Solvang Trolley & Carriage Company owner Sal Orona requested that the Solvang City Council review his company’s business license to include two additional electric trolley vehicles to service his customers when it’s not appropriate to use horse-drawn carriages.
During the April 12 City Council meeting, Orona spoke during public comment, saying his company is always looking to improve its service to the the community. However, he said the downtown area’s current configuration—with extra outdoor seating due to COVID-19—has been difficult to maneuver.
“This is our main concern, because sometimes we can use the horses but because of the weather, or logistically, the city blocks a street, we can’t [use the street or area],” Orona said.
City Manager Xenia Bradford said that last year, the City Council renewed the Solvang Trolley’s business license for one year. The approved license allows the company to operate seven trollies, six of which are horse-drawn and one is motorized.
At the time of the approval, the council directed staff to come back with an amendment to consider extending the renewal license period from one year to up to five. It was never revisited.
Solvang Trolley & Carriage Company’s existing business license is slated to expire on June 30. Orona said his family-owned business has already purchased the trolleys and is ready to begin using the electric vehicles when they get the green light.
“These almost two years of [dealing with] the COVID-19 situation has really been a struggle for us. Last year we didn’t run the trolley for more than four months,” he said.
Despite not operating his business, Orona said he still had expenses to maintain, including caring for the horses that pull the traditional horse-drawn trolleys.
“Historically the [carriage] ordinance mainly speaks about horse-drawn carriages but any electric vehicle submitted by the Oronas have been included in their annual license renewal,” Bradford said.
If the council were to amend Orona’s license to include two new trolleys and bring back the longer renewal term, the discussion would need to be agendized to include a public hearing. The council directed staff to bring back the discussion at the May 10 council meeting.
