HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2019-084
City of Atascadero
City Council
Policy Regarding Drive-Through Businesses, Fuel Stations and Other High Traffic
Producing Uses
At the September 24, 2019 City Council meeting, the City Council determined that a policy
was needed to address the potential impacts of future drive -through and fuel station
businesses in the City, particularly within the Highway 101 overpass areas at
San Anselmo Road and at Del Rio Road and along the El Camino Real corridor that
provide vehicle access to these two roads.
The City Council has noted that certain businesses are characterized by significant traffic
volumes. These include but are not limited to drive-through restaurants, fuel stations, car
washes and coffee shops. The City Council identified issues posed by the approval of
these high traffic volume businesses in the City including the preservation of community
character and aesthetics and environmental concerns, particularly traffic impacts.
In discussing a policy, the City Council determined that consistent application of the City’s
existing Alternative Cost per Single Trip Method for the calculation of circulation impact
fees will allow the City to appropriately mitigate for circulation impacts of commercial uses
that generate high traffic counts, including drive-through businesses and fuel stations.
It is the intent of the Council to guide the development of the El Camino Real corridor,
near and between San Anselmo Road and Del Rio Road, and the adopted Del Rio
Specific Plan area into high-quality commercial nodes that feature office parks, mixed-
use, commercial tourist, and experience retail uses. The higher traffic volume associated
with drive-through and fuel station business may potentially reduce the opportunity for
other commercial business to expand or develop in the City because the traffic generated
by these uses tends to significantly impact intersections especially in a commercial node.
This means that additional high traffic volume businesses may be contrary to the orderly
development of the area. Drive-through and fuel station businesses are considered
incompatible with future corridor goals and will reduce the ability of other retail, lodging, or
job producing land uses to locate there due to potential traffic impacts.
Council recognizes that the overpass area and intersection of El Camino Real and San
Anselmo Road is nearing traffic capacity, and the Del Rio Road overpass and intersection
at El Camino Real is anticipated to reach capacity if commercial uses are developed as
anticipated in the Specific Plan. The El Camino Real corridor between these two roads is
also impacted and the areas near these two Highway 101 overpasses also contribute to
the impact of these areas. Since these areas are approaching capacity based on anticipated
development, new drive-through land uses are unlikely to be permitted due to traffic
impacts.
The following objectives are intended to guide future development of drive-through
businesses in the City.
1. When calculating Circulation Impact fees Citywide, staff will utilize the City of
Atascadero’s existing “Alternative Cost Per Single Trip Method” for drive-through
business applications including fuel stations, car washes, restaurants and coffee
shops, in order to account for the higher than average vehicle trips.
2. Utilize the City’s discretionary conditional use permit and design review processes
to responsibly restrict new drive-through businesses, including drive-through food
and beverage services, drive-through banks, drive-through pharmacies, fuel
stations, car washes, and similar land uses that contribute to vehicle trips within
the area outlined in Exhibit A.
3. In order to approve a high traffic volume use within the area outlined in Exhibit A, the
new use must not:
a. Generate a volume of traffic beyond the safe capacity of all roads providing
access to the project, either existing or to be improved in conjunction with the
project.
b. Generate a volume of traffic beyond the normal traffic volume of the
surrounding neighborhood that would result from full, cumulative development
in accordance with the land use element and Del Rio Specific Plan.
c. Generate a traffic volume that would be contrary to the anticipated orderly
development of the area.
Additionally, all other findings necessary for approval of a conditional use permit will
be carefully analyzed in light of the Council’s goals of preserving community character
and aesthetics, future development of high-quality commercial nodes, and
environmental concerns. Since these areas are approaching capacity based on
anticipated development, new high traffic volume land uses are likely to be contrary
to these findings.
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