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 development. Mountain said the proposal includes permeable pavers, underground retention chambers for stormwater, balconies of about 50 square feet per unit, and a 700-square-foot rooftop deck the applicant counted toward open space even though it does not meet the city's dimensional requirement. He identified four requested concessions/waivers and the need for a modification to a condition to allow the city fire marshal discretion on turning-radius/parking-lot design during building permit review.

Project designer Tom Jess of Arris Studio Architects, representing owner Daniel Rebus, described site constraints driving the layout, noted an easement agreement with the neighbor at 4605 El Camino Real that preserves four existing parking spaces for that property, and said the applicant is "not married to the colors" and is willing to work with staff on a different palette.

Key technical points and waivers - Density and units: The RMF-24 zone allows 12 units for the lot size; density bonus law enables four additional units for a total of 16 provided certain affordable-unit ratios are met. - Concession: exemption from the city's street-tree standard (applicant argued installing trees in the right of way would conflict with Public Works standards and push the building back, reducing density). - Waivers: setback reduction along an abutting single-family property from 10 feet to 5 feet; retaining-wall height increases (staff said the tallest retaining wall is about 9 feet and faces inward toward the site); and an open-space waiver because the rooftop deck (700 sq ft) and shallow balconies do not meet the city's rule that counted amenity spaces be a minimum of 1,000 sq ft for this measurement and the code's per-unit open-space metric. - Parking: Under the city's standard with density bonus, the project would require about 23 spaces. The applicant requested a shared peak-hour parking modification for the commercial/residential mix; staff explained shared peak-hour considerations and noted tandem spaces allowed by state law would be reserved for residents. - Easements and neighboring property: The project requires demolition of an existing parking lot that served 4605 El Camino Real; the applicant and the neighboring owner arranged to relocate four spaces onto the neighbor's parcel with an access easement. Those four spaces are not counted in the project's parking totals. - Public safety: Staff reported the city fire marshal reviewed turning radii and the parking-lot design and had accepted them; the commission modified the draft condition to explicitly allow the fire marshal discretion at the building-permit stage.

Public comment and neighborhood concerns One nearby resident, Susan Frankard, spoke at the hearing raising concerns about the proposed setbacks, grading, stormwater and runoff impacts, and prior unpermitted work on the site. Staff responded that grading, retaining walls and stormwater systems will be reviewed by the city's public works engineers and inspected; Mountain said parking areas include permeable pavers and underground retention chambers that feed the city stormwater system after temporary storage. Staff and the applicant agreed to a solid fence along the property line where neighbors expressed concern about adjacent parking. The transcript shows other neighbor concerns submitted by email (referenced as a letter from "Donna") about lighting, mail delivery, and trash; staff said consolidated USPS mailboxes are expected and that exterior lighting must meet city shielding and timer requirements unless an exception is approved.

Commission action and conditions A motion to adopt the draft resolution approving use permit USC 240088, the shared peak-hour parking modification, and tentative tract map 3251 (SBDV 25-0035) carried 6-0. The motion included a modification to the condition requiring that turning-radius/parking-lot compliance be to the satisfaction of the city fire marshal rather than a strict numeric standard, and added a condition directing the applicant to work with staff to select a slightly more muted, earth-tone exterior color palette.

What stays the same vs. what may change The approval approves the project and the identified waivers/concession subject to conditions of approval and standard building-permit review. Several technical items (final construction drawings, fire-marshal approval of turning radii, public-works review of grading and stormwater, and final signage/encroachment permits) will be resolved during permit review; staff cautioned that any public complaints about existing off-site lighting must go through code enforcement to trigger inspections.

Ending The commission closed the public hearing after the vote and moved on to other business. The approved conditional use permit and tract map now advance to permit and construction-stage reviews where building-permit inspections, public-works engineering review, and fire-marshal sign-off will be required before construction begins.