HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.20080826Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes -August 26, 2008
COMMENTS ............................................................................................................ 2
MINUTES ................................................................................................................. 2
DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ............................................. 3
LIFT ONE COWOP MASTER PLAN ..................................................................... 3
ZG MASTER PLAN ................................................................................................. 7
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Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes -August 26, 2008
LJ Erspamer opened the special Aspen Planning & Zoning meeting in Sister Cities
Meeting Room at 4:30 pm. Excused were Jim DeFrancia and Brian Speck.
Commissioners Dina Bloom, Stan Gibbs, Mike Wampler, Cliff Weiss and LJ
Erspamer were present. Staff present were Jim True, Special Counsel; Chris
Bendon, Travis Goggins, Ben Gagnon, Jason Lasser, Community Development;
Jackie Lothian, Deputy City Clerk.
COMMENTS
Cliff Weiss said in 2005 the infill regulations changed a number of building codes
and wanted to re-visit some of those code changes in particular the R-15 zone.
Weiss said that infill started out in downtown and grew somehow to the entire
community. LJ Erspamer said that he would love to sit down and find out what
change in the code and what code is applying to what application. Chris Bendon
stated that none of the dimensions changed in the R-15 zone district, none of the
uses changed, there was some clean up of terms that were used throughout all the
residential zones to make them more parallel but they were uses that you don't
tend to find a lot of like agricultural use, cultural use. Bendon said the one change
to all the residential zones was the inclusion of the ability to use TDRs. Bendon
said that all the changes that were done in 2005 were re-visited in 2006 and 2007
with the moratorium, so all of the infill changes were replaced by the revisions that
were adopted in the spring of 2006 and there was a color version of these changes.
Weiss asked if there was no change in the way FAR was counted for garages,
decks and subgrade. Bendon replied that was correct.
Chris Bendon proudly announced that Jennifer Phelan and Jessica Garrow passed
their AICP exam, American Institute of Certified Planners.
Bendon noted the state planning conference was in Breckenridge September 10-
13~'; if any commissioner wants to attend Community Development will send
them.
Toni Kronberg, public, submitted 3 photos regarding her transportation project
providing an aerial link between Aspen and Buttermilk and to the intercept lot.
Cliff Weiss stated that all of Shadow Mountain was under development and she
should consider the aerial rights for property owners.
MINUTES
MOTION: Cliff Weiss moved to approve the minutes from August 5`h with
corrections on pages 2 and 4; seconded by Stan Gibbs. All in favor, APPROVED.
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Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes -August 26, 2008
DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
None stated.
PUBLIC HEARING:
LIFT ONE COWOP MASTER PLAN
LJ Erspamer opened the public hearing for the COWOP. Chris Bendon presented
the notice and said this was the first of several meetings for the Lift One Master
Plan Task Force for the Planning & Zoning Commission review. Bendon noted
that Cliff Weiss was the P&Z representative for the task force.
Bendon stated that this Master Plan is seeking a new vision for this area. Lift One
was the original access to Aspen Mountain developed in late 1946 and opened in
1947 and has seen a decline in energy ever since the lift was replaced with One A
and with the development of the gondola.
Bendon said that P&Z looks at specific criteria but master planning was wide open
in creating a new vision for that area. The background of this area includes the
Lodge at Aspen Mountain application that was denied by City Council late last
year; the previous Lift One application with a recommendation from P&Z and was
heading for City Council with the general feeling that the planning in the area was
discombobulated with not a lot of relationship to one another and a feeling that
there should be an overall cohesive picture of what's trying to be accomplished in
this area. There are 4 parties involved: the City of Aspen, Lift One Lodge
applicants which is Roaring Fork Lodging and Centurion Partners and the Aspen
Skiing Company.
Bendon said this was a general overview of what they have been doing with
attached Resolution 13-08, the initiation of the master planning process that was
replaced and renewed last night with City Council when they adopted Resolution
080-08. Tonight was project background orientation and to continue the public
hearing to September 2nd and September 16`h and September 23rd and the final
review with P&Z on October 7`h. The project is still being discussed by the task
force team and will evolve providing P&Z with that evolution.
Bendon utilized a power point presentation showing the drawing that took 21
weeks of meetings with the 27 person task force team comprised of neighbors;
citizens; specific land owners; specific groups like the historic society, P&Z and
HPC. Bendon said this was a parallel process to get P&Z up to speed on this
project. The South Aspen Street was in the center of the drawing and Durant was
on the top with north being up; the existing Lift 1 A terminal, the torn down
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Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes -August 26, 2008
Holland House, the torn down Mine Dumps, Skies Chalet Lodge, Willoughby
Park, Lift One Condominiums, and the Steak House. Bendon stated there were a
lot of community trade offs and balances; there wasn't really one solution that was
clearly better than all others but just a matter of what those community trade-offs
and balance points were. There were 4 goal buckets of history, accessibility,
vitality and sustainability with the dynamic experience of the resort and
community. Bendon explained the expert representatives involved in the project.
Bendon said the site was about 8 acres and they were fitting all of the buildings,
lift, trails and equipment into it. There were many concepts involved in the
planning including a loop road system, the new lift, a pedestrian helper system and
a ski back system. There were green street concepts of capturing cars, ski back
concepts with a two stage lift, which were handed to the design team from Bill
Poss and DHM Design. There was a cog system or escalators as a people mover
proposed and there was vehicular access to the mountain.
Cliff Weiss as a member of the Lift One Task Force added insight to the project
with the staging for World Cup, access for vehicles and people and all of the other
parts to juggle into the project.
Bendon said that there was mitigation for employee housing which some might be
located on site. Bendon said one version of a people mover included a rubber tire
trolley for accessibility for skiers; there was still discussion of the sustainability of
the system. There were escalators proposed as people movers also.
Bendon showed artist renderings of the site from different view points with the
accesses and buildings.
Bendon asked if P&Z wanted an organized site visit and individual site visits.
Bendon introduced Bob Daniel from Roaring Fork Lodge, John Sarpa from
Centurion Partners, Georgia Hanson from Aspen Historical Society, Mary Janz
from the COWOP Task Force, and Steve Holley from Bill Poss Associates.
Erspamer asked the criteria for P&Z comments. Bendon replied usually P&Z has
very specific criteria for a very specific proposal; sometimes there is a PUD with
broad and open criteria and this Master Plan is kind of the ultimate on that end of
the process. Bendon said City Council is interested in P&Z's recommendation and
the balance of all community trade-offs.
Weiss noted that P&Z was simply an advisory board to Council.
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Aspen PlanninE & Zoning Commission MeetinE Minutes -August 26, 2008
Dina Bloom requested an organized site visit.
Stan Gibbs asked how you see this process and when the COWOP process will go
to Council. Bendon replied that the September 28`h COWOP meeting would be the
recommendation from the COWOP. Bendon explained that's why they were doing
this as a parallel process is that they did not want the COWOP to make the
recommendation and P&Z input and comments so the Task Force has traction with
P&Z and HPC. Gibbs asked about the plan with the return ski lift and if it was
considered that the lift was at the same spot but could it be done without return
skiing. Bendon responded that has been talked about it not as big a footprint but
it's not as big of a change as you might think and still have all the wire setback
areas. Bendon said there was a starting place for skiers at the beginning of the day
and there was not the large ski back swath but the footprint either changes
everything else or not that much.
Weiss said there were winter, summer and off-seasons issues to be considered and
asked if we were focusing on skiers or considering a full year round resort.
Michael Wampler asked if the group and the developers were okay with what they
have seen up to this point. Bob Daniel replied that it was still at the table. Daniel
said what the process has provided them as one of the property owners is the
ability to have an open dialogue on what works and what doesn't work. Daniel
said the Task Force was a series of stepping stones to make sure that we were
moving towards a direction that the entire group and the developers were part of
the progressive steps. Wampler said there won't be an A or B choice. Bendon
replied that he hoped it boils down to one plan because there would be more clarity
rather than many plans with a cloudier recommendation to understand but that was
up to the group.
Weiss said speaking for himself what was on the table was an 11`h hour
combination of 3 ideas. Weiss said that he didn't entirely agree that only 2 people
were hanging onto the idea of the lift coming all the way down but by enlarge the
group was making trade-offs, recognizing what may or may not work, what was
possible, what was unattainable. Weiss said that this was actually voted on and
nearly everyone felt there was a lot to go forward on this and there was a process
of eliminating it down to one agreed upon plan even if a1128 won't agree.
Erspamer asked how the minority of people are represented. Bendon replied if
there was a vote and anything that individuals want to convey as part of the
recommendation it would appear in the minutes and it is open ended. Erspamer
asked where the base of lift goes on all these diagrams. Bendon responded that it
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Aspen Plannine & Zonine Commission Meetine Minutes - AuSust 26, 2008
moved slightly up the hill about 100 feet. Erspamer said then it was a change in
zoning because it goes into the conservation zone. Bendon replied that
conservation as a name fora zone district is a little misleading because it is single
family 10 acres zoning; there are parcels here with a 10 acre zone.
Erspamer asked if there were any videos of the speakers from the COWOP.
Bendon replied that they have the power points and Byron Koss will be coming
back on the 11"'. Erspamer asked if Hancock who runs the World Cup Race Crew
and the ski patrol was involved in any of this. Bob Daniel responded that he was
involved in all of their preliminary discussions and kept the dialogue open with the
ski patrol. Erspamer asked if Southpoint Condos were contacted. Bendon replied
that Southpont, Lift One, Shadow and Timberridge were represented. Erspamer
asked what the zone was for heights for this project. Bendon answered it was 42
feet to 38 feet in the Lodge Zone District.
Public Comments:
1. Junee Kirk, public, said one of the issues was the heated streets going up and
down and she asked what was more sustainable; a heated street with a trolley going
up and down or lift mover, escalator, more sustainable. Kirk said that the public
would like to know the heights of these buildings because they don't conform to
the code in the neighborhood; 48 feet might be rather large on a slope. Kirk asked
the comparison to the St. Regis that had to scale back their building. Kirk liked the
idea of preserving all the historic buildings; it was much better to keep them as a
grouping than 1 here and 1 there; they have a feeling of history.
2. Phyllis Bronson, public, acknowledged the amount of work that has gone
into this and she was one of the people resistant to the changes at Lift 1 A and she
loved the area. Bronson appreciated the work that the task force has done.
Bronson voiced concern for the amalgamated approach where it's hard to feel that
the public is really being listened to because we don't have the expertise to
evaluate the feasible and what is just opinion. Bronson was concerned for the
sterility that happened at Highlands is so likely to happen on that hill because if
you are only catering to the high end dollar and Aspen's lost its appeal to families
and less that the high end tourist coming then she was concerned that area would
be sterile.
3. Georgia Hanson, Director of the Aspen Historical Society, said that was a
primary concern for the process working and she felt it was working beautifully.
Hanson said that she lived and breathed the whole process at Highlands and they
do not want to make the same mistakes and they understand that.
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Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes -August 26, 2008
4. Mary Janss, COWOP Task Force member, stated that she was a public
member of the task force and shares the concerns completely but keep the
buildings. Janss said the people moving concept has been missing a transportation
expert.
5. Toni Kronberg, public, stated that this was the last piece of property and she
supported the COWOP process; the public is not being heard at the COWOP
process. Kronberg said that transportation was important.
6. Colleen Burrows said that every neighborhood needs to have their fair share
of affordable housing.
7. Bob Daniel said the people on the task force have put in an enormous
amount of time and the process is open.
Bendon stated the next COWOP meeting was from 11-2 and they meet every
Thursday at the Hines Room at the Aspen Meadows.
Dina Bloom asked the capacity of the lift that was being considered. Bendon
replied that it was a high speed quad. Daniel said it depended on the number of
chairs placed on it.
MOTION: Mike Wampler moved to continue the public hearing for the Lift One
COWOP Master Plan to September 2"d, seconded by Dina Bloom. All in favor,
APPROVED.
PUBLIC HEARING:
ZG MASTER PLAN
LJ Erspamer opened the public hearing for the ZG Master Plan. Ben Gagnon said
staff proposed to continue the hearing to next Tuesday at 4:30 pm.
MOTION: Stan Gibbs moved to continue the ZG Master Plan to September 2"d,
seconded by Dina Bloom. All in favor, APPROVED.
Adjourned at 6:55 pm.
._
ckie Lothian, Deputy City Clerk