The project includes a roundabout installed at intersection of Rolling Hills Road and Creston Road
PASO ROBLES — Residents can expect a new residential apartment building on Creston Road after Paso Robles City Council approved the Rolling Hills Apartment Project at the Tuesday, April 18 meeting.
The 135-unit development will be located at the intersection of Creston Road and Rolling Hills Road. Within the project, there are 62 one-bedroom/one-bathroom apartments, 52 two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartments, and 21 three-bedroom/two-bathroom apartments with a total of 267 onsite parking spaces, swimming pool, gym, and a park.
Residents who live near the future complex showed at the meeting to express their disapproval of the project. Concerns surrounded increased traffic in the area, given the multiple housing units and neighborhoods built along Creston Road.
As part of traffic mitigation, the staff report shows a roundabout will be installed at the intersection of Rolling Hills Road and Creston Road. The roundabout is planned at the intersection of Creston Road and Rolling Hills Road, with construction to occur approximately Summer 2025-2026.
Councilman Fred Strong expressed his support for moving forward with the project, “It’s going to work, and it’s not going to work immediately. Creston has one big problem that’s not going to be solved by anything. And that is the number of schools that are all starting at almost exactly the same time period, all ending at approximately the same time period, and with people taking the children to and from that school.”
He added, “All in all, I think they have been very thoughtful in the way they put the plan together.”
In the final council vote, the apartment complex was approved with a 3-1 vote, with Councilman Chris Bausch voting no. Mayor Martin was absent at the Tuesday night meeting.
Bausch reasoned his vote with concerns of the roundabout not being the answer to mitigate traffic on Creston Road, “I don’t see how a traffic circle is going to go from an F to a C condition. I don’t see how that is possible.”
“Putting more homes right there is going to aggravate an already bad situation,” added Bausch.
An additional concern for Bausch was having three-story buildings bordering the neighboring homes. He suggested to the builder to consider single or two-story units on the border of the houses to prevent people from looking down on other homes.
In Bausch’s final conclusion, he requested more outlets be looked at an implemented for mitigating traffic on Traffic Road.
“If we are going to add more traffic, I would like to all of the traffic mitigation proposals,” said Bausch. “I would like to see those go into effect before we bring this project forward.
Councilman Steve Gregory was also in support of the upcoming complex, believing Creston Road will be seeing many incoming improvements with the Creston Road Corridor Project.
“In the Creston Road project, we are improving the safety of this road with sidewalks and better access for the kids … Creston Road is going to get better,” said Gregory. “I think the project is well designed; I think its going to take a while to build … I am in favor of the project.
Councilman John Hamon discussed his support for the new apartments, which staff and project managers discussed will cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 a month.
“I think this is going to be a great attribute to the East side, and its needed housing that we need for all our work families and people that are coming up and young families that want to come to Paso Robles and can’t afford a residence,” Hamon Explained.
The next Paso Robles City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m.
