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HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.202207251 AGENDA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION July 25, 2022 2:30 PM, I.WORK SESSION I.A.Work Session - Cozy Point Ranch and Maroon Creek Multi-use Trail Site Visits 1 AGENDA City of Aspen, City Council Visit to Cozy Point Ranch & Maroon Creek Corridor Work session July 25, 2022 – 2:30 pm Cozy Point Ranch 210 Juniper Hill Rd 2:15 - Departure from City Hall, Rio Grande level outdoor parking area (Community Bank parking area. Please contact Matt Kuhn if transportation is needed.) 2:30 - Meet at the Camp Cabin – Austin, Matt, John and Nick -Introductions / History 3:00 – Cozy Point LLC – Patti Watson - Description and walkthrough 3:30 – Farm Collaborative – Eden Vardy - Description and walkthrough 4:00 – Current Projects – Mike Tunte & John Spiess -Grading and Drainage -Learning Center 4:30 – Future projects – Matt Kuhn & John Spiess -Riding Arena -Butler Barn -Quad and Housing Improvements 5:00 – Travel to Maroon Creek Trail 5:15 – Maroon Creek Trail Overview – John Spiess & Matt Kuhn 5:45 – Adjourn, return to City Hall 2 MEMORANDUM TO:Mayor and City Council FROM:John Spiess, Open Space & Natural Resource Manager THROUGH:Matt Kuhn, Parks and Open Space Director MEETING DATE:July 25th, 2022 RE:Cozy Point Ranch Site Visit REQUEST OF COUNCIL: The Parks and Open Space Department is seeking to provide a general overview of current Cozy Point Ranch operations, and to discuss upcoming capital projects and seek Council guidance on project prioritization at Cozy Point Ranch. SUMMARY / BACKGROUND: Cozy Point Ranch is a 168-acre City of Aspen open space property where lessees run a public equestrian operation and a farm and garden learning center, with areas of wildlife habitat, a public archery range, and historic buildings and agricultural activities. This authentic, working landscape, located at the intersection of Highway 82 and Brush Creek Road, is the gateway to the communities of Aspen and Snowmass. The City of Aspen purchased Cozy Point Ranch in 1994. Monroe Summers was contracted by the City to run the ranching operation in 2000, his leadership carried Cozy Point into the next decade including the city embarking on a management plan process that began in 2014. From this work emerged a 175-page management plan that was adopted by the City of Aspen in 2017. The overarching vision established is a broad, future oriented concept of Cozy Point Ranch that honors the land’s history and unique attributes, the community, and the goals of the City of Aspen Open Space and Trails Program: Preserving our valley’s ranching heritage and fostering ecological & community health through innovative management approaches that provide locally-grown food and enhance equestrian and agricultural operations, while connecting the community with the land. The City of Aspen amended its 2003 conservation easement for the Cozy Point Property in the spring of 2021 to reflect the values expressed by the community in the 2017 Management Plan. This revision creates a central core within the ranch from which both Lessees, the Farm Collaborative and Cozy Point LLC, can run their operations in accordance with the 2017 Management Plan. As part of the process two 3 of the three activity envelopes have been consolidated on the central portion of the ranch and their overall size has been reduced from 24 acres to 21 acres (see exhibit). Cozy Point Ranch is currently home to two lease holders, Cozy Point LLC and the Farm Collaborative. Both Leaseholders entered into 10-year lease agreements with the City of Aspen in the Spring of 2018. Cozy Point LLC, an equestrian operation, leases 45.3 acres and the Farm Collaborative leases 14.23 acres (See exhibit). The lease agreements are notably different in that Cozy Point LLC agrees to pay one half of its net profit to the City and the City assumes one half of the expenses incurred by Cozy point LLC. DISCUSSION: Current Projects Cozy Point Grading and Drainage This project addresses significant drainage and safety concerns that exist on Cozy Point Ranch due to the lack of consistent drainage infrastructure. The first phase of this project is being performed by the in- house parks construction staff, and will redirect the drainage of water around the horse paddocks and operational areas at Cozy Point Ranch during the summer of 2021 and 2022. The parking lot will be redesigned for better efficiency and increase general safety of vehicle circulation. The second phase of this project will relocate leech fields and improve the horse paddock area with new fencing and improved footing. The second phase of the project will be completed in the summer of 2023 with a hybrid mix of contracted services for large scale grading, fence construction, and utility infrastructure, while the parks construction staff will participate in final grading, irrigation, and planting. Currently this project is ongoing and is a high priority for completion, and remaining requested funding proposed in the 2023 (100 Fund) capital budget is $1,000,000. Farm Collaborative Learning Center The Farm Collaborative Learning Center will formalize the current agricultural learning activities that occur at Cozy Point today by bringing them under one roof. This educational facility will operate as a “farm park” and will host an array of school programs and community outreach events to explore methods for solving global climate challenges through local food production. This project is being completed with private funding and grants pursued by the Farm Collaborative. City staff have helped to support the extension of infrastructure as well as assisted in the permit process through Pitkin County. Future Proposed Projects Riding Arena Remodel/Replacement The Riding Arena is a 25,000 square foot steel framed structure. Visual inspection of the building indicate that the interior and exterior need an overhaul both to improve energy efficiency and appearance. A recent structural analysis of the steel indicate that members are overstressed and undersized per the current code. City Staff are still awaiting the final structural report which will indicate whether the building can be strengthened and remodeled or if a total replacement is necessary. Whether the building is replaced or remodeled, it is staffs hope that the building will have improved energy efficiency and perhaps can hold solar panels on the large south facing roof. Financials: The upcoming proposed Capital budget requests $75,000 in 2023 for architectural and permitting work that leads into $500,000 proposed for 2024 for roof replacement and energy efficiency improvements of the riding arena. Recent architectural and structural assessments indicate that the 4 buildings may not be able to support new roof assemblies as currently constructed, therefore the final number in 2024 may be subject to change as further analysis is performed. Boarding Facility Renovation The Butler barn (also known as the Boarding Facility) is 10,500 square foot horse and tack barn. The barn has seen some upgrades over the past several years to improve safety, however the original structure was designed as a private horse facility, and does not fully meet the needs as a current publicly owned horse facility. The wood framed structure is heavily used and requires consistent maintenance to maintain safe conditions. In a recent study by an architect, it was suggested that this building will need replacement in the short term because of wear and tear from the operation as well as the age of the building. Financials:This project has a proposed budget of $150,000 in 2024 with for planning, design, and permitting, and is followed by a $1 million proposed funding allocation in 2025 for construction. Wildlife Corridor Partnership Study Staff have initiated conversations with several stakeholders regarding options of improving wildlife transit in the vicinity of Cozy Point Ranch. The City is uniquely positioned to participate in this conversation, since the City owns property on both sides of Highway 82 in areas of known wildlife migration and movement. After initial conversations with Parks and Wildlife, and the Department of Transportation, the City, in partnership with the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails program, will undertake a feasibility study in 2023. Financials: This project has a proposed budget of $50,000 in 2023. Onsite Housing to support agricultural and equestrian operations: Currently Cozy Point Ranch has 4 permanent residential units onsite. These units house staff for the equestrian operation (Cozy Point LLC) and their families. There are two temporary units onsite that house 4 employees for the Farm Collaborative. In 2019 an architectural contractor (Rowland and Broughton) developed a preliminary housing master plan for the quad at Cozy Point ranch. The plan looked at replacing the two existing freestanding housing units, adding three additional units for ranch employee housing and remodeling the third pan abode as a bunkhouse. The current conservation easement allows for this type of buildout within the ‘quad’ area, however, some questions remain regarding water supply and wastewater treatment. Financials: The planning and design of onsite housing improvements at Cozy Point Ranch is proposed to begin in 2025 with $250,000 forecasted for planning and design, with implementation occurring in 2027 with a $4 million placeholder. Brush and Cougar Creek Restoration Brush Creek and Cougar Creek were both analyzed during the management plan process and identified as future projects for ecological restoration. In the interim City staff have been working with leaseholders to incrementally move operations away from the creek to achieve a 60 ft riparian buffer. The design and implementation of an extensive riparian restoration will be needed to see significant improvements in the riparian habitat and water quality. This project was originally slated for 2024 and 2025, but due to anticipated workload around the butler barn and riding arena, this has been pushed to 2026 and 2027. 5 Financials: The parks budget has identified $125,000 in 2026 and $275,000 in 2027 for design and implementation of the Cougar and Brush creek restorations. Summary and Council Discussion: Is the following proposed project prioritization and timeline consistent with the majority of Council members, or shall changes in timing and scope be made: 2023 1. Complete Grading and Drainage Project 2. Begin design and planning for Riding Arena improvements 3. Wildlife Corridor Feasibility Study 2024 1. Begin planning and design of Boarding Facility 2. Replace Riding Arena Roof (or complete structure) 3. Improve Juniper Hill Road surface (on Cozy Point Property) 2025 1. Construct new Butler Barn facility 2. Begin planning of Housing improvements 2026 1. Brush Creek and Cougar Creek restoration project 2027 2. Brush Creek and Cougar Creek restoration project 3. Housing Improvements FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPACTS: The financial and project budget impacts are discussed in the preceding discussion in-line with each project for improved project clarity. Overall, the proposed projects comprise a significant portion of the Parks Fund budget over the next 5 years. It is not anticipated that this volume of projects and expenses will extend indefinitely, and it should be noted that these projects aim to provide a stable, safe, and acceptable suite of facilities to continue the various operations at Cozy Point Ranch for the foreseeable future. By making these planned and targeted improvements, facility maintenance expenses will be buffered, reducing volatility of unforeseen maintenance tasks. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: The projects that are underway will have a positive impact on the environment. The grading and drainage project addresses critical water quality issues at the ranch and help further efforts to protect and enhance Brush Creek and Cougar Creek. Remodeling or rebuilding of the Butler barn and riding arena will generate construction waste and will require large amount of material in their reconstruction. Improvements to these structures, however, will improve energy efficiency and provide a potential location for a solar array that could produce surplus energy according to a 2016 study. 6 ALTERNATIVES: While staff have considered known variables and considerations, alternatives exist. Notably, Council could direct staff to prioritize housing improvements over improvements to the riding arena and boarding facility. This is something that staff have considered, however at this time, there are open variables around waste water treatment, and potable water systems, that staff continue to work towards long-term solutions. Staff welcome further discussion on alternatives during the site visit and work session. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: 7 Full Property Archery Range Cougar Creek Brush Creek Cozy Point South Aspen Mass OS Cozy Point Ranch Cozy Point Basics - 168 Acres - Purchased in 1994 - Open Space Designation 2003 - Conservation Easement 2003 (Ammended 2021) - Management Plan Adopted 2017 8 Activity EnvelopeCozy Point Ranch Activity Envelope A (19 acres) Activity Envelope B (2 Acres) 9 Leased Areas Cozy Point LLC Cozy Point Ranch Cozy Point LLC Cozy Point LLC Farm C. Farm C. 10 11 MEMORANDUM TO:Mayor and City Council FROM:John Spiess, Open Space & Natural Resource Manager THROUGH:Matt Kuhn, Parks and Open Space Director MEETING DATE:July 25th, 2022 RE:Maroon Creek Multi-Use Trail REQUEST OF COUNCIL: The Parks and Open Space Department is seeking to provide Council with an update and site visit regarding a large capital project that is being anticipated for 2023. SUMMARY / BACKGROUND: Maroon Creek is an important corridor for visitors and locals in the Aspen area. The current connection between the roundabout at Highway 82 and the Aspen Recreation Center is a mixture of trail, sidewalk, and roadway. While functional, the connection lacks clarity and does not provide a snow free route year-round. This coupled with concerns about school safety and the rapid adoption of ebikes has added urgency to provide a more clearly defined multi-modal trail within this corridor, and separate from the district school campus. The project aims to create a safe year-round connection between the Highway 82 roundabout and the Aspen Recreation Center. During phase 1 of the project city staff has worked with our consultant OTAK to examine potential alignments for a 10-12’ wide hard surface multi-use trail. The schematic alignment that is taking shape is generally within 30’ of the road for the entirety of the alignment with some of the segments being directly adjacent to the road platform. Through the process the city has worked with stakeholders from Pitkin County, private landowners, and the school district to understand opportunities and constraints presented by various alignments. DISCUSSION: Segment 1: Aspen Chapel to Alberta Moore Drive Segment 1 is directly adjacent to the Moore Open Space owned by Pitkin County. The trail is separated from the road with a landscape buffer for this entire segment. Originating at the Highway 82 roundabout the trail will connect to the park and ride level as well as the chapel bridge level. The trail platform in this area will generally contour through the landscape with a variety of trail construction types including retaining walls, at grade platforms and guardrail protected sections. 12 Segment 2: Alberta Moore Drive to ARC service entrance The city has been unable to secure an easement for the trail to exist on the private parcel (referred to as the S&J Parcel, or West Moore parcel). This, coupled with difficulties in developing alignments on the school district side of the Maroon Creek Rd, have led the design team to consider shifting Maroon Creek Rd. to the east so that the addition of the trail can occur within the City Right of Way. The roadway realignment would have a total length of 1,020 linear feet with an average horizontal shift of 7ft. This horizontal shift would allow the trail to fit within the right of way on the western side of the road. The trail within this segment would be directly adjacent to the roadway and separated by a 6” curb. It is important to note that current drawings are based on existing GIS linework within the city database. City staff have recently contracted with Sopris engineering for a field-based survey to verify right of way locations as well topography and utilities. The potential construction impacts of shifting the Maroon Creek road for this segment are significant, and staff are working to better understand project timelines and seek strategies to reduce the impacts of this phase of the project. Segment 3: ARC service entrance to ARC bus stop Segment 3 negotiates the tight corridor from the ARC service entrance to the ARC parking lot. The existing pedestrian connection between the ARC and the school campus will remain with the proposed Maroon Creek Trail passing underneath the wooden bridge. To accommodate both the existing trail and the proposed trail, the final segment of the wooden bridge will be rotated slightly towards the ARC and the two paths will be separated by a wall until they are connected just north of the existing bus stop. Segment 4: ARC bus stop to Highlands Trail Segment 4 connects the ARC to the Highlands Trail at the Iselin tennis courts. This portion of the trail has historically been difficult to navigate because of a lack of clarity and the multiple uses that converge at this point including through traffic, parking, the bus stop and pedestrians entering and leaving the facility. The proposed alignment moves the pathway to the east side of the parking lot which will separate ARC users from trail through-traffic. The difficulty in this location is maintaining existing parking as well as limiting impact to the landscape buffer. To fit the trail within this area the design suggests reducing the parking stall lengths by 2 ft and using wheel stops to prevent bumper overhang on the trail. This would change the 26 existing spots on the eastern edge of the parking lot to ‘compact’ parking spots. After crossing the entrance to the ARC parking lot the trail will follow and alignment that is closer to the road and connects to the new design for the Iselin tennis courts. FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPACTS: The contract for the design, planning and engineering of the Maroon Creek Multi Use-Trail is included in the 2021 Parks (100) Fund Capital Project Budget, as project 50964 Maroon Creek Road Trail. The contract amount for the completion of Phase 1 of the Maroon Creek Multi Use Trail is $122,530. An additional $150,000 is appropriated in the 2022 budget, and these funds will be used for the remainder of the project survey, and construction documents. An opinion of probable cost was submitted by OTAK in June of 2022 that anticipates a total project cost $3,964,704 and staff have proposed a $4 million budget line in 2023 for construction. Staff anticipate seeking partnership funding opportunities for the construction phase. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: 13 Proposed alignments will impact currently undeveloped land adjacent to Maroon Creek Rd. Impacts will be generally limited as the trail stays within 30 ft of the existing roadway. It is anticipated that the implementation of this project will encourage the use of alternative methods of transportation within the Maroon Creek corridor. ALTERNATIVES: Council could direct staff to seek alternative timelines for construction, or to delay the project. Staff welcome discussion in-person during the site visit of the Maroon Creek multi-use trail project. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Parks and Open Space Staff recommend support for the schematic alignment developed by city staff and OTAK. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: 14 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL The Study Area 15 Trail Characteristics and Design Parameters MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Surfacing:Paved surface that will be cleared of snow in the winter Width: The trail will be a minimum of 10 ft wide to accommodate a variety of users. Grade: The trail will meet ADA accessible guidelines, including a maximum 5% grade where practical. Separation from Road: Provide safety and comfort for all user groups by providing separation from Maroon Creek Roadway where possible Minimize Impacts: Prioritize alignments that have the smallest impact on the existing conditions. Winter Maintenance Considerations: Trails that are continuous with road surface or directly adjacent to plowed surfaces are very difficult to maintain and should be avoided where possible. 16 Project Phasing MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL •Trail Layout Alternatives •Opinion of Probable Cost •Community Outreach PHASE 1:November 2021 –August 2022 •Design Development •Construction Documents PHASE 2:August 2022 –January 2023 •Construction PHASE 3:Summer 2023 17 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 1 18 Section 1 19 Section 2 20 Section 3 21 Section 4 22 Section 5 23 Section 6 24 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 2 25 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 2 Begin Road Shift End Road Shift Proposed Wall Total Length of Shift = 1,020 lf Proposed Trail Existing Road Edge Proposed Road Edge Average Shift = 7 ft 26 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 2 27 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 3 28 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 3 29 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 3 30 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 3 31 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 3 32 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 4 33 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 4 34 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Segment 4 35 MAROON CREEK MULTI-USE TRAIL Estimate 36