HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit B_SkiCo qualitative parameters1
Lift 1a Alternatives
Qualitative Criteria and Functional Requirements
Aspen Skiing Company
11-28-17
Dating to the original South Aspen Street COWOP, Aspen Skiing Company has consistently
described the design goals and qualitative criteria necessary to provide and meet ASC’s desired
ski experience, guest services, and operational necessities in the Lift 1a portal. These design
goals and criteria are:
• Provide convenient mountain access for resort guests and occupants of the area,
• Meet uphill transportation requirements and guest expectations,
• Balance mountain access and use; spread and disperse skier traffic,
• Foster repeat skiing,
• Accommodate, adequately stage and service World Cup and other race events,
• Do not impair or cause a loss of terrain,
• Maintain mountain road access,
• Provide emergency vehicle access,
• Incorporate typical skier services, as well as back-of-house operational facilities,
• Connect the bottom of the mountain to the built environment, and
• Avoid constrained, impractical or unpopular snowmaking and maintenance
requirements within a residential neighborhood.
To provide a feasible, functional ski portal and meet operational requirements, brand standards
and guest expectations, Aspen Skiing Company considers the following criteria to be functional
and qualitative requirements for lift alternatives in the South Aspen Street / Lift 1a portal.
Some requirements may be expressed as prohibitions, rendering alternatives or components of
alternatives infeasible or dysfunctional and unacceptable to Aspen Skiing Company.
1. Ski Run Width: A ski run returning to a Dean Street base terminal location must be a
minimum operational width of 66 feet edge to edge, not including any other set back
from the face of buildings and other structures. This trail width is the equivalent of
three snowcat tracks wide. ASC considers this trail width to be essential for continuous
skiing to a Dean Street terminal location, snow grooming and maintenance. Such a trail
must be unimpeded and clear of trees, shrubs, fences, equipment, the historic ski
towers and other structures or obstructions to skiing and snowcat travel, all of which
must be removed.
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2. Snowmaking, Snow Management, Maintenance and Grooming: (a) Snowmaking, snow
management, maintenance and grooming must be provided and included in each lift
location Scenario to assure adequate snow cover, in sufficient quantities and quality for
140 days of operation. In particular, a lower lift terminal location at or near Dean Street
requires snowmaking, snow management and grooming to occur in the lower 250 feet
of the ski run and must include snowmaking and storage on City property and the
Dolinsek property. (b) Snowmaking, maintenance and grooming activities generate
substantial impacts from drifting snow, noise generated by snow guns, noise generated
by snowcats, visual impacts, and other impacts associated with the activities of
mountain personnel and related ski operations, both during the day and at night. The
City, surrounding property owners and others who may be affected by such operational
impacts will have to provide ASC with acknowledgments, variances, waivers and
releases concerning such impacts, including, but not limited to relief from provisions in
the land use code and other regulations and release from complaints or claims for
nuisance and similar causes of action.
3. Skier / Pedestrian Circulation: In any alternative, sufficient space must be provided for
pedestrian and skier circulation to and from the snow, including ADA access and milling,
racking, and mazing areas sized to accommodate a 1,200 pph lift and a 10 minute maze
design capacity and/or sufficient to accommodate a 10% initial portal peak day demand
[approx. 400 skiers], while also maintaining sufficient space for on-snow lift approach,
repeat skiing and bypass skier circulation.
4. Ticketing and Guest Services: Ticketing and guest services including public restrooms,
lockers, cubbies or other guest storage [totaling approx. 1,000 – 1,500 s.f.], must be
located at or immediately adjacent to the lower lift terminal, wherever it is located.
5. Employee / Ski Patrol Operational Facilities: Base Area employee and Ski Patrol
equipment station, office and lockers [approx.. 1,500 s.f.], together with access to public
restrooms or the provision of separate Patrol restrooms [approx. 300 s.f.], must be
located on the Gorsuch site or adjacent to the mountain access road and the top of the
South Aspen Street cul de sac. Ski Patrol facilities must be directly accessible from snow
level and adjacent to the mountain access road and Emergency Service Vehicle staging.
6. Emergency Service Access and Staging: Emergency vehicle access and staging must be
located at the top of South Aspen Street, immediately accessible to snow to enable the
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transfer of injured skiers from sleds to ambulances. Ambulance staging must be located
outside of the street Right of Way and fire lane(s).
7. Mountain Access Road: The mountain access road must be maintained in any Scenario
and site plan, including both winter and summer access for wheeled and tracked
vehicles. Winter surface width for snowcat or skier use should be no less than 30’ wide.
Summer surface width should be no less than 15’ wide. Grade should not exceed 15%
slope. Vertical clearance of 14’ minimum is required. Sufficient staging and circulation
space must be maintained to: (a) turn a cat around in winter conditions, and (b) park,
unload, and transfer materials and heavy equipment to and from trucks in both winter
and summer conditions.
8. Maintenance Access: Summer vehicular and heavy equipment access must be provided
legally and physically to the lift terminal, towers, cables and other lift equipment,
wherever located, for construction, replacement, repair and other maintenance,
including on properties not owned by ASC as may be required.
9. No Surface Lift: No surface lift, such as a Poma or similar surface carrier, shall be
installed or shall such a lift be operated and maintained by ASC, which attempts or is
designed to (a) provide access to an upper lift terminal, and (b) include a separate
groomed and maintained return skiing trail in any corridor less than 66’ wide or (c) to
include a shared uphill and downhill track in the same corridor of any width, maintained
or not, requiring alternating operation.
10. No Mid-Station Terminal: No Scenario or lower lift alternative location shall include a
separate and additional mid-station terminal on the Gorsuch Haus site due to capacity
and operational redundancies, terminal size, site plan and grading impacts, spatial and
maintenance constraints, and circulation restrictions.