Atascadero council approves Del Rio Ranch master plan for RV resort and commercial center with added safety conditions

Atascadero City Council voted 4-0 Feb. 3 to approve a master plan of development, related General Plan and zoning amendments, a housing-element change and specific plan amendments for the Del Rio Ranch project — a hotel/commercial node and a primarily high‑end RV and glamping resort near the El Camino Real and Del Rio Road intersection.

The decision completes the city-level approvals that will allow the applicant to seek building permits. Councilmember Funk moved to approve staff recommendations with strengthened language in the project’s sight‑distance condition; Mayor Pro Tem Darris seconded. The motion passed unanimously with Councilmember Newsom absent.

Why it matters: the project converts a portion of land previously listed as high‑density residential to commercial, removes the site from the city’s housing inventory, and creates a tourist‑focused destination the city says will generate transient‑occupancy tax (TOT) revenue and commercial activity at a key gateway intersection.

Planning staff described the approved plan as a mixed development that places three‑story commercial buildings with publicly accessible ground‑floor space at the El Camino Real/Del Rio intersection and locates a high‑end RV resort and 70 glamping units within the site’s topography. Planning manager Kelly Gleason told council the…