Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Montecito neighborhood is in chaos as residents are complaining about an influx of tourists .
The hot springs in California attracts hundreds of visitors, with cars and tour buses crowding the narrow, remote road near the walking trail. “The last time I tried to hike [the hot springs trail], I had to park so far away that it would have been a hike to get to the hike,” Laura Capps, chair of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, shared.
Homeowners have even resorted to blocking parking areas with bushes and boulders, which authorities then have to remove. In May of last year, some residents reportedly went to the extreme of attempting to hire a demolition crew to destroy the hot springs.
READ MORE: Yellowstone’s Luke Grimes officially says goodbye to Taylor Sheridan drama with new role
READ MORE: John Lennon’s son Julian said The Beatles star was a ‘hypocrite’ who left his family ‘in bits’
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted in March to limit parking on days when weather authorities issue alerts for wildfires or floods. according to the Montecito Journal.
This decision was made because an excess of vehicles parked on the road could obstruct emergency services and hinder easy evacuation. Additionally, increased human activity on high-risk fire days raises the likelihood of accidental fires.
A similar measure was implemented in Mission Canyon in 2012, establishing no parking and tow-away zones near trails on Red Flag Warning days. “This project is something we are very supportive of, and we have been leaning in with our partners from the county, state, and federal agencies on making changes,” Montecito Fire Chief David Neels stated.
Santa Barbara County has earmarked $25,000 to enforce this new regulation, which will cover police overtime for approximately 20 alert days annually. The initiative is set to pilot this year.
County supervisors are optimistic that the insights gained from these measures will spark conversations about managing similar situations at other popular walking trails throughout the county.
Meghan and Harry moved to Montecito shortly after they stepped down as senior working royals. They snapped up their nine-bedroom property for $14.65 million.
Their home also features 16 bathrooms, along with a games room, a gym, tennis courts and tea house. There’s also a chicken coop, a pool and a pool house and two palm trees joined together at the bottom of the garden.
Harry and Meghan’s neighbors include the likes of Katy Perry and Oprah Winfrey. The Duchess of Sussex previously said in an interview with The Cut that her home makes her “feel free” and is “calm and healing.”
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.