This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.
San Ysidro Ranch may add a botanical garden to its manicured property, a major change from the current habitat restoration project on the proposed site. The new garden plans are technically a permit revision, not a new project, and are still under review with the County of Santa Barbara. Approval will not require a hearing or a formal public comment period.
Less than 10 minutes from the head of San Ysidro Trail is a fenced-in swath of green space. California Oaks grow in cleared, rocky soil along with grasses and shrubs. If a hiker follows the perimeter of the fenced-in property, they’ll travel onto McMenemy Trail, cross an (often running) stream, and discover a sign: “erosion control and landscape restoration in progress.”
San Ysidro BB Property, a limited liability company owned by Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner, is proposing to change the restoration project to include a botanical garden. Warner also owns the nearby luxury hotel, the San Ysidro Ranch. In March 2021, San Ysidro BB Property LLC removed trees and other plants on the property, as well as on a nearby parcel of land. In that removal, they took out native plants and trees in an area labelled environmentally sensitive habitat without permission from the county. A document authored by a biological consulting service hired by San Ysidro BB Property said the company had “aimed to reduce the area’s fire load.”…