Attachment 1
Project Site
Attachment 2
RESOLUTION NO. 20-186
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EL PASO DE ROBLES IDENTIFYING 345 CYCLE 2 SURPLUS DENSITY UNITS AND
ALLOCATING OF SURPLUS DENSITY UNITS TO PARCEL 009-814-044 (HOUSING ELEMENT PARCEL MU1) AND 009-814-052 (HOUSING ELEMENT PARCEL MU2) APPLICANT – CITY INITIATED
APN: 009-814-004 & 009-814-052
WHEREAS, the City’s General Plan has established population planning threshold of 44,000 persons, based on the available capacities of the water system, wastewater treatment system, transportation systems, and environmental resources; and
WHEREAS, via General Plan Amendment 2012-02, the Land Use Element adopted a 5.0% vacancy rate and an updated average population per household ratio (2.66) that collectively raised the number of dwelling units that could be built within the 44,000 population planning threshold by 594 units (Surplus Density Units) over the 16,818 units shown in Table LU-3 of the 2003 Land Use Element to 17,412 units, as amended by General Plan Amendment 2012-02; and
WHEREAS, the additional 594 Surplus Density Units were assigned by City Council to the following projects:
Project City Council resolution
San Antonio Winery general plan amendment 15-061 4 dwelling units Alder Creek Apartments general plan amendment 16-100 16 dwelling units River Oaks II general plan amendment 16-083 240 dwelling units Paso Robles Gateway Annexation general plan amendment 17-091 97 dwelling units Lyle Ln. SFR-2 general plan amendment 18-xxx 1 dwelling units Beechwood Specific Plan general plan amendment 18-067 237 dwelling units WHEREAS, the City’s Economic Strategy, adopted in 2006, calls for the following measures for development of residential neighborhoods:
• Encourage community development in live/work, mixed use, and compact, pedestrian oriented forms to accommodate all income levels and lifestyles;
• Increase labor force residents in the City;
• Create streetscapes, pathways, and public spaces of beauty, interest, and functional benefit to pedestrians;
• Preserve energy and natural resources; and
WHEREAS, The Housing Element is a mandatory General Plan element. It identifies ways in which the housing needs of existing and future residents can be met. State law requires that all cities adopt a Housing Element and describes in detail the necessary content.); and WHEREAS, the City’s 5th-cycle housing element (2014-2019 reporting period) was adopted in October of 2014 and is due to be updated; and
WHEREAS, the City’s goal for this undertaking is to achieve certification of its Housing Element for the 6th cycle (2020-2028 reporting period) by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).; and
CC Resolution 20-186 Page 1 of 5 Attachment 3
WHEREAS, the draft Housing Element was submitted to HCD on August 11, 2020 for their 60-day review of the draft
WHEREAS, on October 8, 2020 HCD determined that the draft Housing Element meets the statutory requirements and will comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the Gov. Code) when it is adopted, submitted to, and approved by HCD, in accordance with Government Code section 65585; and WHEREAS, the Housing Element applies citywide; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has reviewed and recommended that the City Council adopt the draft Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, in order to implement the draft Housing Element, it is necessary to amend the Zoning Code as follows:
(a) amend the mixed-use overlay to enhance flexibility and encourage housing production by increasing the allowed density in the overlay zone from 20 units per acre to 30 units per acre; allow residential commercial, or mixed-use development for maximum flexibility; and apply the mixed-use overlay to two additional parcels
(b) update definitions related to manufactured and modular homes (c) remove the number of stories limit in the multifamily residential zoning districts (R-2, R-3, R-4, and R-5) and regulate based on height in feet
(d) amend the requirement for a community room/day care center for projects with 32 or more units in multifamily zoning districts by increasing the threshold to 40 or more units (e) allow all properties within the R-3 zoning district to achieve three units if minimum lot sizes can be met
(f) encourage smaller units that are affordable by design, by allowing fractional density units as follows:
• Studio and one-bedroom dwellings < 600 square feet = 0.50 unit • Studio and one-bedroom dwellings 601 - 1,000 square feet = 0.66 unit • 2-bedroom+ dwelling units and all dwelling units over 1,000 square feet = 1.00 unit (g) revise the threshold of review for a development plan from 5 or more dwelling units per lot to 10 or more dwelling units per lot
(h) remove Footnote (b) under Table 21.16I.060.A.2 affecting the R-3 zoned lots that are constrained to developing at R-2 densities
and;
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted the above Zoning Code amendments, including the addition of fraction density units; and
WHEREAS, the allowance of fractional density units collectively raised the number of dwelling units that could be built within the 44,000 population planning threshold by 345 units (Surplus Density Units Cycle II) as calculated in Exhibit A, over the 17,412 units shown in Table LU-3 of the 2003 Land Use Element, as amended by General Plan Amendment 2012-02, to 17,757 units; and WHEREAS, the City Council has not allocated the additional 345 surplus units; and WHEREAS, the draft Housing Element and Zoning Code amendments apply the mixed-use zoning overlay to two vacant commercial parcels known as MU1 (APN: 009-814-044) and MU2 (APN: 009-814-052); and WHEREAS, no density units are currently allocated to MU1 or MU2; and CC Resolution 20-186 Page 2 of 5 Attachment 3
WHEREAS, in order to effectively implement the mixed-use overlay, density units need to be allocated to MU1 and MU2 to allow for mixed-use development; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Statutes and Guidelines of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public Resources Code, Section 21000, et seq., and the City’s Procedures for Implementing CEQA, an Initial Study and a Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared and circulated for a 30-day public review period beginning on October 7, 2020 through November 9, 2020. A copy of the Final MND/Initial Study is included in Exhibit A of Resolution CC 20-____, and it is on file at the Paso Robles Community Development Department; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project pursuant to Section 509 of the State CEQA Guidelines (14 California Code of Regulations [CCR]) and Section 21081 of the Public Resources Code; and
WHEREAS, on November 10, 2020 the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing and recommended that the City Council approve the 6th Cycle Housing Element Amendment; and WHEREAS, on November 17, 2020 a Notice of Public Hearing was published in a newspaper of general circulation within the City of El Paso de Robles; and
WHEREAS, the City Council conducted a public hearing on the proposed project on December 1, 2020; and
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EL PASO DE ROBLES DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals. The City Council hereby finds that the foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein as substantive findings of this Resolution.
Section 2. Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. As the approving body for the Project, the City Council has reviewed and considered the draft MND, and administrative record on file with the City and available for review at 1000 Spring Street, Paso Robles, California. The City Council found that the draft MND has been completed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Res. Code § 21000 et seq.: “CEQA”) and the State CEQA Guidelines.
Section 3. Findings for Approval.
a. Prior to a comprehensive update to the General Plan, the City Council will not approve amendments to the General Plan that collectively increase the number of density units at buildout above 17,757. b. 345 surplus density units are available for distribution. c. 246 surplus density units will remain available for distribution after this allocation. d. Allocation of the surplus density units will not become effective until both the Housing Element and Zoning Code amendments become effective.
Section 4. Project Allocation (Highlands Center Site). The City Council of the City Council City of El Paso de Robles hereby allocates 20 surplus units to parcel 009-814-044.
Section 5. Project Allocation (Woodlands Plaza Vacant Pad). The City Council City of El Paso de Robles hereby allocates 79 surplus units to parcel 009-814-052.
CC Resolution 20-186 Page 3 of 5 Attachment 3
Attachment 3
Exhibit A
Exhibit A – Surplus Density Units Cycle II
Table 1 – Fractional Density Unit Calculations /
Surplus Density Units Cycle II
General Plan Area / Land Use Categories
Existing
Dwelling
Units
Potential
Dwelling
Units
MultiFamily
Fractional
Units
Surplus
Units
Total
Dwelling
Units
West Side (includes area south of 1st Street)
Uptown/Town Center (UTTC) Specific Plan* 2,202 925 727 198 3,127 Outside of UTTC – Single Family Residential 702 119 821 Outside of UTTC – Multi-Family Residential 319 86 67 19 405 Outside of UTTC – Non-Residential Use 43 0 43
Subtotal 3,266 1,130 794 217 4,396
East Side
Borkey Area Specific Plan – Single Family 396 33 429
Borkey Area Specific Plan – Multi-Family 107 193 175 18 300 Union/46 Specific Plan (SF) 816 134 950
North Chandler Ranch Area Specific Plan – Single Family 1 743 744 North Chandler Ranch Area Specific Plan – Multi-Family 0 135 122 13 135 Olsen-South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan – Single Family 16 1,109 1,125 Olsen-South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan – Multi-Family 0 168 152 16 168 Beechwood Area Specific Plan – Single Family 5 469 474
Beechwood Area Specific Plan – Multi-Family 0 200 181 19 200 Outside of Specific Plan Areas – Single Family 5,122 117 5,239 Outside of Specific Plan Areas – Mobile Homes 310 0 310 Outside of Specific Plan Areas – Multi-Family 1,587 648 586 62 2,235 Non-Residential Uses 85 28 113
Subtotal 8,445 3,977 1,216 128 12,422
Total 11,711 5,107 2,010 345 16,818
CC Resolution 20-186 Page 5 of 5 Attachment 3
Attachment 4
RESOLUTION 25-XXX
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EL PASO DE ROBLES RESERVING 154 GENERAL PLAN SURPLUS DENSITY UNITS
FROM THE CYCLE 2 SURPLUS DENSITY UNITS POOL
Ardmore Townhouse Surplus Density Allocation
WHEREAS, the City has received an application from Covelop, Inc. and MD3 Investments for the “Ardmore Townhouses,” a development of a 154-unit residential development (“project”) located at 2930 Union Road; and
WHEREAS, the subject site is currently zoned C3, PD (Commercial-Light Industrial, Planned Development Overlay). This zoning does not allow residential uses by-right; and WHERAS, the applicant is proposing a rezone of the property to include the Mixed-Use (“MU”) Overlay zoning designation, which would allow the property to be developed with residential uses, and would follow its own separate public hearing process not considered by this action; and WHEREAS, in addition to the separate rezoning request, the project will require an allocation of 154 surplus density units in order to move forward; and
WHEREAS, in 2020, as part of the City’s Housing Element update, the City Council adopted amendments to the Zoning Code related to fractional density units, which collectively raised the number of dwelling units that could be built within the 44,000-population planning threshold by 345 surplus units. These units are referred to as Cycle 2 Surplus Density Units; and WHEREAS, the City Council is empowered to allocate these surplus density units; and WHEREAS, there are currently 246 remaining surplus density units that have yet to be assigned from the Cycle 2 Surplus Density Units; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is being asked to “reserve” 154 unallocated surplus residential density units for this project. Should these units not be incorporated into the project (as a result of the public participation process), they would remain unallocated and available for other development projects.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EL PASO DE ROBLES DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. All of the above recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein by reference.
Section 2. The City Council of the City of El Paso De Robles does hereby reserve 154-units from the Cycle 2 Surplus Density Units to the project, as shown in Exhibit A.
Section 3. The City Council reserves the right to rescind this allocation of the 154 surplus density units if the City Council determines that entitlement process is not making adequate progress in its sole discretion.
Section 4. The City Council finds that this action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to State Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (c)(2)-(3), 15378 as the
Attachment 4
activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
APPROVED this 4
th day of November, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
John R. Hamon, Jr., Mayor
ATTEST:
Melissa Martin, City Clerk
Exhibit A – Surplus Density Units Cycle 2
Exhibit A
Surplus Density Units Cycle 2 Tracking Table – 345 Units Total Project Name APN Council Resolution Surplus Units
Allocated
Surplus Units
Remaining
Highlands Center Site 009-814-044 20-186 20 325
Woodland Plaza Pad 009-814-052 20-186 79 246
Oak at Ardmore 025-362-050 XX-XXX 154 92
Total Remaining 92