Planning Commission approves refiled Destino Hotel Resort entitlements, including oak tree removals

The Paso Robles Planning Commission on Feb. 25 approved refiled entitlements for the Destino Hotel Resort (3350 Airport Road), adopting three resolutions to re‑establish an expired 2017 approval set for a four‑hotel resort totaling 291 rooms.

Planner Katie Nash (staff) summarized the application as a refile of previously approved entitlements that had expired under the municipal code’s time limits. The original 2017 approval included a development plan and conditional use permit, an oak tree removal permit and a vesting tentative tract map. Nash said the project is phased and that only Phase 1 (a 36‑room, three‑story hotel with restaurant/bar and ballroom) can proceed before key transportation mitigation—namely a local road connection between Airport Road and Wisteria Lane—is constructed; phases 2–4 are tied to that mitigation.

Nash described the site plan: four hotels with 36, 80, 28 and 47 rooms respectively (291 rooms total); a farmhouse that would remain; demolition of one residence to make room for hotel 2; and significant frontage work on Airport Road, including a median and sidewalk improvements. She said the County Airport Land Use Commission recently amended airport safety zones so most of the site is now in Zone 5, which is less restrictive than the earlier zones and reduces certain density constraints.

The project would remove six oak trees: two to accommodate parking for hotel 2 (the trees were described as in poor condition) and four for Airport Road widening where the creek to the west prevents shifting the alignment. Staff said an arborist inventory recorded 56 trees on the site and mitigation measures will require remeasurement of trees at the time of removal and replacement planting plus irrigation until established.

Nash said the city adopted a mitigated negative declaration for the project in 2016–2017 and staff recommended no new environmental review because there were no substantial changes to the project as filed. Transportation mitigation requirements include elimination of a southbound left turn onto SR‑46 East (already accomplished by other work), payment of current traffic mitigation fees at occupancy, a travel‑demand management plan for employees, and participation in other local programs intended to reduce vehicle trips.

Commissioner Neil moved to approve the development plan and CUP with the additional instruction to strike references requiring airport safety zone language that no longer apply under the updated Airport Land Use Plan; the commission adopted that motion and then approved the oak tree removal permit and the vesting tentative tract map with separate resolutions. Each resolution passed on recorded roll call votes (each 6–0). Commissioner Neil and staff noted that development review committee (DRC) and the DRC’s further review would be used to finalize design details for later phases before building permits are issued.

The approvals re‑establish the project entitlements; staff will require remeasurement and mitigation for the oak trees and require execution of the transportation and frontage improvements and payment of development impact fees as conditions before occupancy.