HomeMy WebLinkAboutInnsbruck Suites Conceptual HPCHAAS LAND PLANNING, LLC
• 201 N. MILL STREET, SUITE 108 • ASPEN, COLORADO • 81611 •
• PHONE: (970) 925-7819 • FAX: (970) 925-7395 •
February 20, 2004
Mrs. Amy Guthrie
Historic Preservation Planner
130 South Galena Street
Aspen, CO 81611
RE: 233 West Main Street (Innsbruck Inn) Conceptual Application
Dear Amy:
Please consider this letter and the accompanying plan sets to constitute a formal request for approval of a conceptual development for the above-captioned property. The applicants,
Innsbruck Suites Development, LLC, recently purchased the Innsbruck Inn, which is located within the Main Street Historic District. The applicants desire to remodel and renovate the
Inn for use as a fractional ownership lodge.
Project Site & Neighborhood (Existing Conditions)
The existing conditions of the Innsbruck Inn property and improvements are depicted in the site plan, floor plans and architectural elevations provided in Exhibit 2 attached hereto,
and should be referred to while reviewing this section of the application.
The subject property is legally described as Lots A through E, Block 52, City and Townsite of Aspen. It is located at 233 West Main Street, which is on the south side of Main Street
at the corner of South Second Street. The site is zoned Office with Lodge Preservation and Historic District Overlays (O/LP/H). In total, the site is 15,000 square feet in area (150’
x 100’). The existing structure is served by all major utilities and contains thirty-three units, including sixteen on the ground floor and seventeen on the second level.
The Innsbruck Inn is not currently included on the City of Aspen Inventory of Historic Sites and Structures (the Inventory). However, the remodel and expansion of the Inn is subject
to Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) review by virtue of its location within the Main Street Historic District.
The site fronts on Main Street, is just two blocks north of the City’s Ice Garden, two blocks west of Paepke Park, just over two blocks north of Little Cloud Park, and approximately
four blocks west of Aspen’s commercial core. Public transportation is readily available on Main Street, and provides access to all four ski areas and virtually any location in the
Roaring Fork Valley. The Music Tent is only a few blocks’ walk to the northwest. The location of the site is illustrated on the Vicinity Map below.
Vicinity Map – Innsbruck Inn, 233 W. Main Street
The Innsbruck Inn is accessed directly from Main Street, South Second Street, and the alley along the rear of the property. The site is essentially flat, with no significant slopes,
and includes some mature vegetation (trees and shrubs). Most vegetation associated with the site actually surrounds the property, but is located within the abutting rights-of-way.
There is a fenced swimming pool and spa area in the northwest corner of the property, at the junction of the two surrounding street rights-of-way. There is a gravel parking area accessed
directly from Main Street, and it is located between the fenced swimming pool area and the building’s northeast wing. Another gravel parking area extends the length of the property
along the alley frontage; this parking area extends into the alley right-of-way pursuant to an existing encroachment permit.
The Innsbruck Inn structure is two stories in height and consumes the majority of the lot. The building design contains elements of the “Mountain Chalet” style, but does not fit neatly
within the category due mainly to the prominent arched window forms in the Main Street facing gable end portion of the structure. The architectural style/building type has been described
in City of
Aspen records as “Modern Movements: Novelty.” The primary exterior building material is stucco with synthetic roofing.
Architecturally, the existing Innsbruck Inn structure is made up of a series of volumes dominated by a long, flat-roofed structure running the length of the site (east/west) with a wing
(facing Main Street) returning to the street on the east end. A central, low-pitched gable volume sits in the center of the long structure, and is the focal point of and main entry
to the Inn. The central volume which is, again, the focal point of the Inn has three bays marked by three arched openings on the upper level and two arched openings flanking a square
opening on the ground level. The central square opening on the ground level is in-filled with two large windows; otherwise, the openings are uninterrupted. All of the openings are
aligned vertically. The central volume roof overhang is supported by the extension of beams that reinforce the bay spacing. The remainder of the building has balconies with decorative
wood cut-out railings running the length of the façade and deep overhangs creating a dark background which helps to offset the central stucco volume.
Horizontally proportioned windows grouped with doors create a repetitive pattern across the façade. Also, the balcony level is accessed by stairs oriented parallel to the façade, and
the stairs maintain similar cut-out wood detailing to that found on the balconies. These two flights of stairs flank the central volume. The Main Street facing wing on the eastern
end of the building has a similar pattern accented by cut-out wood detailing on the rails of the balcony serving the two upper units and stairs on the west wall. An arched chimney
cap rises above the west side of the central volume roof.
With regard to setbacks, the existing building sits just slightly more than four feet from the easterly property line, five feet from the northerly property line, almost fifteen feet
from the westerly property line, and almost fourteen feet from the southerly property line. The building on the adjoining property to the east maintains a fence and chimney encroachment
(both approximately one foot) onto the subject lot. The fence around the swimming pool area on the subject site resides on the north and west property lines (i.e., no setback).
Parking for the Innsbruck Inn is located primarily in the two aforementioned gravel areas, in front and in back of the Inn. Approximately six (6) off-street parking spaces are located
in the gravel area at the front of the Inn, in a “head-in” configuration. Along the alley frontage, there are approximately twelve (12) more off-street spaces, of which two (2) are
parallel to the alley and ten (10) are angled, “head-in” spaces. Because the angled spaces along the alley encroach into the right-of-way and do not fit entirely within the property
boundaries, the City has determined that the spaces do not all count toward the total number of existing on-site parking spaces. Instead, while the City has allowed continued usage
of the encroaching parking spaces, it has decided that the effective number of existing parking spaces on-site is a function of that which could be fit completely within the property
boundaries if converted from angled spaces to parallel spaces. As parallel parking, a total of six (6) spaces could be fit within the property boundaries, along the alley. Combined
with the six (6) spaces in front of the building, the Innsbruck Inn effectively maintains a total of twelve (12) on-site parking spaces for its thirty-three (33) units, providing a
ratio of 0.36 off-street parking spaces per bedroom.
The existing lodge site contains approximately nine significant aspen trees scattered over its grounds, with the majority (7) of these located behind the building. There are also three
significant spruce trees, two on the front part of the property and one on the South Second Street side. A good deal of mature landscaping is located in the rights-of-way between the
property and the streets. The fenced swimming pool area at the northwest corner of the site is largely screened by mature trees that are along its two sides visible from the street.
There is a five foot wide concrete sidewalk along the Main Street frontage, with a three foot wide parkway strip between the sidewalk and the curb. Similarly, a four foot wide concrete
sidewalk runs the length of the South Second Street frontage, and this sidewalk, too, is detached from the curb.
All major utilities, including water, sewer, electric, natural gas, telephone, and cable television are currently in place and serve the existing structure. Mains for these utilities
are located in the surrounding Main Street, South Second Street, and alley rights-of-way. There is a public park two blocks to the west, and public park/open space two plus blocks
to the south. West Hopkins Avenue, half a block to the south, serves as a designated bicycle and pedestrian corridor, providing connections to the downtown commercial core, and the
Marolt Open Space. A connection to the public trails system is available at the end of South Fourth Street, two to three blocks away from the project site.
Surrounding properties include the Aspen Mountain Lodge to the west (across Second Street); the Christmas Inn to the north (across Main Street); a tall two-story single-family residence
next door to the east; and, two lots with two single-family residences on each (four residences total) across the alley to the south. Facing Main Street on the same block as the Innsbruck
Inn, there is the Inn, itself, a tall two-story gable end Victorian residence, and another two-story Victorian residence. On the other side of Main Street, between Second and First
Streets, there is the two- to three-story Christmas Inn, a two-story
commercial/office building, a 2.5 story multi-family residential structure; and the 2.5 story Tyrolean Lodge.
The property next door and to the east of the Innsbruck Inn takes vehicular access to a two-car surface parking area from Main Street. Parking for the Christmas Inn (across Main Street)
is located along the Second Street side of the building in a head-in configuration. The 2.5 story multi-family residential structure next door to the Tyrolean Lodge also maintains
a driveway off Main Street to access the surface parking area behind the building. Similarly, the Aspen Mountain Lodge, across Second Street from the Innsbruck Inn, maintains a driveway
with an architectural entry feature to access its surface parking area from Main Street.
In total, the surrounding uses include a mix of lodges, offices, and duplex, single-, and multi-family residential. The architectural styles used on the surrounding buildings vary as
much as their uses. Specifically, the architectural styles associated with the adjacent properties can be described as follows: Victorian to the east; motor court lodge to the west;
rustic to the northwest; Austrian chalet to the north; “Traditional” and 50s plywood modern to the north by northeast and south; and modern Adirondack to the southwest. Roof forms
vary from flat and shed roofs (Aspen Mountain Lodge, 210 West Main Street, the residences to the south, etc.) to mansard (Tyrolean Lodge) and steeply pitched roofs (the single-family
residences to the east and the rustic log home to the northwest). The surrounding structures range in height from one to two-and-one-half (1-2.5) stories above grade, with a portion
of the Christmas Inn being three stories.
Background
The Historic Preservation Commission (hereinafter the “HPC”) reviewed and approved an expansion to the westerly side of the Innsbruck Inn. The expansion was to include a subgrade one-bedroom
employee dwelling unit, two lodge units on the ground floor, and two lodge units on the second floor. The same plan received Minor PUD and GMQS Exemption approvals from City Council
pursuant to Ordinance Number 24, Series of 2002. The approvals remain valid and their vested rights extend through August 12, 2005. Copies of the approval documents and the approved
plans are attached hereto as Exhibit 3.
Ordinance Number 24, Series of 2002, essentially approved an addition with a footprint of just under 745 square feet to the west side of the existing structure, to include: a one-bedroom
employee dwelling unit below grade; two new lodge units on the ground level; and, two new lodge units as well as new
decks on the second floor. The room count was to go from the thirty-three existing lodge rooms to thirty-seven lodge rooms and one employee dwelling unit, for a net gain of four lodge
units and an employee dwelling unit. No additional parking was to be provided. (See Existing Approvals, Approved Plans, Exhibit 3.)
The approved project also included the following dimensional requirements established as part of the PUD review:
Minimum Lot Size: 6,000 square feet.
Minimum Lot Area per Dwelling Unit: No requirement.
Maximum Allowable Density: One lodge or residential bedroom per 390 square feet of lot area.
Minimum Lot Width: 60 feet.
Minimum Front Yard: 5 feet for the building; 0 feet for the existing swimming pool fence.
Minimum Side Yard: 4.5 feet for the building1; 0 feet for the existing swimming pool fence.
Minimum Rear Yard: 13.5 feet for the building; 0 feet for the existing railroad tie retaining wall.
Maximum Site Coverage: No requirement.
Maximum Height: 25 feet.
Minimum Distance Between Buildings: 10 feet.
Minimum Percent Open Space: No requirement.
Trash Access Area: Per Final PUD Plans.
Allowable External Floor Area Ratio (FAR): 0.9:1 exclusive of basement; 0.95:1 inclusive of basement addition.
Allowable Internal FAR: Per Final PUD Plans.
Minimum Off-Street Parking Spaces: 0.31 spaces per bedroom (12 spaces and 38 bedrooms, including the one employee housing bedroom).
1: The 4.5 foot side yard setback was for the building’s walls on the west side, but the second floor decks and the roof overhang were to extend to within half a foot (0.5’) of the west
side property line.
The applicants do not desire to use the existing, valid approvals. Rather their intention is to amend those approvals as described in the following section of this application. The
proposed amendment contemplates a similar expansion along with remodeling and renovating the Inn for use as a fractional ownership lodge. It is being assumed that the dimensional requirements
adopted with the existing approvals are considered acceptable for the subject site, but the applicant will re-establish the applicable dimensional requirements for the site with minor
changes as part of the subsequent PUD amendment process.
The Proposal
The proposal is graphically illustrated on the site plan, floor plans and architectural elevations provided on the following pages. The existing conditions plans are provided in Exhibit
2, and the previously approved plans are provided in Exhibit 3, both for purposes of comparison with the proposed plans.
The applicant proposes to remodel and expand the Innsbruck Inn for use as a fractional ownership lodge. The expansion would involve the area previously approved for expansion, albeit
with revised usage of the new space, as well as a newly proposed addition on the northwest side to mirror the existing northeast wing. The result will be a “U-shaped” structure with
a pool and landscaped courtyard in the center of the “U.”
As mentioned above, the approved addition to the west side of the building had a footprint of just under 745 square feet, and was to include: a one-bedroom employee dwelling unit below
grade; two new lodge units on the ground level; and, two new lodge units as well as new decks on the second floor. While this proposal continues to provide the same structural addition,
the space will be used differently than previously envisioned, as explained below. Further, the approved addition will be only part of the total addition made to the westerly side
of the Inn, also as more completely detailed below.
The existing ground level lobby and second floor breakfast room will be converted to unit space. The lobby space will be moved to the ground level of the northwest corner of the lodge,
in the front half of the expanded space. The second floor of the northwest corner expansion will provide space for a multiple use room to accommodate breakfasts, meetings, and the
similar. The expanded space on the west side of the existing structure will provide for additional lodge room area. The applicant will underpin the entire lodge and excavate a basement
to provide mechanical, storage, and service spaces. A basement will also be excavated under the new northwesterly addition (below the new lobby) to provide an apartment for employee
housing.
With the creation of a “U” shaped landscaping and swimming pool courtyard, the existing vehicular parking area in front of the Inn will be eliminated. The approximately six parking
spaces to be eliminated are proposed for replacement with six publicly accessible head-in parking spaces along the
east side of the South Second Street right-of-way. It is felt that this part of the proposal not only provides many benefits, but should be a high priority that the City should do what
it can to facilitate for the reasons explained in the two ensuing paragraphs.
First, the proposal eliminates the Main Street curb-cut and parking area. The existing ingress/egress situation and the vehicular movements it necessitates are a public safety concern
and simply dangerous. That is, the existing parking area results in unsafe vehicular turning movements off of and backing movements onto Main Street. Also, the Main Street fronted
parking area is inconsistent with the character and purpose of the Main Street Historic District, not to mention its deleterious visual affects on the entrance to Aspen.
Finally, there is ample precedent for head-in parking in the public rights-of-way alongside lodges (or one-time lodges) that front on Main Street. The Christiania, The Christmas Inn,
Hotel Aspen, The Tyrolian, The Molly Gibson, and the Ullr are all examples, as are various other properties along Main Street (Aspen Orthopedics, etc.). Since all these examples exist,
it is accurate to say that such use is consistent with the character of the Main Street Historic District and has never been considered a safety issue/concern. The trade-off of eliminating
the existing access and parking area on Main Street is an obvious benefit, and the use of South Second Street for head-in parking represents a true win-win solution.
Before explaining how the interior of the existing space gets remodeled, it is necessary to understand that the existing Inn consists of traditional back-to-back lodge rooms, where each
contains a bedroom and a bathroom, but no kitchen facilities or living space. In the case of the Innsbruck Inn, the rooms are back-to-back in the sense that half are accessed from
the rear of the building and half are accessed from the front, with a common wall running down the center of the building to separate the front and rear units (see existing conditions
floor plans, Exhibit 2). The applicant will combine the back-to-back rooms into suites that span from the front to the rear of the building. Each new suite will include two lock-off
bedrooms in the rear half of the building, and the space formerly occupied by two lodge rooms in the front half will be converted to a kitchen, living and dining space.
Architecturally, the building’s basic Chalet-style and form will not be changed. Although a new roof will be built to replace the existing one, the pitch, eave heights, and overall
form will remain. Basically, the character of the exterior is merely being updated with the introduction of different materials and replacement of certain outdated features. All windows
will be replaced but the
location and size of fenestration will not be significantly altered. The rough openings of the windows will simply be extended further toward the ground. The wood cut-out railings
will be replaced as well, and stone wainscoting will be introduced around the base of the entire building. All stucco will be replaced in kind, and wood shingles will be added in the
narrow gable ends on the east and west sides.
The central volume facing Main Street will maintain its three bays; however, the arched openings on the upper level and two arched openings flanking a square opening on the ground level
will be replaced and remodeled. Also, the central volume will be accentuated and anchored by architecturally disguised stair towers on each of its two sides. The stair towers will
feature gable ends and stone bases. The remodeled central volume will include three rectangular openings replacing the glass-enclosed ground level openings of the existing structure.
The arched windows on the second floor of the central volume will be replaced with rectilinear window forms, the middle of which will be taller than the flanking windows and will peak
on the top to match the angle of the low gable end roof eave above. The openings of the central volume will continue to be aligned vertically, and the central volume roof overhang
will continue to be supported by the extension of beams that reinforce the bay spacing.
The Proposal Relative to the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines (for review of conceptual application)
The Innsbruck Inn is not currently included on the City of Aspen Inventory of Historic Sites and Structures (the Inventory). That is, the building is not considered a historic resource.
However, the remodel and expansion of the Inn is subject to Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) major development review by virtue of its location within the Main Street Historic
District.
The only applicable review standard for Conceptual Review of a Major Development project is a determination of consistency with the City of Aspen Historic Preservation Design Guidelines
(hereinafter “the Guidelines”). Accordingly, the following portion of this application demonstrates adequate consistency with a sufficient number of relevant guidelines, as called
for in italicized print on the very first page of the Guidelines. Specifically, the Guidelines state that,
…not every guideline will apply to each project, and some balancing of the guidelines must occur on a case-by-case basis. The HPC must determine that
a sufficient number of relevant guidelines have been adequately met in order to approve a project proposal.
Conceptual Review focuses on the height, scale, massing, and proportions of a proposal. The plans associated with the existing approvals were found by the HPC to be consistent with
the Guidelines. Given that the current proposal maintains the exact height and similar massing, scale and proportions as those presented in the HPC-approved plans, it follows that
the current proposal should be found consistent with the Guidelines.
The proposal is not only consistent with the character of the existing Innsbruck Inn and surrounding structures, but also enhances the property’s consistency and compatibility with the
character of the Main Street Historic District. The following narratives demonstrate consistency with those Guidelines applicable to the subject proposal.
Chapter 1 of the Guidelines addresses the streetscape and lot features. The policy statement of this chapter explains that, “Historic landscapes and landscape elements that remain intact
should be preserved. Additions to the landscape should be compatible with the historic context or the district…” The majority of the subject site is sparsely landscaped and dominated
by hard surfaces such as the building, parking areas, concrete walks, and a swimming pool area (please refer to Existing Conditions Site Plan, Exhibit 2). Most landscaping (i.e., trees)
is located alongside the swimming pool area but in the public rights-of-way. The proposed parking area changes will require removing a few of these trees (and mitigation). A specific
landscape plan will be reviewed as part of the PUD amendment process and the Final HPC approvals. The applicant will replace and provide street trees in the manner desired by the Parks
Department. Also, please refer to the section of this application entitled “The Proposal” for further explanation of streetscape and lot feature changes.
Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the Guidelines address historic building materials, historic windows, historic doors, historic porches, historic architectural details, historic
roofs, historic secondary structures, historic building relocations and foundations, and additions to historic buildings, respectively. Since the subject building is not historic,
the Guidelines of these Chapters are not applicable. Similarly, Chapter 11 deals with new buildings on landmark properties and does not apply.
Chapter 12 of the Guidelines is called “Design in the Main Street Historic District” and is the section of the Guidelines most applicable to the current proposal. The Policy of Chapter
12 explains that,
Creative solutions that are compatible with the historic mining character of the Main Street Historic District are strongly encouraged, while designs that seek to contrast with the existing
context simply for the sake of being different are discouraged. This will help to protect the established character of the district, while also allowing new, compatible design.
The existing Innsbruck Inn is not compatible with the historic mining character of the Main Street Historic District. Instead, the Innsbruck Inn is described as being consistent with
the Modern Movements, Novelty style that is more reminiscent of Aspen’s development as a ski resort (long after the mining era bust). Architecturally, the building’s basic Chalet-style
and form will not be changed.
Although a new roof will be built to replace the existing one, the pitch, eave heights, and overall form will not be changed. All windows will be replaced but the location and size
of fenestration will not be significantly altered. The wood cut-out railings will be replaced as well, and stone wainscoting will be introduced around the base of the entire building.
All stucco will be replaced in kind, and wood shingles will be added in the narrow gable ends on the east and west sides.
The proposed changes to the central volume facing Main Street are described in detail in the section of this application entitled “The Proposal,” and said section should be referred
to. Overall, the proposal will maintain the three bays of the central volume; however, the arched openings on the upper level and two arched openings flanking a square opening on the
ground level will be replaced by rectilinear fenestration groupings. The openings will continue to be aligned vertically, and the central volume roof overhang will continue to be supported
by the extension of beams that reinforce the bay spacing. Also, the central volume will be accentuated and anchored by architecturally disguised stair towers on each of its two sides.
Basically, the exterior character of the Innsbruck Inn is merely being updated with the introduction of different materials and replacement of certain outdated features. The building
form, height, scale, massing, and proportions will be maintained while its overall appearance is updated with a materials palette similar to but much simpler than that found on the
redeveloped Christiania Lodge property. The addition on the northwest corner will provide balance to the structure by mirroring the existing northeast wing of the building. The proposed
design will be readily distinguishable as a product of its own time
while providing compatibility with the established character of the Main Street Historic District.
The Guidelines of Chapter 13 are not applicable as the project site is not in the Commercial Core Historic District. For the most part, the Guidelines of Chapter 14 are more applicable
to Final reviews than they are to Conceptual reviews. Nevertheless, the project is and will be found consistent with Chapter 14’s general guidelines addressing such topics as accessibility,
color, lighting, on-going maintenance, and treatment of mechanical equipment, service areas, driveways and parking.
With regard to the proposed vehicular access changes, the existing curb cut on Main Street will be eliminated, as explained in detail in “The Proposal” section of this application, above.
The existing swimming pool area, which is incompatible with the character of the historic district, will be removed. The new head-in parking spaces off South Second Street provide
not only a fair trade off for the changes to the Main Street side, but also a significant upgrade in terms of aesthetics, safety, and consistency with the character of the historic
district.
In total, the project is consistent with the HPC Design Guidelines. There are a limited number of policies and guidelines that are directly applicable to this proposal; nevertheless,
the proposal is consistent with the predominance of those goals and policies that are applicable. Moreover, the proposal is consistent with the character of the existing Innsbruck
Inn, the surrounding structures, and the Main Street Historic District.
We hope the information and responses provided prove helpful in your review, and we look forward to working with you toward approving this application. If you should have any questions
or desire any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours truly,
Haas Land Planning, LLC
Mitch Haas, AICP
Principal
Cc: Jeffrey Halferty, Architect
Innsbruck Suites Development, LLC, Applicant/Owner
c: My Documents/City Applications/City Applications/Innsbruck/Innsbruck Suites Conceptual HPC