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Council denies appeal of Ravine Water Park expansion, requires drainage fixes and bans boulevard parking
Summary
The El Paso de Robles City Council on April 7 rejected an appeal against a planning-commission approval to add a 1,900‑sq‑ft “no‑splash” pool, hot tub and cabanas at the Ravine Water Park, reauthorizing the amendment while imposing conditions to restore a detention basin and prohibit use of Pastor Robles Boulevard for park parking or access.
The El Paso de Robles City Council on April 7 denied an appeal and reapproved a planning commission amendment that allows the Ravine Water Park to add a 1,900‑square‑foot “no‑splash” pool, a small hot tub and related cabanas and decking.
The unanimous vote followed a lengthy hearing that included competing technical claims about traffic, drainage and airport‑land‑use compatibility. Appellants representing neighboring property interests argued the project understated construction and operational impacts and pointed to existing parking, drainage and creek‑setback concerns. The park’s owner and managers, who oversee daily operations, said the new pool repurposes an existing lawn area and would not increase site capacity or generate new vehicle trips beyond regular park visitors.
Council added conditions to the approval requiring the park operator to: repair and restore the existing detention basin so it retains the 1,700 cubic feet specified in the original 2004 approvals; remedy erosion and outflows that currently discharge toward Airport Road to the satisfaction of the city engineer (encroachment permit and engineering standards will apply); and prohibit visitor or employee parking and access via Pastor Robles Boulevard, clarifying that any future use of that frontage is not allowed unless expressly authorized through a future entitlement.
The council’s action also corrected an inconsistency in the planning record about parcel area and reaffirmed that previously permitted attractions remain governed by earlier approvals. Staff recommended the additional drainage and parking conditions after site visits and review of building permit history and as part of their response to the appeal.
Brett Butterfield, who operates the Ravine Water Park, told the council the park has continually adapted since its original 2004 approval and that the pool is intended to “reinvigorate the park experience” for returning visitors while remaining within the previously developed footprint. Appellants said they sought clearer, permanent obligations on the park to prevent recurring overflow parking and off‑site impacts; council’s conditions aim to memorialize those expectations in the CUP.
Council members and staff emphasized the conditions as “good‑faith” measures tied to existing site conditions rather than new mitigation for the pool itself. The motion to deny the appeal and reapprove the amended CUP passed unanimously.
