Community Ideas

The City is committed to designing and implementing an inclusive and dynamic engagement process to ensure the 2045 General Plan Update is based on robust and genuine feedback from the community, civic and city leaders, and the private sector. The overarching goal of the community engagement process is to provide opportunities for meaningful participation and consensus-building among residents, community groups, partner agencies, City departments, and other stakeholders to define a shared vision for Atascadero’s future. This page includes community feedback from major events, workshops, meetings, surveys, and discussions that have taken place so far during the project. This page will be regularly updated with community feedback and ideas. You can also provide your comments via the links below.    

 

Share Your Ideas
(click here)

Your ideas matter! Please share you comments, 
feedback, and ideas through the online comment form.  

Learn About Upcoming Events
(click here)

 Go to the calendar page to see information on
upcoming meetings, workshops, and events that
you can attend. 

  

Community Engagement Series #2 Summary: Alternatives

      

The Project Team hosted a series of pop-up events, focus group meetings, open houses, and an online survey to solicit community ideas on a preferred land use and growth alternative for the future of Atascadero. These interactive events and activities provided community members and stakeholders with an opportunity to: 

  • Learn about the Authentic Atascadero process and the importance of the General Plan
  • Learn about the proposed new Placetypes and changes in Focus Areas
  • Review and provide feedback on growth ideas and concepts for each Focus Area
  • Discuss and provide feedback on additional things they would improve or change in the future
  • Identify ways they can stay actively involved in the project

The following document summarizes community comments, ideas, and feedback gathered during the second round of engagement events. 

  • Community Engagement Series #2 Summary (coming soon)

High School Student Policy Projects

  

In Fall 2023, the Project Team partnered with a social sciences teachers at Atascadero High School to develop a class assignment related to the planning of Atascadero's future. The semester-long assignment provided an opportunity for students to form groups, identify key policy topics they were interested in, conduct reasearch and engagement around the policy topic, and present final ideas and/or solutions for consideration in the General Plan Update. The assignment included five key steps:  

  • Step 1: Select your project topic, define the issue, and plan a public input strategy 
  • Step 2: Conduct, record, and summarize community input
  • Step 3: Research solutions, good examples, and/or case studies from other cities
  • Step 4: Develop and recommend a specific solution or set of solutions
  • Step 5: Give a final presentation

The students gave their final presentations on December 8, 2023, to Mayor Moreno, City Council members, City staff, and members of the Project Team. Topics ranged widely and touched on many key policy choices that came up through the engagement activities, including: recreation; land use, fire safety, safety (general); mobility' jobs and economics; housing; gree space; and homelessness. The following are links to the final student presentations, organized by class.  

Period 1 

Period 2 

 Period 5 

Period 6 

Community Engagement Series #1 Summary: Vision for the Future

       

The Project Team hosted a series of targeted group discussions and an open houses during Community Event Set #1 to solicit ideas on a vision for the future of Atascadero and feedback on challenges and emerging opportunities that will inform the next phase of the General Plan Update process, Alternatives. These interactive events provided community members and stakeholders with an opportunity to: 

  • Learn about the Authentic Atascadero process and the importance of the General Plan
  • Learn about the findings and major take-aways from the existing conditions analysis
  • Discuss a future vision for Atascadero
  • Discuss what they like about Atascadero and what they would improve or change in the future
  • Review and provide feedback on existing challenges and emerging opportunities
  • Identify ways they can stay actively involved in the project

The following document summarizes community comments, ideas, and feedback gathered during the first round of engagement events.