Planning Commission finds proposed sale of 417 Cool Valley Drive conforms with general plan

The Paso Robles Planning Commission on Feb. 25 adopted a resolution finding that the city's intent to sell the real property at 417 Cool Valley Drive conforms with the City of Paso Robles general plan.

Public Works operations manager David Licaro told commissioners that Hamner Jewell & Associates prepared an appraisal and that the adjacent property owner, identified in staff materials as David Anderson, negotiated a tentative purchase price of $10,000. Licaro said the parcel is roughly 7,000 square feet and is currently identified as an open‑space easement that has been walled off by an adjacent developer’s concrete wall for roughly 18 years.

Licaro summarized options the adjacent owner had been offered after staff concluded the wall obstructed public access: remove the concrete wall to restore access or enter negotiations to buy the land. He said the city and the owner agreed to negotiate a sale after the city obtained an appraisal.

Licaro also told commissioners that on Jan. 15 the City Council adopted a resolution announcing the city's intent to sell the parcel, scheduled a protest hearing for March 4 and posted public notices; he said the California Department of Housing and Community Development later sent a letter in February 2025 concurring that the parcel is exempt from the Surplus Land Act because it is under the half‑acre threshold. Licaro recommended the Planning Commission adopt a finding that the intended sale conforms with the general plan; the commission approved the resolution on a 6–0 vote.

Commissioners asked staff questions about the site’s original intent as an open space easement, existing maintenance and access through a gate in the wall, drainage responsibilities, and whether the sale could be protested at the council hearing. Licaro said the city retains a 30‑foot easement right for drainage and maintenance and that if the public protests the conveyance, City Council would take testimony and could decide whether to proceed with a different outcome.

The motion to find conformity was moved by Commissioner Veil and seconded by Commissioner Marlowe. Roll call recorded unanimous approval (6–0). City staff noted the next step is the protest hearing on March 4 and that the parcel will be physically posted and publicly noticed as part of the statutory process.