HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.regular.20210810
1
REGULAR MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 10, 2021
At 5:00 p.m. Mayor Torre called the regular meeting to order with Councilors Richards, Doyle, Mesirow
in attendance and Councilor Hauenstein joining via WebEx.
SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES:
Mayor Torre announced the swearing in of Police Officer Micah Samuelson and he proceeded to swear
in Officer Samuelson.
Mayor Torre announced the 27th Annual Historic Preservation Awards and introduced the chair and vice
chair of HPC, Kara Thompson and Jeffrey Halferty. Amy Simon, Planning Director and Sarah Yoon,
Historic Preservation Planner, presented while Ms. Thompson and Mr. Halferty handed out awards. The
following projects won the awards: 541 Race Alley, 301 E. Hopkins, 223 E. Hallam, and 124 W. Hallam.
Mayor Torre announced the Elizabeth Paepcke Award being presented to Ann Mullins. Ms. Mullins said
that Historic Preservation is such an important part of this town. She’s nervous and said it’s a really big
deal. The city has one of the best programs of any mountain town and she is really happy to have
worked with Amy and Sara. It’s really nice to be recognized locally, but also at the state level and in
Denver.
CITIZEN COMMENTS:
Kenny Oldman – Mr. Oldman said he lives on Smuggler Street, and he wants to make it a one-way street.
He came here in early to mid-80’s and was in the federal government. Someone had an idea at that time
to have rapid transit to solve the problems of the s curve with the city manager at the time. Since the
70’s, the s curve has been studied, but nothing has been done or changed, so to make Smuggler a one
way going east, is one solution. Miracles do happen, but in the meantime, he’s urging council to make
Smuggler a one-way street.
Carol Oldman – Ms. Oldman said she came out here in the 1950’s as a young child and cited the Chicago
Expressway. Everyone is jammed up and she feels for these people just wanting to get home. She’s sorry
for both the commuters and the people that live on Smuggler. It would be great if we can look at making
one-way streets or a turn off around 7th or so to spread it out.
Jennifer Johnston Jones – Ms. Jones said she is a wife and mother and full-time resident. We don’t feel
like the neighborhood is clean and safe right now. She’s worried about kids in the neighborhood. She
said there are about 1000 cars that pass by each day. There is no sidewalk and have to close our
windows and doors during this time because of the exhaust. It’s like they are sitting in traffic with the
people. Traffic is the worst when our kids are getting off of school buses. Please consider how unsafe
this is for all of us. She thinks maybe a one way is a better solution.
Orien Jones – Mr. Jones stated that he is 12 years old. He lives on W. Smuggler and said he doesn’t feel
comfortable playing outside because of all the cars. He stays inside when the traffic is bad and it’s really
stinky and loud. It’s hard to walk or bike because there is no sidewalk. His bus stop is also close to the
traffic.
Andrew Cronin – Mr. Cronin said he lives at 5th and Main and said this demonstrates that we are a
community. We are a residential community, and this isn’t an issue of second homeowners. We want to
look for solutions for traffic concerns. He has a 7-month-old daughter. He fears for her safety and
doesn’t feel like he can walk her during this timeframe. He asked to consider 4 way stops or one ways.
2
REGULAR MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 10, 2021
He wants council to take some leadership because the community really wants this solved. Lastly, he’s
asking for better enforcement.
Bryce Johnson – Mr. Johnson said he is a full-time resident at 4th and Hallam. He thanked everyone here
for being open and thanked the APD. They will send officers over to help sometimes. His primary mode
of transportation are his feet. He echoes Andrew on the enforcement piece and said an increase would
be wonderful. The Smuggler issue impacts them as well. The pollution on that street is terrible so we
avoid that street for walking. He’s happy to help. 4-way stops would be helpful. He’s happy to volunteer
his time.
Brad Hahn – Mr. Hahn said he lives at 934 W. Francis Street and is new to the community and
neighborhood. He’s lived in the west end for about a year and has lived in Boulder for 20 years. He’s a
Covid transplant. He felt like this wasn’t an important issue to council, from the last meeting. He
reminded everyone that a young child died here in the downtown streets of Aspen. He is going to share
some information with council via email.
Mike Jones – Mr. Jones said he is a resident of the west end at 6th and Smuggler. He has an office that
faces 6th Street and it’s concerning for the pedestrians. There is so much traffic, dogs, kids, and bikers. A
lot of people go through the stop signs, and there is a lot of smog with industrial trucks with black clouds
of smoke. He never wants to drive again and he mostly bikes. If there is anything we can do to make it
safer, it is appreciated.
Andrea Bryan – Ms. Bryan said she represents the West End Pedestrian Safety Group, which has over 50
members, which are from all over in Aspen and some down valley commuters. Their primary concern is
safety. The city cannot and should not wait for something to happen before it decides to act. Council
claims to be pro-environment, and there are pollutants being put in the air every single day. It’s not fair
to the commuters or the neighborhood residents. The status quo isn’t sustainable. Erecting barriers,
one-way streets, or designation of a pedestrian bike corridor are some solutions. This is the most
important issue right now and it’s not a next year problem, it’s a now problem.
Gary Laughter – Mr. Laughter is a homeowner in the west end. He’s urging council to readdress the
entrance to Aspen issue. It’s been a problem for the past 40 years and is a local joke, but not funny. The
main premise for not addressing it, is induced demand or induced travel. He wrote two memos
regarding this. He has posted them on his website: laughterpartners.com-aspen. He said conditions
change, such as population. He said that council should show some empathy and quoted the Golden
Rule.
Public Comment closed.
Mayor Torre said we’ve deployed some police officers and the city manager’s office is still looking into
this issue.
Councilor Richards thanked everyone for being here and said she wanted the entrance to Aspen as a
retreat item, but it was not chosen. The city spends millions on transportation as it is now. We have the
only HOV project in western Colorado. The citizens of Aspen have not voted to use the Marolt Open
Space as a remedy to this problem. She said there are various contributors to this problem, such as,
reduced capacity on RFTA due to Covid. She’s as frustrated as anyone else. The traffic is ruing the town,
3
REGULAR MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 10, 2021
and she’s not sure what a temporary fix is. Please also contact your county commissioners. This isn’t just
an Aspen problem; the highway is a county issue as well.
Councilor Hauenstein said council is concerned about safety and the environment. We are not calloused
to that or have turned a blind eye. There is a ped-way two blocks to the south of Smuggler and this
would alleviate some of the safety concerns for pedestrians. RFTA is back up to 100% capacity now and
he does believe in induced demand.
Councilor Doyle said he’s been a resident of the west end since 2004, and he’s acutely aware of the
problems. Our hands have been tied, and we are not sitting idly by.
COUNCIL COMMENTS:
Councilor Hauenstein said he will be back next week and is enjoying his time in Maine. The comments by
the west enders have not fallen on deaf ears.
Councilor Doyle said the second largest reservoir in California is at its lowest level. The Dixie fire in
California is the largest single fire in its history. Denver and Salt Lake City have worse air quality than
New Delhi and Beijing, China, currently. We have very little time to reverse the effects and turn things
around.
Councilor Richards said she will miss the next regular meeting, and she’s not as diligent as Ward,
attending while on vacation. She has lost her cell phone, so please send an email. We are seeing a
resurgence in Covid across the country. We can’t vaccinate people under 12 years of age and we are not
having the support at the state level. She’s encouraging everyone to mask up indoors.
Mayor Torre said that last week our community lost another member due to suicide, Tigey Eads. He was
an extremely friendly, intelligent, and loving friend to a lot of people. He will be missed, but it just
highlights again what we are suffering and the mental health issues we are dealing with in this valley.
Our suicide rate is three times the national average. We have work to do here. The Mayors Cup golf
tournament is back this year, and we will focus on mental health awareness. It will benefit Aspen Strong
and the Hope Center. aspenstrong.org and the Hope Center hotline: 970-925-5858. You’re not alone,
please reach out. The golf tournament is Sunday August 29th, so please come out and support this great
cause.
AGENDA AMENDMENTS: None.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: None.
BOARD REPORTS:
Mayor Torre said he has the Wheeler board tomorrow and Sister Cities this Thursday and Ward will
attend. Thursday is also the Board of Health meeting where they will be discussing universal masking in
the school system and mask mandates, so he would like council’s input.
Councilor Mesirow said APCHA held a barbecue meet and greet with staff for the new offices. They have
a meeting next Wednesday for the first reading of the regulation changes.
Councilor Hauenstein said he had the 4th of July committee and CCLC.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
4
REGULAR MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 10, 2021
Councilor Richards motioned to approve the consent calendar; Councilor Mesirow seconded.
Councilor Hauenstein asked about Resolution #074, Series of 2021 and if the stone would be held up by
the I-70 closure and what is being done with the leftover stone.
Rob Schober, Capital Asset Director, said he brought along Jake Holland of Summit Sealants to answer
questions as well. Mr. Holland said the stone is coming from Wyoming and being distributed in Grand
Junction and Salida at the carving stations. We can transport the majority of stone in pickup trucks and
would allow us to get here to the property. The excess stone will be stockpiled in the parking lot and
have approached the parks department about using it. Mayor Torre asked about the schedule update.
Mr. Schober said they are expecting a stone delivery this week so that we can wrap up on the Mill Street
side of the building.
Roll call: Doyle, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
Mayor Torre announced a three-minute break.
Council reconvened at 6:35 p.m.
FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance #17, Series of 2021 – 501 West Hopkins Avenue: Major Subdivision, Amendments to the
Land Use Code & Zoning Map, Planned Development Review – Project Review and Growth
Management Quota System Review – Amy Simon & Austin Weiss, Parks Director
Mr. Weiss thanked Amy and her staff. The Pride of Aspen has been on everyone’s radar for quite some
time. We’ve been working on opportunities to preserve parts of Shadow Mountain, and this is a great
opportunity. We can sterilize a very large portion of Shadow Mountain and make connections we’ve
only dreamt about for a very long time. The Open Space Board has voted to support this unanimously.
Mr. True said there are several contingencies that will come up, including a contract for the conveyance
of the property itself. It cannot be conveyed without a final contract that will come to you eventually
and a vote, including these ordinance approvals. The way we have structured this is that you are
referring this to the vote, the same way Lift 1 was done.
Ms. Simon said this is a 7500 sq foot lot zoned R6, currently owned by Bob Olson. She showed his lot on
screen and showed a view from the street. She showed an image of the Pride of Aspen parcel. You can
see a significant difference in size of these properties. This will be reviewed as a planned development.
They are proposing a landscape easement. The single-family dwelling is 7500 square feet, and they
would like to gain 4000 square feet, resulting in a 11,500 parcel. The first ordinance encompasses what
they’d like to do in the future, and the second is describing the lot. We are recommending approval. Jeff
Haas and Jodi Edwards are also on Webex for questions.
Mayor Torre asked about the range in cash in lieu and Ms. Simon said we will provide calculations at the
next meeting. It’s a relatively small amount of money.
Council Richards asked about how much FAR they will get. Ms. Simon said by not calculating against the
slopes against the property, these are manmade slopes and would be an 80 square foot increase. 360
square feet for the single-family home could be added or 780 for a duplex. They may ask for a TDR for
the future.
5
REGULAR MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 10, 2021
Councilor Richards is going to support, but this needs to be portrayed accurately before it goes on the
ballot.
Ms. Simon clarified for Councilor Hauenstein that the applicant is not asking for a bonus on the site, but
they will have what anyone else would be able to have in a TDR. Councilor Hauenstein asked about the
vote with P&Z and Ms. Simon said it was a unanimous vote for approval.
Councilor Mesirow said he is happy to support this moving forward. All this is fine with him, but he can’t
support the cash in lieu by right.
Councilor Hauenstein said he supports Skippy on this and supports the ordinance moving forward.
Councilor Doyle thanked Skippy for bringing that to everyone’s attention and he wanted to address it as
well. He did a site visit with Haas. He said it’s too good to be true but realized people have spent more
than a million dollars to make their back yards bigger. It’s a win win for him and he fully supports it.
Mayor Torre said for second reading he has questions about fee in lieu.
Mayor Torre moved to read Ordinance #17, Series of 2021; Councilor Mesirow seconded.
Roll call vote: Doyle, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
City clerk, Nicole Henning, read the ordinance.
Councilor Doyle motioned to approve Ordinance #17, Series of 2021; Councilor Mesirow seconded.
Roll call vote: Doyle, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
Ordinance #18, Series of 2021 – 501 West Hopkins Avenue: Planned Development – Detailed Review
Councilor Richards motioned to read Ordinance #18, Series of 2021; Councilor Doyle seconded.
Roll call vote: Doyle, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
The city clerk read the ordinance.
Councilor Mesirow motioned to approve Ordinance #18, Series of 2021; Councilor Doyle seconded.
Roll call vote: Doyle, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
Ordinance #19, Series of 2021- Wheeler RETT – Sara Ott and Jim True
Ms. Ott said this is both hers and City Attorney True’s interpretation of last Tuesday’s work session
direction that is being presented for first reading for a potential ballot question on the November ballot.
The public hearing will be on the 24th of August. You may choose to continue the public hearing on the
24th to the 31st in order to provide you with additional information from polling which will begin in one
day. Mr. True said in section 6, he retained a title for a previous ballot question and is his mistake. If you
move on first reading, you can amend it by deleting that phrase.
Mayor Torre said thank you. This was put into high gear, and he appreciates all the staff time and energy
and navigating the rapids going on around this question. It’s of high interest to this community. This may
be the cleanest language we could use for this question. You did a really great job of turning this around.
6
REGULAR MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 10, 2021
Councilor Mesirow motioned to read Ordinance #19, Series of 2021. Roll call vote: Doyle, yes;
Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
The city clerk read the ordinance.
Councilor Richards echoed her thanks. She said starting from the 4th line from the bottom, it doesn’t
sound like it’s saying arts in general, but more focused on the Red Brick. This should be clarified more
before next time so it’s fair.
Councilor Mesirow said Rachel’s intent is what he is also supporting.
Councilor Hauenstein said at second reading he wants discussion on the advantage for the Red Brick and
the Isis.
Ms. Ott said this question doesn’t authorize to pay the debt on the Isis, but it makes room in the general
fund to pay that debt.
Councilor Hauenstein motioned to approve Ordinance #19, Series with the amendment mentioned;
Councilor Mesirow seconded. Roll call vote: Doyle, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes;
Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
Councilor Mesirow motioned to adjourn; Councilor Doyle seconded. Roll call vote: Doyle, yes;
Hauenstein, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried.
______________________________
City Clerk, Nicole Henning