A historic California town famed for its Danish-inspired charm is pushing back against a local developer’s proposal for what critics are calling a “trailer park resort,” arguing the plan is a “completely inappropriate” fit for the site.
Solvang, set in the Santa Ynez Valley, draws visitors with its old-world architecture, wine country setting and storybook streetscape.
The town also has a celebrity connection: Dolly Parton once lived there, and her former small farmhouse has since become a draw for tourists.
Now, a long-standing former lumberyard in Solvang could be transformed into a “glamping” destination, according to the city’s project status list.
Plans for the resort call for guests to stay in Airstreams, the recognizable rounded aluminum trailers long associated with upscale road travel.
Many residents are not sold on the vision, warning that the development could undermine the look and feel that define the town’s character.
Noozhawk, a Santa Barbara County news outlet, reported that the proposal also includes two hotel suites, a guest amenities center, a swimming pool, restrooms, showers and a lookout tower.
“If it looks like a trailer park and it gleams like a trailer park, in spite of the categorization of a lodging, it’s a trailer park,” said Dennis Beebe, president of the Santa Ynez Valley Citizens Council.
The picturesque town of Solvang has been given a proposal for an Airstream hotel at an old lumberyard
The Danish-themed town offers numerous wineries. Residents have expressed concerns that the new hotel will not fit in with its much cherished character
The picturesque town from above. The new park would feature two hotel suites, a guest amenities center, a pool, restrooms, showers and a lookout tower, according to a report
Solvang features antique windmills and small businesses that fit the town’s unique aesthetic
Residents said that the hotel does not fit with the town’s architectural elements
‘I find it completely inappropriate for downtown Solvang.’
The city’s Design Review Committee reviewed the proposal at a meeting last week. Residents pointed out that the hotel did not incorporate the town’s architectural elements.
Other residents voiced concerns about being next to a pool, while one noted that it looked like ‘an old West military fortress,’ Noozhawk reported.
Jennifer Johnson, another committee member, said she did not want to be ‘listening to Marco Polo for hours on end.’
‘Even if I was going to go camping, which I did all my life growing up, I would never go in an Airstream,’ she added.
Phil Stevens, who represents the client who proposed the Airstream, said the team would draw up a new proposal to ‘strike a better balance.’
The old lumberyard has plagued Solvang for years. In 2022, a proposal for a Mission Hotel and Apartment Project drew similar concerns from residents, Noozhawk reported at the time.
Locals are worried the development could ruin their charming town
The ‘glamping’ resort intends to have several Airstream trailers for guests to stay in, pictured above
The proposal is intended for 1783 and 1793 Mission Drive, which was once an old lumberyard
Locals slammed the hotel for looking like an ‘Old West military fortress,’ clashing with the town’s architecture
The historic Danish-style town is known for its quaint architecture and wineries
Locals protested against the tall buildings and automated parking structure, citing concerns that the development would ruin their charming town.
Developers worked to scale the project down to fewer parking spaces and smaller buildings, but it ultimately did not come to fruition.
The new glamping project will have to undergo a second pre-application review before starting the development permit process.
Our News Outlet has reached out to the city council and the developer’s representatives for comment.
