Unfinished SLO County shopping center has a plan for completion after 25 years
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- Atascadero council amended the master plan to develop three lots empty since 1999.
- Plan adds Chick‑fil‑A, car wash and storefront, adding 3.65 acres of development.
- Zoning amended to conditionally allow car washes.
Atascadero has big plans to complete a shopping center that has been unfinished and half-empty for over 25 years, including bringing a brand-new Chick-fil-A to San Luis Obispo County.
The city announced in October that the popular chicken fast food restaurant would be coming to town in the commercial complex near Home Depot on the north end of Atascadero — where three empty lots have sat undeveloped for decades — but new designs for the center detail the plans for the drive-through fast-food joint and two other incoming businesses.
In addition to the Chick-fil-A, a self-service car wash and another commercial business space will be added to the shopping center at San Ramon Road and El Camino Real right off Highway 101, according to a master development plan amended by the City Council on Tuesday.
The new buildings will finally fill out the empty lots next to Staples and the SpringHill Suites hotel that have sat vacant since the development plan was originally approved in 1999.
“The approval of this development ... is continued proof that the city is growing, enjoys a vibrant economy and is a choice place for quality businesses,” Atascadero City Manager Jim Lewis told The Tribune.
The Chick-fil-A, totaling 5,070 square feet, will go in at 940 El Camino Real at the southern corner of the lot closest to the highway entrance and exit, giving easy access to the drive-through for commuters, according to the plan.
It will be the only other location in the county aside from Cal Poly. The next-nearest Chick-fil-A is on Preisker Lane in Santa Maria.
The 4,000-square-foot car wash — also a drive-through — will sit right next to the Staples at 805 El Camino Real, and a 4,200-square-foot commercial tenant space will go in at 920 El Camino Real neighboring SpringHill Suites, the plan shows.
The city does not have a tenant for the space yet, but its desired use would be for another restaurant or retailer compatible with Chick-fil-A, Atascadero community development director Phil Dunsmore told The Tribune.
All in all, the project adds 3.65 acres of development to the approximately 27-acre shopping center, according to the plan.
Council member Seth Peek posted a video of the site on his Facebook where he talks about what the new developments will look like in the space.
All three buildings will be constructed with elements of the original earth-tones and terracotta of the existing buildings to lend to a cohesive design, and landscaping will add parking lot trees and perimeter planting, the plan said.
The amendments approved Tuesday made a change to the zoning code to conditionally allow for car washes in the commercial center, which normally would not allow for such a use.
“While we know many will welcome these new businesses, we will also work diligently to mitigate impacts to our neighbors,” Lewis said.
The master development plan did not include a timeline for breaking ground on the project.
