Construction on a new hotel in downtown Solvang is now on pause as city leaders and the project developer disagree over design changes that were made during construction.
Nearly one year ago, building permits were issued for a nine-unit cottage-style hotel located at the corner of Mission Drive and Alisal Road.
The approval came with the expectation that the project would follow Solvang’s established Danish-style architectural standards. However, city officials say the work underway does not match the plans originally approved by the city.
Community Development Director Rafael Castillo says construction was halted after the developer began making exterior changes without submitting them to the city’s Design Review Committee (DRC), a required step when changes are made to a permitted project.
“We got to the state where it is today with a pause in construction because the applicant went beyond the scope of his issued permit by changing facades, colors and other things,” Castillo said.
Some residents have expressed support for the project and its design direction.
During public comment at the October 13 city council meeting, resident Michael Mendoza praised the project’s artistic approach.
“I praise Ed for his passion and commitment and his artistic drive for enchantment, and I would agree with him that this is probably the most powerful demonstration of the origins of Solvang that’s been done in years, decades,” Mendoza said.
Others argued the design strays too far from the traditional architecture the city is known for. Resident David Gebaurer told city leaders he believes the exterior appearance no longer reflects Solvang’s identity.
“I must objectively say that the current design is not Danish, it is whimsical,” Gebaurer said. “Why is that a problem? Because Solvang is currently fighting to maintain its identity.”
Resident Janice Ziegler voiced similar concerns.
“Ed St. George’s project on Mission Drive is a three-for-three: exploitive, disrespectful, and devoid of context. Solvang is not based on a hovel in the 1600s somewhere in Europe,” she said.
Developer Ed St. George disagreed with the city’s position and maintained that the project remains consistent with the city’s design requirements.
“If you go back and look at the old code, it says we are trying to emulate the Northern European design, which this project does 100 percent,” St. George said. “What I ask the DRC is if you find something in this project that wasn’t of European design, please tell me, point it out to me and I will change it.”
Castillo says the next step is for the developer to submit a formal amendment for approval before work can resume. Despite the dispute, he says the city still supports seeing the project completed.
“The applicant is on a time frame to either complete the project within the permit or get it extended and again, we are looking to work with the applicant 100 percent as we do with all of our applicants,” he said.
KSBY has reached out to St. George for further comment on next steps but has not heard back.
