this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2024
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County officials alert Montecito homeowners that they face prosecution, including daily fines of $850 if stones are not removed

Montecito, California, is known for being home to Oprah, a former royal family, and a stunning stretch of coastline. It’s also home to miles of trails, some of which are being blocked by residents hoping to stop people from accessing public hot springs.

Santa Barbara county has been watching encroachments on East Mountain Drive and Riven Rock Road in Montecito since at least 2022, when they sent letters to residents warning them to remove large stones.

Last month, county officials sent letters again to at least six homes alerting residents to remove the stones by 28 March or face civil or criminal prosecution, including daily fines of $850. The county insists that these roads are a public right of way.

The issue seems to be with parking at the trailhead, where a tiny lot allows for just eight vehicles. When that fills up, hikers have to park on roadsides. The hot springs contain six bright blue pools that are located 1.3 miles from the trailhead in the San Padres Forest, surrounded by a deep forest and rocky hills. It became popular during the pandemic when hiking surged in the area, and has also taken off on social media as a destination.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 132 points 7 months ago (1 children)

This reminds me of cities after the Civil Rights Act getting rid of their public pools rather than being forced to integrate them.

"It's either just for me or no one can have it" is such a weird attitude.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 54 points 7 months ago (1 children)

People with wealth that want privacy also want cool things near them. You can't have both unless you're mega wealthy.

[–] ThePantser@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] foggy@lemmy.world 21 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, but this is here pre-megawealth home.

Her megawealth home that satisfies this is in Hawaii.

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[–] Aviandelight@mander.xyz 118 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I mean the most obvious malicious compliance here would be to make a bus line that runs to the tiny little parking lot at the entrance. Nothing the wealthy hate more than public transportation in their backyard.

[–] mojo_raisin@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago

I like the way you think.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

a park with a ski hill near where I used to live did this during ski season because the ski hill terminated near the access road. Imo even if they just ran the shuttle on weekends it would probably be cheaper than a lawsuit.

[–] maynarkh@feddit.nl 83 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The issue seems to be with parking at the trailhead, where a tiny lot allows for just eight vehicles. When that fills up, hikers have to park on roadsides.

County officials plan to create 62 new parking spots near the trailhead – which caused four homeowners to sue in protest in 2022.

They can go get bent.

[–] sepulcher@lemmy.ca 17 points 7 months ago

which caused four homeowners to sue in protest in 2022.

So this is what rich people do with their excess wealth.

They use it to further oppress poor people!

Remember this whenever anyone says "they're a business and they need to make money."

[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 61 points 7 months ago (18 children)

It's a GOOD thing we don't TAX these Wealthy People! Otherwise they might have to give US access to the National Parks we paid for since they won't be able to Afford the Fines!

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 25 points 7 months ago (2 children)

finland has income based tickets. We could, theoretically, do that here.

[–] mPony@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

what's that? America holding The Rich accountable for their misdeeds?
Well I guess there's a first time for everything.

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[–] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 52 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] SkybreakerEngineer@lemmy.world 15 points 7 months ago (2 children)
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[–] 3volver@lemmy.world 43 points 7 months ago (10 children)

It’s not clear if the stones have been cleared.

🤡

More like, "we just got paid to not do anything about it". If they wanted those stones cleared they would have brought a fucking excavator, got shit done, and fined the people responsible over $10,000 for the cost of moving them.

[–] jkrtn@lemmy.ml 12 points 7 months ago

Roll the stone into their house and then fine them for creating a hazard that damaged a house.

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[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 39 points 7 months ago (3 children)

$850/day to someone who owns a house worth an average of $7.2m really isn't much. These people are wealthy beyond belief and can easily pay that penalty. If the punishment for bad behavior is only a fine, then the bad behavior is effectively legal for the rich.

[–] CosmicCleric@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago (1 children)

$850/day to someone who owns a house worth an average of $7.2m really isn’t much.

~ $26K/month, $312K/year.

[–] guacupado@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Oprah could pay that annually by herself and not even notice the expense.

[–] EdibleFriend@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I have said it before and I'll say it again. Oprah is too powerful and, honestly, I bet she has nukes.

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[–] nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca 16 points 7 months ago

I'm fine with the $850/ day fine for 10 days as long as on the 11th day the public is allowed to attach one of their boulders to a helicopter and drop it on their house.

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[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 33 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Montecito has so much money and influence that any freeway construction in the area has to avoid Montecito because they hate the noise and traffic. They are also used to getting their way. They want to be a small town of multimillionaires but the problem is that they are between a big city and a national park.

[–] NielsBohron@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

And a small but significant private liberal arts college (Westmont)

[–] venusaur@lemmy.world 25 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Wow. This is like those homeowners that were sued for blocking access to the beach in Malibu.

[–] blandfordforever@lemm.ee 13 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Rich people seem to like to buy expensive property near nice natural resources and then try to keep those filthy poor away.

You don't own the beach and you don't own the hot springs, you rich fucks!

[–] jkrtn@lemmy.ml 5 points 7 months ago

They're practicing for climate change resource scarcity, they will keep us away from the potable water.

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[–] juicy@lemmy.today 25 points 7 months ago (4 children)
[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

Don’t eat junk food.

Compost. Eat the veggies they fertilize.

[–] AutistoMephisto@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

Technically, we'd just need to eat one rich person. Just one. The rest will get the message. OceanGate showed us they are not immortal. Their own stupidity got them killed. After that, if I were ultra rich, I'd be very scared. Like "Let's call up a team and come up with a strategy" scared. You see, for decades they've built this narrative that they are this untouchable class of beings, beyond mortals. Then OceanGate showed us that they can, in fact, bleed. You see, when a dragon is killed, we don't mourn it's life, we cheer the Dragonslayer. So, if I were in the 0.1%, I'd be worried about appearing very human, very quickly.

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[–] sepulcher@lemmy.ca 22 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Fuck rich people.

Every last one of them is a scummy, scammy piece of garbage.

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[–] PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 21 points 7 months ago (2 children)

It became popular during the pandemic when hiking surged in the area, and has also taken off on social media as a destination.

On one hand, fuck those rich people who live there. On the other hand, fuck those assholes that ruin places like this because they want to take pictures for social media.

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 17 points 7 months ago (4 children)

The courts agreed they have to remove the barriers.

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[–] LordCrom@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago (7 children)

Or .... And just hear me out.... People actually like walking through scenic nature and visiting hot springs because they simply enjoy it

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[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 15 points 6 months ago (1 children)

What is it with you humans and your insistence that nothing matters unless you can keep it away from those who need it most?

[–] ridethisbike@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago (2 children)

While I agree with the sentiment, I don't think it really applies in this case.

That said, people shouldn't be blocking access to a public area just because they're upset about something

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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

Money sure seems to bring out the moronic meanness of people dont it

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

There needs to be hefty fines, with a time component, accumulating since the first notice

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