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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.19891116Continued Meeting Aspen City Council November 16, 1989 Mayor Stirling called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. with Councilmembers Gassman, Peters, and Crockett present. Mayor Stirling said the purpose of the continued meeting is to discuss the ruling of Judge Ossola as well as a letter from Council to the planning office regarding the invalidation of Resolution ##29, Series of 1988. Councilman Peters moved that Council go into executive session with representatives of the Hadid Aspen Holdings for the purpose of discussing issues revolving around Judge Ossola's decision invalidating the Aspen Mountain PUD approval; seconded by Council- man Gassman. John Sarpa, representing Hadid Aspen Holdings, agreed it is appropriate to move into executive session. Sarpa said when Council and the applicants are touching upon land use matters, the discussion should be made public. Councilman Peters agreed land use discussions should be in public; however, the legal ramifica- tion of decision involving lawsuits should be done in executive session with attorney/client privilege. All in favor, motion carried. Council went into executive session. Councilman Gassman moved to close the executive session at 12:05 p.m.; seconded by Councilman Peters. All in favor, motion carried. Mayor Stirling moved that Council not consider the issue of the invalidation of Resolution #29 at this meeting and to honor the request made by Hadid Holdings for the stay and not take any action on the invalidation of Resolution #29 stop work order; seconded by Councilman Crockett. Councilman Peters said he will not support this unless it is specifically set for November 27th. Sandy Stuller, city attorney's office, said Council can agree to put this on the agenda for November 27 and then decide based on circumstances at that time. Mayor Stirling amended his motion to place this on the agenda for November 27; seconded by Councilman Crockett. All in favor, motion carried. Councilman Peters moved to direct staff to prepare Resolution 29 in ordinance form and consider it on first reading on the 27th of November; seconded by Councilman Gassman Councilman Peters asked if there is a possibility that Resolution 29 could be amended by the applicant before it is presented in 1 Continued Meeting Aspen City Council November. l6, 1989 ordinance form. Ms. Stuller said the city will have to take forward the application as presented by the applicant unless he would like it amended. Ms. Stuller said Council can consider this at the time of first reading. All in favor, motion carried. Councilman Gassman moved to adjourn at 12:15 p.m.; seconded by Councilman Peters. All in favor, motion carried. ~^ ~ ~ ~ ~' Kathryn S Koch, City Clerk 2 Town Meeting November 16. 1989 Mayor Stirling, Councilmembers Tuite, Gassman, Peters and Crockett convened at the Wheeler Opera House to discuss the city's goals. Mayor Stirling said these goals are a way the Council can be measured. Councilman Crockett said he felt there was a lack of direction for the Council; the Council was totally reactive without vision or focus of where the city was going. The Council agreed they should be doing some long range planning. Councilman Crockett said the goals statement is a living document, which can reflect the changes in the community. Councilman Peters said the purpose of the goals statement is to help Council keep their focus, and to turn the general, statements into real, measurable performance criteria. Councilman Peters said he is committed to keeping a sense of community, which is real, tangible, energetic and humorous. Councilman Peters said the goals statement is a way of articulating what makes Aspen and what he would like to preserve. Christopher Bigley complimented Council on making this opportunity to bring the community together. Bigley requested that Council keep their ears open also on Monday nights. Councilman Crockett said it is a fair expectation for the community to remind Council when they fall short of the goals and to keep Council on track. Dawn Keating, Sierra Club, told Council the goals are great. She would like to see more of the ecological bill of rights, recently passed by Council, worked into the goals. Ms. Keating said the ecological bill of rights needs help getting worked into the land use code. Councilman Peters said the goals and the ecological bill of rights are both generic. Councilman Peters said the challenge now is to get into specifics on both of these documents. Council- man Peters said Council needs help generating those specifics. Dick Tuck asked if Council has a solution to the Ritz Carlton hotel problem. Mayor Stirling said Council is not going to process a stop work order on the site. Council has scheduled first reading of an ordinance for November 27th to respond to Judge Ossola's decision. Mayor Stirling said he is concerned about the bulk and mass of the hotel, the number of units in the hotel, and that there is not enough affordable housing provided in the application. Councilman Peters said Council has decided to open the public process on the Aspen Mountain PUD. Councilman Peters said the hotel is too large and the housing impacts are enormous and have not been mitigated. Councilman Gassman pointed out the city is a defendant in a lawsuit with Hadid. What the Council is doing now is not their idea; Council was ordered by the court to take the hotel back through the process. Jon Busch said Council's goals are wonderful. Busch suggested the city should be looking at more hydroelectrical development in the valley. Busch said hydropower is economically sound and can be completely energy independent. Councilman Tuite said during the budget sessions, Council gave direction to staff to pursue 1 Town Meeting November 16, 1989 hydropower. Councilman Peters said hydropower serves two ecologi- cal goals; it provides a clean energy source, and with a hydro installation on a river, minimum stream flows can be guaranteed. These protect the stream and the fish and wildlife. Councilman Tuite said RFTA is trying to bring.in a compressed gas bus, which is the least polluting. The staff is also looking at this for city vehicles. Al Meyer said a lot of citizens are concerned about the Ritz hotel. Meyer commended Council on their goals. Meyer said there is room for negotiation in which this should go ahead. It's a blight on the community. Bill Martin supported what was just said. Martin reminded Council the previous Council voted for the Ritz , and there is a hole in the ground. To start reducing it in size may be a very critical decision. Martin said the life blood of a city is the economic viability of the businesses that generate jobs for people who make up that city. Martin said nowhere in the goals is there a statement that economic viability in this community is the concern of Council. Martin said if Council adopts these goals without an economic goal and Council creates an economic environ- ment that causes a decay of the inner city, the Council is not being responsible to the citizens. Councilman Crockett said if Council continues to permit the deterioration of the quality of life in Aspen, they will be strangling the goose. Councilman Crockett said the goals are trying to protect the uniqueness of Aspen and to insure the economic viability. Councilman Gassman said it is inherent in the goals statement that a lot of these goals will take money and if the city does not have a reasonable economy, the Council will not be able to achieve what they want. Dan Arrow commended Council for not putting any mention of business in the goals. Arrow said other resorts wish they had a real community like Aspen. Arrow said Council's responsibility should not be to increase retail sales . Arrow said if Aspen preserves the community and sense of spirit, Aspen will continue to succeed. Mayor Stirling said the goals imply stimulating a viable economy Richard Compton said the goals will help the city to keep one eye on the bigger picture. Compton said the first duty is to maintain the integrity of the community. Compton said the city has to look at what kind of development enhances the community and what kind of development destroys it. Compton said the city needs to maintain the feeling of participation of citizens in all areas. Councilman Crockett said goal number 2 is to limit speculative growth and encourage growth that will reinforce the sense of community. Councilman Crockett said Council might have left out a goal to re-direct energy in a positive way that supports the community and the community's goals. Steve Goldenberg said there is a growing drug and alcohol problem nationally as well as in Aspen. Goldenberg said he would like to 2 Town Meetinct November 16, 1989 see added to goal #8 some comment to express the fact that Council would support financially education or whatever is required to combat drug and alcohol abuse in Aspen. Mayor Stirling said at the budget hearing today, Council agreed to fund an officer for the Drug Abuse Rehabilitation and Education program. The city also has a grant from the state for a DUI officer; Council gives a grant to ASAP and has increased funding to human services. Councilman Gassman said Council should discuss and consider funding for youth activities. Les Holst said everyone has the same concerns and the community needs to get more aggressive with communication. Holst said he feels there are too many goals. Holst suggested after town meetings there should be a citizens group which would get Council a report in 30 days to get more response coming in from the community. Councilman Crockett said Council tried to get the goals to a manageable level and not leave anything out that should be addressed. Les Anderson said Council has just started this process. The real involvement comes in when Council adopts policy. Council needs to set down in writing what the policies are in order to make the goals of any value. The third step is implementation or suggested actions. Richie Cohen said this is a one-business town, a tourist community . There are certain things that are needed in the community that Council may not agree with but are essential for the continuation of Aspen as a world class resort. Cohen said Council has a responsibility to this community to maintain it as a one-business quality resort town and that their actions reflect on the com- munity. Councilman Crockett agreed this is a community and a resort and one cannot exist without the other. Councilman Crockett said the goals are the balancing act the Council is trying to achieve. Mark Kirkland said he would 1 ike Council to adopt a # 18 which would be to consistently endeavor to send a positive message to the citizens and to the visitors. Kirkland agreed the community needs to redirect the energy into a positive energy. Councilman Crockett said the goals are trying to focus on the commonalities of the community. Jeffrey Evans said he feels this goals process is very healthy. Evans said no matter how many trails are built, this will never replace the need for adequate parking in the downtown. Evans suggested Council add another goal stating they will continue to work to provide adequate and necessary parking for downtown or that Council say they will work to implement the Aspen Area comprehen- sive plan because it includes parking, trails and transportation. Evans said he would like Council add something about not adding rules and regulations which are inflationary and which affect the cost of living in Aspen. Evans said it is time for Council to start thinking about all the things they do in relation to the 3 Town Meeting November 16, 1989 inflationary effects. Councilman Peters pointed out the Council just budgeted money to re-examine the Aspen Area comprehensive plan and to update the growth management quota system. Councilman Peters agreed certain growth controls have been inflationary. Mayor Stirling said Council will now begin to develop and shape policies and implementation from these goals and from the comments at this meeting. / ~~ i~~~,~ ' a Kathryn S, Koch, City Clerk 4