First, a big thank you. Thank you, Paso Robles, for allowing me to continue as your Mayor for the next four years. It was a pleasure to meet with constituents and discuss the issues during the recent election. The bottom line is that many feel the city is on the right track and with a continued concentration on streets, jobs and public safety, we will only make it better. To all who ran for office, well done. It takes commitment and courage to get involved in this way. I’m looking forward to working with our new City Council to implement the plans and programs our citizens want and need.
Coming up next, we have a big decision to make regarding the disposition of the old California Youth Authority facility on Airport Road. It’s been closed, chain link fencing and razor wire included, for a decade at great taxpayer expense. Several groups have tried to find their way through the maze of the Sacramento bureaucracy to use the property. It wasn’t until two years ago, however, when I started discussing possible uses that we were able to break the code. It’s been a long road, but we’ve finally reached the point where the 127+ acres can be put up for sale and taken out of the hands of the State. Long story made short: if the City wants it, it will cost nearly $5-million and have restrictions on use. If it goes on the open market it can be purchased by anyone without those restrictions. We have made it clear that any city plan must not impact our local General Fund. That means tenants would have to be found to cover our costs. There are interested organizations. The City will have to inform the State of is intentions very soon. Stay tuned for more developments. In the meantime, if you’re curious about what the CYA property looks like today, check out this video of a tour of the closed facility.
Another much-discussed issue is the capacity of Creston Road and plans for traffic control at the intersection with Rolling Hills Road. Traffic studies indicate the planned reconstruction of this major aterial will be sufficient for present and future travel needs. The intersection at Rolling Hills Road is problematic because it is so close to other controlled intersections. The concern is that more traffic lights will increase stop-and-go traffic congestion. A roundabout has been designed for this intersection, complete with at-level aprons at the center of the circle to accommodate the turning of large trucks. Some citizens are concerned this stategy will not be as effective as a traditional intersection. Fans of the television program “MythBusters” will be interested to know their favorite hosts have tested this. Take a look:
Finally, the holiday season is upon us again. I want to take this opportunity to wish you and all your loved ones Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year. Wow! That’s a lot of “happy” and “merry!” More to come about all the wonderful activities planned for the next couple of months in our city, including the community Thanksgiving Feast, and the Paso Robles Main Street events (tree-lighting ceremony, Christmas Parade, Vine Street Victorian Showcase, Teddy Bear Tea).
Just a note, you can hear broadcasts of the annual Downtown Christmas Parade and Vine Street Victorian Showcase on our local Internet radio station: www.VoiceOfPaso.com.
Until next we blog, here’s to you Paso Robles!