Atascadero mayor’s race: 4 questions for the candidates

Incumbent mayor Tom O’Malley faces challengers Ann Ketcherside and Nicholas Mattson for the two-year mayoral seat.

All three are familiar faces in Atascadero. Ketcherside, a property manager, ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2012. A local newspaper sports editor, Mattson is a founding board member of the Atascadero Printery Foundation. And before O’Malley became the city’s first elected mayor in 2012, he served on the City Council.

The candidates recently responded to four questions posed by The Tribune:

Q: What is the most important issue facing Atascadero and what would you do to address it in your first six months as mayor?

Ketcherside: Planning to do with commercial property and business property to get the doors open to the public costs incredibly high fees. I would work to fix the problem and bring businesses into Atascadero.

Mattson: Kid-friendly zoning downtown. Create the zone, and define what features will be developed.

O’Malley: Protecting Atascadero’s water resources from state control. I brought together stakeholders from Paso Robles and Atascadero cities, Templeton’s Community Services District and county residents who share the Atascadero basin. We must continue working to keep our basin separate. Another challenge is the small commercial lot sizes that are a detriment to business growth and expansion. We’ve redefined codes, allowing wider ranges of use. Now we need to incentivize and assist property owners in combining small parcels into more marketable properties.

Q: What should the city do to stimulate development of the Sunken Gardens area into a thriving downtown?

Ketcherside: Bring the concerts to the Sunken Gardens. Have twice-a-year garage sales for the public.

Mattson: Creating a kid-friendly zone will make the area more pedestrian friendly, and attract more residents and leave visitors with a positive and welcoming experience. Creating a Retail District (El Camino Real north from San Anselmo) and a Professional District (El Camino Real south from Juniper to San Gabriel).

O’Malley: We’ve completed our downtown master plan; improving traffic flow with the Lewis Avenue Bridge, Highway 101/41 overpass and transit center. We accomplished once-controversial projects such as the restoration of City Hall and Sunken Gardens. We are still challenged by commercial lots with successful medical practices that are not motivated to move. We need an economic incentive to relocate willing businesses to other locations, or second-story use around the park, who see the benefit of repurposing the Sunken Gardens area.

Q: How should the city be marketing Atascadero to stimulate the local economy, beyond hosting more special events? What specifically should the city do to encourage new businesses to come to Atascadero — and what types of businesses?

Ketcherside: It is in the planning; the city needs new tactics to bring in businesses that they chase to Paso Robles.

Mattson: Atascadero’s 2009 Economic Development Strategy lists “Incubator of Innovative Industries” as a cornerstone of Atascadero’s economic future. Those tech jobs are highly attractive, and the industry is still growing. Innovation includes high tech, sustainable energy, finance, research and development, and robotics.

O’Malley: We must market our strategic competitive advantages such as low-cost water, commercial land and housing; our high quality of life; proximity of tourism assets; and high-tech educational resources. We have streamlined the permit process and can defer fees. We’ve attracted more outside investment than ever before. We must celebrate our successes, which further markets our city as business-friendly. We must develop a balanced, self-sustaining local economy that reduces sales tax leakage and also attracts businesses that provide head-of-household jobs.

Q: If Proposition 64 passes on Nov. 8 and recreational marijuana is legalized, should the city regulate marijuana sales and how?

Ketcherside: No response.

Mattson: As a part of my Professional District plan, the outlets for legal marijuana will be regulated to the Professional District, separated from highly-trafficked retail zones and to separate kids and families from recreational drug sales.

O’Malley: Our council has directed staff to proactively consider options for discussion after the state election. I will continue the public process where Atascadero citizens come together to think through our community’s desires. The city should try to maintain local control to balance the needs of all residents, businesses and property owners. Some have medical needs and/or lifestyle choices different than others. We must continue to be safe, respectful, good neighbors; not causing problems or concerns for others in our community.

This story was originally published October 8, 2016 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Atascadero mayor’s race: 4 questions for the candidates."