City expects housing production to skyrocket in 2022
PASO ROBLES — The City of Paso Robles submitted its General Plan to the state. Originally adopted in 2003, the plan has had several amendments over the last 18 years.
The State of California requires the city to submit its general plan to the state offices of Planning and Research, and Housing and Community Development. Recent updates to Paso’s general plan include changes to the Circulation Element, Noise Element, and Housing Element.
The General Plan includes 240 policy action items, not including those in the Housing Element. Currently, 128 of those actions are ongoing activities, 80 actions are complete, and 20 of them are in process. Twelve actions have yet to be scheduled for implementation.
Some of the city’s major general plan activities include updates to the land use and housing elements.
For land use, the city is in development with the Olsen-South Chandler Specific Plan, Beechwood Specific Plan and the Gateway Annexation. Both specific plans sit on the south-east side of Paso.
The Olsen South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan will be breaking ground on May 25. The housing development will have close to 1,300 housing units within its 358-acre site. Additionally, the area has room for other possibilities, including a 9,800 square feet of commercial space, a possible elementary school site, and 29,335 square feet of community amenities.
The Beechwood Specific Plan is approximately six months behind the Chandler Ranch development. It will hold 952 housing units on a 234-acre site. Also proposed for the area is 40,000 square feet of neighborhood commercial/mixed-use development, over 20 acres of open space that include an 8-acre public park, smaller public green spaces, conserved open space, and a 2.9-mile multi-use pathway network.
Based on the staff’s forecast, housing production is expected to skyrocket in Paso Robles. The city is expecting to issue up to 300 housing permits this year, potentially up to 600 permits in 2023 and 750 per year by 2024. These estimates come from projects currently in process and housing already purchased in the Beechwood and Olsen-South Chandler specific plans. It also includes multi-family projects currently approved and in the permitting process.
The public has issued concern over traffic congestion in reaction to the Beechwood and Chandler Ranch developments. According to city staff, the developments are required to improve Creston Road, Niblick Road corridors, Charlois Road, and River Road to help alleviate/improve traffic. These improvements will happen throughout different phases of the developments.
The council approved the general plan and directed staff to submit the plan to the state.
For more information on the general plan, visit here.
