HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.19860319Work Session Aspen City Council March 19l 1986
Mayor Stirling, Councilmembers Isaac and Collins started the
meeting at 5:15 p.m, to consider the Aspen Skiing Company's
application f or Little Nell SPA. P & Z has recommended precise
plan approval to Council. There are conditions addressing
architecture, site design, access circulation and parking,
geologic hazards, drainage, grading, utilities and employee
housing. Council also has to address the precise plan review
criteria, zoning regulations and any variation, the multi-year
allocation issue, rezoning of part of the site to SPA.
Mayor Stirling said Council's responsibility is to look at
the best vested interest of the overall community and to use the
SPA to maximize the benefits to the community.
Peter Forsch, Aspen Skiing Company, told Council they have
been through the process with P & Z, which has resulted in
changes to the site. The conditions of Council and P & Z have
been addressed by the applicant. Forsch told Council the
applicant feels the building of a gondola lift has great
implications for the marketability of the resort both winter and
summer. The gondola is not a condition of~ the precise plan but
it is a part of the SPA. Forsch told Council the building has
been moved off Durant street 20 feet since Council last saw the
presentation, which helps both the open space and the skier drop
off, which is entirely on the applicant's property. Another
change has been moving the service entrance from Dean street to
Spring street, which will serve both the hotel and ski area.
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Work Session Aspen City Council March 19, 1986
Forsch told Council they applicant has increased the on-site
parking from 77 to 118 spaces, which is in excess of the
recommendation of the transportation consultant. This is the
maximum number of spaces that can physically be accommodated on
site.
Bill Kane presented 3 site plans to show the initial
submission of summer 1985, the precise plan submission December
1985 , and the final plan with requested changes. Kane pointed
out the original submission has 96 rooms; the project now has 92
rooms and the commercial floor area has been reduced. Rane said
in the original plan the building was set back 6 feet from
Durant. There were reservations about visual impact and the
shading of the street, and lack of room for accommodating
vehicular drop off.
Kane showed Council the toe of the slope and that the
applicant has tried to keep the building on the more urban part
of the site rather than go up the mountain. The constraints of
the project are the hill on the south side and the need for open
space on Durant street. Kane showed the next submission which
had the building 16 feet off Durant street and have angle parking
on Durant street using public and private land. Rane said the
final plan has the building 26 feet off Durant street. The drop
off s are 100 percent on private land. There is no change to the
travel lanes of Durant street.
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Work Session Aspen Cites Council March 19, 1986
Rane said there will be a 12 foot island containing
landscaping which will screen the drop off area. Kane said the
drop off accommodates 10 parking spaces plus 4 parallel spaces on
the street. Rane said the drop off is 20 feet of travel lane so
that cars can be at the curb and cars can still travel through.
Kane said the original plan was to have delivery vehicles
use Dean street f or service deliveries to service the mountain
restaurant. Rane said Vail services its mountain restaurants
through the gondola, which eliminates the need for snowcat
traffic at the base area. Kane said the plan now is to use
Spring street for all deliveries.
Kane told Council the regrading plan has been reviewed ny
Chen & Associates, the geological consultants and Rea Ca ssins.
Kane said the depth of fill and steepness of fill has been
modified that will be physically achievable. Kane explained the
utility relocations . The pump house on Hunter street will be
relocated below street level.
Rane told Council the Skiing Company has committed to paving
the west portion of Dean street, if the lodge improvement
district is not in place when the hotel is completed. Kane said
the east wing of the hotel has been swung towards the mountain to
accommodate the service area. Forsch told Council the applicants
have worked with the Aspen Alps and the Aspen Club Lodge on this
plan and has their support for this plan. Kane said a bike trail
has been requested through the property. The location f or t he
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Work Session Aspen City Council March 19,E 1986
trail will have to be moved because of the launching mechanism
for the gondola and will go below the gondola building. The
winter cross country trail will be higher up the mountain.
Kane presented the shading on Durant street at various times
and compared to the North of Nell building. Rane showed that
Durant street will be in the sun on December 21st and the North
of Nell casts a shadow to the other side of the street. Kane
said the Hunter street intersection will be reinforced as a
pedestrian arrival point f or the mountain. Kane said the street
level of the building is set back 8 feet to visually widen the
entrance.
Kane said the Little Nell lift will be replaced with a
triple chair. Rane explained the operation of the gondola and
the uphill capacity of 2000 skiers per hour. The gondola
building will be about 2500 square feet. Larry Yaw told Council
the applicants are still collecting technical information for the
gondola building, sot he design is not fixed. Mayor Stirling
asked what the north side of the building will look like. Yaw
said one consideration is to have the entryway on the north side.
People will have to walk up about 4 feet. Yaw suggested having
glass on the north side for more interest. Yaw told Council
during the review process, the building will be designed.
Forsch pointed out that moving t he building back off the
street an additional 20 feet makes the building read as about
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Work Session Aspen Citv Council March 19. 1986
2-1/2 stories and looks to be shorter than the North of Nell
building. Yaw pointed out this parcel has an intense use and is
an edge parcel between urban and the mountain. Yaw said he has
tried to made the site respond to both the urban character and
the mountain character. Yaw pointed out the hotel entry drop off
is separated from the skier drop off. Yaw said the hotel has
been designed to give two levels of usable pedestrian space. The
traditional beer deck has been preserved and enlarged. Yaw said
the entry to the parking garage is under the building. Mayor
Stirling said he would like to see a rendering or drawing from
Little Nell looking down on the hotel.
Yaw told Council over 40 percent of the 180,000 square feet
of the project are underground. There is parking, support,
mechanical, ski area administration. There are two levels of
parking below ground using every square inch. Placing the
building 26 feet from the street will also allow a landscape
buffer between the pedestrians and the hotel. The corners have
been angled to reduce the apparent street frontage and soften the
building edge.
Yaw pointed out the roof is lower in some areas to reduce
the perceived bulk. Yaw pointed out the fireplaces are all gas
log. Yaw said the building is set on columns, which define the
pedestrian arcade on the ground level. Forsch said the gondola
lift cannot be moved any further to the west because of a
conflict with lift 5 nor any further to the east because of the
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Work Session Aspen City Council March 19. 1986
cliff face of the mountain. Forsch said they are attempting to
keep the lift as low profile as possible. Forsch told Council
the new Little Nell lift will accommodate special events, ski
school and secondary access to the Bell Mountain chair. The new
Little Nell lift won't operate until 10 a.m. because of the
forest service interpretation of uphill capacity. Forsch told
Council they are balacing this lift between skier convenience,
views, access. Council requested the applicant have a rendering
of the gondola building at a future meeting. Forsch said SPA
allows for variations; however, they have tried to stay within
the zone requirements. Forsch said the mazing area will serve
both the Little Nell lift and the gondola. Forsch said the
Little Nell terminal will be up at the top and just a bull wheel
will be at the bottom. Forsch said both the gondola and the
hotel are very ambitious projects. The Skiing Company plans to
have the gondola open in December .
Council left the work session at 7:05 p. m.
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