El Paso de Robles City directs staff to seek consultants to finish FAA spaceport license work after economic briefing

El Paso de Robles City Council voted unanimously March 4 to direct staff to prepare a request for proposals and a financing plan to complete the remaining steps toward an FAA commercial spaceport license for the Paso Robles municipal airport.

City Manager Chris Huat opened a joint special meeting of the council, planning commission and airport commission by summarizing the city’s goals: diversify the local economy and attract higher‑paying technical jobs. The presentations that followed reviewed four years of preparatory work, explained why the city is pursuing a horizontal‑launch (spaceplane) license, and listed remaining technical and environmental tasks required by the FAA.

Paul Sloan, who led the staff presentation, said the FAA required an updated airport master plan before the licensing application could move forward; he noted a roughly $500,000 federal grant the city secured to fund much of that update. Sloan also described an existing test site on airport property used by aerospace firms and emphasized that most economic activity at spaceports comes from testing, R&D and payload processing rather than frequent public launches.

Consultant Andrew Nelson ofRSNH, who reviewed the technical path, estimated the remaining licensing work could be completed in about 12–18 months once the city advances the remaining studies and submits an application — but he warned FAA reviewer workload could extend that timeline. “There are some specialized analyses to do, but it looks like a pretty straightforward path from here to there,” Nelson said. He recommended moving forward and noted the FAA’s dual mission to promote the industry and ensure safety, which can help applicants by way of pre‑application consultations.

Jorge Gonzalez, RSNH’s economic impact lead, presented model results the team produced using tenant surveys and standard regional multipliers. His short‑term projection (5–10 years) estimated roughly 80 on‑airport direct jobs (about 180 total jobs when indirect and induced effects are included), roughly $25 million in payroll and about $68 million in annual business revenues. A longer‑term scenario (11–20 years) produced larger estimates: about 315 direct jobs, nearly 900 total jobs, about $96 million in payroll and roughly $335 million in output. Gonzalez stressed the figures were model projections contingent on business interest, infrastructure and market demand.

Public commenters and local partners expressed support. Michael Foot, director of economic development at the nonprofit REACH, called the project a “bold and creative model” for regional economic diversification, and a constituent read a letter of support from the city’s U.S. representative (read into the record as “Congressman Petta”). Paul Sloan said NASA had contacted the city and a visit from NASA staff was being scheduled.

Council and commissioners pressed staff and consultants on infrastructure and process: traffic improvements and state coordination with Caltrans, high‑capacity connectivity (fiber and a proposed private 5G/virtual private network study), runway impacts during launches, and whether environmental review would require an Environmental Impact Statement or a shorter Environmental Assessment. Staff explained the airport master plan update (an 18‑month process that includes an Airport Layout Plan) is already underway, and that the remaining licensing work — including flight safety analysis, potential sonic‑boom/noise studies, and formal agreements with FAA air traffic and the U.S. Coast Guard — could proceed as a separate, roughly 12–18 month effort once funded and contracted.

On that basis Councilmember John Gregory (first reference: Councilmember Gregory) moved and Councilmember Thomas Strong seconded direction for staff to prepare an RFP for a qualified firm to complete the next phase of work, and to return with a recommended contract and a funding plan. The motion passed unanimously (Councilmembers Gregory, Strong, Bosch, Beiel and Mayor Hammond voting yes).

City staff told the council the next phase would likely be funded from local dollars to maintain the 12–18 month target; staff estimated the scope could cost in the range of $700,000 to $1.2 million and said they would pursue grant opportunities and federal funding where feasible but could not rely on such funds for schedule certainty.

What’s next: staff will prepare the RFP and bring back a contract recommendation and a financing plan for council approval. If the city proceeds on the 12–18 month path and the FAA completes its reviews on a similar schedule, the license could be obtained in under two years; staff and consultants cautioned that FAA reviewer workload and iterative review cycles are the largest schedule risk.

The meeting closed after the unanimous vote and brief procedural adjournment.