Atascadero City Council approves new development in Dove Creek 

The Atascadero City Council recently approved a new development in Dove Creek, a project that has been in the works for two decades.

The 5-acre site will include residences, a hotel, commercial spaces, and additional parking. The development is anticipated to create a new hang out space on the south side of town and generate revenue from hotel units and sales tax.

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• Image Taken From Atascadero City Facebook Page
• NEW DEVELOPMENT Atascadero City Council has approved the proposal for the Dove Creek Mixed-Use Project bringing more residential, hotel, and commercial space to a 5-acre lot—an ongoing project since 2004.

During public comment at the June 25 meeting, residents voiced concerns for the development, including increase in local traffic, noise, and light pollution, as well as further impact on the city's current shortage of public parking.

In written correspondence to the city, resident Candice Gerber expressed concern about the size of the development and wrote that the project is "too large for a residential neighborhood."

Dove Creek property owner Angela Toomey wrote that they pay HOA fees to maintain the surrounding area's green belts and trails. "The hotel guests will not be paying these dues but will be free to use our playgrounds, basketball courts, trails, dog runs, and amenities and will not likely treat them like home because it's not their home," Toomey wrote.

Resident Cindi Armour called the project a "proposed disaster," and said she believed the construction will cause their quality of life to suffer.

Other residents like Kathryn Love wrote that they are in support of the development. "We would like to see the corner lot developed in a way that serves the community," she said.

Applicant Thom Jess, owner of Arris Studio Architects, spoke at the meeting and assured the community that the company wants to create a space that serves the area through active hubs.

The development will be located on a vacant lot between 11600 and 11700 blocks along El Camino Real with access points on Bliss and Cashin streets.

According to the staff report, the project includes 71 residential units lining Bliss Street, Cashin Street, and Santa Barbara Road running from two to three stories high. Three-story buildings will include individual private parking spaces and garages.

The three-story central hotel will include 20 rooms with kitchens to compete with the short-term rental market and was clarified at Tuesday's meeting as geared toward visiting athletes and their families playing at Paloma Creek Park across the street.

Originally approved in 2004, the Dove Creek Mixed-Use Project was intended to include a variety of residential and commercial spaces with a 5-acre lot approved for a 60,000-square-foot neighborhood commercial center.

In response to parking concerns, a condition on the permit stipulates that new development homeowners with garages must use that space for parking, and this will be policed. Additionally, cars will be towed if parked incorrectly.

Moreno echoed, "Having successful parking is a successful project."

Atascadero City Manager Jim Lewis said the space may not need as much parking as residents are concerned about.

"I think that many people who are going to use this are going to walk to it, bike to it; you have all the apartment density there," he said.

In 2004, the project included plans for a Tractor Supply, a strip mall, and parking on that 5-acre lot, a development that never came to fruition.

Lewis said that proposal would have created more traffic than the current project and said this iteration is "far more neighborhood compatible" than a strip mall and parking lot.

In 2019, a proposal was received that established the property for mixed-use development, paving the way for the lot be used for 80 residential units, a hotel, and 37,000 square feet for commercial use. The applicant for that project never moved forward.

After 20 years in the making, construction on the 5-acre lot is anticipated to begin within the next year. Δ