Quake-struck town trying to clean up

By Sally Ann Connell
Los Angeles Times

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PASO ROBLES, Calif. — As San Luis Obispo County officials estimated yesterday that damage from this week's magnitude-6.5 earthquake will top $200 million, owners of even the tiniest of this city's businesses were sweeping up, digging out and trying to get back on their feet.

They worked even as stinking sulfuric steam rose from storm drains from the hot spring that was disturbed in the quake, and continues to pump an estimated 500 gallons of hot mud a minute through a growing hole in the City Hall & Library parking lot.

The Paso Robles City Council held a special meeting yesterday, declaring the city an emergency area as a first step to get federal funds.

City Manager Jim App described the city's problems with damage from the wayward hot spring inching closer to the 10-year-old City Hall. "Then we have the hole from hell out in the parking lot," App told 80-plus citizens.

The most severe damage from the quake occurred in Paso Robles, where 27 buildings remain red-tagged in the city's core, and an additional 20 or so bear yellow tags allowing limited access.

Some officials from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency met with city officials yesterday and were beginning to assess the damage.

Even though local agencies have asked that San Luis Obispo County be declared a federal disaster area, it will take days before any such determination is made, said Detective Rick Ince, serving as a spokesman for all city departments.

The worst-damaged buildings in the core of the central district remained off-limits to owners yesterday, but other small businesses in the scenic town square and spreading out from the city's core were up and running.

While the owners of Pan Jewelers had no idea if and when they will be able to retrieve their jewelry inventory in the worst-damaged building, Virginia's Attic was open after a Christmas Eve during which antique dealers swept up broken china, Depression glass and glass shelves.

Restaurants along Pine Street, at the eastern edge of downtown and one block from the worst damage, were doing a brisk business.

The historic old brick buildings, which suffered the worst damage, have cheaper rents and old touches that have made them a favorite of the antique trade. The city has at least five large antique malls.

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