About the Plan

What is a General Plan?

The General Plan establishes a framework for all land use and zoning decisions within a community. This framework includes the community’s long-term vision for how Atascadero should grow and change over the coming years and decades regarding housing and mobility, economic development and job growth, healthy and resilient neighborhoods, resource conservation, public safety, and equity.

The City of Atascadero’s current General Plan was last comprehensively updated in 2002. In this rapidly evolving world, an update creates the opportunity to address current challenges and emerging trends. As the City’s overarching policy document, all decisions made by the City Council, Planning Commission, other commissions, and City staff need to be consistent with the vision, goals, policies, programs, and actions included in the General Plan. 

The General Plan touches many topic areas, such as where housing can be built, where new commercial businesses are needed, how the road network can better accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, how parks can be improved, and how public safety is addressed in our daily activities, including exposure of people to noise and air pollutants. 

Concert series at Atascadero Lake 

 

Famers’ Market in Atascadero Sunken Gardens

It is important that the General Plan reflects community priorities and values. Using an intensive, inclusive, and creative community engagement process, the new General Plan will focus on achieving well-defined guiding principles for a wide range of topics. This General Plan program represents an opportunity for residents and the business community to share their ideas about planning Atascadero’s future, both in terms of near-term actions and a long-term vision.