City Council Hearing
April 21, 2026
The Oak at Ardmore – RMF Housing
MU & SPD Overlay / CUP / PD / VTTM / OTR (P25-0080)
Applicant: Covelop Inc. & MD3 Investments
Land Use Consultants: Ian McCarville - Kirk Consulting
Project Evolution
2021 2026
Age Restricted Housing
(Oct 2024 - May 2025)
• 119 small-lot homes (age restricted 55+)
• Cottage-style, affordable by design
• Not supported due to policy inconsistency
• Helped inform the current proposal
Oak at Admore – RMF Housing
(May 2025-Current)
• 154 multi-family townhomes,
affordable by design
• Mixed-Use & SPD Overlays
• Aligns with City housing objectives
2024
Ardmore Industrial (2021 – 2024)
• Mixed-use industrial concept
• Warehousing, storage, light
manufacturing & retail
• Approved in January 2024; failed to
attract tenants due to market shift
Proposed Project
Project Scope:
• 154 RMF lots ranging from 1,562 – 4,765 SF
• 154 two-story attached townhomes (affordable
by design)
• Clubhouse, community areas, frontage
improvements, new internal access roads, etc.
• MU & SPD Overlay Designation.
PHASE 2 PHASE 1
Existing Neighborhood Context
Spurr
Construction
& Case Pacific
Daniels
Wood
Land
AutoCraft
Collision
Case
Pacific
SFR
SFR SFR
SFR
SFR
SFR
SFR
Barney
Schwartz
Sports
Club
Ravine
Waterpark
SFR
SFR SFR
SFR
SFR
SFR
SFR
SFR SFR SFR SFR SFR SFR
SFR
R1
Zoning
SFR SFR
North Chandler
Ranch
PRSD &
Culinary Arts
Academy
Fire
Station
#3
Area Context & Future Circulation Map
Project Site
Goods & Services
- Enterprise
- At Home Massage
- Mark’s Tire Service
- OneSource
Distributors
- Straight Line Heating
& Cooling
- Diamond Detailing
- Paso Robles Bible
Church
- Victory Outreach
Church
Lowes
Site Suitability for RMF Housing
Housing Constraints & Opportunities / MultiFamily Accelerator Program • Project site was identified as a priority location
for MU Overlay & to accelerate higher-density
residential development.
• MU Overlay is intended to increase flexibility &
incentive housing production.
• This project would fulfill three-quarters of the
City’s entitlement goal for FY 2025 and 2026
combined (100 units/year).
RMF Opportunity Sites
Reservation of General Plan Surplus Density Units
• 11/4/25 City Council allocated 154 General Plan surplus density units to the project site. • Concluded that the project aligns with the General Plan and Economic Strategy objectives.
• Applicant will contribute an in-lieu fee equivalent to two points in the recently adopted County Regional Housing Inventive Program.
• Payable to the City for use in future tax-credit affordable housing projects. • Allows the contribution to be leveraged through state, federal, and tax-exempt financing programs, significantly amplifying nonprofit housing funds.
Site Suitability for RMF Housing
Cal Poly Conceptual Development Plans for
the North Chandler Ranch Specific Plan
• Identifies site for mixed-use and highdensity residential. • Supports extension of existing residential
development northward.
• Site is a planned transition area between
existing neighborhoods and future
growth.
• Envisions 3-story, low-rise apartments to
maximize density.
• Emphasizes walkability, connectivity, and
diverse housing types.
• Intended to help meet RHNA and housing
demand.
• Aligns with City goals for compact,
connected development.
Project
Site
Cal Poly Exhibit
Growth
Direction
Site Circulation & Parking
• Connected pedestrian network linking homes,
open space, and clubhouse
• Continuous sidewalks and internal pathways
throughout the site
• Primary access via Ardmore Road extension with
full internal circulation
P P
P P
P GUEST PARKING
Landscape Plan & Recreation Areas
Townhome Overview
Project Overview
• 34 residential buildings
• 154 townhomes (11.86 du/ac)
• 4- and 5-unit configurations
Building Types
• Front-loaded (TWN-A) and
alley-loaded (TWN-B) units
• Rear-loaded garages create
pedestrian-oriented
internal streets
Design & Architecture
• Agrarian-inspired
design with modern
forms
• Consistent
architectural language
with varied massing
and rooflines
• Enhanced frontage
along Ardmore Road
with landscaping and
courtyard elements
Unit Features
• 3–4 bedrooms | 2.5
bathrooms
• Private entries,
garages, and outdoor
space
• Building heights:
approx. 28–30 feet
Front Loaded
Alley Loaded
Clubhouse
Clubhouse & Amenities
• ~3,000 SF clubhouse
with indoor gathering
and recreation space
• Central common room,
kitchen/dining, and
recreation room
• Outdoor amenities
include covered patio,
pool, and pool deck
• Centrally located as
the primary community
gathering space
SPD / DP Modifications
1. Setback Modification (SPD): Allow varying reduced setbacks, including zerolot-line development.
2. Special Planned Development Overlay “F” (SPD): Waive solid masonry wall requirement.
3. Building Orientation Tier 1 Design Strategy (PD): Waive requirement for townhomes along Ardmore road to be pedestrian-entry oriented toward the street.
4. Tier 4 Design Strategies (Roofs)(PD): Allow one complete strategy along with key elements of five other strategies in lieu of two complete strategies.
5. Roof Design Standards (PD): Allow eaves to project 12 inches beyond the roofline instead.
6. Hillside Development Standards – Exposed Face of Rear Yard Retaining Walls (PD): Allow rear-yard retaining walls to exceed the six-foot maximum height by two feet or more in limited instances.
Oak Tree Removal Permit
• Original commercial/industrial project (OTR23-
11) approved removal of 6 oaks in poor/very
poor condition; 2 trees were to be retained.
• With the change to residential use, the arborist
reevaluated the two retained trees for safety.
• Tree #13 (42"), previously slated for retention,
now shows 77% radial wood loss and is
considered a high structural-failure risk;
removal is recommended.
• Oak Tree Mitigation:
• 265 inches of mitigation required → 34 twoinch trees; 37 are proposed. • Original project required 270 inches, but
Tree #3 has since fallen and no longer
requires removal.
Oak Tree Removal Map
Fallen
Now
recommended
for removal
Conclusion
• Establishes 154 “affordable by design” townhome units on a 12.98-acre infill site in a location well-suited for residential development, with convenient access to jobs, services, and transportation.
• Creates a cohesive and thoughtfully planned community with integrated open space, clubhouse amenities, internal circulation, and consistent architectural and landscape design. Supported by DRC.
• Consistent with the City’s General Plan, Housing Element, and Mixed-Use Overlay objectives, supporting housing production, efficient land use, and high-quality neighborhood design.
• Requested overlays and modifications provide the flexibility needed to respond to site constraints while achieving a more efficient, functional, and well-integrated development.
Request:
Adopt Staff and Planning Commission’s recommendation and approve the project, including all modifications.
Available for Questions
Ian McCarville, Kirk Consulting
Damien Mavis, Covelop
Michael Stoltey, MD3 Investments
Backup Slides
Color & Material Board
Overview
• Modern farmhouse aesthetic
with a cohesive, varied color
palette
• Fiber cement siding (lap + boardand-batten) for durability and low maintenance
• Combination of asphalt shingle
and standing seam metal roofing
• Neutral tones with contrasting
dark accents (windows, railings,
fixtures)
• Stone veneer used at clubhouse
as a focal architectural element
Special Planned Development Modifications
1. Setback Modification: Allow varying front, rear and side setbacks, including zerofoot setbacks for shared wall development. • Necessary to facilitate proposed density and achieve affordable-by-design housing.
• DRC requested we revisit setbacks along Ardmore Road. • Ardmore Road setbacks were revised and comply with the applicable standards.
Special Planned Development Modifications
2. Special Planned Development Overlay “F”: Waive requirement for a solid decorative masonry wall along southern PL that abuts residential land use in North Chandler Ranch.
• Intent of standard was to provide a buffer between commercia/industrial uses and residential uses. Now that residential uses are proposed on this site, this standard is no longer necessary.
Solid decorative masonry
wall no longer required
along southern property
line
Development Plan Modifications
3. ODS – Building
Orientation Tier 1 Design
Strategy:
• Townhomes
adjacent to Ardmore
road are required to
have direct
pedestrian access
from Ardmore.
Option 1: 6-Foot Fencing
Option 2: 3-Foot Fencing Modification
Location
Development Plan Modifications
4. ODS – Roof Tier 4 Design Strategies & 5. Eave Projections:
• MU Overlay Standards require two roof design strategies to be implemented • Roofs are required to have eave projects extending a minimum of 18” • Project proposes one complete design strategy and a mix of key design elements from five other strategies, promoting architectural variety and visual interest.
Required Proposed
Incorporate gables along at least 40% of all façade
lengths
Project Complies
Dormers applied to at least 50% of the upper-floor
windows visible from public ROW, but no less than two
windows
Dormers provided along most public ROW
façade, but less than 50%.
Eave and rake projections are a minimum of 24” on all
roof sections
Eave and rake projections are 12” on all roof
sections.
Varying height of the same roof type by at least 18” for each one-three units exposed on that elevation
Roof height variation exceeds 18” on most
elevations
Combine more than one roof type. Secondary roof type
shall represent at least 25% of the total roof line.
Project combines asphalt shingle roofing
and standing seam metal roofing. Applied
to less than 25% of some roof lines and
under 50% of the total roof area. Install standing seam metal roof for at least 50% of roof area.
Development Planned Modifications
6. Hillside Development Standards – Exposed Face of Rear Yard Retaining Walls:
• Max Rear yard retaining wall height: 6’
• Due to site topography, strict compliance not feasible. • Request: allow walls to exceed 6 feet in six instances. • Only 2 locations exceed 6 feet in visible height.
Special Planned Development Modifications
Visual height less than 6 feet Visual height more than 6 feet SLO County Incentive Program
Adopted on 9/23/25.
• Incentive Program is point-based, allowing developers and property owners to purchase incentive points to request relief from certain development standards. • Cost: $30,000 per incentive point.
• Fees collected are allocated to Non-Profit Affordable Housing developers such as Paso Robles Housing Authority to build housing.
• They can access government programs and tax credits which For Profit developers cannot.
• They can leverage these funds 9X to magnify their benefit. • Fill the critical local funding gap that is currently making it challenging for nonprofit affordable housing builders to build already-approved, but unfunded, affordable dwelling units in the region.
Front Loaded Townhome- 4-Pack
Front Loaded Townhome- 4-Pack
Alley Loaded Townhome- 4-Pack
Alley Loaded Townhome- 4-Pack
Rear Yard Setbacks
• Four townhomes and one waste enclosure do not meet the required 10-foot rear setback.
• In these limited instances, the rear yard setbacks are deficient by approximately 1 to 11 inches
9’-1” 9’-10” 9’-11”
9’-6”
Ardmore Industrial (2022 – 2024)
Project Scope:
• Six (6) commercial/lightindustrial buildings.
• 240,327 sq. ft. of floor area.
• 2-lot parcel map for Lot 7.
Parcel Map
Age Restricted Housing (Oct 2024 – May 2025)
Project Scope:
• High-density single-family
product
• 119 lots (small lots – 2,000 SF)
• 55+ age restricted
Oak Tree Evaluation
Resistgraph Results
• 3.5’ above ground,
approximately 60%–77% radial
loss of wood.
• Trunk is essentially a hollow
tube supporting multiple tons
of canopy weight.
• Continued decay will further
reduce structural integrity of the
wood.
• High wind events during winter
storms increase likelihood of
tree failure.