HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.20110607 City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
Comments 2
Minutes 2
Conflicts of Interest 2
Lift One Lodge Final PUD & Timeshare 2
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
Stan Gibbs opened the regular meeting, Tuesday, June 07, 2011 at 4:30 in Sister
Cities Meeting Room. Commissioners present: Cliff Weiss, Bert Myrin, Jasmine
Tygre, LJ Erspamer and Stan Gibbs. Excused were: Jim DeFrancia and Michael
Wampler. Staff in attendance: Jim True, Special Counsel; Drew Alexander and
Chris Bendon, Community Development; Jackie Lothian Deputy City Clerk.
Comments
Bert Myrin said he walked by a renovation they talked about a year ago at 632 East
Hopkins and he passed around photographs of the building prior to renovation and
a tree after the renovation began; he asked staff to follow up on this project. LJ
Erspamer said he thought the tree was diseased. Bert Myrin passed around a photo
of the way it looks now; the applicant said that with the purpose of utilizing the
existing structure with the extent possible and minimizing the new material use and
infrastructure. Bert Myrin said there were decisions made that night based upon it
being a renovation rather than a razing; the P &Z minutes say the applicant was not
changing the elevation or the entire office /retail space.
LJ Erspamer thanked staff for getting P &Z together with Ketchum.
Minutes
MOTION: Bert Myrin moved to approve the minutes from April 12 seconded by
LJErspamer. All in favor APPROVED.
MOTION: Bert Myrin moved to approve the minutes from May 3.d with the
changes to page 4 and 5 seconded by LJErspamer. All in favor APPROVED.
MOTION: Bert Myrin moved to approve the minutes from May 17` with the
corrections made by Stan Gibbs and seconded by LJErspamer. All in favor
APPROVED.
MOTION: Cliff Weiss moved to approve the minutes from May 26` seconded by
LJErspamer. All in favor APPROVED.
Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
Cliff Weiss stated that he served on the Lift One COWOP as the designated P &Z
representative.
PUBLIC HEARING:
Lift One Lodge Final PUD & Timeshare
Stan Gibbs opened the public hearing and notice was received. Chris Bendon said
this was a public hearing for Lift One Lodge PUD Review and the public notice
will reside in the planning file. Jim True reviewed the notice and it was
satisfactory.
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
Chris Bendon explained tonight's meeting was about orientation for the project
with multiple days set up for this review. Chris Bendon said the application was
originally submitted in 2006 with the 2005 code standards. The property includes
the former Holland House, Skiers Chalet Lodge, Skiers Chalet Steakhouse for the
development of a Ski Museum on what is known as Willoughby Park; relocation
and upgrading of Lift One A and improvements to public rights -of -way. P &Z
approved the Conceptual Review. There was a task force, COWOP process that
reviewed this property and culminated in a redevelopment with City Council over
multiple months looking at an Ordinance and the aspects of the project and was not
approved by City Council.
Chris Bendon stated the Lift One Lodge decided to renew their original application
for 2006 and hold the P &Z approval and recommendations as well as HPC. Chris
Bendon noted changes from conceptual review in which one property was
eliminated from the application which was the Lift One A property (the ski
company property where the Lift One A terminal sits). There was a smaller
footprint to the project and program to the overall project; all of these changes
were in response to issues and concerns of substance.
Chris Bendon said the reviews needed were all to City Council with
Recommendations from P &Z for Final PUD; Timeshare; Subdivision; Amendment
to the Zone District Map (Rezoning); Growth Management Review — Essential
Public Facility; Growth Management Review for Average Lodge Unit Size;
Conditional Use for Restaurant and Bar; Conditional Use for Dormitory Units;
Mountain View Plane Review (originates from the Wheeler Opera House);
Condominiumization; Right -of -way Vacations and Extended Vested Rights.
Bert Myrin asked if there were many differences in the 2005 code and the current
code. Chris Bendon replied that was a fairly large question and the will try to
point out the standards from 2005 and there were some minor changes in
affordable housing.
Chris Bendon said that this meeting will request from P &Z to identify issues that
you need to know a lot more about and essentially to get familiar with the project.
Chris Bendon said the upcoming meetings were Tuesdays in June with Chris and
Bob on Lift One project with staff and DRC comments on the 14 and on the 21
and then on the 28`
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
Chris Bendon said that Bob Daniel was the applicant for Roaring Fork Mountain
Lodge. Bert Myrin asked for the 2006 conceptual P &Z and Council meeting
minutes to check what has been addressed.
Bob Daniel stated for the record that he represented Roaring Fork Lodge LLC
which is the applicant on this project. Bob Daniel said that the significant area of
the project honors the past and poses the area to look at the future. Bob Daniel
said tonight is talk about where we have been and what has really changed; next
week would be details along with a project model. Bob Daniel said the COWOP
was a 9 month process; master plan goals were established through the COWOP
and a physical master plan. Bob Daniel said the transit patterns in town helped
establish a transportation plan and there was not much of a pedestrian plan. Bob
Daniel utilized power point showing the strengths of the project to create a four
season usage of the area; this resulted in this ski corridor with the conceptual
approval from City Council with the master plan, ski access, innovation in design,
overall community benefits with Council requesting the 2 components of the
project be looked at were mass and scale and question of the relocation of Lift One
A and what was the benefit. Bob Daniel said that they looked at the project that
did not include all that land to the right that was previously zoned Conservation
and they end up with a project that was significantly reduced in mass and scale and
improved with a 40% reduction in floor area and over 50% reduction in footprint.
This does not include a relocation of Lift One A; it maintains the trail way; they
have approval from the Colorado Tramway Board to put a surface lift up through
this corridor so it still respects that corridor for skiing. Bob Daniel stated that there
was 40% housing on site which goes to vitality; the public restaurant for Apres Ski
and all the project access is off of South Aspen Street.
Bob Daniel said the goals were the important aspects of history the accessibility,
vitality and sustainability. The assets were in a state of disrepair so the existing
conditions don't reflect well on how history was respected. The Skiers Chalet is
not designated at this time but they plan on designating it.
Bob Daniel said the program is comprised of 22 lodge units that create 84 separate
rentable units with keys; a fractional or shared 1/8 interest; on site housing in a
dorm style configuration for 16 employees. The relocated Skiers Chalet Lodge for
the Aspen Historical Society Museum was a gathering place and there was a public
sub -grade parking garage. The green roofs provided help with water run -off and
improve the quality of natural run -off through the natural filtration before it goes
into the storm run -off system and it helps cool the building and would like to have
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
an herb garden for the restaurant if possible. The snowmelt has been taken out of
the proposal. They were creating a project that responds to neighbors concerns.
Stan Gibbs opened the public comments section of the public hearing.
Public Comments:
1. Ruth Carver, 116 South Aspen, commended the applicant for the time and
effort on this. Ruth Carver voiced concern to be mindful of the traffic flow
and questioned Aspen Street being able to handle the traffic.
2. Ruth Kruger commended the applicant and she has been an active
participant of the COWOPs and has watched this process for 5 years. Ruth
Kruger said there was an amazing reduction in size and mass but she said
that she liked the original project with both sides of the street. Ruth Kruger
asked P &Z to approve this project and the applicant has done a good job
being sensitive to the neighborhood and neighbors.
3. Mary Janss said that she was smitten by this new project and it was a terrific
reduction in the upper part and she liked making the building more modern
and light. Mary Janss said they were really creative.
Stan Gibbs closed the public comments section of the meeting.
Stan Gibbs asked to understand that one of the slides said there would be no
change to Lift One A but it doesn't seem possible to have a lift there because it was
right in the way of Lift One A and how would they put a platter lift there. Bob
Daniel said that the application doesn't contain a proposed change and the Ski
Company said that it was based on the refurbishment and replacement based upon
a matrix. Stan Gibbs said you would have to agree it has to move for that to
actually happen. Bob Daniel said if you look at the old plan and there were some
reconstruction of Lift One, the lift apparatus really sits here (an appendage) and if
you were to bring up the tramway approved corridor it would land here and you
would have to take a look at where that would land as a surface lift. Bob Daniel
said they did not back off of a commitment that was specifically made for funding
for that lift improvement; there could be a conversation in the community that says
we don't need a surface lift because Lift One is staying where it is or there may be
some other future decision and they didn't want to back off of their commitment
for that funding.
Cliff Weiss asked what is happening to ticketing at Lift One A in the packet it was
no longer located in your lodge; at one point it was up at your lodge. Cliff Weiss
asked if that was in there or has it all gone away. Bob Daniel replied that is gone
away, the Ski Company expressed a desire for not ticketing there. Cliff Weiss
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
asked if the lockers went away with the Beer and the Brats. Bob Daniel responded
there will still be public lockers. Cliff Weiss said that you brought up neighbor
access to the east. Bob Daniel replied there was an access corridor out and if there
ever was a surface lift then there was an opportunity to access out also. Bob
Daniel said that he can't speak for the owner of Cascade because Robert left, the
Caribou owners have a ski gate and Silver Shadow with the existing Skiers Chalet
Lodge right up against their property line, so there is actually more breathing room
associated with this from a plan perspective.
Bob Daniel said they would talk about how the two buildings are connected and
much different from the conceptual approval. Bob Daniel said the Skier Chalet
Steakhouse is in the Aspen Street right -of -way so the Steakhouse will be moved.
Cliff Weiss asked if sometime in the future without a master plan in place can they
(Ski Co) move that without coming to P &Z because it's really on their property.
Chris Bendon answered it was on their property and at least required an 8040
Greenline Review; not a review of the lift apparatus but the cut and fill. Cliff
Weiss said they (Ski Co) have more than lift terminus there, they have ticketing,
some patrol facility, maybe some servicing, storing of snowmobiles and snow cats,
fire road access and their own access to the mountain. Cliff Weiss asked if there
was any jurisdiction over ski lifts. Chris Bendon said it has jurisdiction over
development and relocating the lift apparatus and the grading associated with the
development; you will be limited to the development aspects. Cliff Weiss said that
was one of his biggest concerns with opportunities in other hands. Cliff Weiss
asked if there was a change in the number of free market residences from when it
came out of COWOP. Bob Daniel answered there was not but a reduction in
square footage.
Bert Myrin asked if there would be some simple explanation of the criteria for the
48 page overview; he wasn't clear on the timeshare review. Bert Myrin said that
FAR changes were in one of the buildings and what would be helpful would be the
floor area also because it is seen as mass; halls, mechanical. Bob Daniel said the
FAR calculation raised questions for him; there was sub -grade space that doesn't
count against FAR and there is sub -grade space that actually does count against
your FAR because of the anomalies and how we calculate floor area in our
community so there is a gross building area which would include parking and
everything associated with the building and then there is floor area which is the
code metric and probably a 3 to look at if there was a desire to which says when
you look at mass and scale how many square feet am I seeing. Bert Myrin said
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
what he would like to see is what is on the assessors WEBSITE when everything is
complete. Chris Bendon said the assessor probably uses a heated square footage.
Bert Myrin asked about the funding for the platter lift; are the logistics in place to
make that happen. Bert Myrin asked if P &Z could recommend to Council an
approval of that with vested rights. Chris Bendon responded the corridor is there,
the commitment is there but it relies on that technology of the platter pole verses an
overhead chair lift. Bert Myrin voiced concern that after it was built that they
didn't plan for and he wanted that to be part of the approval process and
recommendation to Council. Bert Myrin said there were solar panels when you ski
down Aspen Mountain so maybe there could be one room with solar as a token.
Bert Myrin asked where LEED Gold surpassed the code, what is being done
beyond the current code. Bert Myrin said this looks like a brand new project and
what is the drawback from looking at it from the 2006 code, was there something
that could change. Bert Myrin asked if the red outlines above this project was this
space sterilized from development going forward. Bob Daniel stated that it was
not part of the proposal and it wasn't property that they owned or controlled.
Jasmine Tygre asked about the occupancy of fractional ownership units in Aspen;
the industry talks about the greater occupancy rather than lodge rooms. Jasmine
Tygre asked if for example does the Hyatt have high occupancy, more than other
lodges in Aspen and is that occupancy people who own units there, or guests of
people who own units there, or exchanges or are they available to a reservation
service. Jasmine Tygre said that she would like to explore the relationship
between the occupancy of units of fractional use and hotbed use by members of the
general public. Jasmine Tygre said that was really important.
LJ Erspamer said that he wouldn't be at the meeting next week and so he asked
how transit on demand reduces the number of trips. LJ Erspamer said he asked
this question because if you have on demand you have 2 trips there and 2 trips
back. LJ Erspamer asked the size of the dorm rooms with 2 beds. Bob Daniel said
they were designed by the guidelines given by APCHA. LJ Erspamer asked the
occupancy for lock -off and you want to reduce the height for the neighbors; what if
lock -offs were not working would that reduce the height in certain sections. Bob
Daniel replied that his intuitive answer was that they were not directly related but
the increased circulation space does impact the building and is principally though
the code with egress code requirements from every one of those lock -offs so there
is a specified distance from fire exits. Chris Bendon said that they have a variety
that types and varieties of configurations that they can offer. LJ Erspamer asked
about a 3 -D model on the computer. Bob Daniel replied there was a physical
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City Planning & Zoning Meeting — Minutes — June 07, 2011
model and will bring next week. LJ Erspamer asked if there was fencing around
the deck. LJ Erspamer asked where the street usage figures came from. Bob
Daniel replied from the Resort Development Association as well as from a group
that monitors the timeshare industry and he can provide some of that and Raggets
focuses on the timeshare industry and he does surveys. LJ Erspamer commended
the applicant on how they respond to the public and all of the years of hard work.
Stan Gibbs said that transit connections were really important to him. Stan Gibbs
said the energy used for snowmelt was kind of silly and we live in a snowy
climate.
MOTION: Cliff Weiss moved to continue Lift One Lodge to June 14 seconded
by LJ Erspamer. All in favor, APPROVED.
Adjourned at 7:00 pm.
ckie Lothian, Deputy City Clerk
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