A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. in front of Santa Ynez Valley Christian School, located at 891 N. Refugio Road in Santa Ynez. The event commemorates the newest addition to the Carina Dee Velazquez Memorial Path, marking the completion of the third phase of a community trail restoration project that broke ground in 2022. The newly completed section connects Mission Drive (Highway 226) to Homestead Lane, enhancing pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian access.
This segment of the trail was named in honor of Carina Dee Velazquez, a Santa Ynez Valley Union High School (SYVUHS) student who was struck and killed by a vehicle in 2015 while walking across Highway 246 near Refugio Road. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Oct. 3, 2023, to name this path segment after her. Carina’s father, Jose Velazquez, expressed his hope in a letter to the Board of Supervisors that the path "will be a safe place for people to walk and ride bikes away from traffic."
The overall project, known as the Refugio Road Trails Restoration Project, aims to restore multi-modal access along the existing roadside trail route between Los Olivos and the Santa Ynez River. The trail was developed through a community partnership involving the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
The initiative began in 2020 when Third District County Supervisor Joan Hartman recruited the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade to organize grassroots trail restoration efforts on Refugio Road. This was in support of a local pedestrian safety campaign launched by Faith Deeter and Jessica Schley. Supervisor Hartman stated, "Creating safe pathways for pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians for commuting and recreation is a high-priority for me." She added that she is "leased to continue this project on behalf of the community and neighbors."
In 2022, Supervisor Hartman announced that Santa Barbara County had allocated $250,000 to restore the first section of the trail, extending from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School to Deer Trail Lane along North Refugio Road. Further funding was secured in 2025, with the Bucket Brigade receiving $50,000 from the Chumash Foundation and an additional $100,000 from a County Air Pollution Control District Supplemental Environmental Project agreement. Trail construction for the most recent phase began in September 2026 and was completed on Oct. 15.
Abe Powell, co-founder and CEO of the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, highlighted the community impact, noting that "When people work together to improve safety in their own neighborhood, it builds connection and a sense of community pride." He also emphasized that "Trails connect people, neighborhoods and communities," which he described as something "we could all use a little more of these days."
The construction of the pedestrian path for this project involved several steps, including the grading of the road shoulder, clearing of obstructions, and installing trail edging. Additionally, a road base was laid, and a special new Santa Ynez shale trail surface was applied.
The Refugio Road trail restoration project receives support from a variety of neighboring schools and organizations. These include Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, the Dunn School, the YMCA, WeWatch, and the County Riding and Hiking Trails advisory committee.