Atascadero to clarify portions of zoning code, sign ordinance
News from the city
By Atascadero City Manager Rachelle Rickard
Atascadero City Manager Rachelle Rickard.
–To many folks it may not sound very exciting, but here at the city we’re really enthusiastic about what we’re doing to update and better clarify portions of the city’s zoning code and the sign ordinance!
One of the main priorities of the city council is to build and maintain a business friendly environment. In the city’s ongoing efforts to better meet this goal, staff has been working on what’s known as the “land use definitions” chapter of the city’s zoning code for ease of use and to better reflect current times. This portion of the zoning code defines hypothetical land uses so that staff and the public can easily understand and interpret what land uses are appropriate in each zoning district.
The update will simplify land use definitions to make it easier for the public to determine just what they can do with their property, and is designed to recognize current development trends such as microbreweries, clean industrial uses and other contemporary land uses that are not currently categorized. The update will also amend some of the land use definitions for consistency with current state law. The end goal of this project is to ensure that the city can continue to accommodate the quality and type of development that is anticipated by the city’s general plan while responding to current development needs. It’s very important to note that the city is not making any changes to current zoning, but is striving to clarify the zoning code for ease of use.
The updated land use definitions will become part of a new effort to repackage the city’s zoning code into a new “Zoning handbook,” which is to be graphically reorganized for ease of use and legibility. The new handbook will not be a rewrite of the city’s zoning code, but it will place the most commonly referenced policies such as land use and property development standards into a separate document that is easy to interpret and understand, and will act as a quick reference guide for both city staff and the community.
In addition to updates to the zoning code, staff is also seeking ways to facilitate enhanced signage for Atascadero businesses. We will be incorporating what we’ve learned from our recent Atascadero Signage Campaign to amend the current sign regulations with emphasis on clarifying and updating the ordinance. We’re working to achieve improved identification signage while better communicating the types of signage that the city and the community support. The amendment to the sign ordinance will add new illustrations, graphics and design standards to assist businesses with appropriate sign design and identification while at the same time helping to eliminate any perceived need for temporary and oftentimes unattractive signage.
As always, if you have any questions about this or any other topic related to the city, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
