HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.boa.19950706 CITY OF ASPEN
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
JULY 6, 1995
4 : 00 P.M.
SECOND FLOOR MEETING ROOM
A G E N D A
I . CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
II. CASE #95-7 JOHN MCCORMICK
III. REVIEWS
A. CASE #95-2 GARY MOORE
B . CASES #91-6 & 93-16 DR. EDWARD WATSON
IV. MINUTES - APRIL 27, 1995 & MAY 18, 1995
V. ADJOURNMENT
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JULY 6, 1995
Chairman Remo Lavagnino called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m.
He requested a roll call.
Present were: Remo Lavagnino, Charlie Paterson, Ron Erickson, Jim
Iglehart, and David Schott. Excused were: Howard DeLuca and Rick
Head.
CASE #95-7
JOHN MCCORMICK
Affidavit of Posting was turned into the clerk by Mr. McCormick and
placed in the McCormick file for the Chairman.
Chairman Lavagnino stated, property is located in the AH zoning
category. Setback was determined by review that set the building
envelope. Section 3-101 Yards A (6), Aspen Land Use Code-
excavations greater than 30 inches below grade not permitted.
Applicant appears to be requesting a driveway excavation of 6 ft.
down to minimum out.
John McCormick made a brief presentation stating, basically, what
we have is a situation where the natural grade of the land was
dropped down to make a road cut. By doing that, my property comes
in on a hillside into the road. The only way to access the
property is to do a driveway cut, there is no other way to do it.
Stuart Lusk, the designer, stated the driveway would be relatively
level to the street cut, so the house is well within its setbacks,
and basically, to the north side of the driveway would be no cut,
and as you get in toward the steps that would go up to the house,
that's where it would reach about a 6 foot cut within the setback
area. So, the driveway was placed really at the only place it
could be to cause the least impact.
Erickson stated, I have a question for Bill (Drueding). Since this
is a PUD everything was pretty well set, where it got its approvals
and everything like that, why didn't the Building Department or
Planning Office pick this up at the time, that there could be a
problem with the code for driveways? Dreuding replied, I don't
have any idea, Ron. Erickson asked, are they going to have
additional lots in this subdivision? They are all on a circular
drive, a cul-de-sac? So, we can possibly have three or four of
those lots in the future? Drueding replied, right. They are
coming from building programs from May 16th. Now we have the
Design Review Committee, and they will handle whether they want
that cut there or not. So, it won't be coming back to you.
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JULY 6, 1995
Lavagnino asked if there were any public comments? Helen Klanderud
stated, I live at 1380 Riverside Drive, which is adjacent to this
development. I wasn't certain just exactly where this lot was, so
I thought I should come to see. My only concern was, because there
was an earlier issue up there which involved both the setbacks and
what was allowed at a ground level, and I can understand this
problem, just so it is not made more general and allows some other
things that I think might not be desired by other adjacent land
owners.
Lavagnino closed the public portion of the meeting.
Iglehart stated, I think he's entitled to have access to his house
and I think that's the only place he can do it.
Erickson stated, I agree.
Paterson stated, I'm O.K. with it.
Schott stated, likewise.
MOTION
Erickson stated, I move that we approve variance 95-7 for a
driveway road cut as per Planning Office memorandum. Schott
seconded. Voting commenced, vote was unanimous in favor, motion
carried.
There was discussion at random regarding the Board of Adjustment
and the Design Review Committee and Board of Appeals.
Lavagnino stated, we have some reviews before us, I'm not quite
sure why they are before us, but I would imagine it is for
clarification of variances that we gave. The first case is Gary
Moore, and if it's O.K. with you, since I excused myself last time,
I can just moderate here, but I won't comment on it.
CASE #95-2
GARY MOORE REVIEW
Lavagnino stated, did you bring this up, Ron?
Erickson stated, I talked Bill (Drueding), because Bill wasn't at
the meeting when we granted the variance. The variance was a
conditional variance and I wanted to make sure that Bill knew what
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BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JULY 6, 1995
the conditions were all about. So, I called him up and we spoke
about it and guess Mr. Moore didn't agree with my interpretation of
the conditions that we had set. So, I asked Bill to go back and
check and see the P&Z minutes and find out exactly what had
happened there. Because at the last meeting, as I remember it, it
was a tabled meeting, he came in and asked for a variance based on
a recommendation from staff to P&Z that they move the building
envelope 5 feet away from the bank. I felt that if, fine, that's
the proof he is using, if P&Z makes him move his house 5 feet, then
he has a right to a 3 ft. variance. Bill wanted some clarification
on what designated the west side of the house, because we
determined that if they made him move it 5 feet more, he had enough
land behind him that he didn't need a variance on the north side of
the house. We were already determining a variance on the east side
of the house. So, where does it become westside? That was one of
the complications, and two, what was the condition that we set on
him before he was granted a 3 foot variance?
Drueding stated, Stan Clauson, my supervisor, read this (minutes),
went over the building plans, and he didn't feel that this
(minutes) was as clear to him as it could have been. What he
determined, out of what you said in here (referring to minutes),
and our discussion, he felt, generally, they were in compliance
with what you required. In a discussion with Leslie, she suggested
to them that they do this 5 foot move, but they never really
ratified that as part of a directive order. But, all in all, Stan
felt that Gary (Moore) was in compliance with this.
Erickson stated, when we granted the variance it was based on him
moving the house east, 5 feet, although I felt it should be under
the direction of P&Z. If he did it, then, the P&Z complied, that's
cool, you've done what we asked you, I think that's sufficient
justification for the granting of the variance.
Drueding stated, I can't go back to P&Z and say, is this exactly
what you want, or did you agree with Leslie?
Erickson asked, was it moved 5 feet?
Drueding stated, why don't you take a look at the drawing?
Erickson stated, yes, I would like to.
Drueding stated, see if this is what you want.
Erickson viewed the map and there was discussion between Drueding
and Erickson regarding the 5 feet.
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BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JULY 6, 1995
Erickson stated, I don't have any problem with that.
Gary Moore asked, is this O.K. now?
Drueding stated, I have a boss that says it is O.K. Leslie says
it's O.K. According to your minutes, he's pretty much in
compliance. Erickson stated, maybe, in the future we have to be a
little more clear with the motions.
Lavagnino stated, sometimes you can find out in the content of the
meeting itself, what was discussed to get the intent. A lot of
times we talk about approving a motion based on the discussion that
took place. It's been our way of doing things, in a sense, that we
don't necessarily have to define the motion.
Drueding stated, reading the motion out of the minutes, in this
particular case, was very difficult.
Lavagnino stated, this may have been an unusual case.
Erickson stated, I think it is pretty clear to me.
John Worcester, City Attorney, stated, the reason we are having
difficulty with the motions in the minutes is the reason why I have
sometimes suggested that you all adopt resolutions, so the
secretary can prepare a resolution and then bring it to the
chairman, several days later if necessary, and then you can read
through that resolution to make sure that it says exactly what you
understood the motion to be based upon your presence here. That
makes it a lot clearer, because then, all we have to do, is
interprete that resolution.
Lavagnino stated, I wasn't Chair at that meeting, I excused myself,
but still, when there are times when it is not evident, that motion
is not quite precise, then we should do it that way. There are
some times when it is real easy.
CASE #91-6 & 93-16
DR. EDWARD WATSON REVIEW
Lavagnino stated, again, this is something that was brought to your
attention, Bill?
Drueding responded, yes, it was.
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BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JULY 6, 1995
Lavagnino asked, is there a problem?
Drueding replied, I don't know that yet. This is one of these
things that Ron keeps bringing up to me; as much as I try to get
time to get over there, I have not had a chance.
Erickson stated, actually, I mentioned to you six to eight months
ago.
Drueding stated, so, what's your complaint, Ron?
Erickson stated, my complaint is that the applicant came to us for
a variance. History shows that she lied to us about the reasons
for the variance. She was not granted a roof deck and use of that
roof deck. We have told her on two occasions that she is not
supposed to have a roof deck, and she still has one. So, why even
bother granting variances? I think we should take action against
them.
Drueding stated, O.K., I will look into it.
Erickson stated, that's what you've been saying to me, Bill, for
six months, that you'll look into it.
Drueding stated, well, Ron, you're not the only person I have to
deal with.
Erickson stated, I understand that, but I've been very patient on
this too.
Drueding stated, O.K., I'll need direction from the City Attorney
as to the action I should take.
Erickson stated, that's why I asked John to be here, because what
kind of action can we take?
Drueding stated, first I have to look into it. Erickson asked, did
you read the minutes from the meetings? Drueding stated, no, I am
in the busiest season of the year, right now, and I'm busy.
Lavagnino stated, we understand that, Bill. I think what I
remember, when they were finally allowed to put up a railing around
that, they met all the side yard setback requirements.
Drueding stated, Frances came up with a different interpretation of
the rear yard, what was allowable and what was not allowable, which
overread my interpretation. That's what he did, he was my boss at
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BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JULY 6, 1995
the time. I don't have that in writing to back me up. In the
meantime the woman had to put another $15,000 in the window to have
any access up there. On this whole project, Frances has gone
beyond me, and said that this is different, and I can't keep them
from putting that rail on the deck up there. That's what he told
me, and I was acting on the authority of my boss at that time.
Lavagnino stated, Frances wasn't at the meetings and didn't
probably know the way it evolved, to the point where we didn't want
them to have a deck. First of all, if we didn't give them a
garage, in the first place, whatever setbacks they do, were always
contingent on that there wasn't a garage there.
There was discussion at random between Lavagnino and Drueding and
Lavagnino stated, all I'm trying to do, Bill, is to make it so you
can look at it in the perspective of them not meeting setback
requirements. If the garage wasn't there, and they couldn't put
that fence up there on the deck; it's mute to me, but now it's a
point of contention here.
Drueding stated, the interpretation was that they could put that
fence on that deck up there.
Lavagnino stated, yes, but they wouldn't have had a garage there in
the first place, had we not given them a variance, and with that
variance, told them they could not have a deck up there. I just
want you to look at it, that's all I'm saying.
Iglehart stated, this variance was granted on the condition that
the deck not be built. The Board agreed with this statement.
Lavagnino stated, so, Bill, is going to look into that. If you
will come back, whenever you get through it, Bill, and let us know
the outcome you derived from this discussion.
Iglehart stated, how do you get someone to comply with something?
Drueding stated, it is very difficult, that's the frustration in my
case.
Erickson stated, (to Drueding), what would you consider a fair
time? Drueding replied, right now, I have more things than I can
handle; I would say the end of August. Erickson stated, how about
the end of September? Drueding stated, great, I appreciate that.
MINUTES
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BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JULY 6, 1995
Lavagnino asked to defer the minutes until the next meeting. The
Board agreed. Vote was unanimous, motion carried.
ADJOURNMENT
Paterson moved to adjourn, Iglehart seconded, vote was unanimous in
favor, motion carried. Meeting was adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon M. Carrillo, Deputy City Clerk
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