Solvang design board balks at glamping resort with Airstream trailers and tower

Solvang’s Design Review Committee convened on Aug. 20 to assess a pre-application for a glamping resort on a downtown-adjacent lot. Developer Ed St. George proposed 31 aluminum Airstream trailers and a lookout tower that some locals said would let guests spy on the neighborhood. Committee member Melissa Bates labeled the tower a “gulag” and demanded its removal.

Residents also questioned how the mid-century trailers would fit within the city’s Mission Design District, which requires Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. St. George, already embroiled in a lawsuit over his 1704 Mission Hotel and Cottages project, was told to redo the design and submit a revised application. The town’s historic character and recent controversies, such as his plan to replace Pea Soup Andersen’s with luxury condos, have heightened scrutiny of his proposals.