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SB trash dilemma State, federal guidance makes clean up difficult for city By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
When the coronavirus pandemic hit California, the state Department of Public Health issued a statewide order for cities not to break up homeless encampments for fear of spreading the virus and in the hope that caseworkers could find their clients. Homeless shelters in Santa Barbara have managed to keep COVID-19 out of their facilities, and the spread among the homeless population hasn’t been of much concern. However, Santa Barbara residents have noted the trash piling up near fences and open areas along the freeway corridor. The areas surrounding the U.S. Post Office on Nopalitos Way, Mechanics Bank on Carpinteria Street, Plaza del Mar Park on Castillo Street and the old Santa Barbara Tourist Hostel by the Amtrak station are some of the areas with decent amounts of trash, residents have noted. Parts of Montecito, Bath, Milpas and Garden streets are also affected, especially near onramps and offramps to Highway 101. Jesse Espinoza grew up in Carpinteria and comes to Santa Barbara’s Eastside on Milpas Street to care for his elderly mother. “A lot of people really don’t like walking in this neighborhood anymore. They don’t feel safe,” he told the News-Press. “A lot of the seniors that walk out in the park don’t walk in the evening or night because of all the homeless issues.” Mr. Espinoza said he has seen chairs, dresses, clothes, wood, microwaves, water heaters and even refrigerators tossed out on the streets. “It’s a safety and a big health hazard, not only to the public but to these people out in the street,” he said. “I ask my mom, ‘Why don’t these people take pride in where they live?’ ” Rene Eyerly, the environmental services manager who oversees trash collection for Santa Barbara, said the city is exploring options with Caltrans to provide trash collection at the encampments. “The city has increased collection service provided in all of the business districts and along the waterfront,” she told the News-Press. “There are both additional containers along the high-use areas and supplemental crews working to keep up with the increased use of disposable to-go food containers and the general litter at our beaches, parks and near restaurants. Additional education of the public is also taking place. It is everyone’s responsibility to dispose of trash properly.” Laura Dubbels, the housing and human services manager for the city, told the News-Press the increase residents may see in trash is because of the federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The city is not clearing homeless encampments until the CDC lifts this guidance and Please see trash on A8
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
GranVida Senior Living and Memory Care in Carpinteria reported nine new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.
10 new COVID-19 cases at GranVida senior community By PAUL GONZALEZ NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Areas in downtown Santa Barbara with homeless encampments aren’t able to be cleared by the city due to guidance from the state of California to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here, homeless individuals are camped in front of the old Santa Barbara Tourist Hostel across from the Santa Barbara Amtrak station.
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Please see granvida on A7
Construction to begin on multi-use pathway By BRIAN MACKLEY Another area housing homeless encampments is along the railroad tracks off of Montecito and Bath streets, near a car wash.
At left, Santa Barbara residents are concerned with the increasing amounts of trash that the city is having difficulty cleaning up due to the state CDC guidelines. At right, a common place for homeless encampments is along the freeway corridor, such as here south of the DMV parking lot next to the northbound Highway 101 onramp at Castillo Street.
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GranVida Senior Living and Memory Care officials reported 10 new COVID-19 cases at the Carpinteria community. According to a Tuesday email to the families of residents, seven memory care residents and two direct-care staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Frontier Management Vice President of Sales and Marketing Kathy Swann, reported an additional positive staff member Wednesday. She added that all positive residents and staff are “quarantined or isolated from others.” “Additionally, we are having residents’ meals delivered to them. We will continue to be aggressive and thorough as we work to protect our residents and staff. The COVID-19 virus is challenging for everyone,” Ms. Swann said. Frontier Management operates several retirement living, assisted living and memory care communities across the country, includ-
ing GranVida, at 5464 Carpinteria Ave. In the email, GranVida Executive Director Amy Buchanan said she is still waiting for the results of COVID-19 tests conducted by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department on July 22. GranVida reported the new cases from tests conducted on July 20. “Our Health Services Team is closely monitoring, tracking, reporting and documenting our positive residents’ status,” Ms. Buchanan wrote. On July 10, six GranVida residents tested positive for COVID19. All six were asymptomatic according to Ms. Swann. As of July 11, the facility has taken steps to protect residents and staff from COVID-19, including disinfection practices, an isolation wing for positive residents and having residents’ meals delivered to them. All residents and staff are being tested for COVID-19 every seven days until the community reports
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
The city of Santa Barbara celebrated the start of construction of the Las Positas and Modoc Roads Multiuse Pathway on Wednesday during a virtual groundbreaking ceremony. As a part of the city’s Vision Zero project that considers all transportation-related deaths as unacceptable and preventable, the Las Positas and Modoc roads multiuse pathway is a 2.6-mile long transformative project that will create separation for bicyclists, runners and pedestrians from higher speed vehicle traffic along both the Las Positas and Modoc roads. The city’s Vision Zero Strategy aims to end severe or fatal transportation-related injuries in Santa Barbara by 2030.
Besides being safer for community members, the project will also connect the beach, schools, parks and commercial centers with the community along the Pacific Coastal and Crosstown bike routes. In addition, the project incorporates stormwater safety features, new landscaping, habitat restoration, better lighting, as well as shorter crossings for pedestrians. Two videos were shown during Wednesday’s virtual ceremony, the first featuring various community members sharing their thoughts on the new project and why it is needed in the community. The second was a pre-recorded video showing Mayor Cathy Murillo and others participating in an official groundbreaking ceremony. The final design for the project was completed in March 2020 and Please see expansion on A7
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Comics................. A6 Classified.............. A7 Life.................... A 3-4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-16-20-21-34 Meganumber: 20
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Obituaries............. A8 Soduku................. A5 Weather................ A7
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 7-0-9 / Wednesday’s Midday 5-6-8