Council approves demolition plan and removes local landmark designation for most of 376 Avenue of Flags

The Buellton City Council on July 9 adopted a resolution to remove the local historic-landmark designation for most of the property at 376 Avenue of Flags and to allow demolition of non–state-eligible portions of the building while preserving the state-eligible Biltmore Hotel portion.

Planning staff told the council that since the restaurant closed in 2024 the vacant structure had suffered increasing vandalism and became a safety hazard, with broken glass, unsecured appliances and people entering the site. "The longer the building remains there, the fewer aspects of historical significance will remain," a planning staff member said, urging the council to act to reduce risk and preserve the most significant elements.

Under the adopted resolution the property owner must follow mitigation measures listed in the staff report and resolution exhibit. Those measures include removing and preserving identified artifacts and building elements — staff specifically cited signs, certain stained-glass elements and other items — and storing them in a secured location; the council directed staff to require a signed agreement with the owner that documents the protections and salvage process. Any future construction affecting the state-eligible portion will be subject to separate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

Council members asked staff about the timeline and CEQA steps. Staff said demolition of the later additions would proceed as soon as required agreements, plans and storage arrangements are in place; the remaining state-eligible portion will be secured and considered under future development proposals, with a CEQA review at that time.

The council moved, seconded and approved the resolution after public discussion and staff presentation. The motion carried on the record vote.