Atascadero planning commission approves 16-unit mixed-use project at 4615 El Camino Real

The Atascadero City Planning Commission voted 6-0 on May 6 to approve a conditional use permit and tentative tract map allowing a mixed-use development at 4615 El Camino Real that will create 16 residential units and a 1,544-square-foot commercial space as airspace condominiums.

The project uses the state density bonus law to increase allowable units to 16 on a roughly 0.48-acre lot in the RMF-24 zoning district and asks the commission to grant one concession (street-tree standards) and three waivers (setback to an abutting single-family parcel, retaining wall height, and open-space dimensional standards). Assistant Planner Sam Mountain told the commission that "generally, jurisdictions can't deny a request for a concession or waiver unless there is either a measurable health or safety impact" or the city can show the developer can still build the allowed density without the waiver.

Why it matters: The commission's decision permits more units than the base zoning allows in exchange for deed-restricted affordable housing and relaxes several objective design and site standards. The project also modifies parking requirements through a municipal-code shared peak-hour parking provision for mixed-use sites; staff said the project's by-right parking calculation under density bonus would be 22.6 spaces (rounded to 23) and the applicant asked for an additional shared-peak-hour reduction.

Staff presentation and approvals Assistant Planner Sam Mountain presented the site and technical details, describing the site as a narrow, steeply sloping lot about 500 feet southeast of the San Anselmo intersection and two properties down from the Grand Oaks…