The project involves a comprehensive update to the Citys current 2025 General Plan, which was adopted in 2002 and most recently amended in 2020 (City of Atascadero 2016 to reflect a 2045 horizon year (2045 General Plan Update). The project also includes updates to the Atascadero Municipal Code to ensure consistency with the 2045 General Plan Update, to clarify existing administrative standards and practices, and incorporate current City policy (Zoning Code Update). Chapter 2, Project Description, of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) provides an overview of the Planning Area location and setting as well as the background, objectives, land use components, policies, and required approvals of the 2045 General Plan Update and Zoning Code Update (referred to herein collectively as the Project or the 2045 General Plan/Zoning Code Update) This Draft EIR evaluates the physical changes associated with community buildout anticipated to occur under the 2045 General Plan Update and Zoning Code Update, if adopted, as well as the physical effects that may result from the establishment and implementation of the goals and policies of the project.
The 2045 General Plan Update would be comprehensive and internally consistent, serving as the Citys top-level planning document to guide the Citys future growth and development. The overall role of the 2045 General Plan Update is to:
Define a realistic community vision for Atascadero through the year 2045.
Provide the legal foundation for local government decision-making. This includes but is not limited to zoning regulations, ordinances, guidelines, standards, other adopted Citywide plans, compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) decisions and projects, all of which must be consistent with the General Plan.
Express policy direction in regard to the physical, social, economic, cultural, and environmental character of the city.
Serve as a comprehensive guide for making decisions regulating land use, circulation, environmental management, parks and recreation, housing, noise, public health, and safety.
Provide citizens the opportunity to participate in the planning and decision-making process of their community; and
Inform citizens, developers, decision-makers, and other cities and counties of the ground rules that guide development within a particular community.
General Plan Elements. According to State law, General Plans are required to cover nine topics: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, air quality, safety, and environmental justice (note: including environmental justice is only required when a city has a State-identified disadvantaged community,
which Atascadero does not). Jurisdictions may include any other topics that are relevant to planning its future and may address the required topics in conjunction with these other topics.
The 2045 General Plan Update would include the following elements:
Land Use and Community Form Element
Economic Development Element
Mobility Element
Recreation and Open Space Element
Public Services and Infrastructure Element
Safety and Emergency Preparedness Element
The City of Atascadero Housing Element was adopted in 2020 and is valid until 2028. It will not be part of this current update process. Updates to the Zoning Code are made by the General Plan.
Land Use Element: Place Types and corresponding Zoning Districts. The Land Use and Community Form Element would fulfill the State requirements for the Land Use Element and identifies policies to preserve and foster community character when exploring opportunities for growth. The 2045 General Plan Update would include a combination of new and refined land uses and updated land use designations referred to as Placetypes. Placetypes intend to create more clarity around the character of new development. Placetypes are similar to land use designations, as they set densities and intensities, but also include detail on the character of the various types of uses, including scale, design quality, and relationship to the street. Placetypes would be further refined by zoning districts, which provide more detailed distinction of allowed uses and development standards within each Placetype established in the 2045 General Plan Update.
Zoning Code Update. Final adoption of Zoning Code standards will follow adoption of the General Plan. The Zoning Code Update focuses on reorganization of Title 9 for readability and accessibility while incorporating new zoning districts to correspond to updated General Plan Placetypes, as well as codification of current City policies. The Zoning Code Update will also include changes to zoning code administration and entitlement processing to correspond to current best practice, current policy, State law, and/or to meet the Councils streamlining and public outreach goals, as well as updated definitions and development standards to acknowledge new uses and economic trends and implement the General Plan vision for each Placetype.
Potential Environmental Effects:
Significant environmental effects are anticipated related to air quality, greenhouse gases, and transportation. Descriptions of specific impacts and associated mitigation are provided in the EIR.
