HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.20090120City Planning & Zoning Meeting -Minutes -January 20, 2009
COMMENTS ..........................................................................2
DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST ...........................2
401 CASTLE CREEK ROAD, ASPEN AMBULANCE DISTRICT,
GROWTH MANAGEMENT REVIEW ..........................................2
ASPEN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AT THE SILVER LINING
RANCH ..................................................................................4
City Plannine & Zonine MeetinE -Minutes -January 20 2009
LJ Erspamer opened the regular meeting in Sister Cities Meeting Room at 4:30pm.
Commissioners present were LJ Erspamer, Stan Gibbs, Dina Bloom, Cliff Weiss,
Michael Wampler and Bert Myrin. Jim DeFrancia and Brian Speck were excused.
Staff present were Jim True, Special Counsel; Jennifer Phelan, Errin Evans, Jason
Lasser, Community Development; Reed Patterson, City Municipal Court Clerk.
Stan Gibbs asked why the P&Z Meetings began at 4:30pm. Cliff Weiss and LJ
Erspamer requested "redline" in documents that have been changed.
DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
LJ Erspamer said that his wife works for the title company that did the title
research for the Shining Star Foundation, which is where the Jewish Center wants
to relocate.
PUBLIC HEARING:
401 CASTLE CREEK ROAD, ASPEN AMBULANCE DISTRICT,
GROWTH MANAGEMENT REVIEW
LJ Erspamer opened the public hearing for 401 Castle Creek Road, Aspen
Ambulance District.
Errin Evans, Community Development Planner, stated that currently the Aspen
Ambulance District had a temporary use permit to allow the vehicle tent shelter in
front of the ambulance barn located at the Aspen Valley Hospital campus. The
Ambulance District would like to continue using the shelter until a permanent
building is constructed during phase 3 of the master facilities plan. A temporary
use permit only allows fora 6 month use out of a calendar year and it was not
feasible to take the tent down every 6 months. Evans said the Ambulance District
was classified as an essential public facility, which is reviewed on a case by case
basis for growth management. No new employees are generated as a result of
using the tent shelter and staff is viewing this as absorption of ambulance services.
When the permanent structure is constructed growth management review will be
required at that time.
Leslie Lamont, planner for the Aspen Ambulance District, introduced Rich
Walker, the director of the district. Rich Walker stated that he took over this
position in 1979; about 3 years ago they hired a consultant to look at planning
issues for the district. The majority of the employees requested the need for shelter
for 3 of the 6 ambulances and currently there was a building with 3 bays, which
houses 3 of the ambulances. Walker said that without approval for the tent it
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City Planning & Zonine Meeting -Minutes -January 20, 2009
would have to be taken down April 16`h; it costs $6,000.00 to put the tent up and
$6,000.00 to take it down. Walker said they bought the assets from Mountain
Ambulance but not the business.
Leslie Lamont said they were hoping to dovetail with the hospital master facilities
plan and have a deadline for this tent of December 1,2013unless this does not go
forward. Lamont utilized drawings to show the ambulance shelter in the future and
the exhibit (the underlying site plan) was in the Commissioner's packets.
Bert Myrin asked about the 4 foot trees. Leslie Lamont replied that typically when
you buy spruce they were in the 4 to 6 foot range. Lamont said the closest
neighbor was Ron and Erlinda Moorehead and they look out over the parking lot;
the Ambulance District committed to 2 trees on the hillside and the Mooreheads
asked to put off planting these trees until this year. LJ Erspamer asked if this tree
planting was being done because the Mooreheads requested it or from the
Ambulance District. Rich Walker replied that it was something offered to the
Mooreheads by the Ambulance District initially generated by the Ambulance
District. Leslie Lamont said they wanted to work with Ron as to where he wanted
the trees planted. Erspamer asked if the trees needed to be required in the
resolution. Errin Evan responded they were a requirement of the temporary use
permit.
Public Comments:
Steve Miller, public, stated that the tent has benefited Mountain Ambulance in past
winters; there was a lot of snow buildup on the ambulances and the tent is a
benefit to shield them.
Shae Ware, public, stated that she also worked for the Ambulance District and that
having the tent prevents a lot of ice buildup on the ambulances.
Jim Richardson, public, said that he was the operations director for the Ambulance
Service and said another thing to remember was the amount of equipment involved
as well, not just the ambulances but all of the equipment that is inside the
ambulances that is the importance of a fast response.
LJ Erspamer closed the public hearing.
MOTION: Bert Myrin moved to recommend to City Council to approve the
request for growth management review with conditions for the Aspen Ambulance
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting -Minutes - January 20, 2009
District; seconded by Michael Wampler. Erspamer, yes; Gibbs, yes; Bloom yes;
Weiss, yes; Wampler, yes; Myrin, yes. APPROVED 6-0.
PUBLIC HEARING:
ASPEN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AT THE SILVER LINING
RANCH
LJ Erspamer opened the public hearing for 1490 Ute Avenue the Aspen Jewish
Community Center SPA Amendment. The legal notice was provided and Jim True
said that it was compliant.
Jason Lasser, Special Projects Planner for the City of Aspen, distributed emails
that were received by Community Development today. Lasser said that this was
an SPA Amendment, GMQS, Special Review for Parking, Stream Margin and
8040 Greenline Reviews. The Planning & Zoning Commission's task was to
review the Special Planned Area Amendment.
Cliff Weiss asked about the 2 letters from the public that stated they did not receive
notice for the public hearing. Jim True responded that the legal notice appears in
order; there was an affidavit of mailing. Alan Richman stated that the public
notice was done according to what the City of Aspen requires; he went to the GIS
Department to obtain the most current records. Richman said that if the property
owners are not diligent in keeping the Assessor up to date on their mailing
addresses then the address would not be correct and there was a 300 foot radius for
noticing. Richman said that the Rabbi has had multiple contacts with Mr. Bellock
and Mr. Reagan about this project.
Jason Lasser said there were 2 reviews by the Planning & Zoning Commission to
go to City Council; one is for the Specially Planned Area (SPA Amendment) and
the other is for Growth Management Review. P&Z has 3 reviews that are final at
P&Z; Special Review for Parking to add 10 spaces, Stream Margin Review and
8040 Greenline Review. Lasser said the SPA Amendment allows for flexibility for
uses and for dimensional requirements; the SPA Amendment is to allow for arts,
cultural and civic uses on the upper bench. Lasser said the applicant was looking
to amend the building envelope to accommodate revised parking on the west edge,
the property line adjacent to the Aspen Club. Lasser said the changes to the
existing building were primarily interior changes to accommodate the Jewish
Community Center; what was being added to the property was a small cabin to the
north edge of the property. Staff recommends approval of the SPA Amendment.
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting -Minutes -January 20, 2009
Lasser said for Special Events they would drop off and pick up at the Rio Grande
Parking Garage and the preschool at Koch Lumber Yard Park. Richman said for
weddings the people would be picked up at their hotels.
Lasser said for the GMQS the employee generation would be determined by the
Planning & Zoning Commission. The applicant proposed based on research were
5.75 employees, which was approximately 60% of the affordable housing
mitigation that APCHA requested.
Lasser said the Special Review for Parking was adding 10 spaces as well as the
shuttle and a 10 foot wide pedestrian and bike path that connects from Ute Avenue
directly to the front door of the Community Center.
Lasser said the 8040 Greenline doesn't touch any development or buildings it just
crosses the driveway.
Lasser said the Stream Margin Review meets the criteria and was previously
approved and there were no significant changes to the lower bench being made.
Staff recommends approval of all of the reviews.
Cliff Weiss asked if the cabin will be for 1 FTE. Alan Richman replied that for
each bedroom you get credit for 1.75. Weiss asked where the others were housed.
Richman replied inside the main building.
LJ Erspamer asked what the 30% of the open space meant on page 24. Richman
replied that it would be 30% of the site of 6 '/z acres was required to be open space.
Bert Myrin asked about the 60% of FTEs housed. Jennifer Phelan responded that
this was an essential public facility and there was not a table for employee
generation but each essential public facility was reviewed separately. Phelan said
that the commission could lock in that 60% mitigation and if something changes
then the applicant would come back with a change.
Mike Wampler spoke to Shirley Ritter about child care; infants require more
employees than middle school children; he asked if that played into this at all.
Richman replied that they think they know what their employee generation will be;
there was not a magic formula so they are looking at their planned operation.
Richman said there will be an audit 2 years after they operate and if turns out that
the generation is somewhat in excess then they will be responsible for more and
they will adjust; if it turns out to be less they are still providing 3 housing units.
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City PlanninE & Zonine Meetine -Minutes -January 20, 2009
Alan Richman introduced Rabbi Mintz; Susan Richman helping with the site plan;
Art Chabon, the architect; Jeff Ream helping with the traffic study and Neil
Karbank, legal counsel. Richman provided the background of the property; he
agreed with the staff presentation and resolution with the changes. Richman said
that the Silver Lining Ranch operated from 1999 to 2006 and the foundation
decided to move the operation out of this property and relocated to southwest
Colorado, outside of Durango; there has been very little activity on this property
for the last several years. In 2007 the foundation submitted a petition to the City
Council asking to either disconnect the property from the City, which would revert
back to a County parcel of land and would have gone to the County
Commissioners to see if they could revert back to R-15 single family zoning or ask
the City Council to rezone to RR, the lowest intensity residential use or R-15. City
Council denied both requests and made a clear determination that they wanted the
property to stay an institutional use. Richman said the Jewish Community Center
is appropriate for this property.
Richman said the existing condition were the property as a whole is 6 %i acres on 2
benches, an upper bench and lower bench; there was a slope between the 2 benches
that drops about 20 to 30 feet. The upper bench was rather flat and was
immediately adjacent to the Aspen Club, which was located on the map on the first
page of the memo.
Rabbi Mintz thanked City staff and the Commission for all of their time. Rabbi
Mintz gave the background of the Jewish Community Center which was founded
about 8 years ago and purchased the L'Auberge Cabins on Main Street about 5
years ago. Rabbi Mintz said that after seeing the Silver Lining Ranch several times
he realized that it was perfect for their needs and because it takes advantage of the
beauty of Aspen with almost no work and looking at the Main Street location for
children was not that compatible with all of the traffic.
Richman said although this was a significant project the proposed changes to the
property were very minor. They were making an internal remodel to each of the 3
floors in the building and there were some line of sight changes. The second floor
will stay the same with the bedrooms used as employee housing and the Rabbi's
office; the lower level will be the 3 preschool classrooms.
Richman said the traffic projections were from Ute Avenue where the entrance was
located and public transportation is emphasized as the way to access this property
and begins with the preschool. Richman said the number of parking spaces
proposed is adequate to handle the religious services on Friday evenings and
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City Plannine & ZOnInE Meeting -Minutes -January 20, 2009
Saturday mornings and adult education. Richman said that they will inform
parents when signing preschool children up that there were shuttles and parents
that drive routinely would be charged an additional fee. Richman said the same
shuttle services would be used for special events such as major religious
celebrations like the Jewish New Year, bar mitzvahs and weddings; the special
events would be limited to 10 per year. Richman said employees living on site will
be discouraged from having a car except for the caretaker who needs a vehicle.
Richman said the Aspen Club will have car-sharing and welcomed this applicant to
take part in that car-sharing and they have agreed to place bicycles on the property.
Cliff Weiss asked the existing FAR of the building. Richman replied it was
approved at 14,000 square feet.
Jeff Ream, senior transportation engineer, said that he took a lot of the discussions
of operations from the original Main Street site and applied them to this site.
Ream said this was a fairly unique site; there were typical daily activities such as
the daycare, employee trips and the less frequent activities of the services and
classes and special events. Ream said this site had limited parking and the
applicant was taking an active approach to limiting traffic through travel demand
management measures most specifically the preschool and special event shuttles.
Ream said the Crosstown Shuttle provides service twice an hour; the Aspen Club
Shuttle has been proposed and for the employees there was car-sharing and
bicycles. The memo contained the traffic studies.
Richman reminded the commission of the major project benefits to create a place
of worship, education and culture to serve to serve the Aspen Community. The
Community Center will provide desperately needed preschool facility for
approximately 40 children and will be built with no public subsidy. Richman said
the property has been sitting idle for the last 3 years. Richman asked for
commission approval.
Cliff Weiss asked what the traffic volumes looked like on Friday nights and
Saturday mornings. Jeff Ream responded on Friday night and Saturday morning
the background traffic was lower; there were about 15 additional vehicles added to
the traffic. Background traffic was the club and the residences on Ute Avenue.
Richman said that his understanding was that the Wildwood School does drop off
and pickup at Koch Park.
Bert Myrin asked about the parking spaces being for employees only. Richman
responded the goal was for 20 parking spaces because they believe that number
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting -Minutes -January 20 2009
will accommodate the basic day to day uses of this site. Myrin asked if the
employees would take 10 of the spaces. Richman replied there were multiple
employees living on site and they would be discouraged from having cars and the
spaces would not be dominated by employees. Myrin was concerned that parking
was being doubled and at the same time trying to discourage traffic. Myrin asked
if the city would fund the Crosstown Shuttle service or if they funded the
Crosstown Shuttle for the Aspen Club. Myrin asked if this project could
participate in some funding for the Crosstown Shuttle.
Stan Gibbs asked what the Aspen Club traffic analysis was. Gibbs asked if the
base line for this project included the Aspen Club traffic generation; he said if that
number was not included then it was a piecemeal approach toward transportation
for that street (Ute). Ream said that he spoke to the Aspen Club and tried to get as
much information as possible but the Aspen Club was not in a position to give
those numbers out; they were still figuring it out. Mike Wampler said that
according to his number crunching if there were 12 hours a day at 200 an hour that
came up to 2200; generating a car every 3 minutes so that would be anon-issue.
Gibbs asked if the preschool shuttle was just used for the preschool. Richman
replied that it was used for the preschool and special events. Rabbi Mintz said
there were only about 4 or 8 cars that come on Friday night and less on Saturday
morning because there is the concept of not driving on the Jewish Sabbath, which
was something to keep in mind.
Wampler said there was a locked gate there and suggested the fine for driving kids
should be substantial.
Dina Bloom asked if they were going toward an agreement with the Aspen Club
for a ride share program, car share program, bike program and shuttle. Richman
said there were 2 ways to look at the Aspen Club Shuttle which today operated on
a demand only basis and if the project that is on the table were to go forward that
shuttle service would expand considerably.
MOTION: Cliff Weiss moved to extend the meeting until 7: 30 pm; seconded by
Michael Wampler. All in favor, APPROVED.
Myrin asked if the neighbors of Koch Park were notified. Myrin asked if there was
a gate and asked if a gate was allowed in the city.
Weiss asked why they were adding a 700 square foot structure. Rabbi Mintz
replied that he wasn't comfortable with the caretaker living in the building with
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City Plannine & Zoning Meeting -Minutes -January 20, 2009
children. Phelan said that community development require accessory dwelling
units to be detached; affordable housing units can be inside a building but
encourage detached units.
Erspamer requested a site visit and an avalanche survey to be included in the next
packet.
Public Comments:
1. Tom Regan, public, stated that he was president of the Stillwater open space
association; he said Fabi Benedict carved out Lot 5 for the permanent home
for the Silver Lining Ranch, Kids Foundation. Regan said that the
restrictions and covenants were to provide protection to the homeowners to
resort to a single family home if Andrea's foundation moved out.
2. Bill Krimmel, public, stated that he has been involved with the kids at the
Silver Lining Ranch since 1998 when the building was being built. Krimmel
stated that he was in favor of this project.
3. Janie Rosenberg, public, stated that daycare was needed in this town.
Rosenberg said that if there was a way to house teachers here that would be
a huge benefit.
4. Barbara Fleck, public, said that she lives at Stillwater and they want to keep
this a quiet neighborhood; she spoke to members of the synagogue and
wanted to know where they were putting the summer camp because their
covenants won't allow it.
5. Rick Neiley, public, stated that he represented Sister Andrea Yaeger. Neiley
said that in 2007 City Council denied the request for this property to revert
back to a single family use originally permitted by Pitkin County. Neiley
said that City Council gave very specific instructions to find an organization
that would continue non-profit work on this property and this proposal is an
almost perfect fit for the existing facilities, for the nature of the
infrastructure and the benefits to the community. Neiley said that the
parking and transportation issues had a framework to make it work. Neiley
said that he studied the covenants and there was nothing in those covenants
that say that the use can't change.
6. Larry Rosenfeld, public, said if the concern was having kids back out there;
Aspen has kids now.
Weiss said that a site visit was needed for parking, traffic, and the layout of the
new parking spaces.
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City Planning & ZOR1nQ Meeting -Minutes -January 20, 2009
MOTION: Cliff Weiss moved to continue the public hearing for the Jewish
Community Center to February 17, 2008; seconded by Bert Myrin. All in favor.
APPROVED.
Discussion: Weiss, Myrin and Erspamer stated that the parking and transportation
concerned them the most. There will be a site visit at noon on Tuesday, February
17~'. Myrin requested the minutes from the Council meeting mentioned on page 13
of the memo.
Erspamer asked for a zoning map in the Sister Cities Meeting Room.
Adjourned at 7:30pm.
0
ckie Lothian, Deputy City Clerk
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