HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppendix C. Exhibit 5 DRAFT Ski Operations Plan1
DRAFT SKI OPERATIONS PLAN: Aspen Mountain Lift One Corridor
Aspen Skiing Company, L.L.C. (ASC) controls and operates Aspen Mountain pursuant to a Special
Use Permit granted by the US Forest Service as well as property and use rights to numerous privately
and publicly owned land parcels on Aspen Mountain. Norway Island LLC has submitted an application
seeking to develop a hospitality project known as “Gorsuch Haus” together with related ski and
hospitality operations infrastructure (the “Gorsuch Haus Application”). Lift One Lodge Aspen LLC has
submitted an application seeking to develop a hospitality project known as “Lift One Lodge” together
with related ski, hospitality, park and museum operations related infrastructure (the “Lift One Lodge
Application”). The Gorsuch Haus Application and the Lift One Lodge Application, together are
sometimes referred to as the “Lift One Corridor”.
As part of preliminary approval of the Lift One Corridor, City of Aspen Ordinance No. 39, Series
of 2016, recorded April 8, 2019 under Reception No. 655085 of the Pitkin County real property records
(“Ordinance 39”) and City of Aspen Ordinance No. 38, Series of 2018, recorded April 8, 2019 under
Receptions No. 655084 of the Pitkin County real property records (“Ordinance 38” and Ordinance 39
and Ordinance 38, collectively, the “Lift One Corridor Ordinances”) each require submission, as a part of
the Planned Development – Detailed Review, of a “Draft Ski Operations Plan”. This document is
intended to be that Draft Ski Operations Plan. As such, it represents and shall serve as a working tool
through which ASC will establish the operating plans and procedures for ski and ski lift related summer
operations throughout the Lift One Corridor, together with preliminary descriptions for how ASC’s
operations will interface with the hospitality, museum and City Parks elements of the Lift One Corridor.
Among other elements contained in the Lift One Corridor applications, and all as more fully
detailed and described in the Lift One Corridor applications and Lift One Corridor Ordinances, the Lift
One Corridor includes:
•The Gorsuch Haus hotel, for sale condominiums and ancillary facilities (“Gorsuch Haus”)
•Two Lift One Lodge buildings including fractional, for sale condominiums and ancillary
facilities, and including a separate, third structure, the relocated Skiers’ Chalet
Steakhouse functioning as a restaurant (“Lift One Lodge”)
•The ski lift running through the Lift One Corridor, and replacing the existing Lift 1A,
including a bottom terminal located on the Lift One Lodge garage structure (the new
“Lift One”)
•The repurposed Skiers’ Chalet building, used for skiers’ services operated by ASC and a
ski museum developed and operated by the Aspen Historical Society (the “Skiers’ Chalet
Building”)
•Ski patrol facilities within the underground garage structure of the Lift One Lodge (the
“Ski Patrol Area”)
•Public land functioning as a park in summer, and ski facilities including skiing, ski
circulation, milling and mazing and snow storage area in winter (“Dolinsek Gardens”)
•A 60+ foot wide path along the east side of Gorsuch Haus and between the two Lift One
Lodge buildings (the “Skiway”)
Appendix C. Exhibit 5
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• The primary front side access point to Aspen Mountain for mountain operations,
deliveries, event load-in and load-out via truck to snowcat in winter and the relocated
Mountain Access road in summer (the “ASC Staging and Delivery Area”)
WINTER OPERATIONS
Through its winter operations plan, ASC and the US Forest Service agree upon the expected
opening and closing dates for each season on an annual basis (the “Ski Season”). The Ski Season dates
are subject to change based upon snow, temperature and other weather conditions, as determined by
ASC in its discretion.
Season Preparation
• In advance of the Ski Season, ASC shall have the right to make snow, farm snow, pile
snow, store snow, create snow whales, spread, compact, groom, move, adjust and
otherwise develop a snow surface using snowmaking water lines, connections, snow
guns, snowcats, snowmobiles and other mechanical equipment and otherwise prepare
the Ski Way for the Ski Season.
• In advance of the Ski Season, ASC shall have the right to farm snow, pile snow, cause
snow to be blown on to, store snow, create snow whales, spread, compact, groom,
move, adjust and otherwise develop a snow surface using snowcats, snowmobiles and
other mechanical equipment for and to adjust the snow surface on the Dolinsek
Gardens.
• In advance of the Ski Season, ASC shall have the right to undertake such repair,
maintenance and renovation of Lift One, the Skiers’ Chalet and the Ski Patrol Area as it
determines necessary, subject to all City of Aspen construction and permitting
requirements.
Ski Season Operations
• During the Ski Season ASC shall have the right to make snow, farm snow, pile snow,
store snow, create snow whales, spread, compact, groom, move, adjust and otherwise
develop a snow surface using snowmaking water lines, connections, snow guns,
snowcats, snowmobile and other mechanical equipment and otherwise prepare the Ski
Way for the Ski Season.
• During the Ski Season ASC shall have the right to farm snow, pile snow, cause snow to
be blown on to, store snow, create snow whales, spread, compact, groom, move adjust
and otherwise develop a snow surface snow surface using snowcats, snowmobiles and
other mechanical equipment for and to adjust the snow surface on and adjust the snow
surface on the Dolinsek Gardens.
• Once snow making has ended for the Ski Season, as determined by ASC, ASC shall
continue to have the right to farm, pile, store, groom, move, adjust and otherwise
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manage the snow and snow surface snow surface using snowcats, snowmobiles and
other mechanical equipment throughout the Ski Way and the Dolinsek Gardens.
• Throughout the Ski Season, ASC shall have the right, but not the obligation to operate
Lift One and the right to use the Ski Way and Dolinsek Gardens for ski area operations
and recreational activities generally.
• Throughout the Ski Season, ASC shall have the right, but not the obligation to operate
the skier services portion of the Skiers’ Chalet.
• ASC intends to operate Lift One as one of the primary, rather than secondary lifts on
Aspen Mountain, provided that it will determine, in its good faith discretion when Lift
One will be open.
• It is ASC’s intent that the skier services portion of the Skiers’ Chalet will be open to the
public any time Lift One is operational during the Ski Season, except in unusual
circumstances, such as special events or due to employee limitations.
MOUNTAIN OPERATIONS, INCLUDING FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND SPECIAL EVENTS
• There will be an ASC Staging and Delivery Area located adjacent to and extending from the cul-
de-sac on the north side of the Gorsuch Haus. This area has been designed to accommodate
ASC’s access and staging for mountain operations, maintenance, food and beverage deliveries,
special events and related activities.
• During the Ski Season, the ASC Staging and Delivery Area will enable transfer of materials from
“on the road” to “on the snow”, with transfer from wheeled vehicles to snowcats, snow mobiles
or other over the snow mechanized vehicles.
• Outside of the Ski Season, the ASC Staging and Delivery Area will enable ASC to access the re-
routed Mountain Operations Road using wheeled vehicles.
• ASC shall have the right, from time to time, as necessary for such mountain operations,
maintenance, special events and related activities, to control all access to, on, and over the ASC
Staging and Delivery Area.
• ASC shall undertake good faith efforts to keep idling of its vehicles in the ASC Staging and
Delivery Area to a minimum taking in to consideration ASC’s operational needs and in all events
consistent with City of Aspen regulations.
• ASC shall undertake good faith efforts to keep non-essential parking and/or parking of vehicles
or storage activities within the ASC Staging and Delivery Area to a minimum taking in to
consideration ASC’s operational needs.
• ASC shall undertake commercially reasonable efforts to avoid blocking vehicular access to
Gorsuch Haus loading dock enclosure and Gorsuch Haus loading dock enclosure’s driveway
approach for any extended period of time. Additionally, ASC will undertake good faith efforts to
communicate and coordinate with the Gorsuch Haus operator regarding any potential vehicular
access blockages in advance, provided that the operator of Gorsuch Haus undertakes to do the
same, so that both entities can work to ensure operational functionality of both.
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• ASC shall have the right of vehicular and pedestrian access directly from South Aspen Street
across the plaza located between the Lift One Lodge and the Skiers’ Chalet Steakhouse to reach
the lower lift terminal of the new Lift One for purposes of ski area operations, skier access, lift
loading and material transport, and for lift maintenance, repair and replacement. Such access
will include the ability to place ski access gates, gantries or other technological means of
controlling access to the lift on such access corridor.
• ASC will undertake good faith efforts to provide the operators of Gorsuch Haus and Lift One
Lodge, at the beginning of each Ski Season, with a list of special events scheduled for each
upcoming Ski Season on Aspen Mountain, including, to the extent readily identifiable, which
events will be hosted on the Lift One Corridor side of Aspen Mountains as well as which will
have load-in and load-out impacts on the Lift One Corridor. The list of special events will include
ASC contact information.
NON-WINTER AND OTHER YEAR ROUND OPERATIONS
• ASC shall have the right, but not the obligation to operate Lift One outside of the Ski Season for
sightseeing, hiking, summer dining, and other recreational activities as it determines in its
discretion, subject to any necessary City of Aspen and Pitkin County approvals.
• ASC shall have the right, but not the obligation to operate the skiers’ services portion of the
Skiers’ Chalet outside of the Ski Season as it determines in its discretion.
• ASC shall have the right to access the Lift One Corridor outside of the Ski Season to undertake
any necessary or appropriate maintenance, repair or replacement on and of Lift One.
• ASC shall have the right to access the Ski Patrol Area outside the Ski Season as it determines in
its discretion.
CORRIDOR COORIDINATION
• ASC will undertake good faith efforts to provide a first-class on-mountain guest experience for
all visitors to the Lift One Corridor, including Gorsuch Haus guests, Lift One Lodge Guests and
ASC guests.
• ASC will undertake good faith efforts to communicate and coordinate with the operators of
Gorsuch Haus and Lift One Lodge to attempt to minimize negative impacts on the hospitality
operations, provided that the operators of Gorsuch Haus and Lift One Lodge undertake to do
the same.
• ASC shall coordinate in good faith with the City, the Aspen Historical Society, Gorsuch Haus and
Lift One Lodge to develop Lift One Corridor signage that enables guests to the Lift One Corridor
to find their way to the various elements of the Lift One Corridor.
• Notwithstanding the foregoing, ASC shall have the right in its discretion to determine and
control all elements of the ski area operations, including, without limitation, lift operations
hours (summer and winter), snow grooming hours, year round delivery, maintenance, event
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load-in and load-out planning, timing and operations etc. as it deems best and all Lift One
Corridor participants, including the City of Aspen, understand and acknowledge that functional
operation of the Lift One Corridor requires that ASC undertake certain maintenance and
operational activities, including snow making, snow grooming, lift maintenance, load in and load
out for special events and mountain operations, outside of operational hours, including during
early morning, evening and night time hours throughout the Lift One Corridor as expressly noted
in the Lift One Corridor Ordinances.
• ASC shall adhere to all laws and city ordinances in connection with the ski area operations of the
Lift One Corridor.