Buellton pushes for Avenue of the Flags properties to revert to tourist rentals
Jarrod Zinn
BUELLTON, Calif. – The city of Buellton is urging motel property owners along Avenue of the Flags to revert back to short-term stays.
They hope this will revitalize avenue of the flags as a tourist stop.
Fifty years ago, Highway 101 did not separate from Avenue of the Flags, and Buellton was one of the few commercial stopping points between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Over the last 20 years, many of the motel properties located on Avenue of the Flags in Buellton began unofficially housing people long-term.
“I suspect people didn’t know on both sides,” says Scott Wolfe, Buellton’s city manager. “I think the motels probably didn’t realize that that was a problem and the city didn’t realize it was happening because we don’t patrol the motels looking for that. So I think over time, it just sort of happened.”
Despite these properties being recently declared permanent housing by the state, long-term housing is not specified in the original plans for the Avenue of the Flags corridor.
“In order to get rid of those housing units, we had to build replacement units,” says Wolfe. “Replacement units have been built, more are being built. And so the goal right now is to enact an ordinance that would incentivize the property owners to convert back to a short term rental situation.”
City planners understand that many of these long-term residents have legitimate need of affordable housing.
“That was the main concern with the one project over on Second Street,” said Marcilo Sarquilla, Buellton Planning Commission’s vice chair, at the commission’s meeting July 17. “What about the people that already live there? You know, what can we do for them? So, you know, it’s good to hear that there is assistance.”
Under the latest ordinance, as long as they are on waiting lists for affordable housing projects that are in the works, they can remain where they are until July first, 2026.
“To the extent people are trying to qualify, if they’ve been qualified to move into one of these new projects by January one, they can bring us that documentation,” says Wolfe.
There are other big changes coming to the area, including the famous Pea Soup Andersen’s property slated to be demolished and redeveloped as an art deco, mixed-use building.
“What they’re really shooting for is that mid-century highway commercial type look that hearkens back to what was here back in the fifties and sixties,” says Wolfe.
Avenue of the Flags will eventually look quite different than it looked fifty years ago, but city planners seek to balance a revitalization of tourist presence with accommodating local residents.
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