Atascadero is seeing some of the biggest growth in the county in housing development. Now, the community is adapting to a statewide requirement and where new housing units will be going in over the next three years.
Every single year, the state of California asks us to report to them the number of housing units that we develop in our city as part of our Housing Element Report,Community Development Director Phil Dunsmore said.
These housing units fall into four categories: very low, low, moderate, and above moderate income levels.
Atascadero is two-thirds of the way done with four developments in the works. The La Moda Mixed Use, Centennial Plaza Mixed Use, Morro Road Mixed Use, and Dove Creek Mixed Use projects according to the city council meeting agenda.
“We also have to look at building our economy to support those housing units, because every house that gets money to our community is also an added burden of the additional police staff, the fire staff, the additional maintenance on the roads,” Dunsmore added.
In order to finance a growth in population, Dunsmore says theyll need retail to provide tax revenue and property tax revenue from commercial spaces.
With 307 units left of the 843 required by 2028, Dunsmore says there could be challenges over the next three years. This includes the potential for inflation to impact market rates and affordability, as well as tariffs impacting the cost of steel and construction material. Low income units also rely on grant funding which Dunsmore says is not guaranteed money.
We don’t intend to grow this community out of what it is today, and to drastically change it,” Dusmore explained. “We’re just trying to stay keep our growth rate at about one percent or less than that a year, which basically keeps our community alive.
<sot: james worthley, slo council deputy director>
Is there fears from the community that people don’t want this growth?” San Luis Obispo Council Deputy Director James Worthley said. “It’s always been there, but they also want their sandwich shops opened and staffed, and they want their restaurants to be fully functional, not only half open because there’s only a few servers left.
Some community members however are optimistic of the growth.
Steady, steady [growth], but not too fast,” John Newland said. “I’m all for it. Probably more families. This is a fine place to retire.