From serving as one of California’s main transportation links between Southern California and the Bay Area to what’s now a main thoroughfare for drivers heading north or south along Paso Robles’ westside, Spring Street is receiving a special historic designation.

Spring Street is being designated as historic in accordance with the Historic U.S. Highway Route 101 program.

The City Council OK’d the designation on its consent agenda last week. It found that the designation of Spring Street as a Historic U.S. Highway Route 101 exemplifies an era of prosperity, civic involvement and social change based on the ability to conduct commerce and convey pleasure travelers along Spring Street; and that the special identity the historic designation confers upon the community is important to the heritage and tourism potential at the local, regional and state levels.

The purpose of the historic designation is to encourage public knowledge and education about Paso Robles transportation and the impacts of historical decisions both locally, regionally and statewide that affected it, according to city staff.

According to a staff report, the city’s character and development along Spring Street responded to the advancing automobile travel in the early 1900s and is evidenced by several excellent example of early motor hotels [motels], service stations and restaurants, many of which sill dot the corridor to this day.

The Paso Robles Main Street Association purchased a number of signs that will be placed along Spring Street. At a minimum, a sign facing northbound traffic on Spring Street near the Niblick Bridge, and a second sign facing southbound traffic at the northerly entrance to town would be the best locations, according to city staff. A third or fourth sign along Spring Street just north and south of 24th Street may also be desirable, according to city staff. But no specific locations have been identified so far.

In 1998, the State Legislature adopted ACR 92, which established a process for communities to recognize the historic segments of Highway 101.

The designation is not to be confused with a listing on the National or State registers of historic places. As such, the subject designation wasn’t review to environmental review as would be required by the California Environmental Quality Act, according to the report. The designation won’t affect permitting or environmental reviews for fronting properties. It’s hoped that the historic designation will help boost promotion and tourism by actively promoting the asset.

According to the report, Heritage Tourism is a multimillion-dollar industry. The report cited Route 66 and its impacts to jurisdiction along it that benefit from resurgence in interest in such activities.

Main Street is planning a dedication ceremony during the Golden Oak Festival to be held on Saturday, Oct. 25. For more information, visit Main Street’s Web site at www.pasoroblesdowntown.org.



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