The Buellton City Council has begun working through the historic mitigation process tied to the proposed demolition of the former Pea Soup Andersen’s building.

A demolition permit application has been filed for the property at 376 Avenue of Flags, city staff said, but the landmark cannot be demolished until the city determines how to address the loss of the historic resource.

Pea Soup Andersen’s closed in January 2024, just months before its 100th anniversary.

Discussion at Thursday’s City Council meeting centered on whether part of the former building should be relocated to Median 3 on the Avenue of Flags as one possible form of mitigation.

Planning Director Andrea Keefer said staff brought the issue forward now because consultants are already working on design plans for Median 3 as part of the broader Avenue of Flags Specific Plan.

Council members ultimately rejected the relocation, raising concerns about whether moving the aging structure would be feasible or fit with the corridor’s development direction.

Councilwoman Elysia Lewis said relocating part of the building to the median would not make sense given the Avenue of Flags Specific Plan’s art deco design standards.

“I’ve made it pretty clear that is not my favorite choice,” Lewis said. “However, that is the choice we have gone with, and changing it at this point in time would negatively impact people that have already started developing or are interested in developing.”

Councilman John Sanchez said he did not believe that moving the structure was feasible.

“It would never pass any kind of inspection and couldn’t be built back to state standards,” he said.

Sanchez suggested something smaller, such as a plaque, to preserve the memory of the site.

Asked whether redevelopment plans for the site were moving forward, City Manager Scott Wolfe said the city does not currently have any formal plans or applications for the property and that earlier conceptual plans had been “walked back” as the developer takes a different approach. Wolfe also confirmed the property is owned by developer Ed St. George.

Wolfe said the city’s immediate concern is less what the property will eventually become and more how to make the site safe.

“Removal of that building is kind of the primary consideration there,” he said. “We’re pushing the demolition of this building so that we can ensure that public safety is protected.”

Councilman Hudson Hornick said honoring Pea Soup Andersen’s legacy in Buellton was a good idea, but suggested the city could do that in other ways, including a more interactive feature for children rather than trying to move part of the building.

“I also think that we can do that without trying to move a building that in all likelihood would require basically erecting a new structure,” he said.

Hornick said what is important is having a unified plan for the site.

“I would like to have clarity for at least what the developer is thinking on that site,” he said.

Asked about the demolition permit timeline, Keefer said the city still has to complete the California Environmental Quality Act process and does not yet have a firm schedule, though she estimated it could take three to six months.

Wolfe said much of that timing will depend on how quickly the historical resources report is finalized, since it is a major component of the CEQA review.

Keefer said the staff expects to return at a future meeting with the historical resources report, additional mitigation options and more information on the demolition permit process.

The next regular Buellton City Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 9 at 140 W. Highway 246 in Buellton.