Planning Commission urges Norma's Alley ad hoc; residents press for immediate fixes

The Paso Robles Planning Commission recommended that the City Council create an ad hoc task force to study revitalization of Norma's Alley, a small downtown corridor between 13th and Pine streets, and council discussed the recommendation during the March 17 meeting. Community Development Director Warren Frase outlined the commission's three-step mission: public outreach, identifying near-term maintenance fixes, and developing a long-term funding strategy.

Frase told the council that previous efforts (a 2016 downtown action plan, a 2019 senior project, and 2022 private improvements) identified opportunities but that no project is currently funded. "None of those actually have come to fruition, and currently, there are no projects currently planned on Norma's Alley," Frase said.

Public commenters — including business owners, Main Street Association members and long-time residents — urged the council to prioritize the alley because it connects the downtown core but is in poor condition. "I absolutely wanna see this happen," said Linda George, a downtown resident and frequent commenter, citing successful alley beautification programs in other cities and urging better lighting and paving. Main Street representatives and business owners described grease traps and overflowing dumpsters as ongoing hygiene and safety problems and favored paving, improved trash management, signage and outdoor seating to increase foot traffic.

Council members and staff flagged funding constraints: state law can preclude using certain street funds for alleys, and the city previously allocated but did not spend $84,000 earmarked for Norma's Alley trash cleanup. Several council members said the ad hoc could identify funding sources and short-term priorities and recommended placing the issue in the council's upcoming goals and budget discussions. "If this is something that rises to this body's priority list, then we can include that as part of your goals to advance this," the city manager said.

The city received multiple concrete suggestions from residents — including pavers, donor plaques and seasonal lighting — and staff said an ad hoc could consider expanding the program beyond Norma's Alley to other alleys in downtown. No formal vote was required on the informational report; councilmembers signaled support for forming an ad hoc during the budget-goals planning process.