Planning panel recommends City Council approve Dove Creek mixed‑use plan despite resident concerns

The Atascadero Planning Commission on May 21 recommended that City Council approve a mixed‑use project in the Dove Creek neighborhood, advancing a plan that would build 71 residential condominiums, 20 short‑term rental hotel units and about 14,840 square feet of commercial space at the intersection of Santa Barbara Road and El Camino Real.

Staff project planner Alexandria Fowler told commissioners the 5.19‑acre site has long been entitled for commercial uses and that the current proposal requires amendments to the Dove Creek master plan and the Plan Development (PD) No. 12 text. Fowler said the project would be built in multiple buildings — two‑story residential buildings along Cashion and Bliss streets, a three‑story residential building fronting Santa Barbara Road and a three‑story mixed hotel/market building nearer the project center — and include a small single‑story coffee shop and a primary single‑story commercial tenant building on El Camino Real.

Fowler said the city’s previously certified mitigated negative declaration (2004) covered commercial development at a scale far larger than what is now proposed and that a supplemental comparative analysis finds the current mixed‑use plan would generate an estimated 929 fewer AM/PM peak‑hour vehicle trips than the 60,000‑sq. ft. commercial center that had been previously entitled. She also said sewer hydraulic analysis shows existing downstream lines can accommodate anticipated flows.

The staff report recommended the commission adopt a resolution forwarding a recommendation of approval to the City Council, with staff proposing one amendment to condition No. 14 to include tandem parking spaces in the list of spaces that may be excluded from commercial patron parking.

Applicants and designers described the project as a scaled‑down, flexible plan meant to provide a neighborhood gathering place. Architect Tom Jess of Aerys Studio Architects said the 71 residential units are intended to be condominiums for sale, that the 20 short‑term rental units would function as hotel rooms subject to transient occupancy tax, and that the project includes a flexible central plaza suitable for farmers markets, community events and small performances. Jess said the team worked with staff and the Design Review Committee to reduce the project’s intensity from earlier, larger proposals and requested modification of phasing and parking conditions to accommodate financing and staged occupancy.

Public commenters largely praised the site’s redevelopment potential but urged caution. Jack Felen, identifying himself as CEO of Cal Coastal Communities and an original project developer, asked the commission to condition approvals on resolution of a private legal dispute involving an earlier partner; several other speakers echoed calls for resolving outstanding civil claims before permits are finalized. Dozens of Dove Creek residents — including HOA board members — pressed the commission on parking, traffic, safety, management of short‑term rentals/hotel operations, and impacts to privacy and neighborhood character. Residents asked that any new HOA or project owner contribute to maintenance of Bliss and Cashion streets and shared open space; staff noted the project includes conditions requiring a good‑faith negotiation with the Dove Creek HOAs on fair‑share maintenance agreements but said the city cannot compel a private HOA to sign.

Assistant City Attorney Roxan Diaz told the commission that private civil disputes raised by public speakers are outside the commission’s land‑use jurisdiction and that conditions must have a nexus to land‑use impacts the city can mitigate. Staff reiterated that the commission’s role is to evaluate land‑use findings and that any final land‑use decision would be made by City Council.

Commissioner Dennis Schmidt moved to adopt the draft resolution recommending the City Council approve the requested amendments to the Dove Creek master plan and PD‑12, the vesting tentative tract map, and associated conditions; he included staff’s change to condition 14 and the applicant’s requested language clarifying occupancy sequencing in condition 11. After discussion and formal roll call, the motion passed 6–1 (Commissioner Coransza opposed). The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council for a final decision, currently scheduled for June 25, 2024.

What’s next: This action is a recommendation; City Council is the final decision‑maker. The council packet will include all written public comments submitted to the Planning Department; staff said public comments submitted after the commission hearing will be forwarded to council for consideration.

Quote (resident): "We're excited about the area being developed, but parking is a huge issue," said Dove Creek HOA board member Sue Gibson, speaking during public comment.

Quote (staff): "The proposed project is anticipated to generate 929 fewer AM and PM peak‑hour daily trips than what was previously approved for the commercial center," project planner Alexandria Fowler told the commission.

Ending note: Commissioners approved forwarding the project with recommended conditions and clarifications; the council hearing will be the venue for the final entitlement decision.