Last month I wrote an extensive series of articles on Summerland’s Big Yellow House. Many people are nostalgic for the family-style dining and good food, the feel of Grandma’s house, the thriving restaurant anchoring Summerland’s upper corner. But though history has promised us a thousand times it will repeat itself, chances are fairly low in this case.
Summerland's Big Yellow House stands empty.
The property went into foreclosure last Spring and was taken over by mortgage holder First Regional Bank of Los Angeles in October. The bank has yet to list the property, though prospective buyers have surfaced. According to Jason Jaeger of Radius Group, diverse uses have been discussed, from law offices to condos. One plan included a small dining room and use of the patio for a restaurant.
But according to First Regional’s lead real estate broker on the property, Bill Morris, serious discussions cannot take place until the property is listed. “The first question anyone is going to ask is ‘What’s the price?’ But we won’t have it listed for another thirty days or so.” Paperwork and appraisals make for a long process. The property’s historic status – unofficial, but real to the community and the planning agencies that will consider any future uses and signage – influences the price and the description of zoned uses.
Upstairs in The Big Yellow House.
The likelihood of another restaurant the size and scope of The Big Yellow House is low because the economy is not favoring large new eating establishments – the place is over 7600 square feet inside – and Summerland has a string of excellent restaurants down the road already. But the property is colorful, iconic, and could attract a number of different successful business or residential proposals for the site.
My four-part history dips back into the founding of Summerland as a Spiritualist center, the early use of the Big Yellow House as a place for seances, the rise and fall of Summerland’s oil and gas industry, and the incarnations of one of the South Coast’s favorite restuarants, the Big Yellow House.
Other recent posts:
Replacing the Famous ‘Spirit of the Ocean’ Statue at the Santa Barbara Courthouse
As you pointed out in your fascinating history of the “Big Yellow House”, the structure has a long history and is an anchor for Summerland. Before some developer radical alters it, it should be made an offical County Landmark. May I use your research in a nomination application?
deforek@aol.com