HomeMy WebLinkAboutcoa.cclc.min.071509COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION
MINUTES OF JULY 15.2009
Chairperson Terry Butler called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
Commissioner in attendance: Bill Dinsmoor, Andrew Kole, Don Sheeley,
John Starr, Mark Goodman and Roger Haneman.
Staff: Kathy Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk
Jim Elwood -Airport
Jim said the runway expansion would be 1000 feet. 95% would be paid by
the Federal Government and the cost would be 17 to 18 million. The
terminal area plan is also being proposed.
There will be construction this summer and the second half of the work will
be done after Labor Day. Three planes sunk into the pavement.
Climate mitigation - We will use the green house gas methodology.
Landscaping over a million dollars to soften the view and be a better
community was done this past year.
Corporate travel went down 30% nationwide but we only went down about
6%. The cost for the airport is about 7 million with 53 fixed with leases and
the balances are fuel sales etc.
Bill commented that one concern is that no one is building a plane that
works well at our altitude. Do you have any information on the turbo prop
product?
Jim agreed and there are only a few airlines that have the turbo prop.
Frontier and Continental.
Jim said we need to think how we can get mid-day service on United.
Embrie air 170 and Embrie 190 are aircrafts that can operate in and out of
our community. They are upcoming. It is operated by US airway and if
they move that airplane into Phoenix we would have a good chance to move
that airline into our community. CRJ700 is another airline that is capable for
this area.
John said suddenly we have reasonable fairs in and out of Australia. LA to
Sidney Australia is around $1,000.
COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION
MINUTES OF NLY 15.2009
Bill asked how many people with private planes are from elsewhere. Jim
said most destinations are here.
Mark inquired why we are only down 6.5% when lodging is down
substantially higher. Jim said their parking activity has gone up.
Mark also asked Jim how CCLC can support the extension of the runway.
Jim said at some point we will go to the BOCC and have to get input from
the community in 2010.
Aspen Area Community Plan
Ben Gagnon, Special Projects Planner
The idea is to decide where we go in ten years and what does the
Community want.
Retail section:
Terry said she has a client that stays with her and saw the demise of the Ute
City Grill and Aspen Drug. We need some protection for our anchor stores.
In Austria they have laws to protect local businesses.
Andrew suggested having two sections: Service business and non-service
business.
John said we do not need a section for local serving business.
Ben said they want to add a section for succession planning for those
businesses that we need to keep such as the Miner's building.
Terry agreed that there are a handful of businesses that we need to preserve
for Aspen's future.
John pointed out with the economy malls are nationally dead.
Andrew said people still go on vacation and out to dinner but they don't
need any more clothes so they don't buy them.
John said we need to discuss regionalism in the valley. The AACP needs to
be broader and are we in competition with Basalt and Carbondale. We also
might want to revisit light rail.
COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION
MINUTES OF NLY 15.2009
Andrew said we need to have creative thinking for the different categories.
Bill said part of the answer to luxury in downtown is the inventory of lodges
434 E. Cooper -Bidwell building
Terry stepped down.
Terry said the Bidwell building is going to HPC Wed. for redevelopment.
My fear is the fact that I know what it is going to be like because I lived
through the Paragon, Andres and the Ute City Grill. I am concerned the
western walkway will go away. It will take two to three years to build and
the dirt and dust on the corner will be unbearable. They will find water
under the building. This redevelopment will put me out of business. The
Paradise Bakery patrons will not be able to sit out and eat there. I am
against the construction. To take that corner down and the dirt etc. will seep
through my walls. Downtown cannot withstand that kind of construction.
The board suggested that Terry work with the Bidwell's estate for
construction mitigation etc.
MOTION.• Bill made the motion to continue the AAC P until July 29rn,
second by John. All in favor, motion carried.
Meetin adjourned at 11:00 .m.
G~~~~~~ ~~ ti~~~t.~
Kathleen J. Strickland, Chief Deputy Clerk