Solvang Festival Theater has moved one step closer to breaking ground on its $4.7 million renovation plan to reinforce and modernize the nearly 50-year-old downtown amphitheater.
The Solvang Planning Commission unanimously voted Feb. 1 to approve the theater's development plan, which will address aging infrastructure, improve accessibility and elevate the quality of the theater's technical capabilities and audience amenities, according to Theaterfest Executive Director Scott Coe.
The renovation project, slated to begin construction in September with completion expected in July 2022, will go to the Solvang Planning Department for review in March. The Design Review Committee also will review the project before land use and building permits are issued, Coe said.
Local chambers of commerce continue to rally behind resident businesses to stimulate their town's microeconomy, which have each suffered a financial blow since the onset of COVID-19.
Solvang City Council members Monday unanimously disbanded the Branding and Design Committee, replaced it with a committee called the Design and Review Committee, and appointed five new volunteer members to sit on it.
A 2-acre lot in downtown Solvang, which has been at the center of controversy over the past year due to initial plans to construct a mixed-use development that called for the demolition of the Veterans Memorial Hall, will soon feature either a three-story hotel and wellness center or a 59-unit low-income housing project.