A $1.5 million creek-side restoration project was completed in the Arroyo Burro Open Space and celebrated on May 1, 2019, by the snip of a ribbon. Mayor Cathy Murillo and the Santa Barbara City Council hosted the event to thank all who helped create the project, which lies opposite Elings Park across Las Positas Road. The City of Santa Barbara also received recognition from Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and Assemblymember Monique Limón.
Funded by Proposition 1, Measure B, and grants, Phase 1 of the project restored 4.5 acres of Arroyo Burro Creek to improve creek and ocean water, fix and prevent erosion, and restore wildlife habitats. Creeks Restoration and Clean Water Manager Cameron Benson stated in his ceremony speech, “The Las Positas Valley is called the lungs of Santa Barbara because of green spaces like this one that breathe life into the community. In that case, the creeks are the arteries.”
The Arroyo Burro Open Space was not always destined for recreational use, however. Plans to build luxury homes there were approved twice by city council, but the 14.7-acre Veronica Meadows was finally acquired by Santa Barbara and the Trust for Public Land in 2016. Thirteen years later, Veronica Meadows joins another six acres of undeveloped land already owned by the city to create the open space. Murillo commented, “It’s hard to create new parkland. This property was available and the city set aside millions of dollars to capture it.”