Planning commission to weigh apartment extension, spaceport update

Paso Robles residents looking for signs of how the city balances housing pressures, small-town agricultural character, and big economic ambitions can find all three on a single agenda this week. The Paso Robles Planning Commission is set to consider a two-year extension for a 135-unit apartment project on Rolling Hills Road, a conditional use permit for 4-H livestock on Walnut Drive, and an update on the city's effort to establish a spaceport at the Paso Robles Municipal Airport.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the Norris Room at Centennial Park, 600 Nickerson Drive, according to the Paso Robles Daily News. Residents can watch the livestream at prcity.com/youtube, call (805) 865-7276 during the meeting to listen or comment by phone, or email written comments to [email protected] before noon on the day of the meeting.

A 135-Unit Apartment Project Seeks More Time

The highest-profile item of the night involves Red Tail Land Development, LLC, which is asking commissioners for a two-year time extension on the entitlements for Planned Development 22-08, a 135-unit multi-family residential project at 709 Rolling Hills Road.

The City Council originally approved the project on April 18, 2023. Its entitlements were set to expire April 18, 2025, but an automatic 18-month extension under state law pushed that deadline to Oct. 18 of this year — leaving the developer with little runway as commissioners take up the request.

According to the city staff report, the property is zoned for high-density multi-family housing at up to 20 units per acre and sits on an infill lot near a school, services, and transit — the kind of location state housing law and city planners typically prioritize for new density.

The delay, staff say, comes down to economics. The applicant is reportedly working through construction permitting, but market conditions have cut into the project's financial viability. The developer has returned to the city's Development Review Committee seeking cost-cutting modifications deemed "substantial compliance" with the original approval. In February, the committee signed off on swapping the perimeter fence from solid wood to vinyl and asked the applicant to share the revised design with neighbors. At its Sept. 14 meeting, the committee was asked to weigh a more aggressive round of changes: eliminating the pool and spa and all carports, relocating the dog park, redesigning the barbecue area, and changing the roofing material on five buildings.

City staff recommends approving the two-year extension, though commissioners have latitude to grant a shorter extension or modify or deny the request. No new environmental review is proposed; the mitigated negative declaration adopted in 2023 remains in effect.

For a city that, like much of California, has struggled to add rental inventory, the decision carries real weight. A project of this size on already-entitled, transit-adjacent land is exactly the type of housing local and state officials say the region needs — but only if the economics pencil out for the builder.

4-H Livestock on Walnut Drive

In a quieter but character-defining item, commissioners will consider a conditional use permit to allow animal keeping as an accessory use at a home at 753 Walnut Drive. Applicant Caitlin Paasch is seeking permission to keep a limited number of livestock on the property solely for 4-H agricultural education, according to the meeting agenda. Staff recommends approval.

The request reflects a longstanding tension — and tradition — in Paso Robles, where residential neighborhoods often sit just blocks from land with deep agricultural roots. 4-H programs remain a rite of passage for many North County youth, particularly those involved in the animal projects that culminate at county fairs each summer.

Spaceport Update on the Agenda

Economic Development Manager Paul Sloan is scheduled to give commissioners an update on the city's spaceport effort at the Paso Robles Municipal Airport. No action is listed for the item, but it offers a public window into one of the city's most ambitious economic development plays.

The update comes as the city's Spaceport and Technology Corridor initiative moves through its regulatory hurdles. In June, the city sought proposals from consultants to complete its application for a Federal Aviation Administration launch site operator license. At the time, the city said proposals were due Aug. 3, with a contract award expected in September and work beginning in October — meaning Tuesday's update may include word on whether that timeline held.

Securing an FAA launch site operator license is a lengthy, technically demanding process, and a successful application would position Paso Robles within a small and growing set of California communities courting the commercial space industry.

Consent Items and How to Participate

The consent calendar includes minutes from the commission's Aug. 25 and Sept. 22 meetings. Staff will also report on the Housing Constraints and Opportunities Committee, the ongoing zoning code update, and the Development Review Committee rotation schedule.

The full agenda and staff reports are available on the city's meeting portal. Residents who wish to weigh in on the apartment extension, the 4-H permit, or any other item can do so in person, by phone, or by email before the noon deadline Tuesday.