What’s happening on The Avenue
By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020
Staff Report
Over the past decade, proposed changes to the Avenue of Flags have been a recurring topic in Buellton. City officials recently provided the following update:
The Avenue of Flags Specific Plan has been completely updated to include the final round of revisions leading up to the Specific Plan’s approval by City Council on Oct. 26, 2017.
While the overall downtown revitalization goals and programs of the Specific Plan remain the same, council made some significant changes, most notably the approval of a single architectural design style – Art Deco – for future development and exterior renovations. Added to the Specific Plan was a call for “high quality development” and the encouragement of local and regional businesses rather than national chains.
The Specific Plan area’s underlying General Commercial Zone now has a Specific Plan overlay which uses “form-based code” to regulate land use, development standards, building form, and public infrastructure. Development incentives in exchange for community-benefit public improvements may be considered through the Development Opportunity Reserve (DOR) program.
The Specific Plan serves to implement the Buellton Vision Plan 2012 goal of creating a vibrant downtown district around the Avenue of Flags. It is a culmination of a multi-year planning process, from 2015 to 2017, involving the community through numerous public workshops, listening to the desires of property and business owners, and several public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council.
What’s happening on The Avenue in 2018?
Development project applications are being processed for: