Planning Commission urges Council to form task force for Norma’s Alley revitalization

The City of Paso Robles Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend that the City Council form a task force to study and pursue revitalization of Norma’s Alley, a downtown corridor commissioners and business owners said suffers from trash, grease, flies and deteriorating pavement.

Staff summarized roughly a decade of past efforts — a 2016 downtown revitalization effort that proposed shared trash compactors, a 2019 student alley revitalization plan, and a privately funded arch installed in 2022 to honor Norma Moy. Staff noted no comprehensive program has yet been implemented and that funding would have to come from the City Council.

Commissioner Kogler described the alley’s current condition in detail, saying he had counted “21 garbage containers of various sizes…5 major grease containers” and called the area “pretty much atrocious” on warm days. He urged action to get the ball rolling.

Business owners who spoke during public comment backed that assessment and suggested practical fixes. Jeffrey Wiesinger, owner of Jeffrey’s Wine Country Barbecue and president of the Main Street Association, said his restaurant spends money on twice-yearly steam cleaning and that curbside pickup and third-party delivery mean the alley needs to remain partially accessible to vehicles: “We just spent $1,500 to…have our courtyard steam cleaned,” he said, adding that fully closing the alley to traffic would hurt curbside pickup operations. Raven Smith, another business owner, estimated “about 50 blemishes and probably 30 potholes” and emphasized safety concerns for pedestrians.

Council liaison Chris Beal said the Council is entering a two-year budget planning cycle in the spring and encouraged commissioners to consider the senior project and the economic development plan as inputs for budgeting.

Commissioner Gobler moved — and Commissioner Neal seconded — a recommendation asking the City Council to create a task force to look at Norma’s Alley, include outreach to property owners and businesses, define a scope of work and, where appropriate, fold the effort into the next budget cycle. The motion passed 6-0.

Commissioners and public speakers suggested both short-term “lipstick” repairs (lighting, pothole repair, cleaning) and longer-term planning (a master plan or phased improvements) to make the alley safer and more inviting. The commission will forward its recommendation to the Council for next steps.

Next steps: the commission will send the presentation and recommendation to the City Council; staff and commissioners suggested assembling a small, representative task force, conducting stakeholder outreach, and identifying potential funding during the spring budget process.