Plan would swap a sprawling commercial project for 154 new SLO County homes
Paso Robles took the first step toward approving a new 154-home subdivision near Barney Schwartz Park this week.
On Tuesday, the Planning Commission held a hearing on a residential subdivision project that would take the place of a previously planned commercial and industrial project that would have spanned around 240,000 square feet across six buildings at 2930 Union Road.
Though the commercial use was first approved by the city in 2024, a change of priorities by developer Covelop Inc., and MD3 Investments saw the applicant refocus toward a large subdivision project.
To build that subdivision, the applicant had to request multiple changes to the property’s zoning — from a commercial use to a 154-unit surplus density project. The project will require a new tract map and the removal of six valley oak trees.
Those motions to approve the Oak at Ardmore project — including language asking the applicant to work with city staff on existing uses of the site — passed on a 5-1 vote, with Commissioner Ty Christensen the sole “no” vote and Commissioner Eric Marlow absent.
Christiansen said he was voting against the project because he had concerns about sacrificing space for developing businesses in favor of residential growth.
“It’s a very big change in my mind to a well-established C3-zoned and light industrial area,” Christiansen said. ”As I said before, I believe that there are areas in this town that probably would be better for this type of transition, but ... I feel that we’re very much losing the ability for various C3 locations for businesses to grow and expand.”
New subdivision to feature high-density residential homes
Sitting on a 12.98-acre lot, the new subdivision’s home lots would range between 1,563 and 5,098 square feet and would be developed in two phases, according to the meeting staff report.
In addition to the 154 individual residential lots, 10 common lots ranging from 477 to 68,436 square feet are also included, along with a new right-of-way for an extension to Ardmore Road, according to the staff report.
The first phase of development would include a host of amenities including an approximately 3,000-square-foot clubhouse, an outdoor pool and a covered patio with dining and seating areas, according to the staff report.
Surrounding the clubhouse, the development plan includes pool cabanas, parcel lockers and a mail kiosk, all with convenient access from nearby residential buildings.
Other amenities include bicycle parking, picnic areas and a network of public sidewalks connecting each amenity area to the broader pedestrian circulation system, according to the staff report.
Meanwhile, Phase 2 would include a pair of drainage basins encircled by a meadow trail walking loop, along with a large playground on the southwest corner of the site, which was condiitioned to be completed prior to the occupancy of the development’s 100th residential unit, according to the staff report.
The homes themselves would be spread across 34 residential buildings, using a townhome model to create an overall density of 11.86 dwelling units per acre, according to the staff report.
Standing between 28 and 30 feet, the townhomes would include one- or two-car ground-floor garages that enter from either the front or back of the homes, and would come in four- and five-pack variations, according to the staff report.
The project exceeds the minimum 308 residential parking spaces and 31 guest spaces by providing 282 garage spaces and 90 driveway spaces, totaling 372 residential spaces and 33 guest spaces, according to the staff report. The Ardmore Road extension will also include 26 parallel parking spaces on both sides of the street.
As is, the property is home to eight oak trees, though some are in poor or very poor condition, according to the staff report. Only one of the trees would be retained, while the other seven will be removed and replaced with 34 young oaks.
Subdivision heads to City Council for final approval
During deliberations on the project, Commissioner Joel Neel said he’d like to see provisions put in place to make sure homeowners don’t clash with nearby industrial uses such as the general contractor Spurr Co., which owns a property bordering the lot.
“We have an existing use that is functioning now with a different set of hours, and then the neighbors move in, and now (Dave Spurr’s) not allowed to start his equipment until 7 a.m. .... really impacting the way that they do their business,” Neel said. “We’ve seen it when agriculture or homes move next to agriculture, that agriculture has to adjust the way that they’re doing their business.”
City staff said the previous noise assessment conducted on the site, which was done when the site was still zoned for mixed use, found that the ambient noise from nearby businesses were within the allowed range.
Still, the commission moved to approve the subdivision and send it to the City Council for final approval at a date uncertain.
