City to consider purchasing youth facility
–Paso Robles City Council at their Tuesday meeting will officially decide whether to purchase the long-vacant El Paso de Robles Youth Correctional Facility. The state is asking for $4.7 million to $4.8 million for the property, the site’s appraised value, according to reports. It reportedly costs the state $400,000 per year on maintenance.
“It’s been closed, chain link fencing and razor wire included, for a decade at great taxpayer expense,” said Mayor Steve Martin in a recent blog entry. “Long story made short: if the city wants it, it will cost nearly $5-million and have restrictions on use. If it goes on the open market it can be purchased by anyone without those restrictions. We have made it clear that any city plan must not impact our local General Fund. That means tenants would have to be found to cover our costs. There are interested organizations. The city will have to inform the state of its intentions very soon.”
There are various plans to repurpose the 160-acre site being discussed, including a homeless services facility where housing, training, and medical services would help people transition out of homelessness and unemployment.
The city — which recently declared a homeless shelter crisis — is also considering applying for and using state Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) grant to help fund the purchase.
