Solvang (SolvangUSA.com), affectionately known as “The Danish Capital of America,” has been voted as second-best in the “Best Small Town in the West” in the 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards, the results for which were publicly announced on April 10. The unique Southern California destination joined category winner Seward, Alaska, and third-place holder, Grants, New Mexico, in the top three spots.

In 2024, Solvang was nominated by a panel of experts and the 10Best editorial team for the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in two different travel categories: “Best Small Town in the West” and “Best Main Street.” The travel awards contest and online voting launched for the “Best Small Town in the West” category on Monday, March 4, and online public voting ran through Monday, April 1. (Results for the “Best Main Street” awards category have not yet been announced.)

No stranger to the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, Solvang was one of the 10 Best Historic Small Town winners in 2016 and 2018. In 2017, USA TODAY named Solvang as one of “10 great places to enjoy global Christmas traditions in the USA.” More recently, Solvang was nominated for the 2022 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in two different categories, “Best Historic Small Town” and “Best Small Town Cultural Scene,” and secured seventh place in the 2022 winners’ listing for the latter category.

Solvang is the only California town represented in the top 10 winners’ list for 2024’s “Best Small Town in the West,” and jostled for first place among the top finishers throughout the voting period. The fourth through 10th place winners in the category are: Cody, Wyoming; Manitou Springs, Colorado; Gig Harbor, Washington; Bainbridge Island, Washington; Williams, Arizona; Durango, Colorado; and Ashland, Oregon.

The annual USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice awards feature the top 20 nominees in contests covering travel and lifestyle topics such as food, lodging, destinations, travel gear, things to do, seasonal family fun, and more. The 10Best Readers’ Choice Award contest launches new categories every other Monday at 12 p.m., revealing each category’s 20 nominees. After four weeks of digital voting, the contest closes on the 28th day at 12 p.m. Rules allow the public the right to vote online for one nominee per category, per day. More information about the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards may be found at 10best.usatoday.com/awards/about-usa-today-10best-readers-choice-awards/.

Dog-friendly and ideal for kids, Solvang, known for its Danish-American vibe, architecture and design details, pastries and bakeries, and array of wine tasting options, also boasts dozens of unique boutiques, restaurants and gourmet food purveyors. Carefully curated indie booksellers and high-end home goods suppliers mingle with fairy tale-like children’s stores and museum gift shops. Solvang’s foodie destinations offer everything from elevated street cuisine – like locally-sourced fish tacos on hand-made tortillas, and comforting ramen noodles – to European-style pretzels and sausages, to Italian standbys or iconic Danish dishes, to elevated new-Californian fare in the form of MICHELIN-honored menus. Solvang visitors sip small-batch, locally-roasted coffee, shop for exotic, hand-bottled spice blends, or enjoy Tiki cocktails and craft beer, all part of an indulgent and one-of-a-kind, year-round shopping and playing escape.

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The Buellton City Council met for its regular meeting on Thursday, April 11, without Mayor Dave King, so Vice Mayor David Silva conducted the proceedings through most of the meeting as the councilmembers discussed a couple of business items involved proposed parking policy changes.

The council also conducted a conceptual review of the proposed “Highway 246 Commercial Center,” which included an eye-catching drive-thru coffee shop.

After approval of the Consent Calendar, and a proclamation recognizing National Donate Life Month — promoting organ donation — the council went ahead with Business Item 7, the conceptual review. Councilmember Hudson Hornick recused himself from the item, but was allowed to stay and listen to the presentation.

Contract City Planner Irma Tucker introduced the item and described the “Highway 246 Commercial Center,” which has been proposed by applicant Lonnie Roy.

Tucker said the center, located at 20 E. Highway 246 and 220 Avenue of Flags (north of the Flying Flags RV Park and Ellen’s Pancake House) would consist of a space-themed hotel with 24 units, a market/deli with an art deco architecture, and a drive-thru coffee shop that promises to get the attention of passersby.

The coffee shop would have a giant coffee pot with an opening to let customers’ cars through as part of the drive-thru.

Tucker said a drive-thru is not allowed on that parcel, but an amendment could be made to the plan to allow for it.

The reaction from the council was mostly positive, with Silva calling it “shockingly exciting” and saying “it would be fun to say I drove through a coffee pot.” Councilmember John Sanchez liked the fact that any drive-thru line would be contained in the center’s parking. “I’m pro drive-thru,” he said.

Councilmembers’ comments would be forwarded to the Planning Commission.

Business Item 7 was to discuss potential truck parking and the restriping of South Avenue of Flags jointly, but Sanchez requested the two aspects be discussed separately.

Sanchez had suggested an ordinance change that would make it legal for semi-trucks or other large vehicles to park in a part of the road that straddled the right lane leading to Ellen’s Pancake House and the left lane leading to Highway 246. The councilmember said he’s seen truck drivers use the space just south of the median with no trouble.

Public works director Rose Hess in her presentation said the city ordinance doesn’t allow for any vehicles to park more than 18 inches from the curb, and suggested an area on the curb where semi-trucks could be parked. However, Sanchez said he just wanted to legalize parking on the street area; he was not intending to have any existing parking taken out.

Hess said that was not an option, saying there potential issues with letting anyone park at the spot Sanchez proposed. In public comment, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Valencia backed Hess, saying that changing the 18-inch ordinance would open up the city to liability if there was an accident.

The other three councilmembers also agreed that the proposed parking area was not a good idea.

“It doesn’t seem like something that would work; I’d be against it,” Silva said. “We should look at a place for truck parking but not there — if engineers and law enforcement say its wrong, that’s saying something.”

Council directed staff not to pursue the parking proposal, and councilmembers then started discussion on the restriping of South Avenue of Flags.

Hess proposed modifications to narrow the two-lane road to one in front of Flying Flags going northbound, and Shadow Mountain Drive going southbound.

Sanchez pointed out there was no accomodation for people turning into the RV park, and said that would potentially back up northbound traffic. He suggested a right-turn lane into Flying Flags, but as the discussion continued admitted he just was not in favor of narrowing the road to one lane.

Hornick said he liked the idea of the right-turn lane, but was in favor of one lane in each direction.

“I agree that [people turning into Flying Flags] could be a problem, but I like the one-lane idea,” he said. “I see it as more pedestrian friendly.”

Sanchez then continued his opposition to the one-lane idea in talking about the southbound lane.

“People going right [on Shadow Mountain Road] toward Zaca Creek Golf Course would be holding up traffic for people wanting to get to work,” he said.

However, Hornick answered that with “I understand, but we actually want to slow it down.”

Ultimately, Hess was directed to move forward on the restriping.

The final business item, Item 9, had to do parking issues on McMurray Road by Valley Vineyard Circle. Silva recused himself because he lives on Valley Vineyard Circle, and left the meeting, with Councilmember Elysia Lewis being handed the gavel.

Hess said there have been multiple issues with parking in the area, partly because there has been a lot of construction there, with heavy vehicles and equipment required on site. There have also been complaints of vehicles parking too close to the intersection, blocking sight lines for those trying to turn onto McMurray.

Hess introduced a map proposing red curbs (banning any parking) all around the field formed by Valley Vineyard Circle and McMurray Road. The reaction to that was negative, with three residents (one by email) criticizing the idea.

During public comment, one resident said “This is extremely aggressive [the amount of red curbs]; it just seems like a lot to me.”

Lewis said she was not in favor of the amount of red curbs. “It causes more problems than it solves,” she added.

Sanchez agreed with Lewis, and went even further, saying there should be no red curbs at all. “I don’t understand limiting parking on any public street,” he said.

The discussion ended with City Manager Scott Wolfe saying they will come back with another proposal for the area at a future meeting.

The City Council will next meet on Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m.

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The Solvang City Council held its regular meeting Monday, April 8, and a good portion of it was spent discussing the council’s prioritized list of goals that was reached at a March 9 workshop.

Mayor Mark Infanti was not present physically at the meeting due to not feeling well, but he did participate via Zoom, with Mayor Pro Tem Dave Brown running the proceedings.

However, the mayor’s seat was not empty, at least not for the start of the meeting, as Solvang School second-grader Finley Henderson fulfilled her duties as “Mayor of the Day.” Finley had won the honor through a school contest, and also got to light the city Christmas tree at Solvang Park back in December.

On April 8, she called the meeting to order and led the council in the Pledge of Allegiance. Then she told the council and staff what she learned as honorary mayor that day.

“I learned about the Fire Department, all the water and how you clean it in the city, and how a building gets done,” she said. Finley was then asked by Brown if she had any recommendations, and she said she had suggested a mini-golf course in Solvang “where kids and families can go to have fun.”

Brown then presented her a gift on behalf of the city, a package of donuts, noting Finley’s love of the treats, and thanked her for “running the city.”

The first of the discussion items on the evening concerned the City Council’s prioritizing of its city goals over the next two years. During the City Council workshop on March 9, the city staff established 33 goals after input from the public and city officials. 

The council concentrated on the top 15, which ranged from the city parking situation (which was ranked No. 1) to affordable housing, local law enforcement staffing, traffic congestion, developing more local events to even it out with tourism events, and drawing business conferences and events to the city.

The council discussed and prioritized the goals with Special Advisor Rod Wood, who advised them on how they could move forward in implementing the goals and even consolidated some that were similar in scope. (To see the list of prioritized goals, go to www.cityofsolvang.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04082024-824 and jump to page 159).

“What we don’t want is a list of goals and two years later nothing gets done,” Wood said. “My task is to make sure you move forward with what you have approved tonight.

Money’s never the problem, getting to ‘yes’ is the problem.”

During public comment, Friends of the Solvang Library Board Member David Goldstein and Solvang resident Cary McKinnon advocated for the library improvements, which was among the top 15 of the city goals.

“A great city deserves a great library,” Goldstein said. “Right now, our services require three times the space that we currently have.”

“Thank you for considering the library on your list,” McKinnon said. “What is needed is more meeting space; it has none right now, and I get a lot of questions about that.”

At the end of the item, city staff was directed to move forward with the top 15 items, and Wood said after that they could rework them to fit budget concerns.

City Manager Randy Murphy said the list of priorities has been shared with grant writers in the hopes that Solvang could get extra funds for some of the projects.

In other business:

The council established a new Ad Hoc Budget Committee, which Murphy said earlier could be helpful in dealing with the City Council goals. The committee consists of the mayor (Infanti) and additional City Council member and a member of the Measure U Citizens’ Oversight Committee.

Councilmember Robert Clarke was appointed to the committee along with Infanti. The Measure U representative will be determined during a meeting for that committee.

The council heard the item of RATPDev, the operator of Santa Ynez Valley Transit, requesting an amendment of the five-year contract between the operator and city reached in 2022. Mainly, RATPDev requested an increase in fixed rate for non-transit costs, variable costs based on revenue hours, and to recover unforeseen escalation of costs estimated at $103,158.51, a 13.5-percent hike.

Public Works Director Rodger Olds said renegotiating with the transit operator was recommended so that they don’t risk having an unhappy vendor, but Councilmember Elizabeth Orona questioned the request when she found out that RATPDev could not provide any figures for ridership or finances. Orona also pointed out the operator was already getting a 12 percent increase under the current contract.

“We need to be transparent,” she said. “I want to see some match because now they’re asking for essentially 24.5 percent when they’re already getting 12 [percent]”

Solvang resident Denise El Amin, who’s been a frequent participant in public comment, thanked Orona for bringing up the lack of information, but took the council and operator to task.

“How can you have a five-year contract and just decided to redo it after one year,” she said. “I go outside where I live and see a bus go by and there’s like three people in it, and now they won’t give us the ridership figures. It’s a disgrace to give a presentation without figures.”

At the end, it was agreed that Olds would bring the presentation back to council after he was able to get some figures from RATPDev.

The City Council will meet next on April 22 at 6:30 p.m.

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By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

The Buellton City Council had its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 22, and during it got the process rolling on possibly getting an amended Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) on the November ballot.

The UGB was one of two business items on the agenda for the meeting.

An Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) is a concept that separates urban areas from the surrounding natural and agricultural lands, or greenbelts. It puts a limit on how far out the city can expand. 

In giving the presentation to council for the UGB, City Manager Scott Wolfe noted that it was identical to Buellton’s city limits, which isn’t usually the case for a city. He added that the city’s sphere of influence, which identifies areas outside of city limits which may at one point receive municipal services from the city, is also the same as city limits, which means the city cannot offer services past its limits.

“This UGB was established by voters in 2008 and can only be amended by voters,” Wolfe said. “However, the initiative expires on Dec. 31, 2025, and we only have one election left until then, in November, and we need to get an extension or an amended one on the ballot, or it’s going to expire.”

Wolfe proposed putting on the ballot an amended UGB with a sphere of influence expanded in three areas: past the west boundary of the city farther out on Highway 246 and its environs, north of the city boundary along Highway 101; and the east of town, in an area east of McMurray Road.

The city manager said his presentation was the first step in a compact schedule meant to get an amended UGB on the ballot, having the “phases” outlined with Phase 2, a workshop during the city’s Planning Commission meeting on March 21; another workshop in the City Council meeting on April 25; and the UGB ballot initiative to be put before the City Council at its May 23 meeting in order to get it on the November ballot.

In council’s comments and questions, Councilmember Hudson Hornick had a few questions and concerns, among them whether the proposed SOI would open the door to overdevelopment and whether a proposed Southern expansion would threatened the trail easements the council had established. Wolfe said there’s the potential for overdevelopment, but it usually doesn’t work that way and the trail easements would not be threatened.

Vice-Mayor David Silva expressed concern whether the expanded Sphere of Influence area would be able to accomodate the city’s modest regional housing allocation numbers, and Wolfe assured him it would.

“So what I see here it’s the density vs. sprawl discussion, we have this and wait for the state to blink, which they never do,” Silva said, “but this is something that gives some say, and not having to do Builder’s Remedy.”

“It makes thing a little more flexible for us.”

After discussion, no motion was taken as a council vote isn’t planned until the May 23 meeting.

The second item had to do with Authorization of Contract Extension with KOA to Prepare Caltrans Traffic Study

Wolfe said the city had been working with a business called KOA Crane to prepare a traffic study for Caltrans, proposing a ‘Skinny 246’ plan to narrow the roads and put in medians, bike lanes, and other “traffic-calming” measures. 

The city manager said they had already agreed with KOA Crane on a contract for $56,000, and said the study would be a means to get Caltrans to do other work in the Valley, and recommends that the council approve it.

Councilmember Elysia Lewis was concerned about how long it might take, but Wolfe assured her it would only be a few months, and hoped to be seeking grants by summer.

After hearing that Caltrans would have no involvement with the study, Councilmember John Sanchez asked if it was possible for the city to do all this work getting the study, and for Caltrans to say no to their requests.

“That is a possibility,” Wolfe said. “But I think if Caltrans sees we made the effort to put this together, they be more receptive to us.”

Mayor Dave King agreed with that sentiment.

“This survey is on our time; we can put it together, and I believe Caltrans will partner with us,” he said.

Lewis moved to approve the study, and it passed by a 5-0 vote.

The next Buellton City Council meeting will be March 14.

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By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

The Solvang City Council met for it regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 26, and a big topic on the evening was water and sewer payments — or to be more specific, what to do about residents who are delinquent in those payments.

The council convened as a foursome for this meeting due to the absence of Mayor Pro Tem Dave Brown, although he would briefly participate by proxy. Also, City Manager Randy Murphy appeared by remote.

Presented as the first discussion item for the meeting (Item 6a.Discussion and Possible Action to Provide Direction Regarding Enforcement of Delinquent Water and Sewer Utility Bills 225), it involved city staff seeking direction on how do deal with residents who don’t pay their water/sewer bill.

“Staff is seeking direction from council in enforcing payment of water sewer bills,” explained City Counsel Chelsea O’Sullivan in introducing the item. “Mainly, we’re wondering how aggressive we want to be with enforcement.”

O’Sullivan went on to explain that the city code says that the city cannot disconnect someone’s water until the account is delinquent for 60 days, and even then there’s a policy on giving the person further notice. Also, a delinquent water/sewer customer must be offered an alternative payment plan.

Murphy, speaking remotely and seen on a monitor, said staff wanted to “see what the tolerances are for this,” and added that as long as a customer makes a minimal effort to pay, the water will stay on. He also said one option is to make the property owner responsible for the bill in cases of a tenant being delinquent.

When asked by Councilmember Elizabeth Orona how big a problem it was, Murphy replied “it’s at the lower end of the scale, but it is a problem. It’s a matter of making it fair and equitable to enforce.”

Then, Orona tried to analyze the topic from the point of view of the utility rate-payers.

“I think in looking at this we need to acknowledge that water costs have gone up almost 30 percent,” she said. “It’s important to note, I have a lot of feedback from residents who felt an imposition with the increase. I just want to be fair and understanding.”

In contrast, Councilmember Robert Clarke was less sympathetic to the delinquent payers.

“Waste Management, for instance, doesn’t sit around and discuss this; if you don’t pay for trash service, they don’t pick it up,” he said. “If I don’t pay Culligan, I don’t get my soft water. If I don’t pay Comcast, then I get my internet cut off.

“We have the policy of offering people alternate payment plans. Some get to the point where they agree on a payment plan and still don’t pay. I don’t get it; I’m tired of hearing this.”

Elizabeth Orona then asked about the issue of a rental tenant being delinquent and whether they can make the property owner responsible for that.

“Oh, definitely we make the landlord responsible for it,” O’Sullivan answered. “We cannot by state law charge any subsequent tenants for it.”

Mayor Frank Infante then said, “That’s what brought this up. There was a case where the renter left, after turning the water back on. Later, a big bill came because of that, and the landlord refused to pay it.” Infante then said in his view, they should just make the landlord liable for any delinquent payments in situations like that.

Councilmember Claudia Orona agreed, saying that the landlords would have the resources to protect themselves in that situation.

Despite his absence, Brown, who is a mortgage lender and financial planner by profession, also made some thoughts on the subject as he gave Infante a message beforehand to read at the meeting.

The city can place a lien on this property, which must be paid when transferred,” Brown’s note, read aloud by Infante, began. “In the meantime, this lien can be sold to investors who want to earn the interest rate; this way the investor buys the lien from the city, so we get paid, and now they collect on past due amount knowing they are getting paid for the principle and interest when the property is sold.”

“That’s a collection agency,” Clarke said after the note was read.

“Yes, but that takes us out of it,” replied Infante, who then reiterated his proposal to “make the property owner solely responsible for the water bill, and what they do with the tenant is up to them.” 

In other business:

The Consent Calendar was approved, but not before Infante pulled Item 4g, which involved approval of a joint stormwater report between Buellton and Solvang. The council passed the other items on the calendar before discussion. Infante said he didn’t have a problem with the study, but admitted he didn’t realize that the two cities were involved in one and that Solvang people were involved. After he got clarity on the item, the council voted 4-0 to approve it and put it with the others.

Council approved mid-year budget adjustments for Fiscal Year 2023-24.

Council approved a contract with Cannon Corporation for design services and to provide construction management services for the HCA Middle Well Reliability Project in the amount not to exceed $325,067 plus a 10 percent contingency of $32,506.70 for a total not to exceed amount of $357,573.70 for the term Feb. 22, 2024 to Dec, 31, 2025.

The next City Council meeting will be March 11.

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By Pamela Dozois

Solvang resident Iris Duplantier Rideau recently released her new book “From White to Black: One Life Between Two Worlds” a memoir of her life. 

It is an intimate look into the life of a Creole woman born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1936, when Jim Crow was the law of the land, through her journey to become the first black woman to own her own winery and vineyard in United States. It is a story of a determined, goal-oriented, multifaceted business woman who would not let anything stand in her way of reaching her dreams, and along the way work to cultivate civil rights, and affirmative action for the underprivileged in society.

“I was motivated to write this book because of the struggles I had to endure as a young person and I wanted to tell the story as to how I got here,” said Rideau. “I was born Creole, which is a mix of French, Spanish, African, and Native American. As Creole, some of us were whiter-skinned and others were darker-skinned. Some of us could easily pass for white. When I went out with my grandmother, we passed for white all the time. I experienced all the privilege and opportunities afforded to the White race. But when I went out with my darker-skinned cousins, I experienced all the oppressions and hardships of the Negro race.”

It was a trip to the West Coast and back that really brought home the differences to a young Rideau.

“In 1946 I traveled with my grandmother to California and took the White train and enjoyed its beauty and luxury,” she said. “But on my return with my mother’s girlfriend, I traveled on the Negro train back to New Orleans and the difference was so shocking that when I finally arrived in New Orleans, I could hardly speak. We didn’t have the Jim Crow laws in the West, only in the southern part of the United States, and they were so horrible and inhumane, degrading and demoralizing. I knew I needed to get back to California in a hurry. I didn’t want to live as an indentured person of color in New Orleans.”

Between 1916 and 1970 during “The Great Migration,” 6 million Negroes, Creoles, and all people of color migrated from the rural South to the North, Midwest, and West. She said it took her two years to finally convince her mother to move to California. They finally packed up their belongings and moved to Los Angeles where Rideau attended school.

In her book, Rideau says she was determined not to spend her life as a factory worker, doing menial work for pennies. Her goal was to work as a receptionist for a large company. As a black woman, that opportunity was not available to her at that time. But being light-skinned and a hard worker she was able to circumvent that bias. She procured a job as a receptionist at an insurance agency and learned the business from the inside out.

During that time, at the age of 20, she married a real estate developer who was also her first love in grade school. He wanted her to stay home and raise her daughter, whom she’d had at the age of 16. But eventually, Rideau had bigger ideas starting her own insurance agency in 1967.

After the Watts riots in 1965, people in that neighborhood found it almost impossible to secure insurance or loans for their homes and businesses due to “red-lining,” Rideau explained, saying that insurance companies didn’t want to take on the “high risk” of insuring properties within that area, which was a real hardship for both home and business owners.

“My agency was there to provide insurance to those thousands of people considered to be high risk,” said Rideau. “It launched my career overnight.”

Rideau remained in the insurance and securities business for 32 years, becoming involved in the political scene in California working to improve the rights of the underprivileged. By that time, she was totally burnt out from fighting politics, politicians, and the financial world, and was looking to find a nice quiet place to retire. But as it turned out, she was off to start a whole new life, as a winery and vineyard owner. 

“I was looking for a place of peace and tranquility and I found the Santa Ynez Valley,” said Rideau. “I bought a piece of property that was adjacent to the now winery. All I could think about was six acres at the time. I built a home for myself and one for my mother, which took another four years before I was finally able to say good-bye to Los Angeles and focus on my new life.”

During those four years of commuting back and forth from the Valley to Los Angeles, she and her niece/godchild, Caren Rideau, would go wine tasting on weekends in the Valley.

“I fell in love with the wine lifestyle,” said Rideau. “And that was it for me. I bought the property adjacent to my home with an historical Adobe landmark building on it, renovated it and established a winery with acres to grow my own grapes and make my own Rideau label of wines.”

After years of hard work, education and trial and error, Rideau established her own tasting room and winery, making her award-winning Rideau wines.

Rideau’s book “From White to Black” tells the story of a woman who knew what she wanted out of life and gave it her all to accomplish it, becoming a business entrepreneur, a political activist, and eventually a winery owner. It is a story of a life well-lived.

Rideau recently sold her enterprise to a French family from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and she lives but minutes away from her beloved vineyard. At 87, she is still going strong enjoying her retirement by traveling, doing Pilates three times a week, and enjoying life to the fullest.

Rideau will be holding a book-signing and a reading from her book “From White to Black” from 1 to 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 3 at Rideau Winery at 1562 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang. Her book may be purchased that day or anytime at Rideau Winery, accessed on Amazon, or at The Book Loft in Solvang.

For more information, email iris_rideau@comcast.net.

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By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

Residents, diners, city leaders, and more in Buellton are still trying to make sense of the sudden closure of longtime city landmark Pea Soup Anderson’s restaurant on Highway 246 and Avenue of Flags.

Reports of the closure started coming in on social media on Tuesday, Jan 9, and a post in the blog “The Restaurant Guy” on santabarbara.com said the closure was confirmed by Pea Soup Andersen’s sister location in Santa Nella in Northern California. That restaurant’s management said said the Buellton property was sold and will be redeveloped and that an all-new Pea Soup Andersen’s will open in the future, according to “The Restaurant Guy.”

Before the most recent sale, the restaurant was owned by Milt Guggia Enterprises, which still owns AJ Spurs restaurants in Buellton and Grover Beach, as well as four restaurants in Santa Maria.

The restaurant also had an adjacent hotel, the Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn; however, the separately owned hotel was not part of the sale and is still operating, as confirmed by a press release sent by the inn on Wednesday, Jan. 10.

“Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn located in Buellton, California is open and welcoming guests,” the release said. “The neighboring restaurant with a similar name, Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant, recently closed for redevelopment; however Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn is independently owned and operated, and remains open. 

“Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn has a rich history within the Santa Ynez Valley dating back to its establishment in 1969 by the original owners, Daryl Nielsen and Vince Evans. The hotel is still managed by the Nielsen family, who have dedicated 55 years to maintaining the high standards and traditions of Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn. 

“Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn looks forward to what the future holds for their Buellton neighbor.”

Meanwhile, the Buellton City Council held its first regular meeting of 2024 on Thursday, Jan. 11, and addressed the restaurant’s situation at the end of the meeting.

“I can confirm that Pea Soup Andersen’s has closed,” said City Manager Scott Wolfe in giving his report. “We cannot confirm who has purchased the building and what their intentions are. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Wolfe said any new developments concerning the Pea Soup Anderson’s property would be highlighted on Buellton’s Community Engagement webpage at Buellton.civilspace.io

Councilmember John Sanchez pointed out that the restaurant site has been designated a historical landmark, and asked Wolfe if the City Council could make sure the building isn’t torn down.

“The Pea Soup Andersen building has been designated as a local historical landmark; that does not necessarily preclude the building from being removed,” Wolfe said.

“In fact, I assume anything other than extension or continuation of the existing Pea Soup Andersen’s would require removal of the building. However the landmark ordinance we have gives City Council some discretion to ensure there’s some recognition of the building.”

Buellton Mayor Dave King, however, said he remembers when the landmark ordinance when it was adopted and why.

“When he had the ordinance not precluding being taken down,” King said. “It was because that building might now come up to modern standards.”

If the building were, in fact, to build some down, it would spell the end to a local business and location that would have reached its 100th anniversary on June 13 of this year.

Pea Soup Andersen’s started out when Anton and Juliette Andersen purchased a small parcel of land and building from William Budd, brother of city namesake Emily Buell, and opened a restaurant. Because electricity had just reached the area and the Andersens had just acquired an electric stove, the couple called the new place Andersen’s Electrical Cafe.

Anton and Juliette began their new venture by serving simple, wholesome foods like hot cakes and coffee, ice cream sodas and such, to highway travelers. Their first customers were the salesmen, tourists and truck drivers who drove the main highway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

However, soon their most popular dish was the split pea story made from an old family recipe, one that would become the restaurant’s new name and identity.

Their son, Robert, returned to the family business after graduating from Stanford in the 1930’s. Robert was by all accounts a very forward-looking man. When he returned to Buellton, Robert established the billboards for which the restaurant became known.

In the early 1930s, a cartoon appeared in the old “Judge” magazine. It was one of a series by the famous cartoonist Forbell, under the heading of “Little Known Occupations.” The cartoon showed the little known occupation of splitting peas for pea soup, with two comic chefs standing at a chopping table, one holding a huge chisel, splitting peas singly as they came down a chute.

Andersen obtained permission to use the idea for advertising. He even adopted his nickname “Pea Soup,” the eventual trademark and official name of the family business. In 1941, Robert married Rosemary Mohan. She immediately became active in the family business and opened a gift shop which remains today filled with wonder for children and adults alike.

In 1965, Robert “Pea-Soup” Andersen decided he needed a break from the high-paced family business and sold the Buellton restaurant to Vince Evans, larger-than-life personality.

Vince and his wife Margery moved to a 900-acre ranch south of Buellton in 1959. They raised cattle, grew alfalfa and operated a feed store. When he purchased Pea Soup Andersen’s, he jumped into his newest adventure with the same high energy and enthusiasm that he displayed for many other ventures.

The business thrived under Evans’ hand. By then the restaurant was purchasing 50 tons of peas each year, enough for three-quarters of a million bowls of soup! He built an aviary and filled it with parrots, he installed a train for children to ride that went from the restaurant to the area where the motel now stands, and even had a miniature wild animal park for two years. He also expanded the Pea Soup Andersen’s empire and opened the Santa Nella location in 1976.

Vince had expansive dreams and the energy to make the dreams a reality. Unfortunately, neither dreams nor energy could change the cards fate dealt him. On April 23, 1980, Vince, his wife Margery and their 21-year-old daughter, Venetia, were tragically killed in a small plane crash just minutes from the Santa Ynez Valley airport. 

After the death of the Evans family, Pea Soup Andersens went through multiple ownership changes. Guggia, a Central Coast restaurateur, purchased Pea Soup Andersen’s Buellton in 1999 and Pea Soup Andersen’s Santa Nella in 2007.

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Staff Report

The Solvang City Council meeting original scheduled for Monday, Jan. 8, has been canceled.

“Notice is hereby given that the Solvang City Council meeting of January 8, 2024, is cancelled due to lack of business,” said a statement released on the cityofsolvang.com website issued by City Clerk Annamarie Porter.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the Solvang Municipal Center, 1644 Oak Street, in Solvang. The City Council generally meets on the first and third Mondays of every month.

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By Mark Infanti

Solvang Mayor

As we enter the holiday season, Solvang has much to be thankful for. We are seeing some of the most tourist visits we have seen in a while. A great example was the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Solvang’s central park. The entire park was completely full of people there to see a local music group, local young people’s dance group and a 7-year-old lead them in the countdown to the tree lighting. That was followed the very next day by the very well-attended Julefest Parade.

2023 saw the reopening of our beloved outdoor theater called Theaterfest, and the preparations to start construction on our new Solvang Senior Center. These and other projects support the City Council’s aim of providing health and well-being for our citizens in general and our seniors specifically.

The future of Solvang is strong. Everyone wishes to maintain the architectural style that adds to the character of our charming city. We are making this a strong part of our General Plan update. It is also emphasized in the city marketing efforts, as it is essential to our future.

Future plans

Like all cities, we are always maintaining and upgrading our city infrastructure. This includes adding electric vehicles and charging stations to the city. We have capital plans to update our wastewater treatment plant to increase capacity and produce recycled water for irrigation and so that we can consider granting the requests for neighboring towns to use our plant and share in its additional capacity.

We are seeing new housing plans that will help fulfill our local needs for moderate-cost housing. Since Solvang is such a desirable place to live, people move here frequently, which means there is very litle residential inventory and the housing costs have risen substantially. Housing is necessary for those that want to live and work here. We are dedicated to making that happen.

To support the youth interests and those that would choose a sustainable type of transportation, additional bicycle and walking paths are being planned. To support these paths, there are also traffic calming designs being considered.

Mayor’s Message 

Being the mayor is a great pleasure. I was a City Council member before becoming mayor and previously served on the Design Review Committee before that. I have had the opportunity to help make sure that Solvang stays the charming town it has always been.

My vision for 2024 is to help businesses be successful and ensure the residents retain the quality of life necessary to be happy here.

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By Dave King

Buellton Mayor

As the year of 2023 comes to an end, the City of Buellton can look back at several great events. A local company bought the property where the bowling alley was planning to go in, so stand by for that. 

As many of you have heard, the proposed In-N-Out Burger was denied by the City Council due to concerns over traffic congestion at the US 101 and McMurray intersection. However, we are hoping they will come back to the table with a better location. 

Several other events this year included Fall Fest on Avenue of Flags, and Cowboy Christmas and the Festival of Lights at Riverview Park. It was a great time for everyone that attended. All of these will be an annual event. Hope to see you there next year.

The city has several areas of focus for 2024 to implement its community vision. They are highlighted below, in no particular order:

Quality of life enhancement for Buellton’s residents: This will take the form of maintenance and improvement of existing infrastructure, such as the city’s water, wastewater, and road systems, as well as existing parks and public facilities. Actions will be taken to improve these facilities where possible, and protect them from being overburdened where improvement is not possible.

Additional enhancements will be found in the relocation of the Buellton Public Library to the former Willemsen House, the opening of the Santa Ynez Valley Childrens’ Museum on the Willemsen property, the opening of the Buellton Community Garden at the corner of 2nd Street and Central Avenue, and the expansion of the Senior Center programming into the current library building. The city will also pursue the construction of the Santa Ynez Valley River Trail, and will strive to facilitate the development of additional youth-serving uses, such as a bowling alley, community aquatic facility, and possible sport field facilities joint venture.

Renewed push for economic development: Construction projects are anticipated in 2024 that will begin the revitalization of Avenue of Flags, bringing new business opportunities and renewed investment in the city. These efforts will be built upon by reconvening the city’s Economic Development Task Force to engage the existing business community and prospective developers and investors in discussions to implement Buellton’s long-standing vision that sees the city as the economic engine of the Santa Ynez Valley.

Enhancement of transparency and efficiency of city government operations: With the forced adoption of councilmember election by districts in 2022, the City Council will be looking at changes to norms and procedures of the City Council, Planning Commission, city staff, and other city functions to ensure that residents within the various districts receive adequate representation, while ensuring that decisions are made from a “whole city” point-of-view rather than a parochial perspective which pits the interests of each district against the others.

Continued focus on improving public safety: The city will continue to seek approval of physical infrastructure improvements to enhance traffic safety on city roadways, including Highway 246. A multi-pronged approach emphasizing vehicular, cyclist, and pedestrian safety will be pursued with Caltrans to provide safe passage for non-motor-vehicle users of Highway 246, while maintaining the capacity of the roadway to accommodate anticipated traffic volumes. Additionally, the city will be reviewing alternative service models to enhance the traffic enforcement function within the city, with a particular focus on vehicular speeds on Highway 246, with a primary goal being the reinstatement of regular traffic enforcement patrols by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff or, if unable to obtain such service from the sheriff, from the California Highway Patrol.

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