During a routine inspection of a Solvang hotel in the building process, the city ordered its owner to halt construction after discovering inconsistencies between approved blueprints and the project as it now stands.
“We did issue a stop work order for the on-site work which went beyond the scope of the permit,” Solvang Community Development Director Rafael Castillo told the City Council at its Oct. 13 meeting.
Castillo said that local developer Ed St. George was aware of the inconsistencies about two months prior to the order, when city staff informed him that amendments to his entitlement were necessary to move forward with certain paint colors and half-timber facades—on nine cottage-style hotel suits meant to resemble a Danish village—that weren’t in his development plans, approved back in 2023.
When St. George’s requests for amendments were rejected by Solvang’s Planning Commission, he appealed the decision to the City Council.
“In my opinion, I have followed the process,” St. George told the council. “I disagree vehemently with the stop work order.”
One of St. George’s deviations from his original plans was adding pinstripe red and white designs to some of the cottages’ roofs. He described the choice as a tribute to Denmark’s flag, but Castillo told the council that the combination of colors wasn’t “characteristically found in Old World Denmark [architecture].”
“Those do not emulate the authentic appearance and patterns of historic Danish buildings,” Castillo said. “A solid color should be utilized to emulate the Old World Danish style consistent with the previous [Solvang Design Review Committee] and Planning Commission approvals.”
Public comment at the meeting was split between attendees in favor of approving St. George’s appeal and others that asked the council to uphold its design policies, partly to prevent setting a precedent for future developments.
Councilmember Mark Infanti sided with the latter view, despite his appreciation for the project, he explained.
“The subject matter here is not about whether we like it or not. It’s a policy statement,” Infanti said. “I frankly like the buildings. I like what’s going on—the colors, the half-timbers. Whether I like that or not, I don’t think it’s important.”
“Your taste and my taste are probably pretty close,” Infanti told St. George.
The whimsical nature of the cottage-style hotel came up during public comment, which some speakers described as feeling closer to a fairy-tale village than real-world Danish architecture.
“I think Hans would approve this project,” public speaker Jean Seamount said, referring to Hans Christian Andersen.
Seamount humorously described the development as “a sanctuary for the people from the giant troll down the street,” referring to the California Nature Art Museum’s indoor troll installation.
Mayor David Brown was the sole council member to express support for the appeal.
“Even though it may not be authentic, it’s fun,” Brown said about St. George’s red and white paint color deviations. “It makes it attractive.”
Brown’s motion to approve the appeal did not receive a second, while Infanti’s motion to deny it passed 4-1. Brown dissented.
This article appears in Oct 16 – Oct 23, 2025.