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HomeMy WebLinkAboutcoa.lu.rz.Bell Mountain Lodge.12A-88 CASELOAD SUMMARY SHEET City of Aspen DATE RECEIVED: 3/39.348 DATE COMPLETE: P' ' L ID AND CASE NO. STAFF MEMBER: C\ PROJECT NAME: 711116 ,1 Project Addr-ss: i 0 MI 10d L 00 APPLICANT: 1, i f i1,_AC,' L L C Applicant A.dress:,./501j'�N,M n�� 1* REPRESENTATIVE: •�,,L JLJ �"' 8/(2 ' Representative Address :hone• Wi,ErignIne `:f 5 l .5-7 PAID: CPO NO AMOUNT: 146'./&'. 00 1) TYPE OF APPLICATION: / 1 STEP: 2 STEP: V 2) IF 1 STEP APPLICATION GOES TO: P&Z CC PUBLIC HEARING DATE: 1 (l 3) PUBLIC HEARING IS BEFORE: v P&Z CC . N/A DATE REFERRED:7J(a1 a8, l 9f o d/ INITIALS:/� REFERRALS: VG City Attorney Mtn. Bell En School tnsNat Gas District V Cit y gineer Parks Dept. Rocky Mtn Nat Housing Dir. Holy Cross State Hwy Dept(GW) �G Aspen Water Fire Marshall State Hwy Dept(GJ) 1-2=- City Electric Fire Chief ✓ B1dg:Zon/Int Envir. Hlth. `/ Roaring Fork Roaring Fork v- Aspen Consol. Transit Energy Center S.D. Other FINAL;ROUTING: DATE ROUTED: 4//c /c > INITIAL: - !- City Atty City Engineer Y g neer Bldg. Dept. Other: FILE STATUS AND LOCATION: v �C>!/ CASELOAD SUMMARY SHEET BELL MTN. LODGE REZONING TO: FILE FROM: CINDY HOUBEN, PLANNER RE: BELL MTN. LODGE REZONING REQUEST The Bell Mountain Lodge rezoning request was heard by the Planning Commission on June 7 and June 21, 1988 . The majority of the Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of the request to the City Council. A resolution with this recommendation was forwarded to the City Council (attached) . The minority of the Planning Commision members also sent a minority opinion in the form of a resolution to the City Council. The City Council reviewed the application on August 8, 1988. During the review the applicant withdrew the application, therefore no formal action was required of the City Council. ch.bm112 RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING DENIAL OF THE REQUEST FOR REZONING OF THE BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE PROPERTY Resolution No. 88- 7 WHEREAS, at a public hearing held on June 7, 1988, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") reviewed an application for rezoning of the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel (location described in exhibit A) submitted by Tony Mazza (hereinafter "Applicant") ; and WHEREAS, the Applicant's initial request was to rezone the parcel from LP to C-1 (at a 1. 5: 1 FAR) and to provide the City with subgrade development rights to build a community parking facility at public expense, an offer which was withdrawn by the applicant at the Commission meeting; and WHEREAS, in its place, the Applicant requested that the Commission reviewed proposals to rezone the project to (C-1) (at a 1: 1 FAR) or (0) Office (allowing . 75: 1 FAR) (hereinafter "Proposals") ; and WHEREAS, the Commission reviewed the criteria for rezoning pursuant to Section 7-1102 of the Aspen Land Use Regulations and made the following findings: A. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 B, with respect to consistency with the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan, for the following reasons: 1. The Transportation Element of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan identifies this site as part of a larger location for a community parking facility. Since no public parking is provided in association with the proposals, they are not consistent with community plans for the site. 2 . The 1973 Aspen Land Use Plan designates this site as being on the fringe of the "Central Area" land use Resolution No. 88- Page 2 category. The stated intention for this category is that "ordered yet diversified land uses, such as resident related commercial , residential and professional office uses should be located on the fringe of the central area. Because the applicant has not provided specific development plans for the site, it is not possible to find that either the residential or commercial uses which could be built on the site will be resident related. B. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section -7-1102- _C-, with respect to compatibility with surrounding zone districts and land uses, for the following reasons: 1. The character of the neighborhood is defined by locally oriented commercial businesses and lodging, rather than by tourist oriented residential or commercial uses. 2 . Extending the rental area commercial zone district intensity and uses to this area is inconsistent with the planning concept of tapering the intensity of uses and bulk as development approaches outlying residential areas. 3 . Compatibility also is defined as the ability to co- exist with and not threaten the viability of adjacent uses. The adjacent NC zone district is an essential part of the Aspen community, providing basic services to residents and nearby tourists, whose viability may be threatened by the pressure of locating new tourist- oriented uses nearby. Given the limited amount of land available for NC uses in Aspen, loss of this zoning would not be in the public interest and would severely imbalance the mix of commercial uses in Aspen. C. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 H, requiring that there be changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or neighborhood, for the following reasons: 1. There continues to be ample buildout under existing zoning for future commercial or residential development, including the potential to virtually double existing commercial development through infill and redevelopment projects. Lodge zoning, however, is quite constrained and is approaching full development. D. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 I, with respect to the public interest and the purposes of the Land Use Regulations, for the following reasons: 1. Small lodges are important in maintaining the mix of Resolution No. 88- Page 3 tourist accommodations in Aspen and the balance among types and scale of land development in the community. The LP zone district was enacted in order to provide a means of preserving existing small lodges by allowing them to upgrade and expand their facilities. It is in the public interest to maintain the existing zoning rather than to change the zoning to a category which is not fully built out elsewhere in the community. NOW, - THEREFORE,- BE - IT RESOLVED by the Aspen Planning ° and Zoning Commission that it does hereby recommend that the City Council deny the proposals based upon the above findings. APPROVED by the Commission at its regular meeting on July 5, 1988 . ATTEST: ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION iBY C //// 'C V J. ' Carney, D City Clerk C. Welton t.nderson MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen City Council THRU: Robert S. Anderson, Jr. , City Manager ✓c FROM: Tom Baker and Cindy Houben, Planning Office RE: Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/Conceptual PUD/Subdivision Application DATE: August 8, 1988 SUMMARY: The Planning Commission and the Planning Office recommend denial of the request to rezone the Bell Mountain parcel to C-1 or Office. REQUEST: Request for a rezoning for the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel from L-3 to one of the following two alternatives: - C-1 with a 1: 1 FAR; or - Office. APPLICANT: Tony Mazza. HISTORY OF PARCEL AND SURROUNDING LAND USES: In 1983 , the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel was zoned L-3 as a result of the effort to encourage small existing lodge operations to continue in the community. Prior to that rezoning the parcel was zoned (0) Office. The surrounding zoning is depicted in the attached zone district map (exhibit 1) . The Planning Commission reviewed this application on June 7 and June 21. A majority of the Planning Commission recommended denial of the application pursuant to the attached resolution (see exhibit 2) . The minority vote also prepared a resolution which they requested be included in this packet (see exhibit 3) . DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL: The two requested rezoning alternatives are described below. Initially, the applicant also requested a C-1 zoning with a 1: 1.5 FAR which included a land offer for the City to build an underground parking structure and for which a specific development proposal was provided. The applicant has since dropped this request due to the feelings of the Planning Commission and initial reaction of City Council. The applicant had an opportunity to get an informal reading on his application from the Council at a work session when Council was updated on implementation efforts for a parking facility. The Council was unanimous in their comments that they were not willing to trade bulk for parking. The Council felt that the applicant's rezoning/subdivision request was inappropriate because the site would contain an additional 10, 000 square feet of above-grade space which does not meet the special review criteria for allowing additional FAR (60% of the additional square footage must be deed restricted employee housing) . The Council 's main concern, however, was that the City of Aspen is experiencing significant pressures with regard to bulk, and the total buildout of sites is not in keeping with the scale of the city. Council thus was not willing to grant the additional bulk in turn for eliminating the land cost of the parking structure at the Bell Mountain site. The site has an existing 26 room lodge and associated guest amenities. Specific criteria for reviewing a rezoning application are outlined in the new Code in Section 7-1102 . These criteria will be reviewed in detail in the next section of this memorandum in order to allow the City Council to consider each of the proposed alternatives in light of the criteria. The Bell Mountain site is zoned LP and contains 20, 000 + square feet. The Bell Mountain Lodge block was designated as a preferred location for a community parking facility, along with the Rio Grande site, in the recently adopted Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan: Transportation Element. The Transportation Element identified the Bell Mountain Lodge block site as one which would likely be developed as a joint public/private facility because it was totally under private ownership. 1. REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO C-1 WITH MAXIMUM 1:1 FAR The applicant has not provided a specific development proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided. The possible uses in the C-1 zone district are as listed in exhibit 4 . The purpose of the C-1 zone district is to provide for commercial uses which are not primarily tourist oriented. A 1: 1 FAR is allowed in the zone district. 2 . REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO "0" OFFICE The applicant has not provided a specific development proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided under this alternative. The possible uses include residential and professional office buildings. The allowed FAR is . 75: 1. REFERRAL COMMENTS: The Engineering Department comments refer only to the initial C-1, 1 . 5 : 1 Rezoning/PUD/Subdivision alternative, since these were the only specific plans which were 2 submitted. These comments are of a technical nature, (see exhibit 4) . BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS: In order to comment on the applicant's proposal, the staff comments will provide useful background information regarding the Bell Mountain area. In order to answer the question, what is the appropriate zoning for this portion of Aspen, we should review the 1973 Land Use Plan and more recent planning efforts of the 1980 's. The subject property is located on a block which borders the eastern edge of the of the Central Area as identified on the 1973 Land Use Plan (see attached Exhibit 4) . The 1973 Plan very clearly states that resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses be located on the fringe of the central area. In other words, the intent of the Land Use Plan is to allow the fringe of the central area to be commercial in nature, but reduced in intensity (both bulk and uses) so that it provides an appropriate transition between the commercial and residential zone districts. Based upon the stated purpose of zone districts in the City Code, four (4) districts have the potential of providing resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses: Commercial (C-1) , Office (0) , Commercial Lodge (CL) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) . C-1 - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of commercial uses which are not primarily oriented towards serving the tourist population. While this zone district allows for the possibility of locally oriented uses, it also permits a large range of retail commercial uses which have the potential for serving the tourist population. An example of the kind of uses which we could expect on this site with a C-1 zoning are those in the new Hunter Plaza, which is very clearly tourist oriented in its retail shops. It seems to staff that while this zone district may be able to carry out the mandate of the land use plan other zone districts are better suited for "fringe" commercial area locations. O - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of offices and associated commercial uses in such a way as to preserve the visual scale and character of former residential areas that now are adjacent to commercial and business areas, and commercial uses along Main Street and other high volume thoroughfares. This zone district provides for a reduced intensity because the uses allowed in this district are office and residentially oriented. We question whether this block is appropriate for residential uses, however, since it is 3 located adjacent to SH 82 ; Office zoning may be appropriate. CL (1: 1) - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of mixed use commercial development and lodge units by permitting commercial uses at street level but requiring that all additional stories be lodge accommodations. This zone may be appropriate in that it allows for tourist/ residential character on the second level. This location for lodging will provide an auto disincentive for visitors to the community. The problems associated with this zone district, however, occur on the first level where commercial activities are allowed which are of a tourist oriented nature, thereby extending the commercial core into the (fringe) area. NC - Purpose : To allow small convenience retail establishments as part of a neighborhood, that are designed and planned to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, to reduce traffic generation, and mitigate traffic circulations and parking problems, and to serve the daily or frequent trade or service needs of the neighborhood. The uses allowed in this zone district will service the local population, however, the intensity of these uses is likely to fall somewhere in between the intensity of the Office zone and the Commercial C-1 zone. In staff's opinion, the NC zone is functioning well because the uses, especially City Market, definitely service a significant portion of the local population. In staff' s opinion, the NC service area or neighborhood extends well beyond the immediate lodging uses and likely extends throughout the entire community. We contend that it is critical to the health of the local community. In staff's opinion, this zone district can be appropriate for the area in question. In terms of bulk or FAR, the staff feels that 1. 5: 1 is unacceptable for a fringe or transitional area as is expressed by the 1973 Master Plan. An FAR of greater than 1: 1 would not allow for a tapering of bulk to occur between the Commercial Core and the residential areas. Given the fact that an FAR of 1: 1 is allowed in the NC and RMF zones and in the 0 zone by special review and the fact that the Buckhorn Lodge has CL zoning with a 1: 1 FAR limitation, staff feels that a maximum FAR of 1: 1 would be appropriate for this property. In staff' s opinion, the FAR allowed by either 0 or NC would be appropriate for this general area, while the NC uses are more appropriate given the fact that duplex and multi-family structures are allowed in the 0 zone district. Pure residential uses seem to be a 4 inefficient use of such an important location in Aspen. STAFF RESPONSE TO REZONING CRITERIA: Section 7-1102 of the City Code lists Standards of Review for amendments to the Official Zone District Map. Criterion A. Whether the proposed amendment is in conflict with any applicable portions of this chapter. Response Both alternatives appear to be able to comply. Criterion B. Whether the proposed amendment is consistent with all elements of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Response The rezoning proposals: C-1, 1: 1 FAR and 0 - Office do not comply with the Transportation Plan since no public parking benefits are proposed. The C-1 zoning does not, in the staff's opinion (see above analysis) effectively implement the intent of the 1973 Land Use Plan. Another comprehensive planning issue has to do with the need for commercial versus lodge zoning in this location. Lodge Preservation (LP) zoning was initiated in part because the Short Term Accommodations Report concludes that the primary concern of the community should not be the development of large numbers of new lodge units to meet ever increasing tourist visitation rates. Instead, in recognition of changing economic times, it was recommended that we concentrate on providing better quality and value in our tourist accommodations . The report suggests that incentives be provided to induce owners to upgrade their facilities. The LP zone district is designed to permit limited expansions to be made to existing lodges as an incentive for upgrading. The LP zone helps to maintain the community balance between peak visitation bed capacity and available mountain ski capacity. In addition, this location is appropriate for small lodge development in that it helps to accomplish several other community goals such as providing lodging near Aspen Mountain thereby creating a situation that reduces the visitors need to drive an automobile to and around Aspen. The staff has recently been putting together numbers analyzing the buildout potential in our commercial and lodge 5 development area. We have found that there is very little property in Aspen left for lodge development for new small lodges. This means that the existing LP lodges are a very important resource in this community, helping to diversify our accommodation types and provide for lesser cost lodging as well. It seems apparent to us that there is a much greater community need for this property to be zoned LP than for additional commercial development, particularly since our buildout analysis shows the potential for significant commercial development within existing zoned areas. Criterion C. Whether the proposed amendment is compatible with surrounding Zone Districts and land uses, considering existing land use and neighborhood characteristics. Response While the applicant contends that C-i zoning is compatible with surrounding land uses and existing neighborhood character, the staff feels that the term compatibility should, in this case, be defined as the ability to co-exist with existing uses and not threaten the future viability of, the adjacent NC zone. In staff's opinion a rezoning to C-1 may squeeze existing NC uses, which are already being squeezed by the Little Nell Hotel, and may threaten the NC zone's viability by creating pressure to rezone this area. In addition, extending the commercial zone and increasing the FAR in this area is inconsistent with the concept of tapering the intensity of the uses and FAR as development approaches the residential areas. Criterion D. The effect of the proposed amendment on traffic generation and road safety. Response The applicant's proposals will not adversely impact the transportation system. Criterion E. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in demands on public facilities, and whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would exceed the capacity of such public facilities, including but not limited to transportation facilities, sewage facilities, water supply, parks, drainage, schools, and emergency medical facilities. 6 Response Due to the subject property's location in downtown Aspen existing community facilities are capable of accommodating this proposal. Criterion F. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment. Response The subject property is in an urban setting and will not adversely impact the natural environment. Criterion G, H, and I Whether the proposed amendment is consistent and compatible with the community character in the City of Aspen. Whether there have been changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or the surrounding neighborhood which support the proposed amendment. Whether the proposed amendment would be in conflict with the public interest, and is in harmony with the purpose and intent of this chapter. Response These 3 criteria all address the community character question and the question of whether the conditions in the neighborhood have changed to support the proposed amendment. The staff feels that conditions in the neighborhood have changed and are continuing to change. The development to the south is creating a definite tourist/commercial oriented pressure. This pressure is to expand tourist oriented commercial business along Durant. This in turn puts pressure on the area to the North zoned NC. If the City market NC zone is lost to commercial (C-1) or to residential then the community is left with only one NC area at Clarks. Thus, the question of whether the proposals are consistent with community character must be addressed with another question. Should tourist commercial zoning be expanded to the Bell Mountain Lodge block? The Planning Office response is that it should not. This position is based on the fact that there is a limited amount of locally oriented services 7 in our community and on the overall master plan for the area which maintains that the fringe areas of town should buffer the commercial core from the residential areas of town. In direct response to the application, the Planning Office feels that C-1 zoning would cause the most problems, of the proposed rezoning requests, however, the probable use of the property for high end residential townhome units in the 0 zone presents a problem with regard to the character of the area. Directly to the north, the office zone district has already been used to develop high-end residential townhomes, rather than office oriented uses. The Planning Office feels, however, that the development of 0 zone uses causes lesser problems with regard to maintaining the NC area and upholding the master plan concept for the area. Extending this logic, the Planning Office feels that the LP zone is preferable to either of the proposed zones in that it maintains the balance that the community goals reflect with regard to small lodge development. In addition, it is generally compatible with our desire to maintain the NC zone. Taking this analysis even further, as the community continues to grow and more neighborhood commercial uses are needed, the south side of Bell Mountain block could logically become NC to address this growth. The NC zone allows for a 1: 1 FAR which is also compatible with the surrounding uses in the area. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Commission recommends denial of the request to rezone the Bell Mountain (see attached exhibit 2, Resolution of denial) . Note: Staff has attached Exhibit 6, the application and Exhibit 7, citizen letter. RECOMMENDED MOTION: "City Council moves to deny the request to rezone the Bell Mountain Parcel to the C-1 or 0 Zone District. " CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS: CH.BELL2 8 EXHIBIT 1 ZONING/FAR r__ 7 0 0 E H i4 0 6 0 0 E PA" RuER. SFCv�� 0 Illm 1110F111 , ' ■ �=Li►=.yii7��/`■• !iiii1ii!!!! iIIII/ E. 1i0PKl AVE. * 9 _ 1111 1 i;#juii NMI IMP - 111216091 Mita [ 1 E. HYMAN 1 AVE. -, , ! 4 - APIA I 11M111 [ , ‘ 4..... _ ...4,1 1 IAInhI �, 1 0 AVE. I■ a :4 F' / */ __. I. III! !HI; s I/9111 1 (4_ , , _ (6,IM i . 111011 1 1 1g � � I - T 1 1 rte- RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING DENIAL OF THE REQUEST FOR REZONING OF THE BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE PROPERTY Resolution No. 88- 7 WHEREAS, at a public hearing held on June 7, 1988, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") reviewed an application for rezoning of the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel (location described in exhibit A) submitted by Tony Mazza (hereinafter "Applicant") ; and WHEREAS, the Applicant's initial request was to rezone the parcel from LP to C-1 (at a 1. 5: 1 FAR) and to provide the City with subgrade development rights to build a community parking facility at public expense, an offer which was withdrawn by the applicant at the Commission meeting; and WHEREAS, in its place, the Applicant requested that the Commission reviewed proposals to rezone the project to (C-1) (at a 1: 1 FAR) or (0) Office (allowing .75: 1 FAR) (hereinafter "Proposals") ; and WHEREAS, the Commission reviewed the criteria for rezoning pursuant to Section 7-1102 of the Aspen Land Use Regulations and made the following findings: A. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 B, with respect to consistency with the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan, for the following reasons: 1. The Transportation Element of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan identifies this site as part of a larger location for a community parking facility. Since no public parking is provided in association with the proposals, they are not consistent with community plans for the site. 2 . The 1973 Aspen Land Use Plan designates this site as being on the fringe of the "Central Area" land use Resolution No. 88- Page 2 category. The stated intention for this category is that "ordered yet diversified land uses, such as resident related commercial , residential and professional office uses should be located on the fringe of the central area. Because the applicant has not provided specific development plans for the site, it is not possible to find that either the residential or commercial uses which could be built on the site will be resident related. B. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 C, with respect to compatibility with surrounding zone districts and land uses, for the following reasons: 1. The character of the neighborhood is defined by locally oriented commercial businesses and lodging, rather than by tourist oriented residential or commercial uses. 2. Extending the rental area commercial zone district intensity and uses to this area is inconsistent with the planning concept of tapering the intensity of uses and bulk as development approaches outlying residential areas. 3 . Compatibility also is defined as the ability to co- exist with and not threaten the viability of adjacent uses. The adjacent NC zone district is an essential part of the Aspen community, providing basic services to residents and nearby tourists, whose viability may be threatened by the pressure of locating new tourist- oriented uses nearby. Given the limited amount of land available for NC uses in Aspen, loss of this zoning would not be in the public interest and would severely imbalance the mix of commercial uses in Aspen. C. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 H, requiring that there be changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or neighborhood, for the following reasons: 1. There continues to be ample buildout under existing zoning for future commercial or residential development, including the potential to virtually double existing commercial development through infill and redevelopment projects. Lodge zoning, however, is quite constrained and is approaching full development. D. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 I, with respect to the public interest and the purposes of the Land Use Regulations, for the following reasons: 1. Small lodges are important in maintaining the mix of Resolution No. 88- Page 3 tourist accommodations in Aspen and the balance among types and scale of land development in the community. The LP zone district was enacted in order to provide a means of preserving existing small lodges by allowing them to upgrade and expand their facilities. It is in the public interest to maintain the existing zoning rather than to change the zoning to a category which is not fully built out elsewhere in the community. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission that it does hereby recommend that the City Council deny the proposals based upon the above findings. APPROVED by the Commission at its regular meeting on July 5, 1988 . ATTEST: ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION By Jan Carney, Deputy City Clerk C. Welton Anderson k ,s RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST FOR REZONING OF THE BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE PROPERTY Resolution No. 88- WHEREAS, at a public hearing held on July 7, 1988, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") reviewed an application for rezoning of the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel (location described in exhibit A) submitted by Tony Mazza (hereinafter "Applicant") ; and WHEREAS, the Applicant' s initial request was to rezone the parcel from LP to C-1 (at a 1 . 5: 1 FAR) and to provide the City with subgrade development rights to build a community parking facility at public expense, an offer which was withdrawn by the Applicant at the Commission meeting; and WHEREAS, in its place, the Applicant requested that the Commission review proposals to rezone the project to (C-1) (at a 1 : 1 FAR) or (0) Office (allowing . 75: 1 FAR) (hereinafter "Proposal") ; and WHEREAS, the Commission reviewed the criteria for rezoning pursuant to Section 7-1102 of the Aspen Land Use Regulations and made the following findings: A. That the proposals are consistent with the provisions of Section 7-1102 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I of Chapter 24, Aspen Municipal Code, The Aspen Land Use Regulations for the following reasons: 1. The proposed amendment is not in conflict with any portions of the chapter as required by subsection A. 2. To allow the property to revert back to its underlying zoning of "0" Office is not inconsistent with the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Resolution No. 88- Page 2 3. The proposed amendment is consistent with surrounding Zone Districts and land uses considering the fact that the immediate neighborhood contains a plethora of uses and Zoning Districts including "0. " 4. The proposed amendment will have a lesser impact on traffic and road safety than the existing use and less demand on public facilities. 5. There would be no adverse impact to the natural environment and a "0" Office zoning use would be consistent with community character. 6. There are significant changes to the character of Aspen making small lodge uses difficult if not impractical and a rezoning to "0" Office zoning, which was the underlying zoning, would not be in conflict with the public interest. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission that it does hereby recommend the City Council approve a rezoning of the subject property to "0" Office. APPROVED by the Commission at its regular meeting on July 5, 1988. ATTEST: ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION By Jan Carney, Deputy City Clerk C. Welton Anderson ',471;4:‘-. 14) MEMORANDUM �" ', /6/-a4- "e TO: Aspen City Council THRU: Robert S. Anderson, Jr. , City Manager FROM: Tom Baker and Cindy Houben, Planning Office A4Z- RE: Bell Mountain Lodg Rezoning/ _ - - - . 740. • . Ala DATE: August 8, 1988 SUMMARY: The Planning Commission and the Planning Office recommend adenial of the request to rezone the Bell Mountain parcel to C-1 or Office. REQUEST: Request for a rezoning for the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel from ;L-3 to one of the following two alternatives: - C-1 with a 1: 1 FAR; or Office. (.7 ) APPLICANT: Tony Mazza. HISTORY OF PARCEL AND SURROUNDING LAND USES: In 1983, the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel was zoned L-3 as a result of the effort to encourage small existing lodge operations to continue in the community. Prior to that rezoning the parcel was zoned (0) Office. The surrounding zoning is depicted in the attached zone district map (exhibit 1) . The Planning Commission reviewed this application on June 7 and June 21. A majority of the Planning Commission recommended denial of the application pursuant to the attached resolution (see exhibit 2) . The minority vote also prepared a resolution which they requested be included in this packet (see exhibit 3) . DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL: The two requested rezoning alternatives are described below. Initially, the applicant also I requested a C-1 zoning with a 1:1.5 FAR which included a land offer for the City to build an underground parking structure and for which a specific development proposal was provided. The applicant has since dropped this request due to the feelings of the Planning Commission and initial reaction of City Council. The applicant had an opportunity to get an informal reading on his application from the Council at a work session when Council was updated on implementation efforts for a parking facility. The Council was unanimous in their comments that they were not - willing to trade bulk for parking. - - The Council felt that the applicant's rezoning/subdivision request was inappropriate because the site would contain an additional 10,000 square feet of above-grade space which does not meet the special review criteria for allowing additional FAR (60% of the additional square footage must be deed restricted employee housing) . The Council 's main concern, however, was that the City of Aspen is experiencing significant pressures with regard to bulk, and the total buildout of sites is not in keeping with the scale of the city. Council thus was not willing to grant the additional bulk in turn for eliminating the land cost of the parking structure at the Bell Mountain site. The site has an existing 26 room lodge and associated guest amenities. Specific criteria for reviewing a rezoning application are outlined in the new Code in Section 7-1102. These criteria will be reviewed in detail in the next section of this memorandum in order to allow the City Council to consider each of the proposed alternatives in light of the criteria. The Bell Mountain site is zoned LP and contains 20,000 + square feet. The Bell Mountain Lodge block was designated as a preferred location for a community parking facility, along with the Rio Grande site, in the recently adopted Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan: Transportation Element. The Transportation Element identified the Bell Mountain Lodge block site as one which would likely be developed as a joint public/private facility because it was totally under private ownership. 1. REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO C-1 WITH MAXIMUM 1:1 FAR - The applicant has not provided a specific development proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided. The possible uses in the C-1 zone district are as listed in exhibit 4. The purpose of the C-1 zone district is to provide for commercial uses which are not primarily tourist oriented. A 1:1 FAR is allowed in the zone district. 2. REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO "0" OFFICE The applicant has not provided a specific development proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided under this alternative. The possible uses include residential and professional office buildings. The allowed FAR is .75:1. REFERRAL COMMENTS: The Engineering Department comments refer only to the initial C-1, 1. 5: 1 Rezoning/PUD/Subdivision alternative, since these were the only specific plans which were 2 submitted. These comments are of a technical nature, (see exhibit 4) . - BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS: In order to comment on the applicant's proposal, the staff comments -will provide useful background information- regarding the Bell Mountain area. In order to answer the question, what is the appropriate zoning for this portion of Aspen, we should review the 1973 Land Use Plan and more recent planning efforts of the 1980 's. The subject property is located on a block which borders the eastern edge of the of the Central Area as identified on the 1973 Land Use Plan (see attached Exhibit 4) . The 1973 Plait very clearly states that resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses be located on the fringe of the central area. In other words, the intent of the Land Use Plan is to allow the fringe of the central area to be commercial in nature, but reduced in intensity (both bulk and uses) so that it provides an appropriate transition between the commercial and residential zone districts. Based upon the stated purpose of zone districts in the City Code, four - (4) - districts have the potential of providing resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses: Commercial (C-1) , Office (0) , Commercial Lodge (CL) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) . C-1 - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of commercial uses which are not primarily oriented towards serving the tourist population. While this zone district allows for the possibility of locally oriented uses, it also permits a large range of retail commercial uses which have the potential for serving the tourist population. An example of the kind of uses which we could expect on this site with a C-1 zoning are those in the new Hunter Plaza, which is very clearly tourist oriented in its retail shops. It seems to staff that while this zone district may be able to carry out the mandate of the land use plan other zone districts are better suited for "fringe" commercial area locations. O - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of offices and associated commercial uses in such a way as to preserve the visual scale and character of former residential areas that now are adjacent to commercial and business areas, and commercial uses along Main Street and other high volume thoroughfares. This zone district provides for a reduced intensity because the uses allowed in this district are office and residentially oriented. We question whether this block is appropriate for residential uses, however, since it is 3 located adjacent to SH 82 ; Office zoning may be appropriate. CL (1:1) - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of mixed use commercial development and lodge units by permitting commercial uses at street level but requiring that all additional stories be lodge accommodations. This zone may be appropriate in that it allows for tourist/ residential character on the second level. This location for lodging will provide an auto disincentive for visitors to the community. The problems associated with this zone district, however, occur on the first level where commercial activities are allowed which are of a tourist oriented nature, thereby extending the commercial core into the (fringe) area. NC - Purpose : To allow small convenience retail establishments as part of a neighborhood, that are designed and planned to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, to reduce traffic generation, and mitigate traffic circulations and parking problems, and to serve the daily or frequent trade or service needs of the neighborhood. The uses allowed in this zone district will service the local population, however, the intensity of these uses is likely to fall somewhere in between the intensity of the Office zone and the Commercial C-1 zone. In staff's opinion, the NC zone is functioning well because the uses, especially City Market, definitely service a significant portion of the local population. In staff's opinion, the NC service area or neighborhood extends well beyond the immediate lodging uses and likely extends throughout the entire community. We contend that it is critical to the health of the local community. In staff's opinion, this zone district can be appropriate for the area in question. In terms of bulk or FAR, the staff feels that 1.5:1 is unacceptable for a fringe or transitional area as is expressed by the 1973 Master Plan. An FAR of greater than 1:1 would not allow for a tapering of bulk to occur between the Commercial Core and the residential areas. Given the fact that an FAR of 1: 1 is allowed in the NC and RMF zones and in the 0 zone by special review and the fact that the Buckhorn Lodge has CL zoning with a 1:1 FAR limitation, staff feels that a maximum FAR of 1:1 would be appropriate for this property. In staff's opinion, the FAR allowed by either 0 or NC would be appropriate for this general area, while the NC uses are more appropriate given the fact that duplex and multi-family structures are allowed in the 0 zone district. Pure residential uses seem to be a 4 inefficient use of such an important location in Aspen. STAFF RESPONSE TO REZONING CRITERIA: - - Section 7-1102 of the City Code lists Standards of Review for amendments to the Official Zone District Map.- - Criterion A. Whether the proposed amendment is in conflict with any applicable portions of this chapter. Response Both alternatives appear to be able to comply. Criterion B. Whether the proposed amendment is consistent with all elements of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Response The rezoning proposals: C-1, 1: 1 FAR and 0 - Office do not comply with the Transportation Plan since no public parking benefits are proposed. The C-1 zoning does not, in the staff's opinion (see above analysis) effectively implement the intent of the 1973 Land Use Plan. Another comprehensive planning issue has to do with the need for commercial versus lodge zoning in this location. Lodge Preservation (LP) zoning was initiated in part because the Short Term Accommodations Report concludes that the- primary concern of the community should not be the development of large numbers of new lodge units to meet ever increasing tourist visitation rates. Instead, in recognition of changing economic times, it was recommended that we concentrate on providing better quality and value in our tourist accommodations. The report suggests that incentives be provided to induce owners to upgrade their facilities. The LP zone district is designed to permit limited expansions to be made to existing lodges as an incentive for upgrading. The LP zone helps to maintain the community balance between peak visitation bed capacity and available mountain ski capacity. In addition, this location is appropriate for small lodge development in that it helps to accomplish several other community goals such as providing lodging near Aspen Mountain thereby creating a situation that reduces the visitors need to drive an automobile to and around Aspen. The staff has recently been putting together numbers analyzing the buildout potential in our commercial and lodge 5 development area. We have found that there is very little property in Aspen left for lodge development for new small lodges. - This means that the existing LP lodges are a very important resource in this community, helping to diversify our accommodation types and provide for lesser cost lodging as well. It seems apparent to us that there is a much greater community need for this property to be zoned LP than for additional commercial development, particularly since our buildout analysis shows the potential for significant commercial development within existing zoned areas. Criterion C. Whether the proposed amendment is compatible with surrounding Zone Districts and land uses, considering existing land use and neighborhood characteristics. Response While the applicant contends that C-1 zoning is compatible with surrounding land uses and existing neighborhood character, the staff feels that the term compatibility should, in this case, be defined as the ability to co-exist 4— with existing uses and not threaten the future viability of, the adjacent NC zone. In staff's opinion a rezoning to C-i may squeeze existing NC uses, which are already being squeezed by the Little Nell Hotel, and may threaten the NC zone's viability by creating pressure to rezone this area. In addition, extending the commercial zone and increasing the FAR in this area is inconsistent with the concept of tapering the intensity of the uses and FAR as development approaches the residential areas. - Criterion D. The effect of the proposed amendment on traffic generation and road safety. Response The applicant's proposals will not adversely impact the transportation system. Criterion E. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in demands on public facilities, and whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would exceed the capacity of such public facilities, including but not limited to transportation facilities, sewage facilities, water supply, parks, drainage, schools, and emergency medical facilities. 6 Response Due- to the subject property's location - in downtown Aspen existing community facilities are capable of accommodating this proposal. Criterion F. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment. Response The subject property is in an urban setting and will not adversely impact the natural environment. { Criterion G, H, and I Whether the proposed amendment is consistent and compatible with the community character in the City of Aspen. Whether there have been changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or the surrounding neighborhood which support the proposed amendment. Whether the proposed amendment would be in conflict with the public interest, and is in harmony with the purpose and intent of this chapter. Response These 3 criteria all address the community character question and the question of whether the conditions in the neighborhood have changed to support the proposed amendment. The staff feels that conditions in the neighborhood have changed and are continuing to change. The development to the south is creating a definite tourist/commercial oriented pressure. This pressure is to expand tourist oriented commercial business along Durant. This in turn puts pressure on the area to the North zoned NC. If the City market NC zone is lost to commercial (C-1) or to residential then the community is left with only one NC area at Clarks. Thus, the question of whether the proposals are consistent with community character must be addressed with another question. Should tourist commercial zoning be expanded to the Bell Mountain Lodge block? The Planning Office response is that it should not. This position is based on the fact that there is a limited amount of locally oriented services 7 in our community and on the overall master plan for the area which maintains that the fringe areas of town should buffer the commercial core from the residential areas of town- In direct response to the application, the Planning Office feels that C-i zoning would cause the most problems, of the proposed rezoning requests, however, the probable use of the property for high end residential townhome units in the 0 zone presents a problem with regard to the character of the area. Directly to the north, the office zone district has already been used to develop high-end residential townhomes, rather than office oriented uses. The Planning Office feels, however, that the development of 0 zone uses causes lesser problems with regard to maintaining the NC area and upholding the master plan concept for the area. Extending this logic, the Planning Office feels that the LP zone is preferable to either of the proposed zones in that it maintains the balance that the community goals reflect with regard to small lodge development. In addition, it is generally compatible with our desire to maintain the NC zone. Taking this analysis even further, as the community continues to grow and more neighborhood commercial uses are needed, the south side of Bell Mountain block could logically become NC to address this growth. The NC zone allows for a 1:1 FAR which is also compatible with the surrounding uses in the area. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Commission recommends denial of the request to rezone the Bell .Mountain (see , attached exhibit 2, Resolution of denial) . Note: Staff has attached Exhibit 6, the application and Exhibit 7, citizen letter. RECOMMENDED MOTION: "City Council moves to deny the request to rezone the Bell Mountain Parcel to the C-1 or 0 Zone District. " CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS: CH.BELL2 8 Cw it `. ..ELua-star ,si*n..�i , C. .cY.N i-is.0 fit it$ .^ Y'w v ..f,'Svt&'4.J,e:" & Qli Liiak. ,. iitMINN 1i igiiMiiE � ° el �111!ti�altii 1��M- n ci, ; a � n ate, as- a ii is. ;� • naGk.a r.::ti MtiiOMM ISININ11 MM i I11 ii MIIM� a OM MMAIMMMi1 igiliteLt :A i firms" Li- • 110,24011/1 orsaang 1 IIMMSA Ma1XMIE M ., t r 4...� -'T y .� ! i' 'IMMOlie M, f r .l 112513119 16a�% 2F�fi - 1. titer pia im'?�I4�$gangli a y i {- fit.{. �f; r Ir"'�„1f'o it, ,ii. s. _.' _ MMIN L MAIKO PIMMV'KQZa ine ! ' ' ' INMAIM 11>OMINM 7`t 4 1F T i@i i 'ON"' »t$'%.... tti-4 ?34 1,• el! I i_. 1 t I— MMIMI3IMMM�@9) NIMM $a?3 'ff"i`; r. -t rail�a' n�4t€ n,: iz, + ..' 1_;v. M i : - „ T{'" ;•.y r I" a r I isitili gtai�dg fill iSii �3 ,M, 1� &fiAt` �iadmic usii r � X. 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HYMAN 1 AVE. 2 _ k . _ 11.4 1 g 11111111 �'i V mow' 1D' AVE ... ..qi.` / •j : '" " N• lilliiiiii 1 _�t.. i 1 116_► 'to 11-2",t1-' 3t IllpigtrAll 1111401,4,A I - -� - - - way l I .. _7 arar.;tm.., #1-1- -' I .0 ; 'riiridul 'merlin/ALI In .1N ,p „,,,, 43,1 1 I 1-4- iiilliiiiiii , t---77,,, III Ali!il , . _ „17:1) 0 _ 6-41), _ _ , 1 p _ r }{ 1 =_:_,',.._-=, ..L. .2_,_ ' . , - , , . • ' ' _ ,--; . 1 1 - ._. r y 2 i ! i I s , i 1 1 t i I ; r i i +" 3^ y y' y R , ;.. ; -r + I q"-i-- ■ 1 F 1 -f Y RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING DENIAL OF THE REQUEST FOR REZONING OF THE BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE PROPERTY Resolution No. 88- 7 WHEREAS, at a public hearing held on June 7, 1988, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") reviewed an application for rezoning of the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel (location described in exhibit A) submitted by Tony Mazza (hereinafter "Applicant") ; and WHEREAS, the Applicant's initial request was to rezone the parcel from LP to C-1 (at a 1.5: 1 FAR) and to provide the City with subgrade development rights to build a community parking facility at public expense, an offer which was withdrawn by the applicant at the Commission meeting; and WHEREAS, in its place, the Applicant requested that the Commission reviewed proposals to rezone the project to (C-1) (at a 1:1 FAR) or (0) Office (allowing .75: 1 FAR) (hereinafter "Proposals") ; and WHEREAS, the Commission reviewed the criteria for rezoning pursuant to Section 7-1102 of the Aspen Land Use Regulations and made the following findings: A. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 B, with respect to consistency with the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan, for the following reasons: 1. The Transportation Element of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan identifies this site as part of a larger location for a community parking facility. Since no public parking is provided in association with the proposals, they are not consistent with community plans for the site. 2. The 1973 Aspen Land Use Plan designates this site as being on the fringe of the "Central Area" land use Resolution No. 88- Page 2 - category. The stated intention for this category is _ that "ordered yet diversified land uses, such as resident related commercial , residential and professional office uses should be located on the fringe of the central area. Because the applicant has not provided specific development plans for the site, it is not possible to find that either the residential or commercial uses which could be built on the site will be resident related. B. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 C, with respect to compatibility with surrounding zone districts and land uses, for the following reasons: 1. The character of the neighborhood is defined by locally oriented commercial businesses and lodging, rather than by tourist oriented residential or commercial uses. 2. Extending the rental area commercial zone district intensity and uses to this area is inconsistent with the planning concept of tapering the intensity of uses and bulk as development approaches outlying residential areas. 3 . Compatibility also is defined as the ability to co- exist with and not threaten the viability of adjacent uses. The adjacent NC zone district is an essential part of the Aspen community, providing basic services to residents and nearby tourists, whose viability may be threatened by the pressure of locating new tourist- oriented uses nearby. Given the limited amount of land available for NC uses in Aspen, loss of this zoning would not be in the public interest and would severely imbalance the mix of commercial uses in Aspen. C. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 H, requiring that there be changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or neighborhood, for the following reasons: 1. There continues to be ample buildout under existing zoning for future commercial or residential development, including the potential to virtually double existing commercial development through infill and redevelopment projects. Lodge zoning, however, is quite constrained and is approaching full development. D. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 I, with respect to the public interest and the purposes of the Land Use Regulations, for the following reasons: 1. Small lodges are important in maintaining the mix of .....:-ti..i . ti.t ..t )..S.55555 SLSJ 4.tIQ% lMS 61.411 t[ti4�?b SJ44tt fl. .C.tLt Resolution No. 88- Page 3 . tourist accommodations in Aspen and the balance among types and scale of land development in the community. The LP zone district was enacted in order to provide a means of preserving existing small lodges by allowing them to upgrade and expand their facilities. It is in the public interest to maintain the existing zoning rather than to change the zoning to a category which is not fully built out elsewhere in the community. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission that it does hereby recommend that the City Council deny the proposals based upon the above findings. APPROVED by the Commission at its regular meeting on July 5, 1988. ATTEST: ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION By Jan Carney, Deputy City Clerk C. Welton Anderson a • - RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST FOR _ REZONING OF THE BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE PROPERTY Resolution No. 88- WHEREAS, at a public hearing held on July 7, 1988, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") reviewed an application for rezoning of the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel (location described in exhibit A) submitted by Tony Mazza (hereinafter "Applicant") ; and WHEREAS, the Applicant' s initial request was to rezone the parcel from LP to C-1 (at a 1 . 5 : 1 FAR) and to provide the City with subgrade development rights to build a community parking facility at public expense, an offer which was withdrawn by the Applicant at the Commission meeting; and WHEREAS, in its place, the Applicant requested that the Commission review proposals to rezone the project to (C-1) (at a 1 : 1 FAR) or (0) Office (allowing .75: 1 FAR) (hereinafter "Proposal") ; and WHEREAS, the Commission reviewed the criteria for rezoning pursuant to Section 7-1102 of the Aspen Land Use Regulations and made the following findings: A. That the proposals are consistent with the provisions of Section 7-1102 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I of Chapter 24, Aspen Municipal Code, The Aspen Land Use Regulations for the following reasons: 1. The proposed amendment is not in conflict with any portions of the chapter as required by subsection A. 2. To allow the property to revert back to its underlying zoning of "0" Office is not inconsistent with the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Resolution No. 88- Page 2 _ 3. The proposed amendment is consistent with surrounding Zone Districts and land uses considering the fact that the immediate neighborhood contains a plethora of uses and Zoning Districts including "O. " 4. The proposed amendment will have a lesser impact on traffic and road safety than the existing use and less demand on public facilities. 5. There would be no adverse impact to the natural environment and a "0" Office zoning use would be consistent with community character. 6. There are significant changes to the character of Aspen making small lodge uses difficult if not impractical and a rezoning to "0" Office zoning, which was the underlying zoning, would not be in conflict with the public interest. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission that it does hereby recommend the City Council approve a rezoning of the subject property to "0" Office. APPROVED by the Commission at its regular meeting on July 5, 1988. ATTEST: ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION By Jan Carney, Deputy City Clerk C. Welton Anderson J VANN ASSOCIATES Planning Consultants March 21, 1988 HAND DELIVERED Ms. Cynthia Houben Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Re: Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/PUD Application Dear Cindy: Please consider this letter an application for rezoning (l and conceptual PUD/subdivision review for a proposed commercial/residential project to be developed on the site of the existing Bell Mountain Lodge. The project will also include a public, subgrade parking garage. The application is submitted pursuant to Section' s 24- 12. 3, 24-8 .7 and 20-10 of the Municipal Code by M & W Properties, the prospective purchaser of the property. Consent to the application has been obtained from the property' s current owner, Bell Mountain Lodge, Inc. , and is attached hereto as Exhibit A. A commitment for title insurance evidencing Bell Mountain Lodge, Inc. 's ownership is attached as Exhibit B. Permission for Vann Associates to represent the Applicant is attached as Exhibit C. Project Site As shown on the accompanying survey, the project site consists of Lots K, L, M, N, 0, P and the west 20.7 feet of Lot Q, Block 105 , City and Townsite of Aspen, Colorado. The site is located at the northeast corner of Spring Street and Cooper Avenue on the fringe of the City' s downtown commercial area. The site is zoned L-3 , Lodge Preservation, and contains approximately 20,063 square feet of land area. The topography of the site is essen- tially flat. P.O. Box 8485•Aspen, Colorado 81612 •303/925-6958 (r: Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 2 Existing site improvements include the twenty-six ( 26) unit Bell Mountain Lodge, an adjacent parking area and a swimming pool. The two and one-half ( 2-1/2) story lodge structure encroaches slightly into the alley at the rear of the site, which is further constrained by various above grade utility fixtures and several large trees. The site ' s natural vegetation includes numerous large blue spruce and aspen trees, several smaller pine trees, and a variety of shrubs and bushes. Various public utilities, including water mains, storm and sanitary sewers, and natural gas and electric service lines, are located in the alley and in Spring Street and Cooper Avenue. Proposed Development The Applicant proposes to tear down the existing lodge and to construct an approximately thirty thousand ( 30, 000) square foot commercial/residential structure and a one hundred and eighteen ( 118 ) space subgrade parking garage on the project site. To accomplish this objective, it will be necessary to rezone the property to C-1, Commer- cial, Mandatory PUD, and to obtain a growth management allocation for the project ' s commercial square footage. A growth management exemption or allocation will also be required in order to construct the project' s proposed residential units. Typically, a request for rezoning would be submitted in conjunction with the Applicant' s GMP application. However, given the relatively unique nature of the Applicant' s proposal, the inherent uncertainty surrounding its acceptableness, and the timing considerations imposed by the various review processes, it is necessary to obtain an initial indication as to whether the proposed project and requisite rezoning is viable. Should the project receive conceptual PUD/subdivision approval, the City Council' s approval of the rezoning would be contingent upon the successful receipt of appropriate GMP allocations and the completion of the PUD/subdivision process. As Table 1 on the following page indicates, the proposed three ( 3 ) story structure will contain approximately twelve thousand two hundred and forty-five ( 12, 245) square feet of retail commercial space on the ground floor, and approximately seventeen thousand seven hundred and fifty- five ( 17 , 755 ) square feet of residential space on the second and third floors. Approximately eighty-five ( 85) J Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 3 percent, or ten thousand five hundred ( 10, 500 ) square feet, of the commercial space will be leasable. The residential space will be divided into seven (7) dwelling units, three ( 3 ) three-bedroom and four ( 4) two-bedroom units, each of which will be accessible from the project' s subgrade parking garage. Table 1 BASIC PROJECT PARAMETERS 1. Zone District Classification Existing Zoning L-3 Proposed Zoning C-1/PUD 2. Site Area (Sq. Ft. ) 20,063 (l 3 . Proposed Development Program Commercial (Sq. Ft. ) 12, 245 Net Leasable 10, 500 Residential (Sq. Ft./Bedrooms) 17,755/17 3 - 3 Bdrm. Units 9 4 - 2 Bdrm. Units 8 Parking Garage (Sq. Ft./Spaces) 56,500/118 4. Minimum Required Lot Area (Sq. Ft. ) 19,290 3 - 3 Bdrm. Units @ 3 , 360 Sq. Ft. /Unit 10,890 4 - 2 Bdrm. Units @ 2, 100 Sq. Ft. /Unit 8, 400 5. Maximum Allowable Bedrooms @ 1 Bdrm. /1,000 Sq. Ft. Lot Area 20 6. Maximum Allowable External Floor Area @ 1 . 5: 1 (Sq. Ft. ) 30, 095 7. Proposed Building Area (Sq. Ft. ) 89, 255 Area Attributable to FAR 30, 000 Area Exempt from FAR 59 , 255 8. Minimum Required Open Space @ 25 Percent Lot Area (Sq. Ft. ) 5,016 CMs. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 4 9. Proposed Site Coverage (Sq. Ft. ) Building Footprint 15,000 Area Attributable to Open Space 5,063 Landscaped Area 8, 388 On-Site 5,063 Public Right-of-Way 3 , 325 10. Minimum Required Parking 33 Commercial @ 1. 5 Spaces/1, 000 Sq. Ft. 16 Residential @ 1 Space/Bedroom 17 11. Proposed Project Parking 118 Commercial 16 Residential 17 Public 85 (. Note: All parameters reflect proposed regulatory amendments. As shown on the accompanying architectural drawings, the proposed structure has been sited so as to concentrate its bulk adjacent to the alley and away from Spring Street and Cooper Avenue. The street facades are extensively articulated, and the second and third floors have been setback in order to further reduce the structure' s perceived mass and to create visual relief. The combina- tion of these design techniques results in a more effec- tive open space area, and significantly reduces the struc- ture' s impact upon public views from the adjacent streets. The overall height of the structure is approximately thirty-four ( 34 ) feet. Inasmuch as it will be necessary to remove most of the site' s existing vegetation in order to excavate the garage, new landscaping will be installed along the streetfrant and in the plaza area to enhance the ap- pearance of the structure. Awnings will be used to provide pedestrian scale to the street level shops. Two ( 2 ) elevators and two ( 2 ) stairways will provide access from the subgrade garage to the remainder of the struc- ture. Access to the garage, which encroaches into both the Spring Street and Cooper Avenue right-of-ways, has Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 5 • been located off Cooper Avenue as close to Original Street as possible to enhance visibility and minimize traffic conflicts. Utilities to serve the project are convenient- ly located in the adjacent alley and streets. It should be noted that the proposed project' s architec- tural design is conceptual in nature and is provided primarily in support of the Applicant' s request for rezoning. As a result, changes in the project' s design and basic parameters may occur in conjunction with concep- tual PUD/subdivision review, or in connection with the preparation of subsequent GMP applications. Parking Garage The Applicant' s parking garage has been designed to meet the parking requirements of the proposed commercial/resid- ential project as well as the City' s need for additional public parking. As discussed in the recently adopted Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan: Transportation Element, the (l development of an off-street parking structure on the so- called Bell Mountain block is a major component of the Plan' s parking recommendations. The recommended parking structure is envisioned as a public/private undertaking and is required to ease the present parking shortfall in the downtown area. The Bell Mountain site was specifical- ly selected for its proximity to the Silver Queen Gondola and to the adjacent neighborhood commercial center. The structure is expected to create desirable traffic patterns in the immediate site area and to function as a summer intercept facility. The Transportation Element envisions the Bell Mountain parking structure as the second phase in a three phase approach to resolving the City' s parking shortfall, and as occupying the entire Bell Mountain block. The Applicant's proposed garage, while obviously less ambitious in scope, nonetheless complies with the Plan' s recommendations. Actual construction of the facility is recommended for 1989 which coincides with the projected growth in parking demand and is consistent with the Applicant' s proposed development timetable. Similarly, the Applicant ' s parking garage has been designed to provide its "fair share" of the parking spaces which are recommended for the site, and to easily permit { expansion should the opportunity arise to develop addi- Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 6 tional parking on the remainder of the block. The Bell Mountain Lodge site occupies approximately one third of the entire block, and the Applicant' s proposed garage would provide roughly one third of the Plan' s recommended three hundred ( 300 ) parking spaces. Given the opportunity afforded by the Applicant' s proposal, the prospect of phasing the structure should not be construed as inconsis- tent with the Plan' s recommendations. With respect to the Plan' s recommendation that development of the parking structure be undertaken as a public/private partnership, the Applicant proposes to donate the land (i.e. , the subgrade building rights) to the City, build . the garage in conjunction with the proposed project, and financially participate in the cost of construction. In turn, the City would provide financing for the garage and _ -------- --fund their portion of the construction cost. A m ore ' detailed discussion of the Applicant' s proposal is contained in the financial analysis which is attached hereto as Exhibit D. As Table 1 indicates, approximately thirty-three ( 33 ) of the proposed one hundred and eighteen ( 118) spaces will be required to meet the parking requirements of the Ap- plicant ' s project. Approximately sixteen ( 16 ) spaces will be required to serve the proposed commercial development while an additional seventeen (17) spaces are theoretical- ly necessary to meet residential requirements. As a practical matter, however, the parking required for the project' s commercial space would also be available to the general public as would some of the spaces earmarked for residential purposes. Rezoning As noted previously, it will be necessary to rezone the project site in order to accommodate the proposed commer- cial and residential uses, and to achieve the project' s required floor area. Inasmuch as the February 15 annual deadline for privately initiated rezoning applications has passed, the Applicant requests that, in view of the potential public benefit to be derived from the project, that the Planning and Zoning Commission sponsor the required amendment to the zoning district map as provided for in Section 24-12 . 3 of the Code. C- C ( / ) r-1 / , I//-;-; f� Ms. Cynthia Houben 0 1 ( , � \�� 4) i March 21, 1988 , / Page 7 0 1 \ C L'_, ' ' t Lf '. 1 , / The Applicant has determined that a floor area ratio (FAR) of 1 . 5: 1 is necessary in order to offset the loss of leasable basement space which could be developed were the garage to be eliminated, and to otherwise financially support the project. In order to achieve this FAR, and to accommodate the project' s proposed uses, the Applicant requests that the Bell Mountain Lodge property be rezoned to C-1, Mandatory PUD. Commercial and residential uses are permitted uses in the C-i zone district, and the Code ' s PUD regulations permit variation of the district' s allowable FAR. No further PUD variations, however, are required by the project. While the benefits to be derived from the proposed parking garage arguably warrant the required rezoning of the property, the Applicant must nonetheless demonstrate the rezoning' s compliance with the applicable provisions of the Municipal Code. The review criteria of the new Aspen Land Use Regulations, and the proposed project' s com- pliance therewith, are discussed below. In considering a (l request for rezoning, the P&Z and City Council shall consider: 1. Whether the proposed amendment is in conflict with any applicable portions of this chapter. The Applicant' s development proposal has been designed to comply with the applicable requirements of the C-1 , Commercial, zone district and all other relevant provisions of the Municipal Code. No variation in any applicable land use requirement other than an increase in allowable FAR which is permissable under the City' s PUD regulations is requested or required by the project. 2. Whether the proposed amendment is consistent with all elements of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Two ( 2 ) elements of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan are specifically applicable to the Applicant' s development proposal. As discussed previously, the recently adopted Transportation Element identifies the so-called Bell Mountain block as a key location for the development of a public parking structure. The parking garage to be incorporated in the Applicant ' s project is consistent with the specific recommendations promulgated for the Bell Mountain site. Approximately one third of the Plan' s recommended parking spaces would be provided as a result Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 8 of the Applicant ' s development proposal. The development of the parking garage would be a joint public/private undertaking and its projected completion date is consis- tent with the Plan' s recommendations. The 1973 Aspen Land Use Plan indicates that the project site is located within the so-called "Central Area" land use category. The intent and purpose of this category states in part that "land uses such as resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses, should be located on the fringe of the central area" . The proposed rezoning to C-1, Commercial, is consistent with this recommendation as the purpose of the C-1 district is to "provide for the establishment of commercial uses which are not primarily oriented towards the tourist population" . Similarly, the Applicant' s proposed mixed use project is consistent with the Land Use Plan as both commercial and residential are permitted uses in the C-1 zone district and the project site is located on the fringe of the central area. (l To the best of the Applicant' s knowledge, no other element of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan contains recommendations which preclude, or otherwise pertain to, the proposed rezoning and development proposal. 3 . Whether the proposed amendment is compatible with surrounding zone districts and land uses, considering existing land use and neighborhood characteristics. As the accompanying Vicinity Map illustrates, the majority of the area immediately surrounding the project site is zoned for commercial use. The Buckhorn Lodge, which is located east of and adjacent to the site is zoned CL, Commercial Lodge, and contains both retail commercial and lodge uses. The area immediately south of the site is zoned NC, Neighborhood Commercial, and contains the City Market food store, the Steak Pit restaurant, and the Durant Mall, a mixed use commercial/residential complex. The Aspen Square building, which also contains both commercial and residential uses, is located southwest of the site and is zoned CL, Commercial Lodge. The area immediately west of the site is zoned C-1, Commercial, and contains the Chateau Aspen Apartments and the Hunter Plaza, Centennial Square and Wiener Stube commercial buildings. The remainder of the Bell Mountain block is Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 9 zoned 0, Office, and contains the Hannah Dustin office building, a small residential structure and a parking lot. Based on the above, the Applicant believes that, from a use perspective, a rezoning of the project site to C-1, Commercial, would be compatible with the existing zone districts and land uses in the immediate site area. The surrounding neighborhood is unquestionably commercial in character, and also contains numerous residential dwelling units in various mixed use buildings. The appropriateness of commercial and residential uses on the project site is further substantiated by the Aspen Land Use Plan, as discussed under the previous criteria. As a purely practical matter, the portion of Cooper Avenue west of Original Street presently constitutes a major commercial corridor utilized by both pedestrians and vehicles alike, which can be expected to undergo considerable redevel- opment in future years. The criteria of neighborhood compatibility, there- fore, would appear in the Applicant' s case to pertain more to the issue of building size than to the issue of use. The allowable FAR in the C-1 zone district is 1: 1, increasable to 1 . 5: 1 by special review. The principal criteria for special review approval is that the "mass, height, density, configuration, amount of open space, landscaping and setbacks of the proposed development are designed in a manner which is compatible with the charac- ter of surrounding land uses" . Although the Applicant proposes to achieve the required 1. 5:1 FAR via a PUD variation as opposed to special review, the above criteria are nonetheless applicable. As discussed previously, the proposed project has been designed to comply with the above criteria. No variation in building height, residential density, required open space or building setbacks is required. In fact, the project is significantly below the maximum allowable building height in the C-i zone district, exceeds the district ' s minimum open space requirement, and proposes to substantially landscape the adjacent public right-of-way. In addition, the proposed configuration of the project serves to reduce the perception of bulk and results in a building scale which is compatible with surrounding development. Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21 , 1988 Page 10 It should be noted that the maximum allowable FAR under both the property' s existing L-3 zoning and its previous 0, Office, classification is 1: 1. As a result, an application to reconstruct the existing lodge, or to develop a new project via a rezoning to 0, Office, could result in an approximately forty thousand ( 40,000) square foot development (i.e. , 20,000 square feet above grade and a 20, 000 square foot basement) . 4. The effect of the proposed amendment on traffic generation and road safety. While the operation of a parking garage on the project site will undoubtedly increase traffic levels in the immediate site area, this increase should be more than offset by the projected reduction in traffic congestion in the remainder of the downtown area. As discussed in the Transportation Element of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan, a major consideration in the selection of the Bell Mountain block for public parking was its ability to (l positively influence traffic circulation patterns. The proposed garage is expected to focus traffic on Main Street and Highway 82, and to deemphasize traffic circula- tion in the vicinity of the pedestrian malls, Rubey Park and Durant Avenue. As a result, implementation of the Applicant' s development proposal can be expected to have a beneficial effect upon traffic congestion in general and upon the downtown parking problem in particular. 5. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in demands on public facilities, and whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would exceed the capacity of such public facilities, including but not limited to transportation facilities, sewage facilities, water supply, parks, drainage, schools, and emergency medical facilities. No significant impact upon the various public facilities required to serve the proposed project is anticipated. Cooper Avenue and Spring Street are current- ly functioning below acceptable capacity levels in the immediate site area. Existing water, sewer and drainage systems are either adequate to handle the proposed project, or will be upgraded by the Applicant as required. Similarly, no significant impact upon the City' s parks, schools and emergency medical facilities should occur as a result of the Applicant' s proposal. CMs. Cynthia Houben March 21 , 1988 Page 11 6. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment. The Applicant' s development proposal is expected to have minimal impact upon the natural environment. While the increase in automobile activity attributable to the parking garage will probably result in higher emission levels in the immediate site area, the availability of the facility can be expected to reduce traffic congestion and resultant emissions in the downtown area as a whole, thereby positively effecting the City' s air quality. The project will require the removal of numerous mature trees from the site in order to construct the parking garage. This problem, however, is inherent to the construction of any subgrade parking structure and, therefore, should be viewed as an unavoidable, yet acceptable impact provided adequate landscaping is incorporated in the accompanying development proposal. The Applicant will donate those trees which can be moved from the site to the Parks Department for relocation elsewhere in the City. In addition, the proposed project will be landscaped in order to restore the streetscape and to help reduce the visual impact of the structure. No other impact upon the natural environment is anticipated. 7. Whether the proposed amendment is consistent and compatible with the community character in the City of Aspen. While compatibility with the City' s "community character" is obviously a subjective criteria, the Applicant believes that the proposed project is consistent with the character of existing such developments in general, and with the character of the immediate site area in particular. While obviously larger than the existing lodge, the proposed commercial/residential structure is lower, smaller and provides more open space for visual relief than similar, neighboring developments. It should also be taken into consideration that, given the cost of the land, any private redevelopment of the Bell Mountain block which includes subgrade public parking will by necessity require substantial above grade development. In the absence of considerable public subsidy, the ability to provide parking without such development is outside the realm of private sector feasibility. CMs. Cynthia Houben March 21 , 1988 Page 12 8. Whether there have been changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or the surrounding neighbor- hood which support the proposed amendment. There are at least two circumstances which can be construed as "changed conditions . . which support the proposed rezoning" . The first circumstance is the forthcoming sale and closure of the Bell Mountain Lodge. In the absence of a viable lodge operation, rezoning of the property to allow redevelopment consistent with existing land uses and zone district classifications in the immediate site area is appropriate. The second circumstance is the adoption of the new Transportation Element and its recommendations for redevelopment of the Bell Mountain block to include a public parking structure. A rezoning of the property to accommodate commercial uses is an essential first step if a parking garage is to be successfully developed via the public/private partnership concept. (l 9. Whether the proposed amendment would be in conflict with the public interest, and is in harmony with the purpose and intent of this chapter. Inasmuch as the proposed rezoning would facilitate implementation of the Applicant' s development proposal, which in turn incorporates a much needed public parking facility, the public interest would appear to be ap- propriately served by approval of the rezoning request. As discussed previously, the Applicant' s development proposal is consistent with the purpose and intent of the City' s land use regulations and complies with all ap- plicable provisions of the Municipal Code. Conceptual PUD/Subdivision Review The Applicant' s development proposal complies with all applicable requirements of the C-1 zone district with the exception of internal floor area ratio. While a FAR of 1. 5 : 1 is allowed in the C-i zone subject to special review, sixty ( 60) percent of the additional floor area above 1 : 1 must be utilized for deed restricted employee housing. Inasmuch as the Applicant' s proposal requires that all of the project ' s additional floor area be utilized for commercial/residential purposes, the in- clusion of the mandatory PUD designation in the rezoning Ms. Cynthia Houben March 21, 1988 Page 13 is necessary in order to achieve the proposed FAR. The variation in internal FAR, however, is the only variation under PUD required by the project. Pursuant to Section 20-3 ( s) of the Municipal Code, a tract of land to be used for multiple dwelling units is by definition a "subdivision" and, therefore, subject to the City' s review and approval. Inasmuch as the Applicant' s development proposal does not involve the creation of separate lots, but rather the development of a single, mixed use structure, subdivision review would appear to pertain primarily to such issues as the availability of public utilities and services, access, and various plat related matters. With respect to conceptual PUD/subdivision review, the specific submission requirements of Section' s 20-10(b) and 24-8.7 are addressed below. 1. The project location, existing site features, and surrounding development and zoning are depicted on the accompanying property survey and vicinity map. 2. The project' s conceptual design is depicted on the accompanying architectural drawings. While prelimi- nary in nature, the drawings should be adequate to apprise the reviewer of the project' s exterior design, bulk, mass and site design. 3 ., Development data for the project is contained in Table 1, page 3 , of this application. A commitment for title insurance is attached as Exhibit B. 4 . As currently envisioned, the Applicant will own the project' s retail commercial space. The proposed residential units will be sold to individual purchasers. Ownership of the garage will probably be vested with the City. Obviously, condominiumization will be required in order to create the various legal interests. 5. A conceptual description of the proposed PUD/subdivision is provided under the heading "Proposed Development" which is found on page 2 of this application. In conclusion, the Applicant believes that the requested rezoning and conceptual PUD/subdivision application is consistent with the requirements of the Municipal Code, CMs. Cynthia Houben March 21 , 1988 Page 14 and that the public parking garage to be incorporated in the project complies with the recommendations of the new Transportation Element of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Consequently, the Applicant respectfully requests that the proposed rezoning and conceptual PUD/subdivision application be approved as submitted. Should you have any questions, or if we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call. Very truly yours, VANN ASSOCIA . INC. s Sunny .0, AICP Attac•• 'ents • VANN ASSOCIATES Planning Consultants April 19, 1988 HAND DELIVERED Ms. Cynthia Houben Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Re: Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/PUD Application Dear Cindy: Pursuant to our meeting last Friday, the purpose of this letter is to clarify and amend M & W Properties ' request to rezone the so-called Bell Mountain Lodge as discussed in their recently submitted application for rezoning and PUD/subdivision approval. As you know, the application requests rezoning to C-1, Mandatory PUD with a 1. 5: 1 FAR. Given the uncertainty surrounding the City' s ability to fund the proposed parking garage, and the likelihood that the proposal may be revised as a result, the Applicant respectfully requests that their application be construed to include an alternative request for rezoning to either C-1 with a 1: 1 FAR or to 0-Office in the event their original request is deemed inappropriate. This approach will allow a thorough discussion of the rezoning issue, and permit the Applicant to reasonably prepare for the City' s forthcoming GMP competitions. To the best of my knowledge, the property was zoned 0- Office prior to the adoption of the L-3 zone district and its application to the Bell Mountain Lodge. With the termination of the current lodge operation, rezoning to 0- Office would appear to be the minimum zone district classification applicable to the property given the surrounding zoning pattern. The property' s previous zoning notwithstanding, we continue to believe that a reasonable basis exists for rezoning to C-1, Commercial. P.O. Box 8485 •Aspen, Colorado 81612•303;925-6958 Ms. Cynthia Houben April 19, 1988 Page 2 Based on our discussion, we will assume that the requested amendment is acceptable to the Planning Office. Should there be a problem with this approach, please do not hesitate to call. Thank you for your assistance. Very truly yours, VANN ASSOCIATES, 10( / Sunny Va• ,r AICP SV:cwv cc: Tony Mazza EXHIBIT A March 21 , 1988 Ms. Cynthia Houben Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Re: Consent to M & W Properties Rezoning/PUD Application Dear Ms. Houben: Bell Mountain Lodge, Inc. hereby agrees to join in any and all land use applications submitted by M & W Properties pertaining to the real property described in Exhibit A, Commit- ment for Title Insurance, attached hereto and incorporated by this reference (hereinafter referred to as the "Property" ) . Very truly yours, BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE, INC. •� l _ c - r. 7 _ Victor J. Kappeli Attachment I ell.. • ..•.r l aii..n ow%I]r.lr /I nd..r•..•n...,1 t:r n l r II,• .'11.n..,in.'n,n..Ib• aq i ,,. run.•u,Hu•,.•,✓.. C 0 M M 1 T M E N T: t,,,,1,•,t lI q.. H 4,. 1 1 Coal. id C ,,,.,,.,,,...,, t,..1...,1,..., .1 Ca>r Numb.., .a,q.• - 9 Twat Ilrv,tnuR 11 P, 'y type EXHIBIT B 1 • 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 14 0 0 0 a 11 13 Lwyers Title Insurance Corporation • • National Headquarters Richmond, Virginia • COMMITMENT FOR TITLE INSURANCE • • SCHEDULE A • . Effective Date September 22, 1987 at 8:00 A.M. • Case No.PCT-1207-87 • t Policy or policies to be issued: • • (a) • Amount S 1.900,000.00-PREMM-$3,382.00 Ikl ALTA Owner's Policy—Form B-1970(Rev. 10-17-70&Rev. 10-17-84) O ALTA Residential Title Insurance Policy-1979 • • Proposed insured: ANTHONY J. MAZZA and FRANK( J. WOODS, III • • (b)ALTA Loan Policy, 1970(Rev. 10-17-70&Rev. 10-17-84) Amount S Proposed insured: • • • • (c) _ Amount S .Proposed insured: TAX CERTIFICATE $ 5.00 • • • • • 3. Title to the in fee simple estate or interest in the land described or referred to in this Commitment is at the effective date hereof vested in: • • • • BELL 1,1)UNTAIN LODGE, INC. . • • • • • 4. The land referred to in this Commitment is described as follows: • • • LT'S K, L, H, N, 0, P, and the West 20.73 feet of LOT Q, • • BLOCK 105, • CITY AN1Z TCWNSITE OF ASPEN, • • • • • • • COUNIY OF PITKIN, STATE OF COLORADO. • • • • • • Pitkin County Title, inc. • 601 E. Hopkins Aspen, Colorado 81611 'o ntersign . at .-, . ..F,.. • Commitment No. POI'-1207-87 • • Schedule A—Page 1 Authorized Office or Agent This commitment is invalid unless the Insuring Provisions and Sched- r•••... RI, 01 ter,.,eP •. -` - - > • - • Ju.yers1e Insurance Corporation • National Headquarters Richmond,Virginia • • SCHEDULE B—Section 1 • . . Requirements • The following are the requirements to be complied with: Item(a) Payment to or for the account of the grantors or mortgagors of the full.consideration for the estate or interest to be insured. Item(b) Proper instrument(s) creating the estate or interest to be insured must be executed and duly filed for record. • to•wit: (I) Release•by the Public Trustee of the County of Pitkin of: Deed of Trust fran : VICTOR J. KAPPELI, WERNER A. KAPPELI, and ERNEST A. KAPPELI for the use of : ALLEN S. BRa+N. • to secure : $10,050.00 and $100,000.00 • dated • : November IS, 1963 recorded December 26, 1963 in Book 205 at Page 280 reception no. : 116851 • (2) Deed fran : BELL MJUNTTAIN LODGE, INC. to • : ANTHONY J. MAZZA and FRANK J. SCODS, III • • (3) Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate of Good Standing of BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE, INC., a Colorado Corporation, issued by the Secretary of State of Colorado, mist be delivered to and approved by Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation. • • (4) Evidence satisfactory to the Canpany that the Real Estate Transfer Tax as established by Ordinance • • • No. 20 (Series of 1979) has been paid or exempted. (5). Certificate of Nonforeign Status, signed by a representative of BELL MOUNTAIN LCDGE, INC. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • This commitment is invalid unless. " the Insuring Provisions and Sched- Schedule 8-Section 1-Page 1-Commitment No. PCT-1207-87 airs A and B are attached. r(rtm No 9188(0-1) - ,.... .. .. - - . • • t, • Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation C NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS RICHMOND, VIRGINIA • SCHEDULE B—Section 2 • Exceptions The policy or policies to be issued will contain exceptions to the following unless the same are disposed of to the satisfaction of the Company: • • 1. Rights or claims of parties in possession not shown by the public records. • • 2. Easements, or claims of easements, not shown by the public records. 3. Discrepancies, conflicts in boundary liner, shortage in area, encroachments, and any facts which . • a correct survey and inspection of the premises would disclose and which are not shown by the public records. 4. Any lien, or right to a lien, for services, labor or material heretofore or hereafter furnished, im- posed by law and not shown by the public records. 5. Defects, liens, encumbrances, adverse claims or other matters, if any, created, first appearing in the public records or attaching subsequent to the effective date hereof but prior to the date the • proposed insured acquires of record for valve the estate or interest or mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment. 6. Taxes due and payable; and any tax, special assessments, charge or lien imposed for water or sewer service, or for any other special taxing district. • 7. Reservations and exceptions as contained in Deeds fran the City of Aspen recorded in ( Book 59 at Page 78, in Book 59 at Page 79, in Book 59 at Page 111, in Book 59 at Page 180 and in Book 59 at Page-287 as follows: "Provided, that no title shall be hereby acquired to any mine of_gold, silver, cinnabar or copper or to any valid mining claim or possession held under existing laws." 8. Any and all mineral rights conveyed by deed recorded in Book 106 at Page 482, in Book 125 at Page 1, and in Book 131 at Page 8, and in Book 475 at Page 676. 9. Terms, conditions, obligations and provisions of Commercial Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate as set forth in instrument recorded September 21, 1987 in Book 546 at Page 398. ‘1)1,2s . • • • • ••Exceptions numbered NCI E are hereby omitted. The Owner's Policy to be issued, if any, shall contain the following items in addition to the ones set forth above: . (1).The Deed of Trust, if any, required under Schedule B—Section 1, Item (b). (2) Unpotented mining claims; reservations or exceptions in patents or in Acts authorizing issuance thereof; water rights, claims or title to water. (3) Any and all unpaid taxes, assessments and unredeemed tax sales. Schedule B—Section 2—Page 1—No. Form 91.R8 82 Rocky Mt EXHIBIT D C Projected Cost of Bell Mountain Parking Garage 0 Land; this will be a gift from M & W Properties 51 , 000 square feet Total square feet of garage (two levels) x 29 .50 square feet* Hard cost of garage $1 ,504,500 $ 300, 000 Guesstimate cost of relocating utilities, shoring and paving (please note this number presupposes that we will be able to close part of City streets, otherwise shoring alone could be $600, 000 to $650 , 000) 30, 000 Gate, register, control mechanism for parking $1 , 834, 500 (■ 183 ,450 10* developer fee $2, 017, 950 (We will round this figure off to $2, 000 , 000 . Please note we have not included a contingency) . *Please note these projected numbers do not take into account construction costs if tunnels and/or water are hit . Also, the actual hard costs are $24 .58 per square foot and we have added in at the contractor 's request 20* for general conditions fee. It is assumed that this 20* fee will cover soft costs, namely architectural , planning, engineering fees, contractor's fee and overhead. Please further note we have not included the ramp (2500 square feet + ) which we hope will be covered in the hard costs. It is hoped that this is a realistic cost analysis, but is based on guesstimates as test holes have not even been drilled. Cost Per Parking Space: $2, 000 , 000 divided by 118 cars = $16 , 949 C Projected Method of Paying For Garage * Total Hard Cost $2, 000, 000 ** Waiver by M & W of 104 development fee < 175, 000 > ** Cash from M & W < 250 , 000 > *** City of Aspen, 83 spaces < $1 , 100 , 000 > Fees the City will receive or has received for parking in lieu of < 475, 000 > ============__= (l < $2, 000 , 000 > * Please note that if this garage can be built for less, M & W is willing to place any savings into the City's column. Also, these are obviously preliminary numbers. ** Please note M & W would be required to provide 33 parking spaces for the proposed new structure. The number of parking spaces does not take into account any credit for the existing building. *** The money for the City's portion will come from bonding and/or conventional financing. Also, the City might Master Lease the 85 spaces. The money to pay the bonded indebtedness and/or the Master Lease charges shall come from user fees, tax revenues and/or from the City general fund. Lawyt,As Title Insurance Corpo><ation C National Headquarters Richmond. Virginia COMMITMENT FOR TITLE INSURANCE LAWYERS TITLE INSURANCE CORPORATION, a Virginia corporation, herein called the Company, for valuable consideration,hereby commits to issue its policy or policies of title insurance,as identified in Schedule A,in favor of the proposed Insured named in Schedule A, as owner or mortgagee of the estate or interest covered hereby in the land described or referred to in Schedule A,upon payment of the premiums and charges therefor;all subject to the provisions of Schedules A and B and to the Conditions and Stipulations hereof. . This Commitment shall be effective only when the identity of the proposed Insured and the amount of the policy or policies committed for have been inserted in Schedule A hereof by the Company,either at the time of the issuance of this Commitment or by subsequent endorsement. This Commitment is preliminary to the issuance of such policy or policies of title insurance and all liability and obligations hereunder shall cease and terminate six(6) months after the effective date hereof or when the policy or policies committed for shall issue,whichever first occurs,provided that the failure to issue such policy or policies is not the fault of the Company.This Commitment shall not be valid or binding until countersigned by an authorized officer or agent. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Commitment"to be signed and sealed, to become valid when countersigned by an authorized officer or agent of.the,Company;,all irk accordance with its By-Laws.This Commitment is effective as of the date shown in Schedule Aas 'Effeyctive.pate. CONDITIONS.AND STIPULATIONS 1. The term "mortgage," when used herein,:,shall'include,deed of trust, trust deed, or other security instrument. 2. If the proposed Insured has or acquires actual knowledge of any defect, lien,encumbrance,adverse claim or other matter affecting the estate or interest or mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment other than those shown in Schedule B hereof,and shall fail to disclose such knowledge to the Company in writing,the Company shalt be relieved from liability for any loss or damage resulting from.any act of reliance hereon to the extent the Company is prejudiced by failure to so disclose such knowledge.If the proposed Insured shall disclose such knowledge to the Company,or if the Company otherwise acquires actual knowledge of any such defect, lien, encumbrance,adverse claim or other matter,the Company at its option may amend Schedule B of this Commitment accordingly,but such amendment shall not relieve the Company from liability previously incurred pursuant to paragraph 3 of these Conditions and Stipulations. 3. Liability of the Company under this Commitment shall be only to the named proposed Insured and such parties included under the definition of Insured in the form of policy or policies committed for and only for actual loss incurred in reliance hereon in undertaking in good faith(a)to comply with the requirements hereof,or(b)to eliminate exceptions shown in Schedule B,or(c)to acquire or create the estate.or interest or mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment. In no event shall such liability exceed the amount stated in Schedule A for the policy or policies committed for and such liability is subject to the insuring provisions and the Conditions and Stipulations and the Exclusions from Coverage of the form of policy or policies committed for in favor of the proposed Insured which are hereby incorporated by reference and are made a part of this Coh;mitment except as expressly modified herein. • 4. Any action or actions or rights of action that the proposed Insured may have or may bring against the Company arising out of the status of the title to the estate or interest or the status of the mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment must be based on and are subject to the provisions of this Commitment. Lawyers Die Insu a C9rporation a....:�� • 07 -0. President Fr, i '4i \ Attest: Secretary. EXHIBIT C M � W PROPERTIES CSUITE 301A 205 SOUTH MILL STREET ANTHONY J. MAZZA ASPEN.COLORADO 81611 AREA CODE 303 FRANK J.WOODS.III TELEPHONE 925-8032 March 21 , 1988 Ms. Cynthia Houben Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Re: Permission to Represent Dear Cindy: Please consider this letter authorization for Sunny Vann of Vann Associates, Inc. to represent M & W Properties in the processing of all applications pertaining to the redevelop- ment of the Bell Mountain Lodge property which is located at 720 East Cooper Avenue in the City of Aspen, Colorado. Mr. Vann is hereby authorized to act on our behalf with respect to all matters reasonably pertaining to the aforementioned applications. Should you have any questions, or if we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call . M- &-W-PROPERTIES ' •thony J. azza AJM:dr VICENZI & COMPANY June 2, 1988 Welton Anderson Chairman, Aspen P & Z Aspen, CO RE: BELL MOUNTAIN REZONING/PUD Dear Welton: As an owner and manager of the Hannah Dutin Building and the Old Post Office Building, I would strongly recommend that the request for commercial zoning of the Bell Mountain lots be denied and that it retain the Lodge Preservation Zoning for the following reasons: 1. Aspen's unique ambience is being destroyed partly because many of the smaller lodges are being demolished or converted to long term housing. These smaller lodges are more in keeping with the scale of Aspen and should be improved and preserved or replaced with new structures of the same size. 2. This sites proximity to the gondola makes it an ideal location to accomodate skiers because they would have pedestrian access to the lifts, downtown shops and restaurants thus, reducing vehicular pollution and congestion. 3. Aspen doesn't NEED anymore commercial space! ! ! Many of the present retailers are complaining that there isn't enough business. Consequently, they are exerting political pressure on the city to approve large out of scale hotels in order to generate more customers. 4. This and other blocks in the area have been an effective transition zone be- tween the intensive commercial core uses and the residential and tourist uses. By expanding the commercial zone you will adversely affect what remains of the adjoining residential areas. By granting this request, you would set a precedent that would encourage adjoining land owners to seek a similar change to cash in on the economic gains of a more commercial use. P.O. BOX 2238 ASPEN COLORADO 81612 3031925-1196 x e' • A i t!' I would greatly appreciate you considering my concerns and suggestions in this matter since, as an adjacent land owner, I would be impacted most by the proposed zoning change. Also, preservation of Aspen's uniqueness and human scale should be foremost in your minds and can be accomplished by not granting this zoning change which will economically benefit one developer at the expense of all present and future Aspenites and visitors. Cordially, x'-54 George A. Vic g enzi GAV:mk page 2 /3 o S. ST. JUN 2 3 :.. Gaze-- 7,14. . 7a-a (24t, ) • /Ji II 'tY r w t �I •i I� �-3f 'd 1 NI y s i Mme. ` SSS��� 1 f �.+e Y r DWI!. i� ' f}yk: F ,nom .� I;,/ -' �;� � ,' nom-- ;, ��It 'ImiZtt::. ;Mau 1 r"' ii, .,;,... /._ -AL.J. 1 .'“I'74.;.- < , , ins" A _ i .w....1,1.��. '� x' s II LZ }1 :1\yI;N� a. 111' J• i.I I �;<h\- �.., . i 1 IIII i� arv== °3F9,a 1 N is T�� x :1iI' Ci LJ ” �r. \.. , i A G E N D A ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION June 7, 1988 - Tuesday 4:30 P.M. Old City Council Chambers 2nd Floor City Hall REGULAR MEETING I. COMMENTS Commissioners Planning Staff , * Ritz-Carlton Status Update ; II. MINUTEST ' f ;5 I, March 22, 1988 April 12, 1988 May 17, 1988 III. NEW BUSINESS A. Hach/McPherson Condominiumization B. Mezzaluna Outdoor Dining IV. PUBLIC HEARING A. Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/PUD V. ADJOURN MEETING .72--F * tc:"I'L flat,k5cA ,36(\ .. kr:=.)kv-t' AD i t.l<<01._ t�tAN ISccA -kSp '$=_ � c.--Q--Q �k r`'' C� A■i.,vA- JUN Z 31988 , •.:A i\---iXdo ? CO. B'Jo U O $ ' ' - 1 s N\R. r-?)p..-‘ft/L) v • NI WiS� C�,JUO (wt.,NIiv �sS0c. ∎ (, t6 1 'k c7 NI RE c.01 P N .r\,..Z.:\k,4 -rkni- 1-1 *.- 0M■ NI._ /F(j D ... , -1_ A -1 J A-1 E ci r ,,.,..,:,„:, a., _.x:s k1n 1,ii w\-\-- i---0A?) ._ , „,,,, .:_,,,., .:,,i e-.1 --‘-\(\?-_ si.k , ,- , ,...0,,,,,J-k\ ,,, ),.t,12--c.\ 1-3 , ,.., .Pw st„,o ;N S . r t)kl \k0 5106(15) ,L: yy. ,S08:*-7(\;\.\0AJ CAC62-- Ztiw . • MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission FROM: Tom Baker and Cindy Houben, Planning Office RE: Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/Conceptual PUD/Subdivision Application DATE: June 7, 1988 REQUEST: Request for a rezoning for the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel from L-3 to one of the following three alternatives: - C-i with a 1. 5: 1 FAR with mandatory PUD/subdivision, - C-i with a 1: 1 FAR, - Office APPLICANT: Tony Mazza. HISTORY OF PARCEL AND SURROUNDING LAND USES: In 1983, the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel was zoned L-3 as a result of the effort to encourage small existing lodge operations to continue in the community. Prior to that rezoning the parcel was zoned (0) Office. The surrounding zoning is depicted in the attached zone district map (Exhibit 1) . DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL: The three requested rezoning alternatives are described below. REQUEST FOR C-1 ZONING WITH A 1:1.5 FAR AND MANDATORY PUD/ CONCEPTUAL SUBDIVISION APPROVAL. The applicant is requesting that the Planning Commission eview the C-1, 1. 5: 1 FAR rezoning and conceptual PUD/ Subdivision proposal at this time to give him a sense as to whether the proposal is appropriate with regard to the FAR/ parking trade-off issue. Specific criteria for reviewing a rezoning application are outlined in the new Code in Section 7-1102 . These criteria will be reviewed in detail in the next section of this memorandum in order to allow the Planning Commission to consider each of the proposed alternatives in light of the criteria. The Bell Mountain site is zoned LP and contains 20, 000 + square feet. The site has an existing 26 room lodge and associated guest amenities. The applicant proposes to build a 30, 000 sq. ft. commercial and residential project on the site including a donation of the subgrade space required to construct a 118 space subgrade parking garage which would serve the project and the general public. (In order to accomplish this proposal, the applicant understands that a commercial growth management application is required for the commercial portion of the project and a residential allotment is required for the residential portion of the site) . More specifically the applicant proposes the following square footage break down: Commercial sq. ft. 12 , 245 net leasable 10, 500 Residential sq. ft. 17, 755 ( 3 (3) bedroom /4 (2) bedroom) Parking garage 56, 500 (118 spaces) Exhibit 2 illustrates the proposed conceptual architectural design of the structure. The proposed height of the structure is 34 feet. The Bell Mountain Lodge block was designated as a preferred location for a community parking facility, along with the Rio Grande site, in the recently adopted Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan: Transportation Element. The Transportation Element identified the Bell Mountain Lodge block site as one which would likely be developed as a joint public/private facility because it was totally under private ownership. The current proposal is the applicant's effort to accommodate the Plan and to offset the cost of lost subgrade commercial development with increased development rights above ground. The applicant proposes to give the City the land for the parking garage and intends for the City to pay for the construction of the structure with the exception of the applicants contribution for the spaces that he is required to provide for the development. The City Finance Director has told the City Council that City funds are unavailable to finance both the Rio Grande and the Bell Mountain area parking alternatives. Therefore the City was hoping to work with a developer in a way that the parking on the Bell Mountain site would not require City financing. This application does not provide that solution and, therefore provides no reason to support an increase in the allowable FAR as a tradeoff. 2 The applicant had an opportunity to get an informal reading on his application from the Council at a recent work session when Council was updated on implementation efforts for a parking facility. The Council was unanimous in their comments that they were not willing to trade bulk for parking. The Council felt that the applicant's rezoning/subdivision request was inappropriate because the site would contain an additional 10, 000 square feet of above-grade space which does not meet the special review criteria for allowing additional FAR (60% of the additional square footage must be deed restricted employee housing) . The Council 's main concern, however, was that the City of Aspen is experiencing significant pressures with regard to bulk, and the total buildout of sites is not in keeping with the scale of the city. Council thus was not willing to grant the additional bulk in turn for eliminating the land cost of the parking structure at the Bell Mountain site. The staff feels that the application should be reviewed as submitted, however, in light of the Council 's direction and discussions with the applicant, the staff did not spend as much time as we otherwise might have reviewing the specifics of the initial proposal to rezone to C-1 PUD with an FAR of 1. 5: 1 Although the Council has indicated that they would not support the applicant's current proposal, the applicant has decided to continue with this application. Additionally, the applicant has made a supplemental proposal which includes the request to rezone to C-1 with 1: 1 FAR and a request to rezone to "0" Office. 2 . REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO C-1 WITH MAXIMUM 1:1 FAR The applicant has not provided a specific development proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided. The possible uses are the same as were noted above. A 1: 1 FAR is allowed in the zone district. 3 . REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO "0" OFFICE The applicant has not provided a specific proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided under this alternative. The possible uses include residential and professional office buildings. The allowed FAR is .75: 1. REFERRAL COMMENTS: The Engineering Department comments refer only to the C-1, 1.5: 1 Rezoning/PUD/Subdivision alternative. 3 These comments are of a technical nature, (see exhibit 3) . BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS: In order to comment on the applicant' s proposal, the staff comments will provide useful background information regarding the Bell Mountain area. In order to answer the question, what is the appropriate zoning for this portion of Aspen, we should review the 1973 Land Use Plan and more recent planning efforts of the 1980 ' s. The subject property is located on a block which borders the eastern edge of the of the Central Area as identified on the 1973 Land Use Plan (see attached Exhibit 4) . The 1973 Plan very clearly states that resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses be located on the fringe of the central area. In other words, the intent of the Land Use Plan is to allow the fringe of the central area to be commercial in nature, but reduced in intensity (both bulk and uses) so that it provides an appropriate transition between the commercial and residential zone districts. Based upon the stated purpose of zone districts in the City Code, four (4) districts have the potential of providing resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses: Commercial (C-1) , Office (0) , Commercial Lodge (CL) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) . C-1 - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of commercial uses which are not primarily oriented towards serving the tourist population. While this zone district allows for the possibility of locally oriented uses, it also permits a large range of retail commercial uses which have the potential for serving the tourist population. An example of the kind of uses which we could expect on this site with a C-1 zoning are those in the new Hunter Plaza, which is very clearly tourist oriented in its retail shops. It seems to staff that while this zone district may be able to carry out the mandate of the land use plan other zone districts are better suited for "fringe" commercial area locations. O - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of offices and associated commercial uses in such a way as to preserve the visual scale and character of former residential areas that now are adjacent to commercial and business areas, and commercial uses along Main Street and other high volume thoroughfares. This zone district provides for a reduced intensity because the uses allowed in this district are office and residentially oriented. We question whether this block is appropriate for residential uses, however, since it is located adjacent to SH 82 ; Office zoning may be 4 appropriate. CL (1: 1) - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of mixed use commercial development and lodge units by permitting commercial uses at street level but requiring that all additional stories be lodge accommodations. This zone may be appropriate in that it allows for tourist/ residential character on the second level. This location for lodging will provide an auto disincentive for visitors to the community. The problems associated with this zone district, however, occur on the first level where commercial activities are allowed which are of a tourist oriented nature, thereby extending the commercial core into the (fringe) area. NC - Purpose : To allow small convenience retail establishments as part of a neighborhood, that are designed and planned to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, to reduce traffic generation, and mitigate traffic circulations and parking problems, and to serve the daily or frequent trade or service needs of the neighborhood. The uses allowed in this zone district will service the local population, however, the intensity of these uses is likely to fall somewhere in between the intensity of the Office zone and the Commercial C-1 zone. In staff's opinion, the NC zone is functioning well because the uses, especially City Market, definitely service a significant portion of the local population. In staff's opinion, the NC service area or neighborhood extends well beyond the immediate lodging uses and likely extends throughout the entire community. We contend that it is critical to the health of the local community. In staff's opinion, this zone district can be appropriate for the area in question. In terms of bulk or FAR, the staff feels that 1. 5: 1 is unacceptable for a fringe or transitional area as is expressed by the 1973 Master Plan. An FAR of greater than 1: 1 would not allow for a tapering of bulk to occur between the Commercial Core and the residential areas. Given the fact that an FAR of 1: 1 is allowed in the NC and RMF zones and in the 0 zone by special review and the fact that the Buckhorn Lodge has CL zoning with a 1: 1 FAR limitation, staff feels that a maximum FAR of 1: 1 would be appropriate for this property. In staff's opinion, the FAR allowed by either 0 or NC would be appropriate for this general area, while the NC uses are more appropriate given the fact that duplex and multi-family structures are allowed in the 0 zone district . Pure residential uses seem to be a inefficient use of such an important location in Aspen. 5 STAFF RESPONSE TO REZONING CRITERIA: Section 7-1102 of the City Code lists Standards of Review for amendments to the Official Zone District Map. Criteria A. Whether the proposed amendment is in conflict with any applicable portions of this chapter. Response All three alternatives appear to be able to comply; however, the C-1, 1.5: 1 FAR alternative does not provide the 60% employee housing for the . 5 FAR increase and therefore does not comply. Criteria B. Whether the proposed amendment is consistent with all elements of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Response The applicant's initial proposal to rezone to C-i with a 1.5: 1 FAR was an effort to comply with the parking aspect of the Transportation Element. While the Transportation Element identified the Bell Mountain Lodge block as a preferred location for a joint public/private parking facility, it was the City's intention to explore potential development alternatives with the property owners as a group. The current application is more limited than hoped for, in that only one property owner is participating, and that applicant is requesting increases in development potential and only offering the community the right to construct parking subgrade. This offer is not very effective from the City' s point of view because the City is unable to finance W work at the Rio Grande and construction of parking at this location in the time frame needed for this application. /J/ The other rezoning proposals: C-1, 1: 1 FAR and 0 Office do y 'j / not comply with the Transportation Plan since no public parking benefits are proposed. The C-1 zoning does not, in � � ' the staff ' s opinion (see above analysis) effectively /° implement the intent of the 1973 Land Use Plan. / Another comprehensive planning issue has to do with the need for commercial versus lodge zoning in this location. Lodge Preservation (LP) zoning was initiated in part because the Short Term Accommodations Report concludes that the primary concern of the community should not be the development of 6 large numbers of new lodge units to meet ever increasing tourist visitation rates. Instead, in recognition of changing economic times, it was recommended that we concentrate on providing better quality and value in our tourist accommodations . The report suggests that incentives be provided to induce owners to upgrade their facilities. The LP zone district is designed to permit limited expansions to be made to existing lodges as an incentive for upgrading. The LP zone helps to maintain the community balance between peak visitation bed capacity and available mountain ski capacity. In addition, this location is appropriate for small lodge development in that it helps to accomplish several other community goals such as providing lodging near Aspen Mountain thereby creating a situation that reduces the visitors need to drive an automobile to and around Aspen. The staff has recently been putting together numbers analyzing the buildout potential in our commercial and lodge development area. We have found that there is very little property in Aspen left for lodge development for new small lodges. This means that the existing LP lodges are a very important resources in this community, helping to diversify our accommodation types and provide for lesser cost lodging as well. It seems apparent to us that there is a much greater community need for this property to be zoned LP than for additional commercial development, particularly since our buildout analysis shows the potential for significant commercial development within existing zoned areas. Criteria C. Whether the proposed amendment is compatible with surrounding Zone Districts and land uses, considering existing land use and neighborhood characteristics. Response While the applicant contends that C-1 zoning is compatible J with surrounding land uses and existing neighborhood character, the staff feels that the term compatibility should, in this case, be defined as the ability to co-exist J, with existing uses and not threaten the future viability of, � at,�the adjacent NC zone. In staff's opinion a rezoning to C-i may squeeze existing NC uses, which are already being / squeezed by the Little Nell Hotel, and may threaten the NC ( /Y, zone's viability by creating pressure to rezone this area. In addition, extending the commercial zone and increasing / the FAR in this area is inconsistent with the concept of tapering the intensity of the uses and FAR as development V' di) ap. .. hes the residential areas. :- 7 Vii, / id p - is • Criteria D. The effect of the proposed amendment on traffic generation and road safety. Response The applicant's proposals will not adversely impact the transportation system. Criteria E. Whether the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in demands on public facilities, and whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would exceed the capacity of such public facilities, including but not C limited to transportation facilities, sewage facilities, water supply, parks, drainage, schools, and emergency medical facilities. Response / Due to the subject property's location in downtown Aspen existing community facilities are capable of accommodating ga this proposal. Criteria F. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural C7 environment. Response The subject property is in an urban setting and will not adversely impact the natural environment. Criteria "C ts iH,i and I f/ _�) u, '0' Whether the proposed amendment is consistent and compatible •i.9� • with the community character in the City of Aspen.4t, Whether there have been changed conditions affecting the Cod-: subject parcel or the surrounding neighborhood which support„_( ` ? the proposed amend t.+--� ?LA c�--J c'' c-1 ct -0(41----- -v37/ 1� Whether the proposed amendment endment o would be i nflict wit the 7-2 ublic interest , and is in harmony with the purpose and 1 0,intent of this chapter. A.v �'1 , re, -[- US�8 �ti �� 9 . T --ieoL____ 0-09",i,:, 44( 0 . s4A16.(-Acirrl P71-: ,91 • , Ai Response: These 3 criteria all address the community character question and the question of whether the conditions in the neighborhood have changed to support the proposed amendment. The staff feels that conditions in the neighborhood have changed and are continuing to change. The development to the south is creating a definite tourist/commercial oriented pressure. This pressure is to expand tourist oriented commercial business along Durant. This in turn puts pressure on the area to the North zoned NC. If the City market NC zone is lost to commercial (C-1) or to residential then the community is left with only one NC area at Clarks. Thus, the question of whether the proposals are consistent with community character must be addressed with another question. Should tourist commercial zoning be expanded to the Bell Mountain Lodge block? The Planning Office response is that it should not. This position is based on the fact that there is a limited amount of locally oriented services in our community and on the overall master plan for the area which maintains that the fringe areas of town should buffer the commercial core from the residential areas of town. In direct response to the application, the Planning Office feels that C-1 zoning (1: 1 or 1. 5: 1) would cause the most problems, of the proposed rezoning requests, however, the probable use of the property for high end residential townhome units in the 0 zone presents a problem with regard to the character of the area. Directly to the north, the office zone district has already been used to develop high- end residential townhomes, rather than office oriented uses. The Planning Office feels, however, that the development of O zone uses causes lesser problems with regard to maintaining the NC area and upholding the master plan concept for the area. Extending this logic, the Planning Office feels that the LP zone is preferable to either of the proposed zones in that it maintains the balance that the community goals reflect with regard to small lodge development. In addition, it is generally compatible with our desire to maintain the NC zone. Taking this analysis even further, as the community continues to grow and more neighborhood commercial uses are needed, the south side of Bell Mountain block could logically become NC to address this growth. The NC zone allows for a 1: 1 FAR which is also compatible with the surrounding uses in the area. RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Office recommends that the Bell Mountain parcel remain as zoned (LP) , however, if the Planning Commission does not agree the staff recommends that the request //- r ! r to rezone to 0 is the most appropriate of the alternative zonings requested by the applicant. Note: Staff has attached Exhibit 5, the application and Exhibit 6, citizen letter. ch.bell 10 EXHIBIT 1 ZONING/FAR . . . • , so 18--"I 7 0 0 PARK z•._,Rr1ER, I/S4ECTON 4 6 0 0 E E 7 .d 111h.. ''' '''kkoliii......P, • ' 1111111 114, 111111111 IlliiiiiElttillill _.....,.. ,. ili E. HOPKI S AVE. * 9 .., II litlithil0 ..,i. 3 1-- 1LP [ in 11;1111111 1111111111111 ....._ ELFigAgt? IIIIIIII , i—: E. 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RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING DENIAL OF THE REQUEST FOR REZONING OF THE BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE PROPERTY Resolution No. 88- WHEREAS, at a public hearing held on June 7, 1988, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission (hereinafter the "Commission") reviewed an application for rezoning of the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel (location described in exhibit A) submitted by Tony Mazza (hereinafter "Applicant") ; and WHEREAS, the Applicant's initial request was to rezone the parcel from LP to C-1 (at a 1. 5: 1 FAR) and to provide the City with subgrade development rights to build a community parking facility at public expense, an offer which was withdrawn by the applicant at the Commission meeting; and WHEREAS, in its place, the Applicant requested that the Commission reviewed proposals to rezone the project to (C-1) (at a 1: 1 FAR) or (0) Office (allowing .75: 1 FAR) (hereinafter "Proposals") ; and WHEREAS, the Commission reviewed the criteria for rezoning pursuant to Section 7-1102 of the Aspen Land Use Regulations and made the following findings: A. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 B, with respect to consistency with the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan, for the following reasons: 1. The Transportation Element of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan identifies this site as part of a larger location for a community parking facility. Since no public parking is provided in association with the proposals, they are not consistent with community plans for the site. 2 . The 1973 Aspen Land Use Plan designates this site as being on the fringe of the "Central Area" land use Resolution No. 88- Page 2 category. The stated intention for this category is that "ordered yet diversified land uses, such as resident related commercial , residential and professional office uses should be located on the fringe of the central area. Because the applicant has not provided specific development plans for the site, it is not possible to find that either the residential or commercial uses which could be built on the site will be resident related. B. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 C, with respect to compatibility with surrounding zone districts and land uses, for the following reasons: 1. The character of the neighborhood is defined by locally oriented commercial businesses and lodging, rather than by tourist oriented residential or commercial uses. 2 . Extending the rental area commercial zone district intensity and uses to this area is inconsistent with the planning concept of tapering the intensity of uses and bulk as development approaches outlying residential areas. 3 . Compatibility also is defined as the ability to co- exist with and not threaten the viability of adjacent uses. The adjacent NC zone district is an essential part of the Aspen community, providing basic services to residents and nearby tourists, whose viability may be threatened by the pressure of locating new tourist- oriented uses nearby. Given the limited amount of land available for NC uses in Aspen, loss of this zoning would not be in the public interest and would severely 2mbalance the mix of commercial uses in Aspen. C. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 H, requiring that there be changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or neighborhood, for the following reasons: 1. There continues to be ample buildout under existing zoning for future commercial or residential development, including the potential to virtually double existing commercial development through infill and redevelopment projects. Lodge zoning, however, is quite constrained and is approaching full development. D. That the proposals are inconsistent with Section 7-1102 I, with respect to the public interest and the purposes of the Land Use Regulations, for the following reasons: 1• Small lodges are important in maintaining the mix of Resolution No. 88- Page 3 tourist accommodations in Aspen and the balance among types and scale of land development in the community. The LP zone district was enacted in order to provide a means of preserving existing small lodges by allowing them to upgrade and expand their facilities. It is in the public interest to maintain the existing zoning rather than to change the zoning to a category which is not fully built out elsewhere in the community. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission that it does hereby recommend that the City Council deny the proposals based upon the above findings. APPROVED by the Commission at its regular meeting on July 5, 1988. ATTEST: ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION By Jan Carney, Deputy City Clerk C. Welton Anderson MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission FROM: Cindy Houben and Tom Baker, Planning Office RE: Bell Mountain Lodge/Rezoning Request (continued from June 7th, 1988) DATE: June 21, 1988 APPLICANT: Tony Mazza REQUEST: The Applicant is requesting that the Bell Mountain Lodge site be rezoned to either C-1 or O. EXISTING ZONING: L-3 SUMMARY: At the last Planning Commission meeting the Planning Commission voted to table the request in order for the applicant to supply additional information with regard to the feasibility of running a lodge operation at the Bell Mountain site. The applicant has submitted information that is attached to your packet. This information is analyzed in the staff comments below. At the last meeting the Planning Commission also questioned the public benefit derived from the zoning of the property to the requested zone districts. STAFF COMMENTS: o The financial information submitted by the applicants is based on a speculative purchase price which takes into account that a rezoning of the property is feasible. o The Planning Staff still feels that the applicants have not adequately demonstrated that there is a community benefit to rezoning the parcel . In addition the Staff is not convinced that a lodge development is infeasible for the parcel if the parcel is sold at price reflective of a lodge development. In discussions, the applicant has noted that the public benefit of rezoning the site to 0 will be derived from cash in lieu or on site employee housing. The staff feels however that the benefit of having the appropriate use on the property is greater than the possible employee housing on site or cash in lieu payment. o The applicant has supplied the Planning Office with a copy of a letter to Ms. Capelli noting that those who do not want to rezone to L-3 would not be forced to do so (see attached letter dated October 15, 1982) . However, the property owner did decide to rezone. The Planning Commission must decide whether a rezoning back to office was a guarantee that they feel was made to the land owner. As noted at the last meeting the Planning Office records do not indicate that this was a condition placed on the rezoning. However, there was definitely discussion with the applicants that this was a strong possibility. RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Office recommends that the Planning Commission deny the request for a rezoning to 0 or C-1. ch.mazza2 2 BELL MOUNTAIN The following section contains a cost analysis for a new lodge. The numbers, other than land which is fixed, have been arrived at and are based upon our experience as developers which has been supplemented by input from hotel/lodge developers. Cost Analysis - New Lodge Land $1 , 900 , 000 Construction Costs ( includes a 10, 000 square foot buildout , all rooms furnished) at $140 per square foot $1 ,400 , 000 * Architect ' s fee, etc. , interest , points, soft costs $ 600 , 000 Total Cost $3 , 900 , 000 *Please note this presupposes no money spent for entitlement programs, namely employee housing, parking and park dedication fees. Cash Flow Analysis (Debt ) The following section shows the annual cash flow necessary to service debt , cover operating costs and return a profit to developer. $3 , 900 , 000 total cost at 11% per year $ 429 , 000 Operating costs (extrapolated from 84-86 operation income, figured at 40% of operating income) $ 171 , 000 Profit ( 15% of income) $ 90 , 000 $ 690, 000 This section shows the permissible buildout based on a . 5 to 1 . We have not included the bonus, as the cost of building employee housing would more than offset the benefit from an increased number of rooms. Rooms Available/Rates Buildout 10 , 000 square feet Corridors, stairs, maids ' rooms at 17% < 1 , 700 square feet > Public area, reception area (this is figured at 10%, although the actual number should be 20 - 25%) < 1 , 000 square feet > 7 , 300 square feet This section concerns the actual number of rooms that can be built in the 7 , 300 net square feet which would be contained in the lodge. It goes on to show what needs to be achieved in income on a per room basis to make the project work. Actual number of rooms at 384 per square foot a room 19 Income needed per room on annualized basis to achieve $690, 000 income $ 36 , 315 . 00 60% occupancy rate equals 216 days - income needed per day $ 168. 13* *Please note that Aspen Square has occupancy rates of 61* for the last three years for 550 square foot studio apartments. Said units have an average rental rate of $85 . 00 per day. Please note our units are only 384 square feet . Aspen square has far superior amenities, larger rooms and is only able to achieve rental rates of approximately 1 /2 of what we would need to achieve. Clearly a new hotel/lodge on the Bell Mountain site is financially impossible. t Aspen/PitkinPlanning Office 130 sQuth ' galenai street aspencolora d•o�-81611 .\ ' �?' October 15, 1982 v Nancy Capella Bell Mountain Lodge Box 328 Aspen, Colorado 81611 Dear Ms. Capella: Enclosed is a copy of the legal notice which appeared in the Aspen Times on October 7, 1982 announcing a public hearing which is to occur before the Planning and Zoning Commission. The purpose of the public hearing is to rezone from nonconforming to L-3 status 30 ]odges_which were downzoned by the City of Aspen dwin the 1970's. As the l -w acc mpaq es tiiie 1 egad' notice indicates, your Odge is one for w 1 the L-3 rezoning is being proposed. Although I have personally contacted all o • or another during the process of creating the L-3 zone and initiating the rezoning action, I want to be sure that all of you are familiar with the approach we are taking. Based on the recommendation of the City Attorney, the Planning Office has initiated the rezoning as a class action and is taking care of all of the legal requirements of the Municipal Code. We have prepared a proposed zoning map showing the 30 lodges within the L-3 zone and have sent notices to property owners within 300 feet of each lodge announcing the pr.posed change. The hearing is scheduled before the Planning and Zoning Commission at 5:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on November 2. The Planning Office will be preparing the arguments in favor of the rezoning action and presenting them to P & Z for their review. For those of you who wish to be rezoned, it will not be necessary to take any action on your own, though we hope you will attend the public hearing to lend your support to our efforts. Those of you who wish to be excluded from the L-3 zone will need to attend the hearing and express your reasons for not wanting to be rezoned. . is m b- i- I. ' • - •. is • • • • •- - •i -. ! ••. • .- •-ru' ed• to remain in their present status. Presuming that all proceeds according to plan on November 2, we anticipate bringing the zoning action to City. Coun`cil on November 22 for first reading of the ordinance and onLDecember 27for the second reading, which is a public hearing. i feel con`fident'in stating that before year's end your lodge will be zoned conforming if this is your desire. /. . --, y If you have any questions about the L-3 zone and how it will benefit your lodge, please call me at 925-2020, ext. 224. If not, I hope to see all of you on November 2 as we move a eTth the zoning action. Sincerely yours, Alan Richman Assistant Planning Director MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission FROM: Tom Baker and Cindy Houben, Planning Office RE: Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/Conceptual PUD/Subdivision Application DATE: June 7, 1988 REQUEST: Request for a rezoning for the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel from L-3 to one of the following three alternatives: - C-1 with a 1. 5: 1 FAR with mandatory PUD/subdivision, - C-1 with a 1: 1 FAR, - Office APPLICANT: Tony Mazza. HISTORY OF PARCEL AND SURROUNDING LAND USES: In 1983, the Bell Mountain Lodge parcel was zoned L-3 as a result of the effort to encourage small existing lodge operations to continue in the community. Prior to that rezoning the parcel was zoned (0) Office. The surrounding zoning is depicted in the attached zone district map (Exhibit 1) . DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL: The three requested rezoning alternatives are described below. 1. REQUEST FOR C-1 ZONING WITH A 1:1.5 FAR AND MANDATORY PUD/ CONCEPTUAL SUBDIVISION APPROVAL. The applicant is requesting that the Planning Commission review the C-1, 1. 5: 1 FAR rezoning and conceptual PUD/ Subdivision proposal at this time to give him a sense as to whether the proposal is appropriate with regard to the FAR/ parking trade-off issue. Specific criteria for reviewing a rezoning application are outlined in the new Code in Section 7-1102 . These criteria will be reviewed in detail in the next section of this memorandum in order to allow the Planning Commission to consider each of the proposed alternatives in light of the criteria. The Bell Mountain site is zoned LP and contains 20, 000 + square feet. The site has an existing 26 room lodge and associated guest amenities. The applicant proposes to build a 30, 000 sq. ft. commercial and residential project on the site including a donation of the subgrade space required to construct a 118 space subgrade parking garage which would serve the project and the general public. (In order to accomplish this proposal, the applicant understands that a commercial growth management application is required for the commercial portion of the project and a residential allotment is required for the residential portion of the site) . More specifically the applicant proposes the following square footage break down: Commercial sq. ft. 12 ,245 net leasable 10, 500 Residential sq. ft. 17,755 ( 3 (3) bedroom /4 (2) bedroom) Parking garage 56, 500 (118 spaces) Exhibit 2 illustrates the proposed conceptual architectural design of the structure. The proposed height of the structure is 34 feet. The Bell Mountain Lodge block was designated as a preferred location for a community parking facility, along with the Rio Grande site, in the recently adopted Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan: Transportation Element. The Transportation Element identified the Bell Mountain Lodge block site as one which would likely be developed as a joint public/private facility because it was totally under private ownership. The current proposal is the applicant's effort to accommodate the Plan and to offset the cost of lost subgrade commercial development with increased development rights above ground. The applicant proposes to give the City the land for the parking garage and intends for the City to pay for the construction of the structure with the exception of the applicants contribution for the spaces that he is required to provide for the development. The City Finance Director has told the City Council that City funds are unavailable to finance both the Rio Grande and the Bell Mountain area parking alternatives. Therefore the City was hoping to work with a developer in a way that the parking on the Bell Mountain site would not require City financing. This application does not provide that solution and, therefore provides no reason to support an increase in the allowable FAR as a tradeoff. 2 The applicant had an opportunity to get an informal reading on his application from the Council at a recent work session when Council was updated on implementation efforts for a parking facility. The Council was unanimous in their comments that they were not willing to trade bulk for parking. The Council felt that the applicant's rezoning/subdivision request was inappropriate because the site would contain an additional 10, 000 square feet of above-grade space which does not meet the special review criteria for allowing additional FAR (60% of the additional square footage must be deed restricted employee housing) . The Council 's main concern, however, was that the City of Aspen is experiencing significant pressures with regard to bulk, and the total buildout of sites is not in keeping with the scale of the city. Council thus was not willing to grant the additional bulk in turn for eliminating the land cost of the parking structure at the Bell Mountain site. The staff feels that the application should be reviewed as submitted, however, in light of the Council 's direction and discussions with the applicant, the staff did not spend as much time as we otherwise might have reviewing the specifics of the initial proposal to rezone to C-1 PUD with an FAR of 1.5: 1 Although the Council has indicated that they would not support the applicant's current proposal, the applicant has decided to continue with this application. Additionally, the applicant has made a supplemental proposal which includes the request to rezone to C-1 with 1: 1 FAR and a request to rezone to "0" Office. 2 . REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO C-1 WITH MAXIMUM 1:1 FAR The applicant has not provided a specific development proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided. The possible uses are the same as were noted above. A 1: 1 FAR is allowed in the zone district. 3 . REQUEST FOR A REZONING TO "0" OFFICE The applicant has not provided a specific proposal for this rezoning request; however, no community parking facility will be provided under this alternative. The possible uses include residential and professional office buildings. The allowed FAR is . 75: 1. REFERRAL COMMENTS: The Engineering Department comments refer only to the C-1, 1.5: 1 Rezoning/PUD/Subdivision alternative. 3 These comments are of a technical nature, (see exhibit 3) . BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS: In order to comment on the applicant's proposal, the staff comments will provide useful background information regarding the Bell Mountain area. In order to answer the question, what is the appropriate zoning for this portion of Aspen, we should review the 1973 Land Use Plan and more recent planning efforts of the 1980 's. The subject property is located on a block which borders the eastern edge of the of the Central Area as identified on the 1973 Land Use Plan (see attached Exhibit 4) . The 1973 Plan very clearly states that resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses be located on the fringe of the central area. In other words, the intent of the Land Use Plan is to allow the fringe of the central area to be commercial in nature, but reduced in intensity (both bulk and uses) so that it provides an appropriate transition between the commercial and residential zone districts. Based upon the stated purpose of zone districts in the City Code, four (4) districts have the potential of providing resident related commercial, residential and professional office uses: Commercial (C-1) , Office (0) , Commercial Lodge (CL) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) . C-1 - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of commercial uses which are not primarily oriented towards serving the tourist population. While this zone district allows for the possibility of locally oriented uses, it also permits a large range of retail commercial uses which have the potential for serving the tourist population. An example of the kind of uses which we could expect on this site with a C-i zoning are those in the new Hunter Plaza, which is very clearly tourist oriented in its retail shops. It seems to staff that while this zone district may be able to carry out the mandate of the land use plan other zone districts are better suited for "fringe" commercial area locations. 0 - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of offices and associated commercial uses in such a way as to preserve the visual scale and character of former residential areas that now are adjacent to commercial and business areas, and commercial uses along Main Street and other high volume thoroughfares. This zone district provides for a reduced intensity because the uses allowed in this district are office and residentially oriented. We question whether this block is appropriate for residential uses, however, since it is located adjacent to SH 82 ; Office zoning may be 4 appropriate. CL (1: 1) - Purpose: To provide for the establishment of mixed use commercial development and lodge units by permitting commercial uses at street level but requiring that all additional stories be lodge accommodations. This zone may be appropriate in that it allows for tourist/ residential character on the second level. This location for lodging will provide an auto disincentive for visitors to the community. The problems associated with this zone district, however, occur on the first level where commercial activities are allowed which are of a tourist oriented nature, thereby extending the commercial core into the (fringe) area. NC - Purpose : To allow small convenience retail establishments as part of a neighborhood, that are designed and planned to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, to reduce traffic generation, and mitigate traffic circulations and parking problems, and to serve the daily or frequent trade or service needs of the neighborhood. The uses allowed in this zone district will service the local population, however, the intensity of these uses is likely to fall somewhere in between the intensity of the Office zone and the Commercial C-1 zone. In staff's opinion, the NC zone is functioning well because the uses, especially City Market, definitely service a significant portion of the local population. In staff's opinion, the NC service area or neighborhood extends well beyond the immediate lodging uses and likely extends throughout the entire community. We contend that it is critical to the health of the local community. In staff's opinion, this zone district can be appropriate for the area in question. In terms of bulk or FAR, the staff feels that 1. 5: 1 is unacceptable for a fringe or transitional area as is expressed by the 1973 Master Plan. An FAR of greater than 1: 1 would not allow for a tapering of bulk to occur between the Commercial Core and the residential areas. Given the fact that an FAR of 1: 1 is allowed in the NC and RMF zones and in the 0 zone by special review and the fact that the Buckhorn Lodge has CL zoning with a 1: 1 FAR limitation, staff feels that a maximum FAR of 1: 1 would be appropriate for this property. In staff's opinion, the FAR allowed by either 0 or NC would be appropriate for this general area, while the NC uses are more appropriate given the fact that duplex and multi-family structures are allowed in the 0 zone district. Pure residential uses seem to be a inefficient use of such an important location in Aspen. 5 STAFF RESPONSE TO REZONING CRITERIA: Section 7-1102 of the City Code lists Standards of Review for amendments to the Official Zone District Map. Criteria A. Whether the proposed amendment is in conflict with any applicable portions of this chapter. Response All three alternatives appear to be able to comply; however, the C-1, 1. 5: 1 FAR alternative does --not_- provide the- 60%- - employee housing for the . 5 FAR increase and therefore does not comply. Criteria B. Whether the proposed amendment is consistent with all elements of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan. Response The applicant's initial proposal to rezone to C-1 with a 1. 5: 1 FAR was an effort to comply with the parking aspect of the Transportation Element. While the Transportation Element identified the Bell Mountain Lodge block as a preferred location for a joint public/private parking facility, it was the City's intention to explore potential development alternatives with the property owners as a group. The current application is more limited than hoped for, in that only one property owner is participating, and that applicant is requesting increases in development potential and only offering the community the right to construct parking subgrade. This offer is not very effective from the City's point of view because the City is unable to finance work at the Rio Grande and construction of parking at this location in the time frame needed for this application. The other rezoning proposals: C-1, 1: 1 FAR and 0 - Office do not comply with the Transportation Plan since no public parking benefits are proposed. The C-1 zoning does not, in the staff ' s opinion (see above analysis) effectively implement the intent of the 1973 Land Use Plan. Another comprehensive planning issue has to do with the need for commercial versus lodge zoning in this location. Lodge Preservation (LP) zoning was initiated in part because the Short Term Accommodations Report concludes that the primary concern of the community should not be the development of 6 large numbers of new lodge units to meet ever increasing tourist visitation rates. Instead, in recognition of changing economic times, it was recommended that we concentrate on providing better quality and value in our tourist accommodations . The report suggests that incentives be provided to induce owners to upgrade their facilities. The LP zone district is designed to permit limited expansions to be made to existing lodges as an incentive for upgrading. The LP zone helps to maintain the community balance between peak visitation bed capacity and available mountain ski capacity. In addition, this location is appropriate for small lodge development in that it helps to accomplish several other community goals such as providing lodging near Aspen Mountain thereby creating a situation that reduces the visitors need to drive an automobile to and around Aspen. The staff has recently been putting together numbers analyzing the buildout potential in our commercial and lodge development area. We have found that there is very little property in Aspen left for lodge development for new small lodges. This means that the existing LP lodges are a very important resources in this community, helping to diversify our accommodation types and provide for lesser cost lodging as well. It seems apparent to us that there is a much greater community need for this property to be zoned LP than for additional commercial development, particularly since our buildout analysis shows the potential for significant commercial development within existing zoned areas. Criteria C. Whether the proposed amendment is compatible with surrounding Zone Districts and land uses, considering existing land use and neighborhood characteristics. Response While the applicant contends that C-i zoning is compatible with surrounding land uses and existing neighborhood character, the staff feels that the term compatibility should, in this case, be defined as the ability to co-exist with existing uses and not threaten the future viability of, the adjacent NC zone. In staff's opinion a rezoning to C-i may squeeze existing NC uses, which are already being squeezed by the Little Nell Hotel, and may threaten the NC zone's viability by creating pressure to rezone this area. In addition, extending the commercial zone and increasing the FAR in this area is inconsistent with the concept of tapering the intensity of the uses and FAR as development approaches the residential areas. 7 Criteria D. The effect of the proposed amendment on traffic generation and road safety. Response The applicant's proposals will not adversely impact the transportation system. Criteria E. Whether the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in demands on public facilities, and whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would exceed the capacity of such public facilities, including but not limited to transportation facilities, sewage facilities, water supply, parks, drainage, schools, and emergency medical facilities. Response Due to the subject property's location in downtown Aspen existing community facilities are capable of accommodating this proposal. Criteria F. Whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment would result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment. Response The subject property is in an urban setting and will not adversely impact the natural environment. Criteria G, H, and I Whether the proposed amendment is consistent and compatible with the community character in the City of Aspen. Whether there have been changed conditions affecting the subject parcel or the surrounding neighborhood which support the proposed amendment. Whether the proposed amendment would be in conflict with the public interest, and is in harmony with the purpose and intent of this chapter. 8 Response: These 3 criteria all address the community character question and the question of whether the conditions in the neighborhood have changed to support the proposed amendment. The staff feels that conditions in the neighborhood have changed and are continuing to change. The development to the south is creating a definite tourist/commercial oriented pressure. This pressure is to expand tourist oriented commercial business along Durant. This in turn puts pressure on the area to the North zoned NC. If the City market NC zone is lost to commercial (C-1) or to residential then the community is left with only one NC area at Clarks. Thus, the question of whether the proposals are consistent with community character must be addressed with another question. Should tourist commercial zoning be expanded to the Bell Mountain Lodge block? The Planning Office response is that it should not. This position is based on the fact that there is a limited amount of locally oriented services in our community and on the overall master plan for the area which maintains that the fringe areas of town should buffer the commercial core from the residential areas of town. In direct response to the application, the Planning Office feels that C-i zoning (1: 1 or 1.5: 1) would cause the most problems, of the proposed rezoning requests, however, the probable use of the property for high end residential townhome units in the 0 zone presents a problem with regard to the character of the area. Directly to the north, the office zone district has already been used to develop high- end residential townhomes, rather than office oriented uses. The Planning Office feels, however, that the development of O zone uses causes lesser problems with regard to maintaining the NC area and upholding the master plan concept for the area. Extending this logic, the Planning Office feels that the LP zone is preferable to either of the proposed zones in that it maintains the balance that the community goals reflect with regard to small lodge development. In addition, it is generally compatible with our desire to maintain the NC zone. Taking this analysis even further, as the community continues to grow and more neighborhood commercial uses are needed, the south side of Bell Mountain block could logically become NC to address this growth. The NC zone allows for a 1: 1 FAR which is also compatible with the surrounding uses in the area. RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Office recommends that the Bell Mountain parcel remain as zoned (LP) , however, if the Planning Commission does not agree the staff recommends that the request 9 to rezone to 0 is the most appropriate of the alternative zonings requested by the applicant. Note: Staff has attached Exhibit 5, the application and Exhibit 6, citizen letter. ch.bell 10 .1 , . . • I ra--w ______ . . . .tc _ .4__ _.1 .-- kis. . , -,„, , „ . , ,. ... , . 1 ami. :,,.. -.. -- • ---- . \ . 1-1.mi-.<, N - , ,, -.., ----,-. --- • , • .. -.1t s-v•1!____ 1.,N;\' P ' _ • • a: •. 1 1 I y g sc a . - -.' 1 t , i _ I I H 1 IF i 1 Ltilil . • .•. el t - . t •t T ki. ei , Lti T- • • ' ; i 1 . . . 11, .. !.i. : \r‘\ . _ , _t_ 4-' -\\ i • • ) .. : - it_. .i ..\ LI '.r:. ,..,e."_°S.,, ,. .z. I.. e . air-- -Rz---r-7.--: I . ,1 .. 17.- i .::- ...gfaiiiir iiii 1 - , -,, ,.. ,. . ,, ..., ,,,_.4, .„ :,. ile:.,,a. ..,:-,,,-±, „.. 1 _ ,..,, .. ilesio., - • 7. 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Am• ; . iii , .,..:. .-.- '' l' , i.h.__M___Hlef' __ 11 I1„ , .� ..1 11 ( 'IMP 61/x' ,cl rt A y 3 s*, 'ii°' < 4 rli: fir%r . • ,.„:, __. .,,...._ li MEMORANDUM To: Cindy M. Houben. Planning Office From: Chuck Roth, Assistant City Engineer Cie_ Date : May 23, 1988 Re: Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/PUD Having reviewed the above referenced application, the Engineering Department has the following comments : 1. Adequate space must be provided on site for trash dumpsters and utility meters . No encroachments into public rights-of-way will be permitted for these needs . An easement may be needed for a transformer . 2 . The applicant must check with each of the utilities to confirm that existing, available services will meet the project needs . Any improvements to utility services required for the project would have to be paid for by the developer. A new electric transformer would probably be required . 3 . Platting and storm drainage design must be provided in accordance with Sections 20-15 and 20-17( f) . The storm drainage design may be a complication for the subgrade parking garage . 4 . Parking - With current zoning, the applicant would be required to provide 52 spaces for the commercial use plus the 17 spaces for the residential use . It is not clear that 52 spaces for commercial use should not still be required of the project, perhaps as a variation of PUD requirements by the City. Conceptually, the Engineering Department recommends requiring 52 parking spaces for the commercial floor areas . The development of page 2 of Exhibit D, "Projected Method of Paying for Garage, " is unclear to this reviewer . If the develo- per were to be responsible for 33 spaces, his cost would be $559, 322 at the rate of $16, 949 per space . If the developer is required to provide the 52 spaces for commercial use plus the residential spaces, his cost would of course be more . On page 1 of Exhibit D, it is unclear how the "gate, register and control echanism for parking" are compatible with public parking 5. Access to the building for deliveries - It is not a code requirement, but we should be sure that the building has service delivery doors on the alley so that deliveries can be made from the alley and not from the street. 6 . The city attorney needs to be consulted to see if water rights need to be obtained from the applicant . 7. Parking garage encroachment - Conceptually, the Engineering Department would recommend for approval of an encroachment license for the construction of the subgrade parking. The applicant understands that substantial utility relocations probably will be required . Since the construction would require street closures, the construction should be performed during an off-season. cc: Jay Hammond, City Engineer CR/cr/memo 88 . 44 ....# 7 r' \ '. - h.l b.-f- ,s 1/ ------- \41k**-14PA4I\), r...„.„. , ,,, ,. . „,,,i,,. w � , i ' H I•• i. •r17 SpITAI {.� i` •`` � t' i j e -,¢ J i i iAL LA.k •� ; ,*' 'r' `� !kWh j I i 1 r 1} LAKE f �. _ k . i • \ - •-:,,,,,•,, . . t..,u. is;= SANITATIQ 7: a� I �. ;},"LL .i i1jAr ,.,...PS•.`. 1f 7I s„ _ \ ''' ,1",:.'. ' '')t � J� : PLANT; `\' I� N " i 1 i INSTITUTE f MOBILE HOME L E ow IAN 4LE ILY f -•..•*�•••••••., • �.••• wr• 1 j .... .• - •Q• NEIL ORHO i ' ! I ELEMENTARY SCM!)OL •. $OP• rlG Tom" I i 1 9 1 • .\ j r ' ••••. CENT ' , r �;+ � � - • ♦•••♦ K E L E M E N TAR t•••♦••••••. ,.; •i�iii+. -. .`', 4^ 2 •_•••.♦ SCHOOL _.•i•••••••• " 1 V I C .t o5 POS $ ••••••• OFFI ' i s ♦ x s.r . AR• R IS HOTEL V " � -1 r Y- ERRON AR., s , �PAR� !l { y • Lim'� 1.rap r7.7•`---- . Y R ►`y `b+" i ^' ty-4h S, d C 'ten'. l ` f..., .. 3•s411\ n ,s . i�'.4 ,'c "#{ WHEE' %�i i* 'n } t � •k rc.. ;0,.... `Y'.+Y.P' t: P .1 %tc Ya ;0•:,- y^ F „.r..1,, 3',: hv.m `., t',` '. HODS- r i 1 ,.T 'z<"'7 t(r �t C :,' sh, u 4�, ,...,s 1,..-4,-,„.t t -.. 4 Yn I ti p i C E T a: k - 1, 16' a g ``■ 4 ,a wAGNE� } ;MALL' : A 4 i Wyss . 3 :::. lfv ' ar., PARK _ - S ` '«S ' ' ''?' '''' "',.-,'s4 tt k.'.1.";!' 14.)z:774:24 k,_L,,,.6.--.7)',:!_,.: . 1-''..- `• �" „,,,,no.,-;,',,-, r .4 1 3 1 Y i,i J p^.” k '"° 4 �+h '` ✓ '..� t Kr 14 • sa ' l rte; i ;e E� _ • N /A C1,v1 , . HOLE ; T' 1 -,` t r L'�,AT ONS t .�k' PARK c y ` — 7 ` .. x _ 0 � •IME �' }� ' PECA CC• 'pc)°:,TIONS \ ,t }` \ , • j NSIT1= v T t� f Z w EXHIBIT A March 21 , 1988 Ms. Cynthia Houben Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Re: Consent to M & W Properties Rezoning/PUD Application Dear Ms. Houben: Bell Mountain Lodge, Inc. hereby agrees to join in any and all land use applications submitted by M & W Properties pertaining to the real property described in Exhibit A, Commit- ment for Title Insurance, attached hereto and incorporated by this reference (hereinafter referred to as the "Property" ) . Very truly yours, BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE, INC. • Victor J. Kappeli Attachment 1 CH. ...Iwo .1 Ir,ur..pc1iVn Cridr 1 I nrlrn w..'nl Curh• rl.•1,Urin r 1 �nru.•nr,.u•.•.r.v , COMMITMENT: :U.nr.'Irr,,,,rr.•li.•,rprlr•r1 "" r1 Lalubiv H t II Iloyi nl L:I Jrgp wily Coll@ IA('Unm•>vr.,i 141,M ton .1 Cafe Nundun 'rani•• 9 1 Wa1 lirvr!nurt ..... Y 1vPr1 EXHIBIT -B • _ 1 3 • 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 14 0 0 0 1.0 _._ .. ........ M ...., 8 - 11 13 M. Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation • National Headquarters Richmond, Virginia COMMITMENT FOR TITLE INSURANCE • SCHEDULE A . Effective Date September 22, 1987 at 8:00 A.M. Case No.PCT-1207-87 • 2 Policy or policies to be issued: . • (a) Amount $ 1,900,000.00-PREMIUM-$3,382.00 MI ALTA Owner's Policy—Form B-1970(Rev. 10-17-70&Rev. 10-17-84) • • . o ALTA Residential Title Insurance Policy-1979 • Proposed insured: ANTHONY J. MAZZA and FRANK J. WOODS, III • (b)ALTA Loan Policy, 1970(Rev. 10.17-70&Rev. 10-17-84) Amount $ Proposed insured: • (c) . - , . Amount S Proposed insured: TAX CERTIFICATE $ 5.00 • 1 . 3. Title to the in fee simple estate or interest in the land described or referred to in this Commitment is at the effective date hereof vested in: • BELL ITJUNTAIN LODGE, INC. . • • 4. The land referred to in this Commitment is described as follows: • LOTS K, L, •1, N, 0, P, and the West 20.73 feet of LOT Q, • • BLOCK 105, CITY AND TOWNSITE OF ASPEN, • . • • COUNTY OF PITKIN, STATE OF COLORADO. • Pltkin County Title, inc. 601 E. Hopkins Aspen, Colorado 81611 'o ntersign•.+at : •-I .'-.A..• Commitment No. PCT-1207-87 . • Schedule A—Page 1 • • This commitment is invalid unless Authorized Office or Agent the Insuring Provisions andSched-. ules A and B are attached. . r......yo" nl.oq roru IN • JuyersTh1e jnsurence Orporation • National Headquarters Richmond,Virginia • • SCHEDULE B—Section 1 Requirements • The following are the requirements to be complied with: • Item(a) Payment to or for the account of the grantors or mortgagors of the full.consideration for the estate or interest to be insured. Item(b) Proper instrument(s) creating the estate or interest to be insured must be executed and duly filed for record. to-wit: • • (I) Release•by the Public Trustee of the County of Pitkin of: Deed of Trust fran : VICTOR J. KAPPELI, WERNER A. KAPPELI, and ERNEST A. KAPPELI for the use of : ALLEN S. BROWN to secure : $10,050.00 and $100,000.00 • dated • : November 15, 1963 recorded December 26, 1963 in Book 205 at Page 280 • reception no. : 116851 (2) Deed fran : BELL STAIN LODGE, INC. • to • • : ANTHONY J. MAZZA and FRANK J. WOODS, III • (3) Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate of Good Standing of BELL MOUNTAIN M LODGE, INC., a Colorado Corporation, issued by the Secretary of State of Colorado, must be delivered to and approved by Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation. • (4) Evidence satisfactory to the Canpany that the Real Estate Transfer Tax as established by Ordinance No. 20 (Series of 1979) has been paid or exempted. (5) Certificate of Nonforeign Status, signed by a representative of BELL MOUNTAIN LODGE, INC. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • This commitment is invalid unless. the Insuring Provisions and Sched- Schedule 8-Section 1-Page 1-Commitment No. PCT-1207-87 iitr`s A and 8 are attached. Form No 91.88(8.1) i lawyers Title Insurance Corporation NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS CRICHMOND, VIRGINIA • SCHEDULE B—Section 2 Exceptions The policy or policies to be issued will contain exceptions to the following unless the same are disposed of to the satisfaction of the Company: . ' 1. Rights or claims of parties in possession not shown by the public records. 2. Easements, or claims of easements, not shown by the public records. 3. Discrepancies, conflicts in boundary liner, shortage in area, encroachments, and any facts which - • a correct survey and inspection of the premises would disclose and which are not shown by the public records. 4. Any lien, or right to a lien, for services, labor or material heretofore or hereafter furnished, im- posed by law and not shown by the public records. 5. Defects, liens, encumbrances, adverse claims or other matters, if any, created, first appearing in the public records or attaching subsequent to the effective date hereof but prior to the date the proposed insured acquires of record for valve the estate or interest or mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment. • 6. Taxes due and payable; and any tax, special assessments, charge or lien imposed for water or sewer service, or for any other special taxing district. 7. Reservations and exceptions as contained in Deeds from the City of Aspen recorded in Book 59 at Page 78, in Book 59 at Page 79, in Book 59 at Page 111, in Book 59 at Page 180 and in Book 59 at Page.287 as follows: "Provided, that no title shall be hereby acquired to any mine of gold, silver, cinnabar or copper or to any valid mining claim or possession held under existing laws." 8. Any and all mineral rights conveyed by deed recorded in Book 106 at Page 482, in Book 125 at Page 1, and in Book 131 at Page 8, and in Book 475 at Page 676. 9. Terms, conditions, obligations and provisions of Cannercial Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate as set forth in instrument recorded September 21, 1987 in Book 546 at Page 398. b' P • •Exceptions numbered NONE are hereby omitted. . The Owner's Policy to be issued, if any, shall contain the following items in addition to the ones set forth above: (1).The Deed of Trust, if any, required under Schedule B—Section 1, Item (b). (2) Unpatented mining claims; reservations or exceptions in patents or in Acts authorizing issuance thereof; water rights, claims or title to water. (3) Any and all unpaid taxes, assessments and unredeemed tax sales. Schedule B—Section 2—Page 1—No. Form 91.RB B2 Rocky Mt. EXHIBIT D C Projected Cost of Bell Mountain Parking Garage 0 Land; this will be a gift from M & W Properties 51 , 000 square feet Total square feet of garage (two levels) x 29 .50 square feet* Hard cost of garage $1 , 504,500 $ 300, 000 Guesstimate cost of relocating utilities, shoring and paving (please note this number presupposes that we will be able to close part of City streets, otherwise shoring alone could be $600, 000 to $650, 000 ) 30, 000 Gate, register, control mechanism for parking $1 , 834, 500 (■ 183 ,450 10% developer fee $2 , 017 , 950 (We will round this figure off to $2, 000 , 000 . Please note we have not included a contingency) . *Please note these projected numbers do not take into account construction costs if tunnels and/or water are hit . Also, the actual hard costs are $24 .58 per square foot and we have added in at the contractor 's request 20$ for general conditions fee. It is assumed that this 20% fee will cover soft costs, namely architectural , planning, engineering fees, contractor 's fee and overhead. Please further note we have not included the ramp ( 2500 square feet + ) which we hope will be covered in the hard costs. It is hoped that this is a realistic cost analysis, but is based on guesstimates as test holes have not even been drilled. Cost Per Parking Space: $2, 000, 000 divided by 118 cars = $16 , 949 C Projected Method of Paying For Garage * Total Hard Cost $2, 000 , 000 ** Waiver by M & W of 10% development fee < 175 , 000 > ** Cash from M & W < 250 , 000 > *** City of Aspen, 83 spaces < $1 , 100 , 000 > Fees the City will receive or has received for parking in lieu of < 475, 000 > =============== (l < $2, 000 , 000 > * Please note that if this garage can be built for less, M & W is willing to place any savings into the City' s column. Also, these are obviously preliminary numbers. ** Please note M & W would be required to provide 33 parking spaces for the proposed new structure. The number of parking spaces does not take into account any credit for the existing building. *** The money for the City' s portion will come from bonding and/or conventional financing. Also, the City might Master Lease the 85 spaces. The money to pay the bonded indebtedness and/or the Master Lease charges shall come from user fees, tax revenues and/or from the City general fund. • • yTitl Iuyts e Insurance Corpoi ation National Headquarters Richmond. Virginia COMMITMENT FOR TITLE INSURANCE LAWYERS TITLE INSURANCE CORPORATION, a Virginia corporation, herein called the Company, for valuable consideration, hereby commits to issue its policy or policies of title insurance,as identified in Schedule A,in favor of the proposed Insured named in Schedule A, as owner or mortgagee of the estate or interest covered hereby in the land described or referred to in Schedule A,upon payment of the premiums and charges therefor;all subject to the provisions of Schedules A and B and to the Conditions and Stipulations hereof. This Commitment shall be effective only when the identity of the proposed Insured and the amount of the policy or policies committed for have been inserted in Schedule A hereof by the Company,either at the time of the issuance of this Commitment or by subsequent endorsement. This Commitment is preliminary to the issuance of such policy or policies of title insurance and all liability and obligations hereunder shall cease and terminate six (6) months after the effective date hereof or when the policy or policies committed for shall issue,whichever first occurs,provided that the failure to issue such policy or poiicies is not the fault of the Company.This Commitment shall not be valid or binding until countersigned by an authorized officer or agent. .T IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Commitment'to be signed and sealed, to become valid when countersigned by an authorized officer or agent of.theCompany,iall'in accordance with its By-Laws.This Commitment is effective as of the date shown in Schedule A as "Eftectivett ate A��S , it CONDITIONS.AND,STIPULATIONS • .i 1. The term "mortgage," when used herein,;shall'include deed of trust, trust deed, or other security instrument. 2. If the proposed Insured has or acquires actual knowledge of any defect, lien,encumbrance,adverse claim or other matter affecting the estate or interest or mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment other than those shown in Schedule B hereof,and shall fail to disclose such knowledge to the Company in writing,the Company shall be relieved from liability for any loss or damage resulting from.any act of reliance hereon to the extent the Company is prejudiced by failure to so disclose such knowledge.If the proposed Insured shall disclose such knowledge to the Company,or if the Company otherwise acquires actual knowledge of any such defect, lien, encumbrance,adverse claim or other matter,the Company at its option may amend Schedule B of this Commitment accordingly,but such amendment shall not relieve the Company from liability previously incurred pursuant to paragraph 3 of these Conditions and Stipulations. 3. Liability of the Company under this Commitment shall be only to the named proposed Insured and such parties included under the definition of Insured in the form of policy or policies committed for and only for actual loss incurred in reliance hereon in undertaking in good faith(a)to comply with the requirements hereof,or(b)to eliminate exceptions shown in Schedule B,or(c)to acquire or create the estate.or interest or mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment. In no event shall such liability exceed the amount stated in Schedule A for the policy or policies committed for and such liability is subject to the insuring provisions and the Conditions and Stipulations and the - Exclusions from Coverage of the form of policy or policies committed for in favor of the proposed Insured which are hereby incorporated by reference and are made a part of this Cor..mitment except as expressly modified herein. • 4. Any action or actions or rights of action that the proposed Insured may have or may bring against the Company arising out of the status of the title to the estate or interest or the status of the mortgage thereon covered by this Commitment must be based on and are subject to the provisions of this Commitment. Lawyers title Insu a C9rporation • ô74e , President f ei- ` Attest: Secretary. �•y ' EXHIBIT C M & W PROPERTIES C SUITE 301A 205 SOUTH MILL STREET ANTI PONY J. MAZZA ASPEN.COLORADO 81611 AREA CODE 303 FRANK J.WOODS.III TELEPHONE 026-8032 March 21 , 1988 Ms. Cynthia Houben Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Re: Permission to Represent Dear Cindy: Please consider this letter authorization for Sunny Vann of Vann Associates, Inc. to represent M & W Properties in the processing of all applications pertaining to the redevelop- ment of the Bell Mountain Lodge property which is located at 720 East Cooper Avenue in the City of Aspen, Colorado. Mr. Vann is hereby authorized to act on our behalf with respect to all matters reasonably pertaining to the aforementioned applications. Should you have any questions, or if we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call . M--&—W—PROPERTIES .thony J. azza AJM:dr E))--171 �f VICENZI & COMPANY June 2, 1988 Welton Anderson Chairman, Aspen P & Z Aspen, CO RE: BELL MOUNTAIN REZONING/PUD Dear Welton: As an owner and manager of the Hannah Dutin Building and the Old Post Office Building, I would strongly recommend that the request for commercial zoning of the Bell Mountain lots be denied and that it retain the Lodge Preservation Zoning for the following reasons: 1. Aspen's unique ambience is being destroyed partly because many of the smaller lodges are being demolished or converted to long term housing. These smaller lodges are more in keeping with the scale of Aspen and should be improved and preserved or replaced with new structures of the same size. 2. This sites proximity to the gondola makes it an ideal location to accomodate skiers because they would have pedestrian access to the lifts, downtown shops and restaurants thus, reducing vehicular pollution and congestion. 3. Aspen doesn't NEED anymore commercial space! ! ! Many of the present retailers are complaining that there isn't enough business. Consequently, they are exerting political pressure on the city to approve large out of scale hotels in order to generate more customers. 4. This and other blocks in the area have been an effective transition zone be- tween the intensive commercial core uses and the residential and tourist uses. By expanding the commercial zone you will adversely affect what remains of the adjoining residential areas. By granting this request, you would set a precedent that would encourage adjoining land owners to seek a similar change to cash in on the economic gains of a more commercial use. P.O. BOX 2238 ASPEN COLORADO 81612 303/925-1196 1. T I would greatly appreciate you considering my concerns and suggestions in this matter since, as an adjacent land owner, I would be impacted most by the proposed zoning change. Also, preservation of Aspen's uniqueness and human scale should be foremost in your minds and can be accomplished by not granting this zoning change which will economically benefit one developer at the expense of all present and future Aspenites and visitors. Cordially, George A. Vicenzi GAV:mk page 2 X27 ,s !OARING FORK TRANSIT AGENCY 0 ASPEN,COLORADO } April 26, 1988 Cindy M. Houben and Tom Baker City/County Planning Office 130 South Galena Aspen, CO 81611 Dear Cindy and Tom: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the "Bell Mountain Lodge Rezoning/PUD Application. " We would only share Sunny' s concern relating to increased traffic levels , alluded to in his letter to you dated March 21, 1988. Of course, the desired trade off is reduced traffic congestion in the rest of the downtown area. With frequent public transportation already provided on both Spring and Cooper Streets , I 'm confident that RFTA will be able to contribute in a positive way to meet this goal . Thank you for considering RFTA in your planning process. Sincerely, 4/7/7 - i%,—� _ [/r' Paul S. Hilts Director of Operations 20101 West Highway 82•Aspen, Colorado 81611 • (303) 920-1905 PRE-APPLICATION CONFERENCE SUMMARY PROJECT: ►2ede,Ue,(,opme e 13a M . /..-661.7e /- APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE: `�� t'�p •• , 5c , 1�LII REPRESENTATIVE' S PHONE: u . .e V/J♦ / '51 OWNERS NAME: SUMMARY 1. Type of Application: 2e ac Y' L Y1� ueSfi 2. Describe action/type of development being requested: U.2s0v?.Q_) ,oLJ n IZ ; 1 FAQ_ ry\ 5 _) 4 -- p) � n ry on d -two S c L1 ��'')1 . eft'-r`� , '� corn m Cam er cck, Qt �t-e zon c h i C- 1 P �' SPA G-( PuU L e'nn- c , camc�Y1 � 2 `, ••i ` 7€ ' 3. Areas n wh` c pp can as been requested to re- ••nd, types or reports requested: Policy Area/ Referral Agent Comments AL. akkk4-itht)- 0. % .Oefk . - AC D - c) _ IF-7A _ • 4. Review is: (P&Z Only) (CC/BOCC Only) (P&Z then to CC/BOCC) 5. Public Hearing: (-----(- YES) (NO) 6. Did you tell applicant to submit list of ADJ . PROPERTY OWNERS? (YES) (NO) Disclosure of Ownership: g : (NO) 7. What fee was applicant requested to submit:4 \y9°-k 5.° �S"c° _ 441b1'° 8. Anticipated date of submission: A. 9. COMMENTS/UNIQUE CONCERNS: tic. ,�/.L.-.4 it i 4Ltj,(dAill..j al!API' • ' .t. a4 -/3 .34.5 �` •S i/ lam ✓�� /� �AV # •P 44 fV ) � / I •I A.‘11-111•240 rdannifilligMr41- \\\ °� S° .�. Cc w....\ ,,Q v.--�x v Se e Q-. CAA. C?�T Aspen/Palm• ' Planning Office 130 south galena street aspen ;-Lecolora-do 81611 December 10, 1987 Mr. Anthony Mazza M&W Properties Suite 301A 205 South Mill Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Dear Tony, This letter is in response to your letter to me dated December 1, with respect to the Bell Mountain Lodge property. The purpose of my letter is to identify some problems I see with your proposal, as a basis for setting an agenda for a meeting between us. As you know, the City of Aspen is interested in seeing parking developed on the subject property. However, it has been a consistent policy of the City that land use applications are decided on the record by the P&Z and the Council, not by "deals" worked out in advance. Therefore, it is not possible for me to react to your request for CC zoning, which appears principally to be justified in terms of your proposed "gift" to the City. The rezoning will have to stand or fall based on fundamental land use issues of neighborhood compatibility and impacts on surrounding properties and community facilities. In this respect, your letter contains an error about a neighbor- ing property which may affect your rezoning request. While the Buckhorn Lodge is zoned CL, a condition of the rezoning ordinance limited its buildout to 1: 1. There has been past concern about extending "downtown" density to this site, and I would caution you in advance that CC FAR of 1.5: 1, increasable to 2.0: 1 by special review may be excessive for this site. We are also disappointed that your proposal is just for the Bell Mountain Lodge property, and not the entire block. You have previously been requested to work with the owners of the Buckhorn Lodge, parking lot and A-frame to put together a site with the visibility, accessibility and size that the community will require. Unless this is accomplished, the proposal may not receive a favorable outlook from the staff. Another flaw in your concept is that of change in use. Change in use was formulated to allow existing buildings to be modified in use when there are minimal growth impacts, but not to change the use of a building which is to be demolished and rebuilt as a new project. New developments are subject to GMP allotment proced- ti ures, while change in use or reconstruction of existing buildings is eligible for exemption. This limitation is being clarified in the revised Aspen Land Use Regulations now under consideration by the P&Z . Another matter for you to consider is that the adopted Trans- portation Element of our Comprehensive Plan looks to this site as the second parking facility in the City, not the first. Given your statement that the City would have to complete construction by July 1, 1989 for the proposed partnership to work, we would have to obtain voter approval to fund both projects at once. This may exceed our bonding limitations and will certainly make it that much harder for us to get anything approved. Therefore, we will need to obtain guidance from the City Council if they wish to alter their capital improvement plans and move forward with this site at the same time, or ahead of the Rio Grande site we are now pursuing. While I can understand your contract deadline, you need to respect the fact that the City has many procedural obligations it must follow which may make construction in 1988/89 quite diff- icult for us. One way which you could help us, and make your project much more attractive, would be for you to develop the parking privately and offer us a leaseback or similar option. This leads me to my final point. Your proposal is sufficiently unique that it goes well beyond simple planning and zoning matters on which I can provide you clear advice. If the City Council views your proposal as an opportunity it wishes to pursue, then it may be possible to resolve some of the above- mentioned problems. It is my intention to contact the City Manager and his assistant, Ron Mitchell, to gauge their reaction to your offer. I would hope to have their comments for you by the time we actually meet. I hope this letter clarifies the concerns which I have regarding your proposal. Our next step should be to set up a meeting when you have reviewed this letter. Please call me when you would like to discuss this matter further. Sincerely, 41,erl/N Alan Richman Planning Director cc: Ron Mitchell M & W PROPERTIES DEC SUITE 301A 205 SOUTH MILL STREET ANTHONY J. 1VIAZZA ASPEN. COLORADO 81611 AREA CODE 303 FRANK J.WOODS.III TELEPHONE 925-8032 December 1, 1987 Mr. Alan Richman Planning & Development Director Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena Aspen, Colorado 81611 Dear Alan : At the request of Tom Baker of the Planning Office I am writing this letter to you concerinng proposed zoning requests for Bell Mountain Lodge. M & W Properties has the Bell Mountain Lodge under contract, with a closing date of April 15, 1989 . I feel a brief zoning history is in order . At present the property is zoned L-3, which permits a one to one build out. The property was previously zoned office and the adjacent properties, as you are aware, have different zoning classifications up to CL for Buckhorn Lodge, which permits a two to one build out. Our intent would be to request C-1 zoning for this property, which permits a one-to-one build out. We feel that the history, existing zoning classifications and the adjacent properties would entitle applicant to said zoning. We will tender said application in February of 1988. As part of said request we would ask a change in use and credit for existing tap fees. We are aware of the fact that the City has earmarked the Bell Mountain Lodge and the rest of the block, excepting the Hannah Dustin Building , for an intercept parking lot. We would offer to give the City all of our subterranean rights for free. Obviously we would request an appropriate allocation of valuation of these rights for purposes of gift tax. In exchange for giving the City said rights to build a parking garage, we request CC zoning, which zoning permits a 1.5 to one build out. Said zoning classification would be necessary due to the fact that we would no longer be able to build a basement in our proposed building. Therefore , without a basement , in order to achieve the necessary square footage and desired height , we would need said CC zoning classification. It is important to note that the City must coordinate the design of the garage to be built with us so we can have the Mr . Alan Richman Planning & Development Director Aspen/Pitkin Plannign Office December 1 , 1987 Page Two appropriate structural systems, etc., designed into the garage so that a building could be built on top of same. The ramifications of this concept to M & W Properties are significant. We will have additional principal's time , additional architectural and engineering fees , on-going coordination with the City to maintain and administer the planning, etc., added insurance for the garage use underneath. We will also have to condominiumize our building to separate it from the garage. It is imperative that the City let us know no later than October 1, 1988 , if it will be proceeding with the garage structure, as we will have to commence preparation of our working drawings at that time. Further , as part of said rezoning change , as aforementioned, we would request a change in use and credit for tap fees, waiver of park dedication fees and employee housing requirements , if any, and permission to satisfy the parking requirement , if any, for our building in the garage to be built. We intend to commence construction on the building in April of 1989. Should the City desire to accept this gift and implement the zoning change as aforementioned, we would have to have tendered to us by July 1 , 1989 , the property with appropriate structure in place so we could commence construction of our building . The zoning change as requested would be non-contingent. In other words we would be granted the CC zoning and should the City not be able to complete construction as aforementioned, we would still be entitled to commence construction of our building on our time frame. Obviously, we are requesting input from you or a meeting with you as soon as possible, as we must prepare an application for the February 1 deadline. Very truly yours , Anthony Mazza AJM:dr