The Solvang City Council on Monday unanimously approved a 10-year capital improvement program that will serve as a guideline for investments into public works, utilities and transportation.
The plan projects roughly $300 million in investments into Solvang from the city’s general fund, utility enterprise funds, tax revenues and grants over the next decade.
Major projects include a new 20,000-square-foot City Hall for $10 million, an $80-million replacement of the Alisal Bridge and $5 million in improvements for Solvang Park.
Mayor David Brown commended the city’s staff for their work towards the CIP, stating that he likes “grandiose ideas.”
“I do appreciate the hard work (staff) put into it, and it’s a nice tool… trying to get a good benchmark, and I know that there’s a lot of thought that’s gone into it,” Brown said.
The council approved the CIP in a 4-0 vote with member Elizabeth Orona absent.
Updates in Solvang Park will accommodate higher visitor usage and improve park programming.
Plans include new restrooms and bandstand upgrades for the city’s “primary gathering space” which experiences “heavy use” from residents and visitors, according to staff.
Hans Christian Andersen Park will have an existing tennis court converted into four pickleball courts and installation of a new tennis and pickleball practice wall.
Area C of the Park has more than $6 million of redevelopment planned, including a fitness area, improved hiking paths, a new park host site, water fountain features and storyboards based on the writer after whom the park is named.
Additionally, the city plans a groundwater production well for $2 million to “enhance system redundancy.”
The estimated $10-million new City Hall project is scheduled for the later half of the capital improvement plan, during 2031 to 2037.
The new building is planned to be approximately 20,000 square feet, will house all city services, as well as have improved parking.
According to the CIP, the current city facilities are “not cost effective to retrofit,” and long term this plan is less expensive than maintaining the current four separate facilities.
Since the City Hall improvements aren’t expected to start for several years, the current City Hall and Annex Building are slated for short-term upgrades such as re-roofing and exterior painting, as well as an emergency generator.
The most expensive project in the CIP, the replacement of the Alisal Bridge across the Santa Ynez River, is projected to cost $80 million.
The bridge was constructed with reactive aggregate concrete and is deteriorating, according to city staff. It serves as a utility corridor for the city, carrying infrastructure for Alisal Ranch, the Central Coast Water Authority and SoCalGas.
The bridge’s replacement is slated to begin in 2031. In the meantime, the existing bridge is slated to have some repairs starting next year at an estimated cost of $1.15 million.
The bridge’s repair will be funded by Measure U and the General Fund, while the replacement is to be funded by the Highway Bridge Program.
Additionally, many Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements are slated to begin in Solvang parks, streets and public buildings.
At the Monday council meeting, Councilmember Mark Infanti questioned why projects from the 2031-2037 timeframe are lacking annual breakdowns.
Administrative Services Director Wendy Berry clarified these costs have been “lumped together” as financial priorities may change.
Infanti also asked about prioritizing the $5-million extension of Fjord Drive, which wasn’t slated to begin until the 2031-32 fiscal year. He argued it should be a “higher priority” as Alisal-area residents “have no other exit.”
City Manager Randy Murphy noted complications with the Fjord Drive project, as some of it exists within county property, and thus is not within the city’s limits and will require additional coordination.
Murphy also said impact fees can only pay for the impact of new development, not “what is already pent-up demand,” and therefore said even the 5-year timeline is “probably optimistic.”
