Protecting State Street Parkway

Santa Barbara City Council designates green median as a city landmark

By NEIL HARTSTEIN

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to designate the historic State Street Parkway between Mission Street and Constance Avenue as a city landmark.

As part of its resolution conveying city landmark status on the parkway, the council followed staff’s recommendation that the landscape groundcover must consist of low plant materials, as opposed to mulch or gravel, and that any Pindo Palms that have to be removed be replaced by other Pindo Palms.

Further, council members agreed with staff that the landmark designation should only apply to the parkway itself, which runs down the center of the street, and should not run curb to curb to include the paved street on both sides of the parkway.

The Historic Landmark Commission, which had recommended the council name the parkway a city landmark, had also voted unanimously that the designation should apply to the entire street, roads and parkway included.

But staff pointed out Monday that would mean having to return to the HLC repeatedly for permission to perform street repairs and maintenance. Restricting the landmark status to just the parkway would allow