Retail center at 246 and Avenue of Flags would have hotel, coffee shop, and market in art deco design

The Buellton Planning Commission met for its regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5, and had order of business: A Preliminary Review of the “Highway 246 Commercial Center” on a collection of small parcels at the corner of Highway 246 and Avenue of Flags.

Contract City Planner Irma Tucker presented the staff report for the project, listing the owner as Central Holding Group, LLC, and the applicant as Lonnie Roy, of ON Design, Architecture & Planning.

This was the third review for the project. In the first review by the Planning Commission on Aug. 3, 2023, the commissioners had concerns about the overall style of the center. The project was resubmitted, with suggested changes, to the Planning Commission on March 21 of this year, and it was favorably received at that meeting, and at the April 11City Council meeting, Tucker said. 

As explained by Tucker in the staff report, the project, which falls under the Avenue of Flags Specific Plan, consists of:

  • A market/deli (7,925 square feet)
  • A coffee shop with a drive-thru (1,770 square feet), which would sport a giant coffeepot the customers’ vehicles would actually drive through
  • A 24-room motel (24,490 square feet)
  • 65 parking spaces

Tucker pointed out that the drive-thru at the coffee pot was not usually allowed under the Avenue of Flags Specific Plan, but that there was an appeal process to change policy for a business, and the applicant did file an appeal.

“Judging by the comments in previous reviews, we should proceed with request to change,” Tucker said.

The floor then opened for questions from the commissioners.

Commissioner Marcilo Sarquilla asked how it was decided to go with an art deco style instead of, say, gregorian.

“We have specific examples of each architectural design and it is selected by our contracted city architect,” Tucker said.”He is also the architect who helped with our Avenue of Flags Specific Plan.”

Sarquilla seemed satisfied with that answer, saying he wanted it confirmed an outside architect was consulted.

Later, after the applicant took questions from the commission, Sarquilla asked about a pollution study for the coffee-shop drive-thru.

“One of the neighbors there told me that drive-thrus have a significant amount of pollution,” he said. “Could staff take a look at that?”

Also, with the appeal being needed for the drive-thru, Sarquillo asked why drive-thrus were allowed in the area east of Highway 101, but not west of the highway.

“When Specific Plan was created, City Council put in the ‘no drive-thru policy to keep the downtown feel,” Tucker said.”However, we are taking a look at the 101 corridor and reviewing that policy allowing the drive-thrus.”

After that, Contreras had a couple more comments

“I don’t think the color matches up too well for the rest of the town,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s an issue for the community, but it’s a little concerning for me.”

That leads to a bigger issue, Conteras added.

“I’ve talked to community members, and we need a balance between the needs of the owners and the needs of the city as a whole,” he said. “There’s concerns about a different hodgepodge of parcels vs. one continuous style. Are we going to open up a pandora’s box?”

Tucker pointed out the Specific Plan allowed for certain sites to have “specialty” buildings and the site of the proposed commercial center was one of them.

Despite the concerns aired, Sarquilla and Contreras did say they liked the project and would like to see it succeed. The other two commissioners concurred.

“What I appreciate is you went to acquire all the little sites and put them together to achieve the cohesiveness,” said Vice Chair Shannon Reese. “The color scheme carries across theme without looking identical. There was a ’50s style motif called out for this and this met it.”

“Changes [from the original draft of the project] are awesome,” Sarquillo added. “It’s an iconic corner; after discussion, you’ve done an outstanding job. Each one being individual is important. Thank you for bringing it to us and to the city.”