Prince Harry and Meghan Markleās potential move up the road to an even more exclusive spot in Santa Barbara is cranking up the angst among the locals already ā¦ TMZ has learned.
Sources connected to the Homeowners Association (HOA) at Hope Ranch ā a super exclusive SB community Ā ā tell us there are a number of folks in that community who are fretting over Harry and Meg coming there ā¦ because of all the baggage that comes with them.
Weāre told nobody in Hope Ranch holds ill will toward the Sussexes personally, but the fact is ā¦ many feel theyāre going to bring a circus to their quiet, super-private burb ā¦ since theyāre so famous and controversial, and our sources say that can present very real-world problems.
One of the issues worrying some Hope Ranch residents has to do with traffic as a result of PH and MMās presence. Traffic has always been an issue in Santa Barbara, where residents for decades have tried to protect their community from an influx of cars.
The roads there are narrow and winding, and with would-be paps flocking to snap the Royals ā¦ some residents fear it could create peril, especially for kids who are playing and walking to school.
While thereās certainly a lot of richies living at Hope Ranch, none of them are quite as high-profile as Harry and Meghan ā¦ and weāre told them coming in is stressing out a good number of the villagers.
As for their current Montecito neighbors, we talked to a few whoāve had no issues with the Royals being in their backyard.
Three neighbors who live within earshot of Harry and Meghan tell us they havenāt noticed much of a change in their āhood during the Sussexesā stay these past couple years, and all of them are fairly indifferent about the family staying or going ā¦ noting thereās a lot of famous faces in the area, so itās whatevs.