considered “parallel projects” to the Highway 101 widening. 

Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) has been working closely with staff from both the City of Santa Barbara and County of Santa Barbara to continue progress on these projects, and while the Olive Mill roundabout has been in the works since that time, the new roundabout at San Ysidro Road was only deemed necessary after it was determined the intersection at San Ysidro and North Jameson fell short on meeting the level of service required by the County. A number of alternatives were considered for both sides of the San Ysidro Road bridge, including roundabouts at both intersections on San Ysidro (one near the Miramar and one at North Jameson), as well as alternatives showing various combinations of all-way stops, traffic lights, and roundabouts. 

The recommendation of evaluators was a combination of a roundabout at the north intersections and all-way-stop-control at the south intersections. According to County reps, this configuration meets County and Montecito Community Plan level of service requirements, addresses potential backups on the freeway off-ramps, provides continuity to the regional frontage road system with Olive Mill and Coast Village Road, minimizes footprint and impacts, and improves pedestrian and bicycle access through the interchange.

Both roundabouts are in the preliminary design phase with no firm dates on design completion or construction. 

The Community Meeting and Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, August 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, at Chase Palm Park Center, 236 E. Cabrillo Blvd. For more information about the meeting, contact Walter Rubalcava, County Project manager, at Wrebalc@cosbpw.net. 

Sheriff’s Blotter 

Friday, 17 August, 2 pm – Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Hot Springs Trailhead on a report of a suspicious vehicle that was parked near the trailhead since August 13. The solo male occupant was last seen walking up the trailhead. The vehicle was registered to Wayne Habell, of Newhall, who was listed as an at-risk missing person out of Los Angeles County. 

Sheriff’s deputies, the Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit and Santa Barbara Search and Rescue team members responded and began an extensive search of the area. The search teams were unable to locate Mr. Habell due to darkness, and the search was called off until the morning.  

At 6 pm on August 18, a male decedent was located in the canyon. The body was taken to the Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Office for further investigation. The identity of the decedent was later determined to be 43-year-old Wayne Stuart Habell. The cause and manner of death was a suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Habell was a 13-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and had gone missing earlier in the week.