Solvang residents push back against proposed Airstream glamping development

A Solvang Design Review Committee meeting examined a developer’s request to turn the old Solvang Lumberyard into a glamping resort with 31 Airstream trailers, hospitality spaces, a pool, and a military-style lookout tower. The town’s zoning rules require Spanish Mission-style architecture, prompting committee members to demand that the project incorporate those design elements. Opponents, including the president of the Santa Ynez Valley Citizens Council and local residents, described the plan as a disguised trailer park that does not match the downtown’s historic character.

One committee member said she would never stay in an Airstream, while another resident questioned the compatibility of mid-century aluminum trailers with Spanish colonial revival style. The applicant’s representative acknowledged the criticism and pledged to revise the design for a better aesthetic balance. This controversy adds to recent tensions in Solvang over a tourism app created by Mayor David Brown, which raised ethical questions about municipal involvement in promoting local businesses.