Atascadero planners review General Plan 2045 update; EIR work, draft chapters and housing goals detailed

At its April 1 meeting, the Atascadero Planning Commission heard a staff briefing on the city's General Plan update, including the status of the environmental impact report (EIR) process, proposed place types and an expected timeline for draft chapters and public review.

The presentation outlined the plan's role as the city's long-range framework for land use, housing, safety, mobility and public services and reiterated that the update is intended to guide Atascadero for roughly the next 20 to 25 years. Community development staff said the EIR has begun and will follow state notification timelines; draft general plan chapters will be posted to the Atascadero General Plan 2045 website for public review "within a month," staff said, with a recommendation to the city council and EIR certification expected in late summer 2025.

Why it matters: the General Plan sets city policy on where housing, jobs and infrastructure can go and underpins future zoning, environmental review and permitting. Staff emphasized the plan aims to balance jobs and housing, improve mobility under the state's vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) framework and identify focused areas for future investment and mixed-use redevelopment.

Staff framed the update around "place types"…