HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.apz.joint.19990831 AGENDA
PITKIN COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1999
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING WITH ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING
5:00 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
BUTTERMILK MASTER PLAN
I. COMMENT8 .
A. Commissioners
B. Planning Staff
C. Public
II. MINUTES
A. July 27, 1999
III. DISCUSSION
A. Buttermilk Master Plan -Lance Clarke
B. Aspen Highlands Village PUD Amendment for Highlands/Buttermilk Gondola -
Lance Clarke
IV. ADJOURN
MEMORANDUM
'0: Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
FROM: Tenley Taylor
RE: Upcoming Agendas
DATE: August 26, 1999
8/31— Special Joint P&Z — 5:00 — Council Chambers
Buttermilk Master Plan (LC)
Aspen Highlands Village PUD Amendment for Highlands/Buttermilk Gondola (LC)
9/14— Joint P&Z/BOCC - 4:30 - Plaza One
Directions Regarding Lighting Regulations — (ES)
9/14 — P&Z — 5:30 — Plaza One
Carbondale Fire Expansion (LC)
Erickson & Duroux Ranches Subdivision Conceptual Submission, Special Review, GMQS Exemption, 1041
Hazard Review, Scenic Overlay & CDU — (SW)
9/21- Joint P&Z - 5:30 — Sister Cities
AACP — (SM, CH)
9/28 — Joint P&Z — 5:00 — Council Chambers
Buttermilk Master Plan
10/5 — P&Z -Joint P&Z/BOCC - 4:00 - Plaza One
Policy Positions Regarding the USFS Plan Update (ES)
10/5— P&Z — 5:30 — Plaza One
Aspen Community School Master Plan Amendment (SW)
Upchurch Conceptual Subdivision, 1041 Hazard Review, Special Review for Use of a TDR (GP)
10/19 — P&Z — Long Range — 5:30 — Commissioners Meeting Room, Courthouse.
Richmond Ridge/Pearl Pass Management Plan Review (ES)
Review of Proposed Amendments to Pitkin County Lighting Regulations (ES)
11/9 -P&Z -Joint P&Z/1BOCC - 4:30 - Plaza One
11/9 — P&Z — Regular Meeting — 5:30 - Plaza One
11/23 — P&Z — Long Range — 5:30 - Plaza One
Frying Pan Master Plan Review (ES)
g:\planning\pitkin\ppz\99admin\upcom.doc
COUNTY AGENDAS (revised 8/26/99)
8/31— Special Joint P&Z — 5:00 — Council Chambers
Buttermilk Master Plan (LC) .
Aspen Highlands Village PUD Amendment for Highlands/Buttermilk Gondola (LC)
9/7- BOA — Commissioners Meeting Room, Courthouse
Wilson, Hawkins
9/8 — BOCC — 3:00 — Plaza One
Reeder/Johnson Extension of Vested Rights — Takings (SW)
K-3 Partners CDU (GP)
Stillwater Ranch Parcel 2 Extension of Vested Rights (GP)
Natal Ranch 1041 Hazard Review, Conceptual Submission, Special Review, GMQS Exemption, CDUs (SW)
Booher Subdivision/PUD Con. Submission, Code Amend., Rezoning, GMQS Exemp., EDU —1" Rdg (SW)
(cont. from 8/25)
Zurcher 1041 Hazard Review, Conceptual Submission, R/R Special Review (TP)
Farver (Lassie, LLC) Extension of Vested Rights (Tamara Pregl)
Assorted Code Amendments (TDR & Common Interest, no Vesting ?)- 2nd Reading (ML)
Aspen Mt. Construction Management Plan Minor Amendment to a Development Permit (CH/NL)
Lazy Glen Mobile Home Park Extension of Deadline to File Final Plat (Tamara Pregl)
9/14— Joint P&Z/BOCC - 4:30 - Plaza One
Directions Regarding Lighting Regulations — (ES)
9/14 — P&Z — 5:30 — Plaza One
Carbondale Fire Expansion (LC)
Erickson & Duroux Ranches Subdivision Conceptual Submission, Special Review, GMQS Exemption 1041,
Scenic Overlay & CDU — (SW)
9/21- Hearing Officer — 3:00 - Commissioner's Meeting Room, Courthouse
Colman 1041 Hazard Review & Conceptual Submission (SW)
Jelinek East 1041 Hazard Review (TP)
Menardi 1041 Hazard Review (TP)
Courson Scenic Overlay (GP)
Collins/Martens 1041 Hazard Review (cont. from 8/17)(GP)
9/21- Joint PZ - 5:30 — Sister Cities
AACP — (SM, CH)
9/22 - BOCC - 3:00 - Plaza One
Nextel Special Use & GMQS Exemption (cont. from 7/6)(SW)
Middleton 1041 Hazard, Conceptual Submission & CDU (SW)
Wendy Urschel Long Appeal of the March 30, 1999 BOCC Approval of the Aspen Mountain
Construction Management Plan (cont. from 7/28)(John Ely)
Schuster Takings Determination (SW)
Castle Creek Properties Non -Metro GMQS, 1041 Hazard Review & Caretaker Dwelling Unit
(cont. from 7/7)(TP)
Castle Creek Land, LLC Extension of Vested Rights (GP)
Aspen Valley Hospital Minor Amendment to a Development Permit (LC)
9/28 —Joint P&Z — 5:00 — Council Chambers
Buttermilk Master Plan
10/5 — P&Z -Joint P&Z/BOCC - 4:00 - Plaza One
''olicy Positions regarding the USFS Plan Update (ES)
10/5— P&Z — 5:30 — Plaza One
Aspen Community School Master Plan Amendment (SW)
Upchurch Conceptual Subdivision, 1041 Hazard Review, Special Review for Use of a TDR (GP)
10/5 — BOA — 5:15 — Commissioners Meeting Room, Courthouse
10/12 — BOCC Work Session — 4:00 — Plaza One
Agricultural Committee Discussion (ES) (P&Z invited)
10/13 — BOCC — 3:00 — Plaza One
Stein Lot Split Extension of Vested Rights (SW)
Red Butte Ranch Subdivision/PUD Extension of Vested Rights (SW)
Hardy Subdivision Extension of Vested Rights (SW)
Redstone Inn Rezoning, Code Amendment, Special Review -A S` Reading (LC)
Lazy Glen Mobile Home Park Extension of Deadline to File Final Plat (Tamara Pregl)
10/19- Hearing Officer — 3:00 —Location TBA
Flying Dog Ranch 1041 Hazard Review (GP)
Sawmill Hill 1041 Hazard Review (cont. from 8/17) (GP)
Tahitian Ventures 1041 Hazard Review & Conceptual Submission (SW)
10/19 — P&Z — Long Range — 5:30 — Commissioner's Meeting Room, Courthouse
Richmond Ridge/Pearl Pass Management Plan Review (ES)
Aeview of Proposed Amendments to Pitkin County Lighting Regulations (ES)
10/27 — BOCC - 3 :00 —Plaza One
Reservoir at West Buttermilk Subdivision/PUD Final Plat — 1 S` Reading (LC)
11/2 — BOA — 5:15 = Commissioners Meeting Room
11/3 — BOCC — 3:00 — Plaza One
Redstone Inn Rezoning, Code Amendment, Special Review - 2nd Reading (LC)
11/9 -P&Z -Joint P&Z/BOCC - 4:30 - Plaza One
11/9 — P&Z — Regular Meeting - 5:30 - Plaza One
11/17 — BOCC - 3:00 — Plaza One
Reservoir at West Buttermilk Subdivision/PUD Final Plat — 2nd Reading (LC)
11/23 — Hearing Officer — 3:00 — Location TBD
11/23 — P&Z — Long Range — 5:30 - Plaza One
Frying Pan Master Plan Review (ES)
mAcountykomdWagenda.doc
MINUTES
of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
Tuesday, July 27,1999
Special Joint Meeting with Aspen Planning & Zoning
Sister Cities Room, City Hall
Aspen, Colorado
Draft: 2nd
INDIVIDUALS PRESENT:
Pitkin County Commissioners
Peter Martin (Chair)
Peter Thomas
Gail Embrey
City of Aspen Commissioners
Bob Blaich
Ron Erickson
Roger Hunt
Jasmine Tygre
Roger Hanneman
Staff
Lance Clark
Applicant or Representatives for:
Buttermilk Master Plan
Aspen Highlands Village PUD Amendment for Highlands/Buttermilk Gondola
I. CALL TO ORDER
Peter Martin called the meeting to order and discussed the process for the
meeting.
II. COMMENTS
Commissioners:
There were no commissioner comments.
Planning Staff
Agenda: Lance stated that this is the second in what would be a series of meetings this
fall and he has tentatively set the next meeting for August 31, 1999. The next meeting
will be scheduled for September 28, 1999. Lance stated that he would call to make sure
that there would be a quorum for those dates.
Tonight's Meeting Goals: Lance stated that there are two hours allotted for the
Buttermilk discussion tonight. At 7:00, the P&Z Commission is moving to another room
for a discussion on the AACP. The goal tonight is to discuss the Buttermilk base area
and how it fits into the general transportation context of the Entrance to Aspen, and what
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of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
Tuesday, July 27, 1999
role the improvements in Buttermilk will play into the Highway 82 improvements. The
second goal is to discuss the summer use proposals. The proposal is for increased
summer use of Buttermilk Mountain and the facilities and also the on -mountain
improvements. There are minor ski run changes, lift improvements as well as a new
grading plan and a new Cliff House at the top of Buttermilk Mountain. Lance suggested
that the Ski Co should make their presentation first. Any of the above three issues that
can not be covered tonight will be moved to the tentatively scheduled meeting on August
31, 1999. Lance stated that there would be no discussion on the gondola tonight; this will
occur at separate specific meetings.
Public Comments
There were no public comments.
III. MINUTES
A. June 22,1999
Peter stated that by unanimous consent these minutes were accepted as published.
IV. DISCUSSION
A. Buttermilk Master Plan
Request: The applicant is requesting approval of an amended master plan for the
Buttermilk Ski Area and an amendment to the Aspen Highlands Village PUD. This
request includes Land Use Code amendments, rezoning, scenic review, 1041 Hazard
Review, special review uses, conceptual subdivision review, growth management quota
system competition for commercial expansion and growth management unit allocations
for affordable housing.
Applicant Comments:
Bill Kane, on behalf of the Aspen Skiing Company, stated that they have
submitted a Master Plan for Buttermilk, which is both a land use application and an AF
Ski Master Plan. This application contains both elements of a land use application and
they fully recognize that it represents a major community -planning element. Their
strategy in bringing this plan forward and presenting it to the Commission is to lay a
foundation and talk about the transportation and recreational planning context and what
they understand about land use change within the Highway 82 and the Maroon Creek
corridor environments. He stated they would also like to talk about their on -mountain
improvements tonight. Bill pointed out that there would be future meetings, which will
cover more detail on these issues.
Lisa McManigal., the Aspen Skiing Company's Project Manager for the
Buttermilk Master Plan, commented that she would make her introduction very quick.
She referred to an outline that covers the topics they would like to present tonight. In
regard to tonight's discussion, Lisa stated they would talk about transportation until.
approximately 6:OOpm and then answer any questions that may arise. She would then
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like to move on to the second portion, which concerns the on -mountain improvements.
Lisa stated that they would not be discussing any numbers or having any technical
discussions. The discussion tonight is intended as a refresher on some of the decisions
involving transportation that have been made by this community in the past. Lisa
included that they are providing this as contextual information as the larger context in
which the Ski Company based some of their planning decisions for the Buttermilk Master
Plan. She stated that they are mentioning the proposed gondola only as a concept as it
fits in with the transportation and recreation component.
Lisa introduced Dave Hatten as a transportation consultant with a planning firm
based in Denver who has been working on transportation issues in this valley for many
years and his firm has been involved in local transportation issues as long as twenty five
years. She listed Dave as the principal author of the Castle Maroon Detailed
Transportation Plan, which is a plan that. examines links between Buttermilk and
Highlands and was used for both the Aspen Highlands detailed submission and the
Highlands AF Ski Master Plan a few years ago. Lisa also introduced Chi -is Kiley who is
the Ski Company's Transportation Planner. She stated that Chr s has spent a lot of time
involved in local transportation meetings -with local staff and elected officials.
Dave Hatten stated that they'd like to give a broad overview of the transportation
planning aspects. The general theme is that Buttermilk isn't fully utilizing all of the
opportunity that the transportation system presents. The Master Plan tries to address the
fact that Buttermilk is an under-utilized resource. He stated that during the presentation
they would like to answer four basic questions.
• What are the previous planning efforts and how have they affected Buttermilk?
• What is happening in the Buttermilk area in the near future?
• What are the key elements of the Buttermilk Master Plan itself from a transportation
standpoint?
• What are the new program elements at the base area that will enhance the Master Plan
and the transportation aspects?
Going through the regional and community transportation plans, Dave pointed out
that these four studies have been done over the last ten years and the last study is still
ongoing.
Referring to the Aspen Area Community Plan (AACP), he suggested that this plan
helped to set planning guidelines for the Aspen Area. He stated that this was first
adopted in 1993 and is in the process of being updated right now. He stated that they had
reviewed the transportation action plan when they were developing their Master Plan.
Dave quoted this statement from the 1993 intent of the action plan, "The community
seeks to provide a balanced and integrated transportation system for residents, visitors
and commuters that reduces congestion and pollution." From the 1999 draft he stated
that it adds "and reduces overall dependence on automobile as the primary means of
travel." He noted that there are really two themes within this plan, reducing auto impacts
and developing a multi modal, valley wide transportation system. He stated that one of
the specific action items is to develop intercept lots at Brush Creek Road and Highway 82
at Buttermilk Ski Area and other appropriate locations and to provide frequent, effective
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of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
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between the lots in the City of Aspen. Dave stated that the
rs
and free transit services nests, visitors and base skiers
philosophy section of the update states that residents, andg re Tonal land use development
p options for their trips. Localg
should have multiple op
and support travel by alternative modes of transportation at some
and new
patterns should enableP
take lace only in areas well served by transit. He added that
Aspen
development should p
of the general polic
ies that implement this are limiting traffic on Highway 8tterno thap
is and structuring new growth in the community in compactfor
oratt types of
to 1993 levels,
d support travel by foot and bicycle, as well as transportation
enable anpP and re tonal land use policies and decisions are mutually
tourists, and ensuring that local g
supported.
he
Dave commented on
two environmental studies that had been accomplished. T e
d that was approved in approximately 1993 or 1994 and t that
Basalt to Buttermilk study roved in 1998. Dave stated
Entrance to Aspen Record of Decision, which was
iappn many ways for the community
these studies really implement a transportation
Dave stated that the
transit station at Buttermilk is flexible at this point because
the
82 will be implemented. He s that
don't know what type of mass transit on Highway process. He
odate whatever the community decides through the CIS Master
they could accomm important art of the Highway
stated that the intercept parking has been an imp P
Plan environmental studies. Dave stated that he had
in to the Aspen Highlands Village Master Plan study,plan and the results of that
Referring
worked on the Maroon Creek Corridor detailed trans p i which is quite a bit less than
were parking at Aspen Highlands be limited to 4charge
hspaces, e for parking as well as an intercept
is out there historically. There would be a daily ch g ghlands to move skiers and
shuttle (coming this year) between Buttermilk and H
employees on peak days.
but as he mentioned earlier,
The Corridor Investment Study is a little behind schedule,but
type of technology
the Buttermilk Master Plan is flexible and can accommoda
is working closely with CDOT and the City of
is chosen. He stated that the Ski Company whatever . chosen.
Aspen so that the Master Plan accommodates u to s eed on the
Ch
ris Kiley stated that he would like to bring everybody the next few years. He
o' ects and improvements that are scheduled to take pia varound Buttermilk and
pr es would alter the character of the
area
stated that these Chang He stated that there would be
require the Ski Company to respond and react accordingly. First, CDOT will
changes occurring over the next o Y
two major highway 82 from Shale Bluffs to Buttermilk,
complete the four-laning of State Highway
hole at Buttermilk. This puts pressure on
permanently locating the up -valley worm
an intercept parking location in order to take Aspen and
Buttermilk to function as d
J
mayor Highway P
Highlands bound cars
off of the two-lane entrance to Aspen. Chris listed the s West
n
82 ro' ect would be the re -location of Owl Creek Road andnoted that this
Buttermilk Road and the construction of a new signalized inter in construction next
k will be completed by November 2000 and is slated to
tog hese projects the new
ection
spring with
work as this fall. In additio
utility re -locates as early
ermilk entry point approximately 400 feet down -valley,
intersection will move the Bu
tt
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which will require a re -design of not only the parking entrance but also the parking layout
and the skier shuttle access and drop off at Buttermilk. Ski area changes at both
Highlands and Buttermilk are going to take place this coming season. At Highlands they
will open up the 450-space day skier -parking garage, which contains fewer parking
spaces than has historically been provided. As part of the Management Plan for Aspen
Highlands Parking Garage, they will implement a daily paid parking fee in addition to
free parking for high occupancy vehicles. This is intended as a strategy to help increase
the number of people that are actually parking in the garage while discouraging single
and double occupancy vehicles. Chris stated that at Buttermilk they would be creating
13 5 new intercept -parking spaces that will be set aside for Aspen Highlands guests. A
free skier shuttle that will be dedicated to running between Buttermilk and Aspen
Highlands during the day will serve these parking spaces. Chris stated that in the
Buttermilk area, demand for recreation opportunities is increasing as new housing for
both permanent and seasonal residents and visitors is coming. Chris stated that all of
these changes; Highway 82, ski area, housing and recreation opportunities will
significantly alter the role that Buttermilk plays over the next two years. Chris stated that
he'd invited Ralph Trappani to join them at the meeting tonight to verify the schedule of
the Highway 82 improvements, however, he was unable to attend. He stated that they
were able to confirm that these are still on track to start as early as this fall and be
completed with the four lane and intersection improvements by the end of November
2000.
Dave stated that although the gondola is provided primarily as way for skiers and
guests to get from Highlands to Buttermilk it would have some transportation benefits.
Primarily this will reduce trips from both guests and employees. He stated that they do
not view the gondola as an exclusive arrangement, it would be another option that
employees and guests could use in addition to buses to get around the area. He stated that
the bus and rail system is very important to Buttermilk and the valley, but he'd like to re-
emphasize that skiers utilizing the skier shuttle are probably the biggest users of the
transit system during the winter. He stated that at Buttermilk, 42% of the skiers arrive
and leave the ski area using the skier shuttle.
Dave stated that the intercept parking would have many users. The Buttermilk
skiers, Highlands employees and skiers as well as Aspen Mountain employees and skiers
find Buttermilk parking more convenient as it's hard to find parking downtown. He
stated that parking at Buttermilk would be managed to encourage this.
Chris Kiley stated that the Buttermilk Master Plan is built in large part on the
transportation management concepts that Dave previously spoke about as well as the
goals elaborated in the Entrance to Aspen environmental impact statement in the Aspen
Area Community Plan. He stated that the first element is centralizing the Aspen Ski
Company offices. They've proposed to consolidate their offices from the seven locations
that they currently have in Snowmass, the Aspen Airport Business Center, Buttermilk,
Highlands and Aspen and place them all at the base of Buttermilk. In addition to
eliminating the need to travel back and forth between all of these offices on a daily basis
just to communicate with their own staff, the Buttermilk location will provide an
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of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
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incredibly easy commute both for their employees living in Aspen and Down Valley.
Another benefit of placing the offices at Buttermilk is that they will reduce a certain
amount of trips on Brush Creek Road to their offices at Snowmass as well as some trips
on the two-lane Entrance to Aspen Corridor for their offices in Aspen.
Another element being proposed is employee housing that will be very close to
the workplace at Buttermilk and the connection over to Highlands where it's a quick rail
or bus ride into the workplaces at Aspen Mountain, Little Nell and the Aspen Institute.
This is also close to the services provided at the AABC in Aspen and it's next to the
recreational trail system as well as the regional RFTA system.
One of the major proposals is the children's center. He added that this is another
logical element to place at Buttermilk. In combination with the gondola link, the
children's center will provide the ability for parents to avoid the dreaded jaunt that has to
be made today.
Finally, in the Buttermilk Master Plan, they are proposing summer activities and
community access to the large facilities at Bumps and up on the mountain at the Cliff
House. He pointed out that these activities would be able to take advantage of the transit
and parking infrastructure that they are building primarily for the winter ski season.
In summary he stated that he and Dave had talked about the history of the
transportation planning decisions in the upper valley area. They've reviewed those
decisions that have now become program elements and are actually going to occur over
the next.couple of years and change the character of the area. They've discussed the
parking transit and gondola transportation concepts in the Buttermilk Master Plan and the
program elements for the base. In conclusion, Chris stated that the Buttermilk Master
Plan responds to all of these public transportation decisions and policies that are in place
by placing activities along the State Highway 82 Mass Transit Corridor, by providing a
full mountain experience close in to Aspen and visitor and residential bed base and
provides intercept parking at the transition from four lanes to two which is going to be a
key element in maintaining some sense of peace on the two lane segment from
Buttermilk on into Aspen.
Lance mentioned that people are very interested to see the movement of the
intersection and he asked if they'd brought any graphics to show where it will be located.
Chris stated that they have been working very closely with CDOT, however, the Ski Co
has just received their final plans and in turn they are going back and incorporating those
plans into their base area plans. Unfortunately they did not bring any large size graphics
to show. For the benefit of those not familiar with the proposal, Chris described the
existing and new location of the intersection. Owl Creek Road and West Buttermilk
Road will be combined 400 feet down valley of where the current West Buttermilk Road
is and feed into a new traffic signal. This is about the halfway point between where Owl
Creek Road and West Buttermilk Road enter into the Highway 82.
A member of the City P&Z asked for clarification on the location of the
wormhole, he stated that they've heard both that it will be at Buttermilk and at new stage
road. Chris responded that in the wormhole that exists today as you are heading up -
valley and entering into Snowmass Canyon, you abruptly go from four to two lanes.
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Within the permanent solution that CDOT will be constructing, at the new Buttermilk
intersection, there will be signage that will tell people that High Occupancy Vehicles are
to merge into'two lanes, but there will be about 700-800 feet -of transition to allow people
to do that. He stated that it would be two lanes by the time it hits the Maroon Creek
Bridge.
The same member asked if there would be a skier shuttle from the Buttermilk
intercept lot to Snowmass. Chris responded that currently the Snowmass Skier Shuttles
on their way out of Ruby Park and on their way back into Ruby Park stop at Buttermilk if
somebody requests a stop.
The same member asked why a private enterprise like the Ski Company is funding
what is essentially a public use project, the parking garage. Chris responded that funding
is still a question that's out there. He stated that the intercept function was identified in
the. Environmental Impact statement and they are responding to that and incorporating
that into the Buttermilk Master Plan. Chris stated that as a condition of their Aspen
Highlands Village approval they have a requirement from the Pitkin County
Commissioners to begin building intercept parking at Buttermilk.
City Co=issioner Bob Blaich clarified that the information that the Ski
Company gave them regarding the wormhole is a variance from what they have in their
earlier drafts. Chris responded that the drawings that are in there aren't the specific
engineering drawings, those were produced at a more conceptual level.
More discussion occurred regarding the moving of Owl Creek and West
Buttermilk Road and the new signalized intersection. Bill Kane stated that as part of this
process it is important to note that they currently have a driveway and an access control
point where they are permitted to take access on and off of Highway 82 now. In the
Highway Master Plan that access is removed so they no longer have the ability to turn
freely off of Highway 82.
Public Comments
There was discussion between Jackie Merrill and the Ski Company regarding the
numbers of cars that will need to be parked there and the number of cars that will be
traveling by Owl Creek/West Buttermilk Road. The Ski Company stated that they were
not prepared to get into that type of discussion tonight however they do plan to have this
discussion at a subsequent meeting.
Another member of the public asked why the access from the current Ski
Company parking lot is removed. Chris responded that this is part of CDOT's Entrance
to Aspen GIS study process. They are trying to reduce the number of accesses to and
from State Highway 82 and consolidate those at intersections to improve not only the
traffic up and down Highway 82 but also access on to it from roads.
Lela Marcus -stated that her concern is that 750 are a gross underestimation of the
amount of parking that is going to be needed there.
John Kane, representing the West Buttermilk Homeowners Association, stated
that he is also concerned with parking and he's a little offended at the reference to the
worm -hole happening at Buttemilk. He stated that he has seen copies from CDOT on the
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four lanes going to Maroon Creek Bridge. He believes that is where the wormhole will
occur. He stated tAey are also concerned with the uses of West buttermilk Road. They
would like it designated for residential use.
Stan Clauson stated that at the request of John Kane and for the Buttermilk
Homeowners Association he has been asked to look at some of these ideas which can
only be looked at on a conceptual level. He stated that it is important to articulate these
concerns so that the Planning and Zoning Commissions can be mindful of them. He
stated that there is concern over the 750 car -parking adequacy. The concern is that a
garage accommodating 750 cars might have to be expanded upwards or outwards at a
later date. In so doing this once again throws into chaos what the Buttermilk
Homeowners Associations hopes will be a final plan. He stated that the issue of
expansion is an important one and there needs to be a commitment to traffic demand
management to ensure the continuing adequacy of 750 cars. The entrance and egress to
the garage has not been developed enough in significant detail to make any comments at
this point. He suggested that the Ski Company needs to start to introduce detail to
enhance the comfort level of the Buttermilk Homeowners and other people using these
roadways that in fact it's not doing to be chaotic. The maintenance facility is a big
question mark. It must be included in the traffic analysis and there is some question as to
whether Snowmass is in or out, in other words, will this maintenance facility serve all of
the mountains or will Snowmass handle it's own maintenance facility. He stated that
deliveries and truck traffic need to have adequate provision made within the traffic flow
and this also needs to be accounted for in the traffic planning. He stated that the
alternative access design is something that the Buttermilk Homeowners have been
interested in providing. He stated that they would be providing a plan showing an
alternative that provides a signalized separate access to the Ski Company and the Inn at
Aspen facilities. He stated that the point of this is to show that perhaps there should be
alternatives considered even though the Record of Decision is out. He noted that the
Record of Decision is out but shows a inter -modal cross transfer platform facility that is
presently excluded from the plans. Stan stated that they believe the gondola as it's
presently configured has almost no transportation value and might be better considered in
the context of other gondola alternatives such as a base to base.
Chris stated that these are all issues that they have been discussing with Stan and
the West Buttermilk Homeowners and they will continue to take into account as they
finalize the base area design. He stated that it was premature to respond to these points
today as they haven't finalized.
Alan Marcus stated that there has been no traffic management of this development
done by CDOT by the Ski Company or anybody. He stated that these issues have to be
addressed now. He stated that he hasn't seen any surveys done that will tell them about
the new Owl Creek Road and West Buttermilk Road moving into one intersection.
Chris stated that they had submitted in the appendixes of the Buttermilk Master
Plan a detailed transportation generation analysis, that Alan is welcome to view. He
stated that they would be re -submitting that when they take a look at the new base plan
and the new road alignment.
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of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
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B. Aspen Highlands Village PUD Amendment for Highlands/Buttermilk Gondola
Applicant Comments
Glenn Horn, representing the Aspen Ski Company, stated that he is supposed to
provide a context on how the on -mountain improvements fit in to place with the Highway
82 corridor. Lisa McManigal will talk about the summer operations on the mountain and
recreational opportunities that will be offered on the mountain. Victor Gordon will talk
about winter activities on the mountain.
Glenn referenced a map for his presentation. He stated that the map is intended as
a future land -use map and they are trying to illustrate land use distinctions and not precise
boundaries.
Glenn stated that they consider Buttermilk to be a tremendously under-utilized
area both in winter and summer with respect to the recreational opportunities that are
available there. There is quite a bit of change occurring in the Castle Creek, Maroon
Creek, and Highway 82 corridor areas that place increased pressure on recreational
facilities. Glenn discussed some of the changes that have occurred within this corridor
that have affected the demand for recreational facilities, such as the development of the
Truscott Place, the conversion of the Pomegranate Hotel, the Burlingame Affordable
Housing project directly across from Buttermilk as well as many others. Glenn also
discussed relevant public and private capitol improvements that would influence planning
in the future.
Regarding the concept of community balance, Glenn noted that that is discussed
in many planning documents. He listed various ways that these balances have been
presented such as balance between:
• Ski area capacity and the bed base in the community.
• Development and the development impacts in the community.
• Land use and transportation.
• The permanent population and the visitor population.
• The recreational opportunities and the cultural opportunities.
• Demand for recreational opportunities in the Aspen area and the opportunities that
exist.
Glenn stated that what they are noticing is developing, particularly on the West Side
of Aspen, is an imbalance between demand for recreational opportunities and existing
opportunities. He noted the conflicts on Smuggler Mountain Trail between dogs, hikers,
bikers, etc... He stated that it's gotten to the point where it is just a little over -crowded.
The same goes for the Rio Grande Trail, which is very crowded and busy during the
summer time. Glenn stated that Buttermilk has tremendous potential for summer. use and
it is under-utilized, noting the increased activity that takes place on Buttermilk in the
winter..
In summary, Glen stated that they think there is a demand for increased utilization of
Buttermilk Trails and recreation in winter and summer. He stated that there are many
changes happening in the valley that will increase demand. He concluded that they have
MINUTES
of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
Tuesday, July 27,1999
a resource that should be utilized in a more intensive way and they would .like to see the
Buttermilk Plan integrated with the community plan that's taking shape around the base
of Buttermilk.
Regarding the summer use program, Lisa McManigal referenced a map for her
presentation and oriented on -lookers with Highway 82, Buttermilk Ski area, and it's
facilities. She stated that as other local recreational and wilderness areas are increasingly
used, they see Buttermilk as an obvious under-utilized recreational resource for the
community and for visitors. The summer use plan includes:
• Separate hiking and biking trails throughout the main part of the mountain.
• Operation of the Summit Express during daylight hours to transport people and their
bicycles up and down the mountain.
• Daytime use of the Cliff House for dining during the same hours that Summit Express
is in operation.
• Use of the gondola to transport people.
• Children's program based out of the new children's facility that is proposed to be
built.
• Use of some of the rental and retail facilities at the base in support of this program
which, would offer things that visitors might find useful for their visit such as bike
rental, bike repair, etc...
• Use of Bumps facility for special events during the summer:
Lisa stated that most of this plan is not new, some of the proposed improvements
were approved by the Forest Service in 1994. In 1994 the Ski Company submitted a
master development proposal to the Forest Service for short-term improvements at
Buttermilk. She stated that the Forest Service issued a decision notice on their proposal
which, gave them the following approvals:
• Operation of Summit Express in summer.
• Hiking and biking trails.
• Dining at the Cliff House during Summit Express hours.
• No summer program on West Buttermilk.
Lisa stated that they have since updated the plan and brought forth some other parts of
the proposal. She stated this combination of programs and uses offers many different
scenarios for both locals and visitors. Many of the visitors that come here come here for
the beauty, but many of them actually never venture too far into the wild places, yet, they
still feel that they've had an experience in the wilderness. The Ski Company believes that
Buttermilk offers another such experience where people can actually experience the
views and experience the wilderness nature without actually setting foot in the
wilderness.
Regarding the West Buttermilk area, Lisa stated that this is the side that is less
developed and does not have the recreation infrastructure. Lisa noted that there is a lot of
interest in the community to make sure that human impacts to this area are mitigated.
The Ski Company has been working to figure out what they can do as part of this
proposal to mitigate their impacts.
10
MINUTES
of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
Tuesday, July 27,1999
Wanting to give some history on this, Lisa stated that in 1994, before the Ski
Company submitted their plan to the Forest Service, a group called the Tiehack Joint
Design Committee came together as representatives from the Ski Company, local
gov -mment and environmental groups, outfitters, Forest Service etc... They sifted
throtligh a lot of possibilities for West Buttermilk. Some of these were rejected as not
appropriate. for our community, others were tabled for further review later and others
were identified as feasible and potential possibilities for Buttermilk. This group also
spent time discussing potential conditions of approval. All of this information fed into
the Forest Service process so that when the decision notice was issued some of this
information was used in terms of mitigation on West Buttermilk. She stated that they
have decided to look at mitigation again where this group had left off. She stated that the
results after some discussions and site visits are detailed in the memo within the packet
tonight. She stated that this summarizes where they are. at in terms of policies for
summer management.
In summary, Lisa stated that they have spent a lot of time not only in looking at what
they'd like to do with Buttermilk but also how to mitigate potential impacts to
Buttermilk.
Victor Gerdin, representative of the Aspen Ski Company, stated that he'd like to
review the on -mountain improvements as they've talked about in the Master Plan. He
stated that in the interest of time, they would go through the four areas quickly. These
are:
• Lift upgrades
• Trails
• Improvement of the utilities and facilities on the mountain
• The summit plan.
In regards to the lift upgrades, Victor stated that they have improvements/upgrades to
all of the lifts on Buttermilk.
In regards to trails, Victor stated that as part of the 1994 EA that the Forest Service
engaged in, they have approval for Uncle Chuck's glade, which will connect trails. He
stated that they also have a proposal to widen and make more user friendly the
Homestead Road in some areas for beginning skiers.
In regard to the utilities and facilities improvements, Victor stated that there is a
definite need for a utility corridor from top to bottom at Buttermilk, much like the utility
corridor that was developed at Highlands a few years ago. He stated that electricity goes
from top to bottom, but there is no sewer line that goes to the bottom. He stated that the
telephone line and the water line need to be upgraded to the Cliff House Restaurant as
well as a gas line upgrade.
Finally, the summit plan for the Buttermilk Ski area, Victor stated that the summit has
remained unchanged for as long as Buttermilk has been around except for the including
of the Summit Express chair lift. He stated that when they put the chair lift in they were
planning to incorporate the plan that they have now. He stated that the four elements of
the Buttermilk summit plan are:
• The existing Summit Express lift
11
MINUTES
of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
Tuesday, July 27,1999
• The relocate and remodel of the Tiehack Quad
• The gondola in conjunction with the area of the Cliffhouse Restaurant
• The new Cliffhouse Restaurant
Victor stated that the existing Tiehack establishment sits high on a knob. Their
proposal is to flatten the knob, use the dirt for fill and have the elevation of the unload
areas for the Summit Express, the gondola, the Tiehack Quad, etc... be on the same
elevation so that the skiers can move easily back and forth.
Lance stated that people would be interested to know the differences of the size and
height of the Cliffhouse. Victor responded that the size of the Cliff House would remain
the same, he noted that they have approval in the 1994 EA to increase it by 10%. He
stated that the proposal right now is to have a 14,000 square foot restaurant on two levels.
He stated that they would increase the height by 10 feet. The total height from finished
floor elevation of the upper floor to the peak would be 25 feet. He stated that the current
building is an old-style building that has very low 8 ft side walls and a very low pitched
rood that is only 15 feet high.
Comments and Questions
Addressing Glenn Horn, Roger Hanneman asked if Aspen Mountain figured into
the summer trail plans at all. Glen stated that the problem with the Ute Trail and the
Aspen Mountain Road is it works for very strong hikers and bikers but it doesn't work for
a lot of people because they are so steep.
Regarding daycare, Roger asked if the Ski Company has analyzed the impact on
other existing daycare facilities in town when the Children's facility is opened. Bill Kane
responded that their understanding is that there is a virtual sea of demand for childcare.
Roger also asked how many people work at Buttermilk today. Lisa responded
that this was included in the Master Plan. Chris stated that in the high period of the
wintertime they have a total of 521 people on the payroll of Buttermilk. This includes
full-time and part-time employees. Chris stated that today it's around 20 people.
Sloan Shoemaker with the Aspen Wilderness workshop, asked what type of
daycare is going to be provided. Bill Kane responded that the intent is to create a fully
integrated children's center that places infant care through level four or five skiers, so
probably kid's up to 13 years old. '-Ie stated that the trend now is to develop a facility
that provides everything from infant care to food service and a whole host of recreational
outdoor things for children to do including skiing. Sloan asked why these facilities
couldn't be provided in the lower angle at Highlands. Bill stated that it's well known that
the best teaching terrain for kids is at Buttermilk.
Toni Kronenberg stated that she is a private citizen and has been a permanent
resident of Aspen for the last 25 years. She commended the Ski Company on their efforts
to provide an experience for Aspen that is not only for people that live here to enjoy but
also for tourists. She stated that she has been very active in the transportation policies
and programs. Toni suggested to the Ski Company incorporating a pedestrian overpass
that would connect Buttermilk with the other side of the road. She stated that she had
met with CDOT and that they would not be against putting in this type of overpass if it
12
MINUTES
of the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission
Tuesday, July 27,1999
was in agreement with everyone in the area. She stated that there are a couple of people
working on numbers to provide to the Ski Company to consider working on the overpass.
Michael Conviser of the Castle/Maroon Caucus stated that there is a little
inconsistency in what they've heard in the last few meetings. He stated that Bill took a
lot of time at the last meeting talking about how down the business is at Highlands and
Buttermilk and then Glenn took a lot of time today talking about the tremendous amount
of new growth coming. He stated that maybe those two things should balance and they
could go from meeting to meeting and try to make some sense of this.
There was some discussion regarding possible ways to make these meetings more
efficient. Lance noted that one of the problem is that the City P&Z likes to stop their
meetings at 7:00 and the County P&Z can't begin theirs until 5:00.
V. ADJOURN
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
13
MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning and Zoning Commissions-Pitkin County and Aspen
FROM: Lance Clarke',gteputy Director, Pitkin County Community Development
ment
RE: Buttermilk Ski Area Master Plan
Aspen Highlands Village PUD Amendment
DATE: August 31, 1999
REQUEST: The applicant is requesting approval of an amended master plan for the
Buttermilk Ski Area and an amendment to the Aspen Highlands Village PUD. This
request includes Land Use Code amendments, rezonings, scenic review, 1041 hazard
review, special review uses, conceptual subdivision review, growth management quota
system competition for commercial expansion, and growth management unit allocations
for affordable housing.
PROCESS: This is a three -step review (plus growth management scoring and allocation
procedures) requiring conceptual review before the Pitkin Planning and Zoning
Commission, conceptual review before the Pitkin County Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC), and detailed/final plat review before the BOCC.
The City Council and BOCC have recommended that the Buttermilk application be
"jointly reviewed" due to its locational and functional importance to the City. There is no
formal agreement as to how this "joint review" is to be undertaken. It is staff s intention
to invite the City P&Z to fully participate in the County P&Z's review process. The
ultimate voting will involve only the County P&Z.
It is anticipated that several P&Z meetings will be required before all the issues and items
of concern have been adequately considered and a recommendation can be forwarded to
the BOCC.
This third meeting will have one primary focus: The Buttermilk base area and its
transportation, parking, housing, and commercial elements and layout. The CDOT plans
relative to the Buttermilk area have been completed, and the Applicant has finalized its
plans based on this latest information. There will not be a discussion of the proposed
gondola to Highlands.
The purpose of this meeting is to allow the Applicant to present his amended proposals
for the base area and to take public comment.
A fourth meeting has been tentatively set for September 28, 1999. This meeting will be
available for continued discussion of the base area plan, if necessary. There will not yet
be completion of the analysis of the gondola proposal in time for the meeting on
September 28. Additional gondola information is being prepared by Skico for review by
the County and the Forest Service.
BACKGROUND: You have been previously forwarded the Applicant's proposed
master plan and updates thereto as well as all the written comments and referrals received
by the Community Development Department to date. The Applicant has provided for this
meeting an updated program summary, concept maps, and transportation analysis; all
attached.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Skico memo, program summary, transportation analysis
2. Recent letters received
lancec\btrpz831.doc
N
rA:h r, - — al
To: Lance Clarke
Pitkin County and City of Aspen Planning & Zoning Commissions
From: Lisa McManigal, Aspen Skiing Company
Date: 08/19/99
Re: Updated Buttermilk base area site design
We are looking forward to our August 31 P+Z meeting. The purpose of this meeting will
be to review the updated site plan and building program for the Buttermilk base area.
Detailed design issues will be the subject of a future meeting.
The following memo is intended to update you on the site design for the Buttermilk base
area. As you will recall, we submitted a site design along with our proposed Master Plan
last January. Soon thereafter, we discovered that CDOT's alignment for the new West
Buttermilk and Owl Creek Roads was not yet final. Once the road realignment issues
were resolved by CDOT, we went back to the drawing board. The plan we have
submitted for your review today is quite similar to the original plan, but was driven by
changes that gave us less land to work with in the vicinity of the intersection of West
Buttermilk and Owl Creek Roads, thus requiring some different solutions.
Included with this memo are:
• Base area drawings including a site plan, level plans, a section plan, and a vicinity
plan. Please replace the existing drawings with the updated drawings (Fig. 12-16, and
Fig. 23 in the "Figures" section of your Buttermilk Master Plan notebook.)
• A building program highlighting the uses and sizes of each building.
• An updated transportation and parking report, prepared by Felsburg Holt and Ullevig.
Please replace existing Appendix 16 with the new report.
The rest of this memo will update you on the changes to pages 71-84 in your Master Plan
"Proposed Conditions" section.
0 Page 1
The intermodal transportation center just off Highway 82 has been eliminated, per
discussions between CDOT, RFTA and Pitkin County. A light rail station will still be
located between Highway 82 and the Buttermilk base area, should light rail come to the
area. The car drop-off area has become a buses -only drop-off area. All cars will drop
passengers off in the short-term parking section of the parking structure's upper level.
This area is at the same grade as the pedestrian plaza. Skier shuttle buses will now pick
up and drop off passengers in the internal drop-off zone a short walk from the children's
center, ticket sales, and the slopes. RFTA's valley buses will drop off and pick up on the
highway. Upvalley buses will stop just upvalley from the Owl Creek intersection, and
downvalley-bound buses will stop across Highway 82, downvalley from the intersection.
The parking structure is still two levels. However, the top level is on grade and the
bottom level is below grade. This parking structure will actually resemble a surface lot
when viewed from Highway 82, Owl Creek Road or the Buttermilk Ski Area.
The vehicle maintenance facility has been moved off -site. This facility was proposed to
be accessed from West Buttermilk Road. Relocating the vehicle maintenance will greatly
reduce the amount of traffic accessing the site. We will use the driveway off West
Buttermilk Road for delivery and pick-up of food and supplies.
The base area contains the same building program as proposed in the submitted Master
Plan. However, the specific number of parking spaces, employee housing beds, and
square footages has changed slightly. Below is a summary. More detailed information is
contained in the attached "Buttermilk Base Master Plan Program."
Number of parking spaces:
Day skiers 752
Employee housing spaces 74
Office/admin parking 44
No. of affordable housing units: 72 No. of affordable housing beds: 182
(A mixture of studios, dorms, and l-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units)
Phasing: Phase three, which had included neighborhood -oriented retail and affordable
housing, has been eliminated. The proposed building program will be built in two phases.
Please remove Figure 27 from your notebook.
Buildings will be a mixture of two and three stories. The buildings closest to Highway 82 will
be two stories, and will step up to three stories closer to the ski lifts. The three-story buildings
will be similar in height to Bumps.
0 Page 2
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -SUMMARY AUGUST 20, 1999
Aspen Skiing. Company Administrative Offices
Office Use
Executive Suite Offices & Reception
1,400
sf
MIS and Data Department (basement location)
3,000
sf
Planning Department
1,500
sf
Legal and Environmental Department
1,000
sf
Purchasing Department
1,000
sf
Human Resources and Payroll
2,000
sf
Accounting
700
sf
Accounts Payable and Files
700
sf
Auditing, Accounts Receivable and Storage
1,500
sf
Purchasing Department
400
sf
Workstations for:
1,100
sf
Business Development Director
Ticketing
Restaurant
Mountain Photo
Switchboard
600
sf
Mail Room and Receiving
500
sf
Copy Rooms (two)
400
sf
Meeting Rooms
500
sf
Training Room (basement)
700
sf
Main Conference Room (basement)
500
sf
Kitchen and Staff Lunch Room
850
sf
Administrative Staff Lockers (included with ASC Lockers)
-
sf
Mechanical and Storage (basement)
1,000
sf
Property Services (basement)
1,000
sf
Marketing, Sales, Events and Communication
4,500
sf
Subtotal 24,850 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 3,728 sf
Total 28,578 sf
Channe116
Studio and Offices 2,000 sf
Subtotal 2,000 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 300 sf
Total 2,300 sf
Total ASC Administrative Offices 30,878 sf
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) P.1
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -SUMMARY AUGUST 20, 1999
Skier Services and Retail
Bumps Remodel
Ground Floor
2,500 sf
Retail
Mountain Photo
Leo's and Public Lockers
3,300 sf
Buttermilk Administrative Department
1,360 sf
Subtotal
7,160 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent
1,074 sf
Total
8,234 sf
Other Uses
Ski -related Retail Shop
3,655 sf
Performance Center
650 sf
Snowboard Shop
2,000 sf
Cafe
900 sf
Adult Ski School
1,000 sf
Ski School Red Carpet
750 sf
Restrooms
300 sf
Ski Repair and Storage
1500 sf
ASC Employee Lockers
6500 sf
Community -oriented Retail
3000 sf
Ticket Sales
1400 sf
Guest Services and Restrooms
1000 sf
Subtotal
22,655 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent
3,398 sf
Total
26,053 sf
Total
Skier Services and Retail
34,287 sf
Design Workshop, Inc.
Buttermilk (No. 2053)
p.2
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -SUMMARY AUGUST 20, 1999
Children's Center
Children's Program
Teaching
Food
Reception
Playrooms
Service Dock
Service Tunnel
11,475 sf
1360 sf
1105 sf
Subtotal 13,940 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 2,091 sf
Total 16,031 sf
Affordable Housing
Dorm Units @ 1,000 sf/du (4 beds/du)
23,000
sf
Studio Units @ 450 sf/du (1 bed/du)
2,700
sf
One -Bedroom Units @ 600 sf/du (1 bed/du)
8,400
sf
Two -Bedroom Units @ 750 sf/du (2 bed/du)
12,750
sf
Three -Bedroom Units @ 1,050 sf/du (3 bed/du)
12,600
sf
Subtotal
59,450
sf
Circulation @ 15 percent
8,918
sf
Total
68,368
sf
Parking
Day Skier (750 ps in Record of Decision)
752
ps
Underground Children's Center (ASC Office @ 1ps/800sf)
44
ps
Underground ASC Office (Housing @ 1ps/du)
74
ps
Total
870
ps
23 du 92 beds
6 du 6 beds
14 du 14 beds
17 du 34 beds
12 du 36 beds
72 du 182 beds
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) p.3
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -BUILDINGS AUGUST 20, 1999
Building D- Bumps Remodel
Skier Services
Leo's and Public Lockers
Guest Services
Retail
3,300 sf
1,000 sf
Skier -related and Mountain Photo 2,500 sf
Subtotal 6,800 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 1,020 sf
Total 7,820 sf
Building F- Ticket Sales, Office, and Housing
Office
Switchboard
Meeting Rooms
Skier Services
Ticket Sales
Housing
Two -Bedroom Units @ 750 sf/du (2 bed/du)
Subtotal
Circulation @ 15 percent
Total
600 sf
500 sf
1,190 sf
1,500 sf
3,790 sf
569 sf
4,359 sf
2 du 4 beds
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) p.1
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -BUILDINGS AUGUST 20, 1999
Building G- Skier Service and Housing
Skier Services
Retail
Housing
ASC Lockers
Ski Storage
Adult Ski School
Ski School Red Carpet
Performance Center
Snowboard Shop
Cafe
6,500 sf
1,500 sf
1,000 sf
750 sf
650 sf
2,000 sf
Skier Services Subtotal 12,400 sf
900 sf
Two -Bedroom Units @ 750 sf/du (2 bed/du) 1,500 sf
Three -Bedroom Units @ 1,050 sf/du (3 bed/du) 12,600 sf
Subtotal 27,400 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 4,110 sf
Total 31,510 sf
Buildings I and J- Children's Center
Office
Buttermilk Administrative Department 1,360 sf
Channel16 2,000 sf
Children's Center
Children's Program 11,475 sf
Service
Dock
Service Tunnel
Mechanical and Storage
Property Services
1,360 sf
1,105 sf
1,000 sf
1,000 sf
Subtotal
17,300
sf
Circulation @ 15 percent
2,595
sf
Total
19,895
sf
2 du 4 beds
12 du 36 beds
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) p.2
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -BUILDINGS
AUGUST 20, 1999
Building K-Retail, Office and Housing
Office
Executive Suite Offices & Reception 1,400 sf
Planning Department 1,500 sf
Legal and Environmental Department 1,000 sf
sf
Office Subtotal 3,900 sf
Retail
Housing
Ski -related 3,655 sf
Two -Bedroom Units @ 750 sf/du (2 bed/du) 3,000 sf
Subtotal 10,555 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 1,583 sf
Total 12,138 sf
Building L-Retail and Housing
Retail
Community -oriented 3,000 sf
Housing
Dorm Units @ 1,000 sf/du (4 beds/du) 1,000 sf
Subtotal 4,000 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 600 sf
Total 4,600 sf
4 du 8 beds
1 du 4 beds
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) p.3
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -BUILDINGS AUGUST 20, 1999
Building M-Office and Housing
Office
Housing
Purchasing Department
1,000
sf
Human Resources and Payroll
2,000
sf
Accounting
700
sf
Accounts Payable and Files
700
sf
Auditing, Accounts Receivable and Storage
1,500
sf
Purchasing Department
400
sf
Copy Rooms (two)
400
sf
Mail Room and Receiving
500
sf
Office Subtotal 7,200 sf
Two -Bedroom Units @ 750 sf/du (2 bed/du) 3,750 sf
Subtotal 10,950 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 1,643 sf
Total 12,593 sf
Building N-Office and Housing
Office
Marketing, Sales, Events and Communication 4,500 sf
Housing
One -Bedroom Units @ 600 sf/du (1 bed/du) 4,800 sf
Two -Bedroom Units @ 750 sf/du (2 bed/du) 3,000 sf
Subtotal 12,300 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 1,845 sf
Total 14,145 sf
5 du 10 beds
8 du 8 beds
4 du 8 beds
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) p.4
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -BUILDINGS AUGUST 20, 1999
Building O-Office and Housing
Office
Housing
MIS and Data Department
Workstations
Training Room
Main Conference Room
Kitchen and Staff Lunch Room
3,000
sf
1,100
sf
700
sf
500
sf
850
sf
Subtotal 6,150 sf
Dorm Units @ 1,000 sf/du (4 beds/du) 3,000 sf
Subtotal 9,150 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 1,373 sf
Total 10,523 sf
3 du 12 beds
Building P-Housing
Housing
Studio Units @ 450 sf/du (1 bed/du) 2,700 sf 6 du 6 beds
One -Bedroom Units @ 600 sf/du (1 bed/du) 3,600 sf 6 du 6 beds
Subtotal 6,300 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 945 sf
Total 7,245 sf
Building Q-Housing
Housing
Dorm Units @ 1,000 sf/du (4 beds/du) 5,000 sf 5 du 20 beds
Subtotal 5,000 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 750 sf
Total 5,750 sf
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) p.5
BUTTERMILK BASE MASTER PLAN PROGRAM -BUILDINGS AUGUST 20, 1999
Building R-Housing
Housing
Dorm Units @ 1,000 sf/du (4 beds/du) 4,000 sf 4 du 16 beds
Subtotal 4,000 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 600 sf
Total 4,600 sf
Building S-Housing
Housing
Dorm Units @ 1,000 sf/du (4 beds/du) 6,000 sf 6 du 24 beds
Subtotal 6,000 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 900 sf
Total 6,900 sf
Building T-Housing
Housing
Dorm Units @ 1,000 sf/du (4 beds/du) 4,000 sf 4 du 16 beds
Subtotal 4,000 sf
Circulation @ 15 percent 600 sf
Total 4,600 sf
Design Workshop, Inc. Buttermilk (No. 2053) p.6
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
LCHILDREN'S CENTER
LSKIER SERVICES
RETAIL
LASC OFFICES
PARKING
N
3
NA
NA
8,200 SF
NA
NA
494 PS
DESIGN WORKSHOP
120 East Main Street
ASPEN, CO 81611
(970) 925-8354
Facsimile (970) 920-1387
Albuquerque - Aspen- Denver
Jackson Sao Paulo- Santa Fe
Tempe -Lake Tahoe. Vail
Landscape Architecture - Land Planning
Urban Design - Tourism Planning
Pitkin County, Colorado
BASEMENT
LEVEL
# DATE DESCRIPTION
REVISIONS: ---_
ISSUE DATE: 8/16/99
DRAW SAS REVIEWED: RAS
Aspen Skiing Company
40 Ci p way
s_'_.; via"* Colorado
(970)923-1220
PROJECT NUM: 2053
NORTH 0 25' 50' 100'
SHEET NUMBER
Figure 13
LAFFORDABLE HOUSING
LCHILDREN'S CENTER
SKIER SERVICES
RETAIL
LASC OFFICES
PARKING
fttLT
sra
cn�
IV IDZIP-19
ID
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13 UNITS, 40 BEDS
8,500 SF
12,600 SF
9,400 SF
16,800 SF
376 PS
DESIGN WORKSHOP
120 East Main Street
ASPEN, CO 81611
(970) 925-8354
Facsimile (970) 920-1387
Albuquerque • Aspen- Denver
Jackson -Sao Paulo- Santa Fe
Tempe • Lake Tahoe. Vail
Landscape Architecture Land Planning
Urban Design • Tourism Planning
Pitkin County, Colorado
GROUND
LEVEL
# DATE DESCRIPTION
E'nS10N5: _
;SUE DATE: g/16/99
RAM: SAS REOEWIED; RWS
Aspen Skiing Company
40 Carnage Wsy
Seo .. Villagc, Colorndo
(970)925-1220
RO,ECT NUM: 2053
517L77
NORTH 0 25' 50' 100'
SHEET NUMBER
Figure 14
OCOPAIGHT DERGNNORKSHOP NC. 1992
LAFFORDABLE HOUSING
LCHILDREN'S CENTER
SKIER SERVICES
RETAIL
LASC OFFICES
PARKING
3�
36
>3b
3 iD
It7 ID IV ID
8 Ib Ib Zb IC
28 UNITS, 76 BEDS
8,600 SF
NA
NA
12,100 SF
NA
DESIGN WORKSHOP
120 East Main Street
ASPEN, CO 81611
(970) 925-8354
Facsimile (970) 920-1387
Albuquerque - Aspen- Denver
Jackson -Sao Paulo- Santo Fe
Tempe -Lake Tahoe- Vail
Landscape Architecture - Land Planning
Urban Design - Tourism Planning
Pitkin County, Colorado
SECOND
LEVEL
# DATE DESCR,PPON
REVISIONS: _
ISSUE DATE: 8/16/99
DRAWN: SAS REVIEWED: RWS
Aspen Skiing Company
40 C_". N'sy
SnoaT ViWge, Colorda
(970)925.12?0
PROJECT NUM: 2053
171 71.T7
bLI
NORTH 0 25' 50' loo'
SHEET NUMBER
Figure 15
OCOPYRIaRT DESIGN"KSNOP VC. 1999
LAFFORDABLE HOUSING
LCHILDREN'S CENTER
LSKIER SERVICES
LRETAIL
LASC OFFICES
PARKING
2
90
ab
I6 zp 16 98
i _ 1
r---- ,.�
i 1 ID id ID �8 Z 28 2t! ze
1 1 20
4 1
4_1
31 UNITS, 66 BEDS
NA
NA
NA
1,600 SF
NA
DESIGN WORKSHOP
120 East Main Street
ASPEN, CO 81611
(970) 925-8354
Facsimile (970) 920-1387
Albuquerque • Aspen- Denver
Jackson Sao Paulo- Santa Fe
Tempe • Lake Tahoe. Vail
Landscape Architecture . Land Planning
Urban Design . Tourism Planning
Pitkin County, Colorado
THIRD
LEVEL
DATE DESCRIPTION
REVISIONS: _
ISSUE DATE: 8/16/99
DRAWN: SAS REmEWED: WAS
Aspen Skiing Company
40C.a;.ge Way
Sn Tnau Village, Colorado
(970)925.1220
PROJECT NUV: 2053
7LT7
NORTH 0 25' 50' 1D0'
SHEET NUMBER
Figure 16 -
Oil
no
DESIGN WORKSHOP
120 East Main Street
ASPEN, CO 81611
(970) 925-8354
Facsimile (970) 920-1387
Albuquerque • Aspen- Denver
Jackson Sao Paulo- Santa Fe
Tempe • Lake Tahoe- Vail
Landscape Architecture . Land Planning
Urban Design • Tourism Planning
Pitkin County, Colorado
GRADING
,#r DATE— DESCR!PT'GN
itONS —_�
DATE: 8/I6/99
iN: Ts REJIENED: RAS
Aspen Skiing Company
40 Can;.Re w.y
STawmasa Village. Colorado
(970)925-1220
--CT NUM: 2053
g 71:"7
2TH 0 25' 50' 100•
SHEET NUMBER
Figure 23
OP i T CESiaNNanKSMQ^ .NC. '999
A. Skier / Intercept Parking
B. Bus Stop
C. Skier Shuttle
D. Base Lodge
E. Short Term Parking
F. Ticket Sales, Office, and Housing
G. Skier Service
H. Central Receiving, Service Dock
I. Children's Center
J. Guest Services
K. Retail, Office, and Housing
L. Retail, Housing
M. Office, Housing
N. Office Housing
O. Office, Housing
P. Housing
Q. Housing
I
R. Housing
I
S . Housing ;1
T: Housing
, I
� t
U. Transit Station
1
'
r ° • x ,a
• 4a�
N
DESIGN WORKSH(
120 East Main St,,
ASPEN, CO 81611
(970) 925-8354
Facsimile (970) 920-138:
Albuquerque • Aspen- Den
Jackson 'Sao Paulo• Sant,
Tempe • lake Tahoe. Vc
londscope Architecture • land Plo
Urban Design • Tourism Plannir
Pitkin County, Color
SITE
PLAN
DATE mscrla-
iENS�ONS: _ _
SSUE
)RAWN: SAS REyIEWED R =
Aspen Skiing Company
40 Cmri gc Way
Snou- Vilbo, Ua do
(970)IM-1220
'RO,.ECT NUM: 2053
Z7�
NORTH 0 25' 50'
SHEET W VBER
Figure 27
Ott MCHr DE9�VORK.SnOP NC. fli
ct�\. Buttermilk Ski, Area
-3
Tiehack Road '/4.MileRadius
Inn at Aspen'
Country Inn
Housing LRT Tracks
Pomegranate
Condominiums Copose6 a*,x
yes . �obuslmev9e
hNe �av
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s�
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10
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9
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oAirport Terminal
Burlingame a
Future Housing 0
Aspen Airport C Q�
\ \ Business Centery �' t
\ \ QO O CONTEXT PLAN
--�,� BUTTERMILK BASE
M A S T E R P L A N
Existing Rio Grande Trail \``—_, Aspen Skiing Company
40 Carriage Wa\
Sno miss Village, Colorado
-` 120 F"a Main st'.1
cn &p, Colored. N n R T 11
(970)925-87 SJ scale: I" = 200-0-
Figure 28
)ESIGN WORKSHOP
20 East Main Street
ASPEN, CO 81611
(970) 925-8354
Facsimile (970) 920-1387
dbuquerque • Aspen- Denver
ckson Sao Paulo- Santa Fe
Tempe • Lake -Tahoe. Vail
ldscope Architecture • Land Planning
Urban Design • Tourism Planning
kin County, Colorado
ECTIONS
# DATE DESCRIPTION
,IONS: __ --
DATE: 8/18/99
V: GL REMEWED: SAS
Aspen Skiing Company
e0 C—iW w.y
Sooxvuec Vil"r, Col —do
(970)M-1220
:CT NUM: 2053
LLE:
201 o 10' 20' ao'
SHEET NUMBER
Figure 29
OCOPIRHCNT CEccNe KR CP NG 19"
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
REVISED
BUTTERMILK MASTER PLAN
TRANSPORTA TION ANAL YSIS
Prepared for:
Aspen Skiing Company
P.O. Box 1248
Aspen, Colorado 81612
Prepared by:
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
7951 E. Maplewood Avenue, Suite 200
Englewood, CO 80111
303/721-1440
Project Manager: David E. Hattan, P.E.
FHU Reference No. 98-155
August 1999
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION..............................................1
2.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS.....................................3
2.1 Buttermilk Ski Area ....................................... 3
2.2 Gondola...............................................8
2.3 SH 82 - Entrance to Aspen ................................. 9
3.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS ........................................ 12
3.1 Use of Buttermilk Ski Area ................................. 12
3.2 Transportation System Use ................................ 14
3.3 Buttermilk Ski Area Employees .............................. 18
4.0 FUTURE TRAVEL DEMAND ESTIMATES ............................. 20
4.1
Estimation Procedures
.................................... 20
4.2
Vehicular Traffic ........................................
20
4.3
Parking..............................................23
4.4
Transit Service .........................................
25
4.5
Gondola Connection ......................................
26
5.0 SUMMER ACTIVITY ........................................... 27
6.0 MAROON CREEK ROAD CORRIDOR ................................ 30
6.1 Aspen Highlands - Buttermilk Gondola Connection ................. 30
6.2 Castle/Maroon Route ..................................... 31
7.0 RECOMMENDED TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS .................. 32
7.1 SH 82 and W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road Intersection .............. 32
7.2 Parking Garage ......................................... 34
7.3 Transit Services ......................................... 34
7.4 Gondola Connection ..................................... 35
7.5 Proposed Transportation Management Measures ................. 35
APPENDIX A
APPENDIX B
APPENDIX C
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
1. Phase I and II Site Plan .......................................... 4
2. Current Traffic Volumes and Level of Service ......................... 15
3. Phase II Design Day Traffic Volumes ............................... 22
4. Phase II Design Day Level of Service (LOS) ........................... 33
LIST OF TABLES
1. Phase I and II Development Summary ................................ 5
2. Annual Skier Visits ............................................ 13
3. Skier Shuttle Ridership ......................................... 19
4. Design Day Parking Demand ..................................... 24
5. Summer Use Analysis .......................................... 28
6. Summer Transportation and Parking Mitigation Measures ................. 29
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
Revised - Buttermilk Master Play: - Transportation Analysis
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Buttermilk Master Plan (BMP) represents a significant change to the existing ski area. A
number of improvements are planned for the base area as well as on the mountain. Many of
these will affect the transportation systems which serve Buttermilk Ski Area. The impetus for
seeking approval for these changes at the current time is the completion of planning efforts
for State Highway 82 (SH 82). The signing of the Record of Decision for the portion of SH
82 between Buttermilk and the City of Aspen (State Highway 82, Entrance to Aspen, Record
of Decision, Colorado Department of Transportation, August 1998) authorizes the Colorado
Department of Transportation (CDOT) to proceed with design and construction of the
improvements.
The Entrance to Aspen plan calls for SH 82 to have four lanes to the west of Buttermilk with
two of these lanes reserved for high occupancy vehicles during peak hours. SH 82 will
transition to two lanes at Buttermilk and remain two lanes into Aspen. A light rail transit (LRT)
line may ultimately link Aspen with the airport and Brush Creek Road and eventually extend
downvalley to Glenwood Springs. If the LRT is delayed, a two-lane busway will be
constructed initially on the LRT alignment from Buttermilk to Aspen. Transit stations with
provisions for both buses and LRT will be located at Buttermilk. In addition, the Entrance to
Aspen plan includes a 750-car intercept parking lot for skiers at Buttermilk. Finally, Owl Creek
Road will be relocated so that its intersection with SH 82 will be combined with W. Buttermilk
Road. This consolidated intersection will be signalized.
Based on these significant changes in the vicinity of the Buttermilk base area, the Aspen Skiing
Company (ASC) has developed a master plan to take advantage of the improvements. The
base area will be redeveloped and only the existing Bumps restaurant building will remain.
Many facilities will be updated to provide a more pleasant experience for visitors. Buttermilk
has the most beginner and intermediate skiing terrain in the Aspen area, and there is a need
to modernize and expand the children's facilities to offer abetter teaching environment. Rental
facilities need to be updated and expanded because the existing space is undersized and
unable to adequately address the growing demands of snowboarders. Additional new retail
space will also be provided.
ASC will consolidate its administrative offices at the Buttemilk base area. ASC currently has
offices located near each of its mountains, creating significant obstacles to communication and
functional interaction. Buttermilk is centrally located to all of ASC's operations and will be at
the hub of the transportation system in the upper valley. The redevelopment of the base area
also offers a site to locate affordable housing for ASC employees. This will complement the
existing employee housing on the north side of SH 82 built by the Maroon Creek Club and the
planned Burlingame projects. Transit will be convenient from Buttermilk to the three other
Aspen area mountains as well as to all destinations in the Roaring Fork Valley. Employees
coming to work will enjoy similar accessibility. The Buttermilk Master Plan includes additional
parking spaces in the garage separate from the 750 cars allocated for skiers; these spaces will
be reserved for the exclusive use of ASC employees and residents of the affordable housing
units.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page I
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation: Analysis
Finally, the Buttermilk Master Plan includes a new gondola connection from the summit of
Buttermilk to the base of Aspen Highlands. Buttermilk will serve as a gateway to both
mountains. The greater availability of parking at Buttermilk and proximity to SH 82 will make
it convenient for Aspen Highlands skiers and employees. The gondola will provide access to
the gentler terrain at Buttermilk for children and beginners who are guests and residents at
Aspen Highlands Village.
It is currently anticipated that the master plan will be implemented in two phases. Phases I
and II will concentrate on making improvements at the ski area base and along the pedestrian
mall. There will be surface parking during Phase I, and the new parking structure will be built
in Phase II.
The purpose of this report is to document existing transportation conditions in the Buttermilk
area, to project the traffic likely to be generated by the proposed development, to assess the
impacts of this additional traffic, to assess transit system impacts and to identify the traffic
mitigation measures proposed to be implemented with the project.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig page 2
Revised - Buttermilk Master Play: - Transportation Analysis
2.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS
2.1 Buttermilk Ski Area
A key element of the proposed development plan for Buttermilk base area is to create an
attractive pedestrian experience between the light rail station (located near SH 82) and the
existing Bumps building, which is near the base of the mountain. This will be accomplished
by using a series of buildings and land use activities (see Figure 1 for site plan). The building
arrangement forms a classic street environment with a mixture of general retail next to the LRT
station, affordable housing and offices in the middle of the block, and skier services on the
south end at the skier plaza. The light rail station and the Bumps building serve as the points
of orientation and architectural anchors for the plan. Parking is planned as a two level parking
structure for Phase II development with only surface parking during Phase I. A new gondola
will connect the reconstructed Cliffhouse Restaurant at the top of Buttermilk with Aspen
Highlands Village at the base of Aspen Highlands Ski Area.
Table 1 provides a summary of the sizes and uses for each of the existing and new buildings
proposed at the Buttermilk base. The major program elements of the plan include:
• Children"s Center - The existing Powder Pandas (children's) program facilities are
outdated and undersized. This program currently uses the Pfeiffer house, which will
no longer be available because of rezoning. This will create the opportunity for a state-
of-the-art replacement facility with expanded play areas and magic carpets. It will also
allow ASC to provide year-round child care for its employees with young children. The
new location will place the Children's Center close to the drop-off area, parking, skier
shuttle, and chairlifts.
• Rental and Retail Facilities - These services will be reconstructed and expanded to
provide a contemporary design for guests. Full services will be provided for downvalley
skiers traveling to Aspen Highlands as well as to Buttermilk. Other retail facilities may
have a different focus; they could be transit -oriented to provide services to residents
and commuters if they aren't designed to primarily serve skiers. Portions of this retail
development will be located at the north end of the pedestrian mall to maximize its
orientation to the transit center, particularly when the light rail transit system is
completed and in operation.
• Multimodal Transportation Center - The environmental planning efforts for SH 82
identified Buttermilk base area as the location for a multimodal transportation center
and a 750-car parking area for skiers. It will ultimately be a key station for the light rail
transit (LRT) system that, if local support and/or funding are not available, will be
developed initially as exclusive bus lanes.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 3
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Table 1
Phase I and 11 Development Summary
.termilk Mountain Master Plan
Ski Area Existing
Affordable Office Retail Support Area
Housing i Area Area Area
Building Description , Units s . ft. s . ft. s . ft. s . ft.
A
I
Day Skier Parking
I
I
B
RFTA Stop
C
Skier Shuttle Drop-off
D
Base Lodge (Bumps)
�
I
18,236
E
I
F
Tickets/Office/Housing
2
1,400
1,400
G
Skier Service/Channel 16/Housing
14
900
4,080
H
Serrvice Desk
Children's Center
13,500
J
Guest Services
!
1,500
1,500
K
Retail/Office/Housing
4
1
3,800
( 3,800
L
Retail/Housing
1
1,400
M
I
Office/Housing
5
12,000
N
Office/Housing I
12
4,500
O
Office/Housing j
5
3,600
P
Housing
12
Q
Housing
3
R
Housing
4
S
Housing
6
T
Housing
4
U
Light Rail Station
Total Net Area j
72
26,800
6,100
20,480 18,236
Total Gross Area (add 15% for circulation, etc.
72
30,820
7,015
23,552 20,971
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
• Affordable Housing - A total of 72 housing units with a capacity of approximately 200
beds will be built between the transit center and Bumps restaurant. Studio, one-, two-,
three-, and four -bedroom units are planned for both seasonal and year-round ASC
employees. These employees will have immediate access to Buttermilk as well as
Aspen Highlands via the gondola connection. Frequent transit service is already
provided to Aspen Mountain and Snowmass Ski Areas by the RFTA system.
• Administrative Headquarters - Aspen Skiing Company's headquarters are currently
located in Snowmass Village, Aspen Airport Business Center (AABC), City of Aspen,
Buttermilk, and Aspen Highlands. Moving these to Buttermilk will provide facilities at
a more central location which are specifically designed for ASC's requirements. This
will also allow consolidation of administrative functions from each of ASC's four
mountains. Improved employee facilities (including lockers, meeting rooms, and
conference facilities) will be available to both administrative and Buttermilk employees.
A total of 86 administrative employees (65 year-round and 21 seasonal) are forecasted
to work at the Buttermilk base area in the ASC offices.
Buttermilk's central location offers numerous transit and transportation benefits.
Consolidation of all of the administrative functions at one location, compared to the
seven current locations between Snowmass and Aspen, will result in fewer overall trips
to coordinate meetings and activities within the company. Buttermilk's central location
also provides close access to external meetings at the other three mountains, at City
Hall, and with ACRA and other business entities. Finally, locating offices at Buttermilk
provides for an easy commute on the valley transit system from both Aspen and
downvalley locations. Employees living in Aspen will be able to ride free RFTA buses.
Employees living downvalley can take advantage of the bus/HOV lane on SH 82; no
transfers will be require for this trip.
• Base Area Parking - A parking structure with 750 spaces for skiers and additional
parking for base area housing and office uses will be built immediately adjacent to the
mountain base. Phase I will involve 550 to 600 spaces in a surface lot and will be
developed when CDOT has completed the Owl Creek Road realignment project. Phase
II will provide a two level structure and will coincide with construction of the
LRT/busway system and the adjacent retail, office and employee housing.
Approximately 620 parking spaces will be provided for Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands,
and Aspen Mountain skiers, as detailed in a following section of this report. The
amount of parking planned for ASC mountain employees is approximately 130 spaces.
Affordable housing and ASC office space are new uses proposed at the Buttermilk base
area. These new uses and parking for mountain employees will require that an
additional 120 parking spaces be reserved on the lower level of the garage and under
the Children's Center. The base area will have a total of 870 spaces.
The parking lot at Buttermilk will not be oriented as an intercept parking area for people
working in downtown Aspen. A ski season pricing system will be developed which
discourages commuters from parking all day while recognizing the legitimate parking
needs of skiers at ASC's mountains.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 6
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
• Short -Term Parking - The parking structure spaces closest to the plaza and the
children's center will be reserved in the morning for short-term parking and drop-offs.
These spaces, on the upper level of the structure, are on grade with the plaza, making
for an easy drop off and pick up. The short-term parking spaces will be available for
parents who need to escort their kids and equipment to the children's center or onto
the slopes. Private shuttle vehicles such as taxis and hotel vans will also use this
dropoff area and the short-term parking. A parking fee will not be charged for short-
term parking or drop- offs.
• Skier Shuttle Dropoff - RFTA skier shuttles will use a turnaround located adjacent to
the plaza and children's center. The turnaround is large enough to accommodate
multiple buses at the same time. In order to encourage use of mass transit, the
location of the turnaround ensures that skiers who arrive using the skier shuttles will
be dropped off as close as possible to the chairlifts, and closer than skiers who park
in the parking structure. There is enough curbside loading space in the turnaround to
be able to designate separate loading and unloading zones for the different skier shuttle
routes.
Three charter bus parking spaces will be provided in the skier shuttle turnaround out
of the circulation path of the RFTA skier shuttles. A walkway will be created so that
passengers loading and unloading from the three bus parking spaces will be able to
circulate separate from the skier shuttles.
The Aspen Skiing Company office parking spaces below the children's center will be
accessed through the skier shuttle turnaround. These uses will be non -conflicting:
employees using these parking spaces arrive before the ski area opens and leave after
the ski area closes.
• Deliveries - Service, deliveries, and trash for both the base area and the mountain will
be accommodated at the receiving area located off West Buttermilk Road. This area is
accessible by snowcats for on -mountain uses and by dolly for base -area uses. The
receiving docks will be connected to Bumps via a tunnel to facilitate movement of
deliveries and trash. Deliveries and trash take place during early -morning hours and do
not disrupt ski area ingress and egress. The service delivery area will also be accessible
by emergency vehicles for off-loading injured skiers and snowboarders directly from the
slopes.
• Emergency Vehicles - Emergency vehicles, including ambulances and fire trucks, will
be able to access the base of Buttermilk using either the bus turnaround or the service
delivery area off of West Buttermilk Road. When possible, the service delivery area will
be used so as not to disrupt the children's center activities or the RFTA operations.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 7
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
2.2 Gondola
As a key element of the Buttermilk Master Plan, Aspen Skiing Company is planning to
construct a new gondola which will connect Aspen Highlands Village with the Cliffhouse
Restaurant, at the top of Buttermilk Ski Area. There are several benefits of providing this
gondola connection. Aspen Highlands Village will have convenient access to another mountain
(Buttermilk) with different types of skiing terrain. In addition, the gondola will allow Buttermilk
to be a gateway to both ski areas for downvalley skiers. This movement of downvalley skiers
will be facilitated by the intercept parking lot at Buttermilk, which is a key element of the
improvements to SH 82 identified in the Entrance to Aspen EIS.
One of the transportation benefits of the proposed gondola is that it will reduce traffic volumes
on Maroon Creek Road and SH 82 up to 1.9% (as detailed in section 6.1). There are a number
of ways in which the gondola could potentially reduce traffic volumes. These reductions can
be described as follows:
• Planning for Aspen Highlands Village (Revised Maroon Creek Corridor Detailed
Transportation Plan, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, February 1997) envisioned a shuttle bus
service between Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands. It was intended to provide a transit
link between the two areas for both skiers and Aspen Highlands Ski Area employees
because currently there is no convenient transit link between Aspen Highlands,
Buttermilk, and other points further downvalley. Operating the gondola during the
same hours would eliminate the need for this direct bus service.
• Aspen Highlands Village residents and guests will be able to use the gondola to easily
access Buttermilk for beginner and intermediate terrain. They will not need to drive on
Maroon Creek Road and SH 82.
• Aspen Highlands will have paid parking every day beginning with the 1999/2000
season. Parking for skiers at Buttermilk will be free or less expensive than that at
Aspen Highlands in order to encourage intercept parking and remove cars from Maroon
Creek Road and the two-lane portion of SH 82. With the gondola providing a
convenient connection to Aspen Highlands, it is projected that a number of day skiers
from downvalley will park at Buttermilk. Other skiers using Aspen Mountain and Aspen
Highlands may park at Buttermilk to avoid congestion on SH 82. Any reductions will
only be noticeable on non -peak days when the Aspen Highlands garage doesn't fill up.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 8
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
2.3 SH 82 - Entrance to Aspen
One of the most important recent developments in the transportation system in the upper
Roaring Fork Valley was the adoption of the SH 82 Entrance to Aspen Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) in August 1997 and the Record of Decision (ROD) in August 1998.
The following excerpts from the HIS summarize the approved Preferred Alternative. It is a
combination of highway and intersection improvements, a transit system, and an incremental
transportation management (TM) program. The Preferred Alternative includes several of these
elements in the vicinity of Buttermilk. SH 82 is a four -lane parkway to the west and
transitions to a two-lane parkway at Owl Creek Road. Existing Owl Creek Road and W.
Buttermilk Road are being relocated to create a new combined intersection with SH 82 near
Buttermilk. The transit component includes an LRT system that, if local support and/or funding
are not available, will be developed initially as exclusive bus lanes. The transit platform (which
will follow the proposed highway alignment) is of adequate width to allow the exclusive bus
lanes to continue to operate during the construction of the LRT. Multi -modal facilities at the
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport and Buttermilk Ski Area are part of the locally funded light rail
transit component. Finally, the Preferred Alternative includes a parking facility of
approximately 750 spaces at the Buttermilk multimodal center. Initially, the construction of
these multimodal facilities would not need to provide for the maximum capacity.
Detailed information about the purpose and function of the Buttermilk multimodal facility is
found in the Final EIS (State Highway 82 Entrance to Aspen, Final Environmental Impact
Statement, Section 4(f) Evaluation, Volume 1, Colorado Department of Transportation, August
1997). The following is quoted from that report:
"Multimodal facilities provide more access to the transit system and associated land
use than a park and ride. As part of the Preferred Alternative, multimodal facilities
provide a direct connection between parking, transit, ski area access, and airport
access. These facilities are an important part of the Entrance to Aspen solution and
the long-term transportation solution. The City of Aspen's resolution to hold traffic at
existing levels makes the need for the multimodal facilities ever greater. The TM
programs required to accomplish this goal create the need for parking spaces and easy
access to transit opportunities. Because of this need, multimodal facilities play a
critical role in the function of the Preferred Alternative. Due to complexities and
uncertainties associated with the multimodal facilities, a combination of private and
public funds will likely be used for these facilities.
"Buttermilk Multimodal Facility
"The Buttermilk location has been identified by the Aspen Skiing Company and the
project team as a 750-space facility. A surface lot of this size would require
approximately 3.0 hectares (7.5 acres) of land. The Preferred Alternative recommends
a parking structure to reduce the footprint of the parking requirements. A two -level
structure would require about 1.6 hectares (4 acres).
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 9
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
"The Buttermilk facility would be the transfer point for skier trips and commuter bus
trips into the Aspen area. Aspen skiers traveling to Snowmass would ride the LRT to
Buttermilk and make a transfer to a bus or gondola (possible future connection). Other
skier trips in private cars from downvalley to Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and
Buttermilk could park at the Buttermilk Multimodal facility.
"Buttermilk Ski Area LRT Station
"The Buttermilk station serves as the transfer site between transit modes (bus to LRT,
bus to bus). The buses from downvalley access the station directly from State
Highway 82. Sawtooth bus bays are provided adjacent to the LRT station platform to
allow easy transfers between the buses (including school buses) and the LRT. The
station serves primarily as the transit connection for skier trips. This station is part of
the larger Buttermilk multimodal facility discussed in the previous section. This station
is designed to be as close to the Buttermilk Ski Area as possible. The location of the
station provides a direct pedestrian connection between the station and the ski lift area.
"Moore Property LRT Station
Located on the Moore Property, the station at Maroon Creek Road operates as a
passenger drop-off and pick-up for the transit system. This location serves the major
transit demand in the area, which includes three schools, Aspen Valley Hospital, and
the Aspen Highlands Ski Area. The station design and location on the Moore Property
allows buses from Maroon Creek Road and Castle Creek Road to access the LRT
station from Maroon Creek Road without having to cross the LRT tracks. Sawtooth
bus bays are provided adjacent to the LRT station platform to allow easy transfers
between the buses and the LRT. Other vehicles are also allowed to access the LRT
station at a pick-up/drop-off area. There is no long-term or short-term parking provided
at the station...
"Potential Future Link to Downvalley Commuter Rail
"The opportunity exists for future downvalley commuter rail to connect with the
Preferred Alternative. This link is included in the BBFEIS (Basalt to Buttermilk FEIS) as
a transit envelope that extends between Basalt and Buttermilk. The light rail extension
between the Airport and the Brush Creek Road intersection with State Highway 82 is
considered to be an important link in the long-term, valley -wide rail solution. Although
this link is not necessary for the Preferred Alternative to operate, it is mentioned as part
of the overall transportation solution in the Roaring Fork Valley."
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 10
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
The Record of Decision (State Highway 82 Entrance to Aspen Record of Decision, Colorado
Department of Transportation, August 1998) states the following with respect to the
Buttermilk multimodal facility:
"Multimodal facilities will be developed at two locations in the project corridor: the
Pitkin County Airport and Buttermilk Ski Area. Each of the locations will accommodate
a transit station (or stop) and parking facilities. The parking demand for each facility
was determined based on the parking demand induced by the incremental TM program.
The parking demand will range from 750 spaces at the Buttermilk Ski Area to 3,600
spaces at the airport .... The Buttermilk Ski Area Facility will primarily be used by day
skiers and other recreationalists. The size of the facilities may be reduced based on
several factors including actual population and traffic growth experience, transit
service, success of TM programs, linkages to other communities, and increased
downvalley parking facilities. Construction of the parking spaces can be phased."
The language in the ROD allows for flexibility regarding the final design of the multimodal
transit facilities. The decision by Aspen Skiing Company, CDOT, and upvalley officials to.
concentrate skier transfers at Brush Creek Road obviated the need for a cross -platform transfer
from rail to bus at the base of Buttermilk. Buttermilk still functions as an intermodal transit
center with provisions for intercept parking, light rail, RFTA regional service and skier shuttles
and connections to the pedestrian and bicycle trail systems.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 11
Revised - Buttermilk Master Play: - Transportation Analysis
3.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS
3.1 Use of Buttermilk Ski Area
Buttermilk is one of four ski mountains operated by ASC in the Aspen-Snowmass area. The
terrain on the mountain is most suitable for beginning and intermediate skiers. It generally
opens in late November or early December and closes in early April. Annual skier visits since
the 1974-75 season are shown in Table 2. Several other related statistics are also shown in
Table 2: days in the season, average daily skiers, and peak day characteristics. Annual skier
visits are highly dependent on snow conditions, the national economy, and the convenience
of air transportation to the Roaring Fork Valley. Buttermilk visits are also related to
competitive pressures from the other ski areas in the Aspen-Snowmass area. The length of
the ski season is dependent on all of these factors and is reflected in the annual total and
average daily skiers. This table shows that annual skier visits in the 1980's and 1990's have
not approached the levels recorded in the 1970's. The most recent peak seasons were in
1988-89, 1989-90, and 1997-98.
A comparison of daily use statistics shows that the highest average use occurs during the
Christmas -New Year's holiday period, as might be expected. Between five and seven of the
highest use days of the year consistently occur during this period. Skier visits during the
maximum day for the most recent five seasons are shown in Table 2. Other high use periods
are generally related to holidays in January (Martin Luther King, Jr.) and February (Presidents'
Day). During the rest of the season, weekends are much busier than weekdays. In recent
seasons, there has been no consistent pattern favoring either Saturdays or Sundays as the
busiest day of the week.
Finally, Table 2 shows the skier visits for the 10th highest day of the year. In the case of the
many improvements proposed for Buttermilk, the 10th highest day has been determined to be
an appropriate measure for the design day. The 10th highest day is a balance between excess
capacity and being able to handle most of the higher peak days with only nominal decreases
in the level of service to users. The 10th highest day is larger than the average day so that
there is enough reserve capacity to comfortably handle normal peaks and holiday peaks
without excessive congestion and delays. The children's skiing program attracts many local
families on weekends throughout the season and is partially responsible for the high level of
weekend use at Buttermilk. For this study, it was assumed that the 101h highest day would
occur on a weekend, and Saturday was chosen since background traffic levels are higher than
on Sundays.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 12
Table 2
Annual Skier Visits
ttermilk Mountain Ski Area
10th
Average Maximum Percent Highest Percent
Annual Days Daily Daily of Day of
I Year Visits Operating Skiers Skiers Annual Skiers Max DayJ,I
1974/75
214,367
1975/76
215,517
1976/77
92,974
1977/78
225,092
1978/79
235,000
1979/80
250,239
1980/81
214,399
1981 /82
169,839
1982/83
192,627
1983/84 j
164,611
1984/85
163,035
1985/86
134,824
1986/87
131,070
1987/88
151,220
1988/89
177,364
1989/90
188,984
1990/91
144,419
1991 /92
163,658
1992/93
161,463
1993/94
172,948
1994/95 1
168,439
1995/96
175,940
1996/97
154,940
1997/98 (1)
180,005
10 Year Average !
168,816
5 Year Average
170,454
3 Year Average
170,295
Buildout Forecast
210,000
130
130
93
130
130
130
123
128
108
108
115
107
114
130
130
130
130
130
113
114
121
121
130
129
125
123
129
125
1,649
1,658
1,000
1,731
1,808
1,925
1,743
1,327
1,784
1,524
1,418
1,260
1,150
1,163
1,364
1,454
1,111
1,259
1,429
1,517
1,392
1,454
1,192
1,395
1,357
1,390
1,347
1,683
2,643
i
I
o !
1.53 /o
1,858
I
i
o
70./o 3
2,834
1.68%
1,718
60.6%
2,956
1.68%
2,019
68.3% j
2,778
1.79%
2,104
75.7%
2,812
1.56%
2,152
76.5%
2,805
1.65%
1,970
70.3%I
2,849
1.68%
2,092
73.5%
3,463
1.65%
2,435
70.3%
Source: Aspen Skiing Company
Notes: (1) The new ticketing system installed for the 1997/98 season
includes employee use of the ski lifts.
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
3.2 Transportation System Use
Roadway Network
SH 82 is the major arterial in the Roaring Fork Valley and provides all vehicular access to
Buttermilk. There are currently three access points along SH 82 which serve the Buttermilk
base area. W. Buttermilk Road is the principal access point to the parking lots. Approximately
100 feet east is a secondary driveway which is designated for Roaring Fork Transit Agency
(RFTA) buses only. The access driveway to the Inn at Aspen is another 250 feet to the east.
Turning movement counts were taken at W. Buttermilk Road and SH 82 on Friday, March 3,
1995 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm (see Appendix Table A-1). The lifts run between 9:00
am and 4:00 pm so almost all Buttermilk skiing -related activity was covered by this count.
The count shows that 61.4% of Buttermilk skiers who come by car come from the Aspen area
and the remaining 38.6% originate from downvalley.
This information was combined with traffic counts taken by CDOT and Pitkin County to
develop a fairly complete picture of traffic patterns in the Buttermilk area. CDOT collected
traffic counts on SH 82 at Castle Creek Bridge on a continuous basis from 1993 through
1995. As part of CDOT's SH 82 EIS analysis efforts, counts were taken on Owl Creek Road
for a week in February 1994. During this same period, Pitkin County conducted traffic counts
on W. Buttermilk Road south of the Buttermilk Ski Area. These counts have been combined
(Appendix Table A-2) and information about four different peak hours are shown in Figure 2.
On Saturdays, the peak hours for SH 82 traffic are between 9:00 and 10:00 am for the
morning peak and between 4:00 and 5:00 pm during the evening. Peak traffic generated by
Buttermilk does not coincide with peak traffic on SH 82. The peak two-hour period for
Buttermilk in the morning is from 9:00 to 1 1:00 am, and the morning peak hour is between
10:00 and 1 1:00 am. In the afternoon, the peak two-hour period is between 2:30 and 4:30
pm while the afternoon peak hour is between 3:00 and 4:00 pm.
Traffic operations were analyzed using the procedures in the Highway Capacity Manual
Special Report 209, Transportation Research Board, updated 1994. Figure 2 shows the
calculated levels of service (LOS) at this intersection for all four peak hours. SH 82 through
traffic experiences no delay and the westbound left -turning traffic operates at LOS A and B.
Traffic turning right from W. Buttermilk Road experiences only minor delays and operates at
LOS B during all peak hours. Traffic turning left from W. Buttermilk Road (which includes
Buttermilk skiers) operates at LOS D in the morning and at LOS F in the afternoon. This
coincides with the common experience that it is difficult to turn left onto SH 82 in the
afternoon. The proposed signal will improve this situation. A comparison of the existing
traffic volumes with signal warrant criteria contained in the Manual of Traffic Control Devices
shows that a peak hour warrant for signalization is currently met.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 14
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Revised - Buttermilk Master Plait - Transportation Analysis
West Buttermilk Road lies between the main lot for Buttermilk and the Stapleton site which
is used as an overflow lot. It provides access to the West Buttermilk lift and parking lot and
a number of houses. Safety concerns have been expressed that road traffic is not separated
very well from parking lot activity. ASC has had discussions with the West Buttermilk
homeowners in the past. They have been very concerned about conflicts between through
traffic and parked cars and pedestrians in the main and Stapleton lots. ASC has been making
concerted efforts to maintain a clearly defined path through the parking lots, and parking lot
attendants manage parking in the lot to maintain this separation.
Prior to the 1994/95 season, Aspen Skiing Company shifted 95 spaces from the downvalley
side of the main Buttermilk parking lot over to the Stapleton property. This allowed for a much
better delineation of West Buttermilk Road, benefitting both West Buttermilk residents and
Buttermilk skiers. The road is now separated from the parking areas by a wooden fence on
one side and by forest green jersey barriers on the other.
Existing Parking Lot Use
There are three portals to the Buttermilk Ski Area: the main Buttermilk base area where
services and activity are concentrated, the Tiehack lift, and the West Buttermilk lift. There
have been changes in the size of several of these lots since the AF-SKI Master Plan was
approved in 1986. These changes have served to emphasize the main Buttermilk area and
have made the other two more secondary. The main Buttermilk lot is designed to
accommodate 320 parked cars (63 of which are reserved for high occupancy vehicle parking).
Up to 215 spaces can be used on the Stapleton site to the west of W. Buttermilk Road. 95
vehicles are allowed to park at the Stapleton site on a daily basis throughout the season. Up
to 215 spaces can be used on specially designated days when most of the parking spaces in
the main lot are unavailable (approximately 120 spaces in the main lot are displaced for several
days in February due to a ski industry trade show). In addition, ASC has an arrangement with
the Inn at Aspen whereby 97 otherwise unused parking spaces can be used by Buttermilk
employees. The construction of the Pfister Ranch and golf course by Maroon Creek
Development Company in 1993 reduced the size of the parking lot at the East Tiehack base
by 171 spaces to a total of 120 spaces. The West Buttermilk lot has an effective capacity of
50 spaces. Thus the total parking currently available at Buttermilk (585 total spaces) is less
than the 870 spaces approved in the 1986 master plan.
In order to better document current transportation use patterns at Buttermilk, ASC surveyed
parking lot use during the spring of 1994 (Appendix Table A-3) and conducted more
comprehensive surveys during the 1994-95 (see Appendix Table A-4) and 1995-96 seasons
(see Appendix Table A-5). Counts of the parking lots were taken at 1 1 :00 am during the
Christmas -New Year's holiday; on almost all Saturdays and Sundays in January, February, and
March; and on some other weekdays. It should be noted that use of the guest and employee
spaces at the Inn at Aspen have not been included in this tabulation. ASC established this
baseline of current use data at Buttermilk so that the implications of transportation changes
could be monitored in the future and determined more precisely.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 16
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
A review of the statistics for these three periods reveals the following:
• The highest parking count of the year occurs in February, generally during the
Presidents' Day holiday or the weekend after. This peak varied between 549 and 597
vehicles for the four Buttermilk lots. Peak day use of the main Buttermilk and Stapleton
lot varied between 394 and 485 parked vehicles.
• During the periods that were surveyed over the three years, there were a total of eight
days when more than 500 cars parked at Buttermilk (total of all four lots). During this
same period, there were four days when the use of the main and Stapleton lots
exceeded 400 vehicles.
• Considering only the main Buttermilk and Stapleton lots during the 1994-95 and 1995-
96 seasons, the 5th highest day of use was between 369 and 384 vehicles parked.
The 10th highest day was 351 and 352.
One significant difference between the 1993-94 and 1994-95/1995-96 seasons has been a
change in the balance of use between the main and Stapleton lots. More cars are being parked
in the Stapleton lot to reduce the conflicts with traffic on W. Buttermilk Road.
Vehicle occupancy counts were conducted on many of the days during the 1994-95 and
1995-96 seasons. The average vehicle occupancy was 2.16 during the 1994-95 season and
it was 2.01 during the 1995-96 season. Comparisons on weekend versus weekday counts
show that vehicle occupancy is fairly consistent on all days of the week.
Short -Term Parking Area Use
Short-term parking spaces are used primarily by people who are registering their kids for the
children's program. An average of 40 families during the morning peak hour use the short-
term lot for children's registration, with cars parked for an average of 15 minutes with some
stays up to 30 minutes. Design day volumes of 45 cars are forecasted. Other short-term
parking demand arises from people who want to purchase tickets and gather information
before they park their cars. This involves 5 to 10 cars during the peak hour with an average
stay of 10 minutes. The other use of the short-term lot is for private bus parking. Private
buses are used by local church and school groups, private charters, and spring break school
trips. An average of two buses park at Buttermilk on an average day during the season. On
a busy March day during spring break, five to seven buses park at Buttermilk.
Many skiers are dropped off at the base of Buttermilk and picked up again at the end of the
day. The weekday average is approximately 50 drop-offs with up to 100 drop-offs on
weekends when locals are dropping off their children for ski school. There are an average of
three skiers per car. In addition to individual vehicles, private shuttles (hotel shuttles, taxis,
and limousines) use the turnaround area and/or short-term parking when delivering and picking
up guests. An average of 15 such vehicles use the existing Buttermilk drop-off area per day,
with up to 25 such drop-offs on the design day. An average of 4 people per vehicle arrive via
private shuttles.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 17
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
Transit Use
RFTA currently provides a variety of skier shuttles from Aspen and Snowmass to all four ski
areas (see Table 3). These are funded by ASC. Transit services and routes which serve
Buttermilk include a route between Rubey Park in downtown Aspen and Buttermilk. Most
shuttles between Aspen and Snowmass stop at Buttermilk. Many of these buses are also used
as skier shuttles and have outside ski and snowboard racks. Most downvalley routes on SH
82 can stop at Buttermilk if a passenger wants to get off or on. These buses are not
specifically set up for skiers and not all of them have outside racks for skis and snowboards.
The Roaring Fork Transit Agency (RFTA) keeps track of the number of skiers using the various
skier shuttles that serve Buttermilk on a daily basis throughout the ski season.
1997-98 season statistics for Buttermilk are also included in Table 3. Total annual ridership
was fairly consistent with previous years. A review of the daily ridership reveals that there
were 2,283 riders on the maximum day (Monday, December 29, 1997). The 10th highest day
for Skier Shuttle ridership was Saturday, February 14, 1998 when there were 1,679 total
riders. A comparison of the daily ridership numbers for the Skier Shuttle with the daily skier
visits for the entire 1997-98 season revealed the following:
• For the entire season, an average of 44.7% of the skiers use the Skier Shuttle to
access Buttermilk.
• During the weekends, an average of 36.8% of the skiers ride on the Skier Shuttle.
• On weekdays the average ridership on the Skier Shuttle rises to 48.7%.
• During the Christmas - New Year's holiday, Skier Shuttle ridership averages 38.4% of
all skiers.
Additional skiers not included in these statistics arrive at Buttermilk via the upvalley and
downvalley RFTA fare -service routes.
3.3 Buttermilk Ski Area Employees
Employment records show that on a typical workday, 241 employees work at Buttermilk. On
a design day, this number increases to 270 employees, primarily from increased demand for
ski instructors. Of these, approximately 70% are downvalley residents and the remaining 30%
live upvalley. It is reported that the 97 spaces reserved for employees at the Inn at Aspen
parking lot are well used, although no occupancy survey has been taken.
In 1998, ASC conducted a survey of all its employees, and this information was stratified by
location of work. The results show that 28% of Buttermilk employees regularly use the RFTA
pass offered by ASC and an additional 24% use it sometimes. 32% of all Aspen Skiing
Company employees use the punch pass benefit regularly. 45% of ASC seasonal employees
use the punch pass benefit. ASC heavily subsidizes RFTA punch passes for all employees who
use the transit system. ASC currently sells $40 punch passes to its employees for $5. There
has been a noticeable increase in the number of employees taking advantage of this benefit
over time. ASC expects that this growth will continue in the future.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 18
Table 3
jer Shuttle Ridership
Aspen Two
Season Highlands Buttermilk Snowmass Creeks Employee Rodeo Bud Bus Total
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
1984/85
129,468
334,551
20,417
59,573
544,009
1985/86
105,372
316,478
25,885
77,110
524,845
1986/87
122,317
325,270
27,515
59,806
534,908
1987/88
131,968
327,307
25,876
61,399
546,550
1988/89
132,240
341,893
24,598
79,178
577,909
1989/90
141,663
294,504
24,246
66,584
526,997
1990/91
110,508
318,803
106,657
535,968
1991/92
120,639
359,690
480,329
1992/93
114,937
422,861
109 537,907
1993/94
86,716
138,415
423,545
648,676
1994/95
141,270
137,923
403,943
683,136
1995/96
146,951
147,966
375,674 28,151
698,742
1996/97
131,201
143,821
395,816 40,662
711,500
1997/98
119,765
142,687
408,253 41,676
712,381
1 997/98 Season Statistics for Buttermilk Mountain only
142,687 Total Skier Shuttle Ridership
2,283 Riders on Maximum Day: Monday, December 29, 1997
1,679 Riders on 10th Highest Day: Saturday, February 14, 1998
Source: Roaring Fork Transit Agency
Notes: (1) AHSA was purchased by ASC in 1993 and skier shuttle service began.
(2) Two Creeks base area opened for 1995/96 season
(3) Special employees buses were discontinued and
punch passes on RFTA made available to employees.
(4) RFTA service was discontinued when Town of Snowmass Village
took over this service with own buses.
(5) This was a promotional bus service bringing skiers from Denver.
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
4.0 FUTURE TRAVEL DEMAND ESTIMATES
4.1 Estimation Procedures
ASC has developed estimates for the increase in future skier visits at Buttermilk as a result of
the proposed improvements. When all of the master plan improvements are complete, there
could be a total of 40,000 additional skier visits. The new bedbase at Aspen Highlands Village
and the gondola connection will realize 16,000 skier visits. 24,000 visits at Buttermilk will
be skiers who are now based in Aspen and ski at Snowmass. These visitors will find that the
improvements at Buttermilk and gondola connection to Aspen Highlands creates an attractive
alternative to traveling to Snowmass. Adding this increment to the average skier visits for the
past three years at Buttermilk results in an annual total of 210,000 skier visits per year (see
Table 2). The 24,000 skier visits which switch from Snowmass is believed to be appropriate
for determining future base area design day use parameters such as skier traffic volumes,
transit ridership, and parking requirements. This represents an increase of approximately
14.1 % over recent levels.
The future travel demands which will be created by the new uses included as elements of the
proposed development (i.e. affordable housing and administrative offices) have been analyzed
in a different manner. The forecasts were made in accordance with Pitkin County
requirements and accepted traffic engineering practice. Pitkin County includes trip generation
standards as part of the most recent Pitkin County Road Management and Maintenance Plan,
February 1997. These trip generation rates are based in part on the Institute of Transportation
Engineers' Trip Generation Report, Sixth Edition, 1997. Pitkin County's procedure allows
residential trips to be reduced based on a number of factors that take into account the unique
characteristics of the resort area. These include ski-in/ski-out access, support services within
walking distance, transit ridership, on -site employee housing, and transportation demand
management (TDM) programs. The proposed development at Buttermilk has been structured
to reduce as much as possible the need to use automobiles for trip making. As such, credit
for many of these reductions has been included in the analysis. Appendix Tables B-1 and B-2
show the derivation of both daily and both morning and evening peak hour trip generation
rates. One aspect of the trip generation procedure is that transit trip reductions are
enumerated. These reductions were utilized to estimate the additional number of person -trips
which would be made on transit buses from the new development at the Buttermilk base area.
4.2 Vehicular Traffic
Forecasts of the future travel demand created by the Buttermilk Master Plan consist of several
elements.
• Skier -related traffic was estimated by factoring the March 3, 1995 traffic counts to
reflect the design day in the future. This adjustment involves increasing the traffic
from Buttermilk to reflect conversion from a Friday to a Saturday (with different transit
ridership characteristics) and to account for the difference between the Friday when
the counts were taken and the 10th highest day of the season.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 20
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
• In general, it has been determined that through traffic on SH 82 will not increase in the
future. Therefore, average Saturday volumes for March 1995 were kept at the same
levels.
New trips will be created because of the new uses at the base area. These uses
include affordable housing (72 units with a total of 200 beds) and ASC offices (86
administrative employees - 65 year-round and 21 seasonal). Based on the procedures
described previously, the trip generation analysis (see Appendix Table B-3) has resulted
in a moderate increase in traffic demand - 404 daily trips. These were factored to the
various peak hours and distributed to the upvalley and downvalley directions based on
existing patterns. For this analysis, it was assumed that the increased retail space
would not generate new automobile trips since this activity would be focused on skiers
and possibly commuters; no one would be likely to stop at Buttermilk just to shop. In
addition, parking for retail uses was not considered in determining the size of the
parking garage, and thus no additional spaces have been included for this activity.
• Because of the reduced parking supply for skiers at Aspen Highlands, there will be
additional traffic at Buttermilk. A previous study (Revised Maroon Creek Corridor
Detailed Transportation Plan, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, February 1997) determined that
a total of 135 intercept parking spaces should be provided at Buttermilk to
accommodate vehicles which would not be able to park at Aspen Highlands on the
2014/15 design day because of the limited capacity at the Aspen Highlands parking
structure.
An element of the SH 82 Entrance to Aspen plan is the relocation of Owl Creek Road
over to W. Buttermilk Road. This creates a common intersection that will be signalized.
Traffic volumes on Owl Creek Road (counted in February 1994) were updated to reflect
1998 volumes contained in the Town of Snowmass Village Comprehensive Plan, draft
6/19/98. These were then added to the peak hour volumes at W. Buttermilk Road.
Figure 3 shows the results of this analysis procedure and reflects future design day volumes
on a Saturday when all the Phase II improvements are complete. It should be noted that the
through traffic shown on SH 82 is less than existing through traffic exhibited in Figure 2. This
is a result of the lower traffic levels on Saturdays than on weekdays and the fact that peak
hours are also relatively less pronounced on weekends.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 21
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4.3 Parking
The SH 82 Record of Decision included a 750-car parking lot at Buttermilk which would serve
as an intercept lot for skiers. Future parking demands can be calculated based on the surveys
of parking use which ASC has conducted in past seasons and by adding to this future parking
demands created by more skier visits and new development. Table 4 shows a summary of the
forecasted parking demands. As noted previously, the parking lot surveys determined that
there were approximately 350 skier vehicles parked at the main Buttermilk lots on the 101n
highest day. The increase in the number of Buttermilk skiers parking at Buttermilk's base
during the future design day will be relatively modest (14.1 % or 49 vehicles). As explained
previously, there will be intercept parking for Aspen Highlands which results in a total of 135
cars expected to park at Buttermilk on the design day and use the gondola connection. It is
expected that approximately 50 cars carrying Aspen Mountain skiers will also use Buttermilk
for intercept parking in response to the limited parking available in downtown Aspen. The
parking structure will also have 58 spaces reserved for short-term parking, to be used primarily
for skier drop-offs and dropping -off children at the Children's Center. Table 4 shows a total
skier parking demand of 642 on the design day. Providing 108 parking spaces in the skier area
for mountain employees will bring the total parking demand to 750 spaces, which agrees with
the recommendations of the SH 82 ROD.
The ASC administrative office and affordable housing uses proposed in the Buttermilk Master
Plan will create additional demands for parking. An additional 120 parking spaces will be
provided in two separate areas: on the first floor of the garage and under the Children's
Center. Approximately one-third (46) of these spaces will be used by ASC employees. This
will provide approximately one parking space per 670 square feet of office space, which is
two-thirds the requirement for office use contained in the Pitkin County Land Use Code. This
means that there will be a total of 154 employee parking spaces. In addition to the new ASC
offices at Buttermilk, there are several on -going changes which will create this need for
employee parking. First, no employee parking will be provided at Aspen Highlands Village for
mountain employees. They will either ride RFTA buses or the gondola to get to work. Some
Aspen Highlands employees will be allowed to park at Buttermilk. Second, there is a good
potential for redevelopment of the Inn at Aspen in the future. The 97 mountain employee
parking spaces which are currently utilized by ASC at the Inn will likely be displaced with new
development. Utilization of the 154 employee spaces will be maximized by reserving an
appropriate number for carpools. It is expected that the parking can be actively managed so
that the average vehicle occupancy will be 1.5 or greater. This high utilization of carpools and
transit is reasonable given the limited parking available and the level of transit service provided
at Buttermilk. Currently there are numerous downvalley buses and the Skier Shuttles serving
Buttermilk. The LRT system could provide even more frequent service in the future.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 23
Table 4
Design Day Parking Demand
Buttermilk Mountain Master Plan
Subtotal ( Totals
Current 10th Highest Day Parking Demand
350
(based on 1994-95 and 1995-96 season statistics)
Additional skiers using Buttermilk
j
base area in the future 14.1 %
Increased BMSA Skier Demand
49
Aspen Highlands Skiers:
j
Intercept Parking Required
135
Aspen Mountain Skiers:
I
Projected Intercept Parking
50
584
Short-term parking (Childrens Center, drop-off, etc.)
i
I�
58
642
Mountain employee parking
108
108
jI Subtotal Skier Demand at Base Area
750 I
!! Parking for Affordable Housing:
1.0 spaces per unit (approximate)
i 72 units
74
' i
ASC Offices:
l
!! 670 square feet of office per space (approx.)
30,820 square feet
46
j
120
Subotal for new Base Area uses:
Total Base Area Parking Demand to be accommodated
i
870
in the parking structure
Outlying Parking Areas
Tiehack
120
j West Buttermilk
50
170
Total Parking at BMSA
11040
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
In addition to the employee parking, there will be 74 spaces in the lower level of the garage
reserved for residents of the affordable housing. One parking space per unit will be provided.
This ratio is appropriate since Buttermilk will be very much a transit -oriented development. All
of the housing units will be within 500 feet of the regional transit center. Free year-round bus
service into Aspen, to Aspen Highlands, and to the airport and free winter service to
Snowmass provides residents with transit access that is a very convenient alternative to the
automobile. In addition, the smaller units will be reserved for seasonal employees and will be
designed in a configuration similar to the proposed MAA/ASC Burlingame seasonal housing.
ASC will be able to recruit employees and assign housing based on the employee's ability to
arrive in Aspen without a car.
No parking will be provided for retail shoppers. It is expected that patrons of the additional
retail space will consist entirely of skiers, residents, employees, and transit users already at
Buttermilk, and thus no one will drive to Buttermilk solely for retail shopping.
As shown in Table 4, these increases and new uses result in a total demand of 870 spaces
at the Buttermilk parking structure. Including the existing outlying parking at Tiehack and
West Buttermilk brings the total parking at Buttermilk to 1,040 spaces.
4.4 Transit Service
Buttermilk is currently well served during all seasons by the Skier Shuttle in the winter and by
regular RFTA service during all other times of the year. Forecasts show that there will be an
14.1 % increase in transit ridership on the Skier Shuttle on the design day. The 10t" highest
day for Skier Shuttle ridership to Buttermilk was 1,679 during the 1997-98 season. This
results in a forecasted ridership of 1,916 for the future design day. Maximum day ridership
could increase even more, depending on how much vehicle occupancy increases during peak
days.
RFTA and ASC have had a long-standing agreement regarding the Skier Shuttle service and
ridership is monitored daily. There are provisions included in the agreement that increase the
number of buses in the future as ridership increases. It is premature at this time to speculate
about how the Skier Shuttle service will be modified once the LRT system is operating, but
obviously skiers will be a major component of the winter demands.
Forecasts of additional transit ridership which could result from the new affordable housing and
office space at Buttermilk and changes to employee parking at both Buttermilk and Aspen
Highlands are summarized in Appendix Tables B-2 and B-3. These forecasts show that
approximately 225 additional riders could be using RFTA buses and the LRT/busway system
on a daily basis in the future.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 25
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
4.5 Gondola Connection
Previous sections have described the transportation implications of the proposed gondola
connection between the Aspen Highlands base area and the top of Buttermilk. The gondola,
in addition to the new RFTA bus stop at the SH 82/Maroon Creek Road intersection, will
eliminate the need to provide shuttle bus service between the two base areas for skiers and
employees. The Aspen Highlands skiers who will be parking at Buttermilk have also been
accounted for in the analyses of traffic volumes and parking requirements. Chapter 6
discusses these changes in more detail.
Felsburg Molt & Ullevig Page 26
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
5.0 SUMMER A CT/V/TY
The proposed summer use program at Buttermilk Ski Area will involve formally organized, lift -
accessed recreational activities such as hiking, biking, viewing scenery, interpretation, and
daytime dining. Based on a summer use season of approximately 90 days, lift ridership
anticipated (in the 1994 Buttermilk EA) during the initial years of operation is 12,000 to
15,000 people per year. A majority of this use is anticipated to be by mountain bike riders.
Construction of the new Children's Center will allow ASC to offer a year-round day care
facility to employees with young children. According to the USDA Forest Service Tiehack
Environmental Assessment (Buttermilk EA), summer recreational activities that currently take
place within the Buttermilk boundary include hiking, biking, para-gliding, wildlife photography,
birdwatching, and uphill fitness running. These activities occur in a relatively un-managed
atmosphere, as there is no organized recreation program currently in effect.
Construction activity related to developing this summer use program would be very minor. The
Summit Express lift built before the 1993-94 season can accommodate mountain bikes on
custom -fitted racks on the backs of the chairs. Mountain bikes would initially use an
interwoven network of old road beds developed years ago for lift tower construction.
Approximately two miles of new biking single track trails would be added later by normal ASC
summer maintenance crews if additional trail networks are needed. Hiking routes would be
separated from biking trials in most instances to provide for separation of users for safety and
aesthetic reasons.
Table 5 provides a summary of the increased activity which could result from the summer
program. The levels of activity forecasted for the summer use program at Buttermilk are
relatively minor. The analysis shows that there should be ample capacity at the main base
parking lot to handle peak weekend and holiday crowds-. The Buttermilk EA requires that
parking attendants be present during high use periods and weekends if summer use results in
the parking lot reaching 80% of its design capacity. The purpose of this measure is to
maximize parking lot capacity. The analysis in Table 6 shows that peak use during Phase I
(when there will be 550 to 600 surface parking spaces) would have to be more than 3.5 times
greater than the assumed normal weekend use to exceed the 80% level. It would have to be
over 4.5 times greater than assumed normal weekend use to exceed the capacity of the main
and overflow lots. The Buttermilk EA also requires that ASC provide public transportation
over and above that already in place if summer use approaches 50% parking lot utilization.
The calculations in Table 6 show that weekend use will need to be over twice the assumed
normal weekend to exceed the 50% threshold. ASC will closely monitor weekend activity to
identify the patterns of use so that additional public transportation is provided when necessary.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 27
Table 5
Summer Use Analysis
Summer season:
90
days
Estimated total summer use: 12,000 to 15,000 people
use:
15,000
people
Average daily use
167
people
P p
�Assume that weekend use is twice (2x) weekday use:
i
Average weekday
130
people
Average weekend day
259
people
Assume the following distribution of arrivals at Buttermilk
Walk/ride bike
10%
Ride RFTA bus
10%
i
Arrive by auto
80%
Average vehicle occupancy
2.0
pers./veh
Total weekend recreation cars parked at Buttermilk
i
i
104
cars
Total Employees at Buttermilk
Normal summer maintenance workers
5
employees
Summer recreation activities
15
employees
Cliffhouse Restaurant
5
employees
;
USDA Forest Service
2
employees
Bumps Restaurant
15
employees
Children's Center / Day Care
8
employees
i
Total summer employment
50
employees
ii
Transit riders (assumed)
10%
Average vehicle ocupancy (assumed)
1.32
pers./veh
Employee cars parked at Tiehack
34
cars
Total weekend cars parked at Tiehack
i
138
cars
Buttermilk Main Lot capacity (Phase 1)
550
cars
Weekend use as percent of capacity
25.1 %
of capacity
Table 6
Summer Transportation and
Parking Mitigation Measures
Buttermilk Main Lot Capacity (Phase 1)
Employee Parking
Normal Weekend Recreational Use
:'Unused Parking
I
!'Percent Increase in Recreation
Use to exceed specific level of parking
Aaximum
50%
- 80%
Level of
i Level of
Level of
Parking
Parking
Parking
550 cars
275 cars
440
i
cars
34 cars
34 cars
1 34
i
cars
104 cars
104 cars
104
cars
412 cars
137 cars
302
cars
396% 132% 290%
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
6.0 MAROON CREEK ROAD CORRIDOR
6.1 Aspen Highlands - Buttermilk Gondola Connection
The gondola connection which is proposed from Aspen Highlands Village is one of several
transportation changes which will affect traffic volumes on Maroon Creek Road. This new
gondola will connect Aspen Highlands Village with the Cliffhouse Restaurant, at the top of
Buttermilk Ski Area. There are several consequences of providing this gondola connection.
Aspen Highlands Village will have convenient access to another mountain (Buttermilk) with
different types of skiing terrain. In addition, the gondola will allow Buttermilk to be a gateway
to both ski areas for downvalley skiers. This movement of downvalley skiers will be facilitated
by the intercept parking lot at Buttermilk which is a key element of the improvements to SH
82 identified in the Entrance to Aspen EIS.
FHU analyzed the transportation impacts of the Aspen Highlands Village and Ski Area in two
previous reports: Traffic Study --Aspen Highlands Village, January 1994 and the Revised
Maroon Creek Corridor Detailed Transportation Plan, February 1997. The first study
forecasted the amount of traffic which will result from completion of the Aspen Highlands
Village. The second study detailed alternative transportation systems (buses and vans) which
will be needed to serve the Village. Based on our preliminary analyses, we believe that one
of the transportation benefits of the proposed gondola is that it will be able to reduce traffic
volumes on Maroon Creek Road and SH 82. There are a number of ways in which the gondola
would potentially reduce traffic volumes:
The Maroon Creek Corridor Detailed Transportation Plan envisioned a shuttle bus
service between Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands. This service was planned to initially
operate on a 15-minute headway between 7 am and 7 pm on a daily basis during the
ski season. It was intended to provide a transit link between the two areas for both
skiers and Aspen Highlands Ski Area employees. Operating the gondola during these
same hours will eliminate the need for this bus service. The gondola will thus save 48
round trips per day or a total of 96 vehicle trips per day (vpd) on both Maroon Creek
Road and SH 82. The travel time on the new gondola is estimated to be five minutes.
Combined with the existing chair lift from the base of Buttermilk (which takes 9.5
minutes to get to the Cliffhouse), visitors will be able to get between the bases of the
two ski areas in approximately 16 minutes. This 16-minute travel time between the
bases will probably not be much different than the bus system could provide, given
wait times required by the 15 minute schedule of the buses and existing and future
congestion on SH 82 during peak periods.
Aspen Highlands Village residents and guests will be able to use the gondola to easily
access Buttermilk for beginner and intermediate terrain. Based on information from the
Detailed Transportation Plan and skier survey information about Aspen area skiers,
there could be 24 fewer daily trips on Maroon Creek Road and SH 82 generated by
Village residents and guests traveling to Buttermilk.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 30
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
In summary, the above two sources of trip reductions (easy connection for Village residents
and downvalley skiers and no intercept shuttle service) could represent approximately 120
fewer daily trips on Maroon Creek Road and on SH 82. Aspen Highlands Village and Ski Area
are forecasted to generate approximately 2,270 vpd so this reduction would represent
approximately 5 % of the total. The forecasted volume on Maroon Creek Road is
approximately 6,250 vpd so there could be a reduction of 1.9% on this road.
6.2 Castle/Maroon Route
The Maroon Creek Road corridor is included in the service area covered by the free Aspen city
service which consists of four individual routes that form a spoke system centered at the
Rubey Park Transit Center in downtown Aspen. The Castle/Maroon Route currently provides
year-round service on 20-minute headways, from 6:00 A.M. to 2:20 A.M. daily during the
winter peak season and from 6:30 A.M. to 2:00 A.M. during the spring, summer, and fall.
After departing Rubey Park, the route serves Main Street, Castle Ridge/Aspen Valley Hospital,
and Maroon Creek/Aspen Highlands. Much of the current ridership on the route is related to
Castle Ridge, Marolt employee housing, and the Aspen Valley Hospital.
The Maroon Creek Corridor Detailed Transportation Plan concluded that the Aspen Highlands
Village project had the potential to increase ridership on the Castle/Maroon route. Aspen
Highlands proposed to purchase a new bus for this route and support operations and
maintenance costs during the ski season. The analyses showed that this additional bus would
allow 15 minute headways to be provided during the winter season.
Current CDOT planning shows that the roundabout at SH 82 and Maroon Creek Road will be
completed by the fall of 1999. This construction includes an interim bus station at this
intersection which will allow transfers to most downvalley buses. In addition, RFTA has
recently added a number of new 43-passenger buses to its fleet. The new buses and bus stop
as well as the proposed gondola connection allows re-evaluation of the proposed bus
operations on the Castle/Maroon route. Analysis shows that it is possible to change the
service so that a shuttle bus could run on Maroon Creek Road between Aspen Highlands and
the bus station on a frequent headway (10-15 minutes) to supplement the capacity of the
Castle/Maroon route. This shuttle would have enough excess capacity that it could also serve
the public schools complex on Maroon Creek Road. This would be primarily used by
downvalley transit riders. Appendix Table C-1 shows that two 43-passenger buses with 20
minute headways on the Castle/Maroon route would have enough capacity to meet the
demand to downtown Aspen, and the third bus (provided by Aspen Highlands) could be used
for the shuttle service.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 31
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
7.0 RECOMMENDED TRANSPORTA T/ON /MPRO VEMENTS
Aspen Skiing Company is committed to providing the following transportation -related
improvements as an element of the Buttermilk Master Plan. Many of these changes are part
of the SH 82 Entrance to Aspen planning efforts which have involved extensive coordination
between CDOT, RFTA, and ASC.
7.1 SH 82 and W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road Intersection
The intersection of SH 82 and W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road will be relocated approximately
300 to 360 feet west of its current location. This signalized intersection will be the sole
access point for Buttermilk (see Figure 1). Because of the increased level of activity at this
intersection (primarily resulting from the addition of Owl Creek Road), additional through and
auxiliary turn lanes will be provided. Eastbound SH 82 will have one bus/HOV lane, one
through lane for general traffic and a separate right turn lane. Westbound SH 82 will also have
one bus/HOV lane, one through lane for general traffic and two auxiliary left turn lanes. The
W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road approach to the intersection will have one left turn lane and a
right turn lane.
Traffic operations were analyzed using the procedures in the Highway Capacity Manual,
Special. Report 209, Transportation Research Board, revised 1997. CDOT and ASC have been
coordinating closely on the location and configuration of the SH 82 intersection with W.
Buttermilk / Owl Creek Road. The proposed laneage of this intersection is shown in Figure
4. The level of service analysis shows that the new intersection will operate satisfactorily
(LOS B in the morning peak hours and LOS C + in the evening) with signalization (See Figure
4). This analysis of level of service should be considered "conservative" since all traffic has
been assumed to use the general purpose and auxiliary lanes only.
The W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road realignment has been carefully planned to improve traffic
operations. This will minimize traffic conflicts between Buttermilk traffic and other users of
W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road. In the past, homeowners on W. Buttermilk Road south of the
ski area have expressed concerns about traffic. As mentioned earlier, Buttermilk has changed
their management of parking in the main and Stapleton lots so that there is less interference
with W. Buttermilk Road traffic. One of the objectives in developing the Buttermilk Master
Plan was to further reduce interference with through traffic.
In this regard, there will be a series of "T" intersections which provide access to the parking
area and transit drop-off at Buttermilk. The first intersection will access the upper level of the
garage and will have a southbound left -turn lane for incoming traffic since this access will get
the most use because the parking is covered. The second access drive will service the transit
drop-off.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 32
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The parking structure will be set back from W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road approximately 75
feet. This provides stacking distance for inbound traffic so any activities to control the use
of the garage (i.e., paying a parking fee) will be less likely to interfere with the movement of
traffic on W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road. It also provides a more orderly transition from the
garage to the roadway for outbound traffic. This setback also reduces the shading of the
garage onto W. Buttermilk/Owl Creek Road in the winter so the buildup of snow and ice on the
roadway is minimized. The setback provides space for snow storage away from the road so
sight distance obstructions from snow piles are diminished. Finally, the setback allows for a
landscape buffer to decrease the visual impacts of the garage as seen from W. Buttermilk/Owl
Creek Road and the eastbound lanes of SH 82.
7.2 Parking Garage
Parking at Buttermilk is proposed to be in a surface lot during Phase I with 550 to 600 spaces
provided. For Phase II, a two -level parking structure will be built which will have a capacity
of 870 spaces. There will be a total of 1,040 parking spaces at the Buttermilk complex
(including outlying parking at Tiehack and West Buttermilk). ASC parking lot attendants will
continue to manage parking operations.
The parking garage will operate using a pay -on -exit system. In order to minimize any backup
onto Owl Creek Road in the morning, guests will take a time -stamped ticket upon arrival at the
parking garage entrance and will be directed to the nearest available parking space by an
attendant. Upon exit, the guest will present their parking ticket and proof that they skied that
day to the parking attendant (using the bar-coded season pass and daily lift tickets as proof).
Someone leaving the parking garage without showing that they used the lifts that day will be
charged a commuter rate that is significantly higher than the day skier rate. Using a pay -on -exit
system will allow the time-consuming part of the paid parking system to occur within the
garage during the spread -out egress period, minimizing backup onto Owl Creek Road during
the busy morning period.
Short-term parking will be handled within the parking garage. The row of spaces closest to
the children's center will be reserved in the morning for short-term parking. Parking for less
than an hour will be free to accommodate people dropping off kids at the children"s center and
for office visitors.
7.3 Transit Services
Buttermilk is ideally situated to take advantage of the transit service provided in the Roaring
Fork Valley. ASC contracts with RFTA to provide the Skier Shuttle during the winter season.
A new five-year agreement was signed in 1997 to renew this service. Service is provided on
seven different routes. Direct service is provided between Buttermilk and both Aspen and
Snowmass Village. The agreement allows expanded service as ridership increases in the
future.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 34
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
In addition, RFTA buses serving downvalley will stop at the Buttermilk Transit Center. Hour
or half-hour service is provided to most destinations throughout the service hours of the day.
In the future, LRT will improve the service levels and reliability of transit service - particularly
to Aspen.
Skier shuttles will use the bus turnaround to drop off and pick up skiers at a location close to
Bumps, the children's center, and the slopes. Three bus parking spaces will be provided in the
turnaround for use by charter buses. Other than the private charter buses, RFTA will have
exclusive use of the bus turnaround area. The bus turnaround is located as close as possible
to the slopes to encourage use of the skier shuttle system.
7.4 Gondola Connection
The gondola connection between Aspen Highlands and the top of Buttermilk represents a
unique opportunity for guests. It will increase the amount and type of terrain available to
skiers, particularly for those staying at Aspen Highlands Village. It will also increase the
convenience of travel for groups with varying levels of ability. It will also provide a link
between the two ski areas for employees. This will effectively eliminate the need to run a
direct shuttle bus between the two base areas - which was included in the planning efforts for
Aspen Highlands Village.
7.5 Proposed Transportation Management Measures
The parking and transportation management program at Buttermilk is designed to encourage
skiers and snowboarders to access the mountain via the RFTA skier shuttles and by
carpooling. The following transportation management measures will be implemented in each
phase of the development.
Phase /
The Phase I transportation management program at Buttermilk is largely in place now and will
continue through Phase I of the Buttermilk development.
• High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) parking spaces, reserved for cars with three or more
occupants, are located closest to the chairlifts. The number of HOV parking spaces will
be adjusted to ensure that enough are available to meet the demand. There are
currently 63 HOV spaces at Buttermilk which is more than adequate.
• The RFTA Skier Shuttle will continue to provide free service from Aspen, Snowmass,
and Aspen Highlands every day of the winter season. The service contract between
RFTA and Aspen Skiing Company allows for modifications in service levels to meet
increased demand.
• The RFTA Skier Shuttle dropoff will be relocated when Owl Creek Road and West
Buttermilk Road are realigned so that buses can use the traffic signal to turn into and
out of Buttermilk. The bus dropoff will still be located as close as possible to the base
of the mountain.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 35
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
• Buttermilk employees receive heavily discounted RFTA punch passes and are able to
ride RFTA for free if they live in the Aspen area. Vanpools for Buttermilk employees,
particularly for those living downvalley, have proven to be a popular transportation
option, and they will be expanded when appropriate.
• Centralizing ASC's administrative offices in the SH 82 corridor provides these
employees with more convenient transit service because most destinations in the
Roaring Fork Valley can be reached on a single vehicle without transfers. Service will
become more frequent and reliable in the future with the construction of the LRT
system.
• 135 parking spaces will be added to Buttermilk to accommodate the intercept parking
function required as part of the Aspen Highlands Ski Area approvals. These intercept
spaces will be served by RFTA buses running between Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands
until such time as the Aspen Highlands -Buttermilk gondola is operational.
• The Aspen Highlands -Buttermilk gondola connection will move skiers, guests, and
employees between these two bases and ski areas without impacting either the Maroon
Creek Road or SH 82 corridors.
Phase ll
Additional transportation management measures will be implemented following completion of
the 750-space skier parking garage and the construction of the SH 82 LRT or busway system.
The Phase II transportation management program will include the following elements in
addition to the Phase I program:
• The multimodal design of Buttermilk is an important part of the regional transportation
management program as identified in the SH 82 Entrance to Aspen Record of Decision.
• The design of the Buttermilk base area is oriented for pedestrian convenience, and the
plaza and pedestrian street are designed to provide an interesting experience for day
skiers as they travel between the light rail station or parking garage and the chairlifts.
• A paid parking program will be implemented. The paid parking program will be in
operation during every day of the ski season. It will be designed to encourage HOV use
and discourage commuter use while minimizing the inconvenience for the day skier.
• Use of the parking garage for off-season and summer commuter use is a subject that
the Aspen Skiing Company is willing to explore with Pitkin County and the City of
Aspen.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 36
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plate - Transportation Analysis
• Full lockers and showers facilities for ASC employees will be included as part of the
office building program. These facilities, in addition to sheltered and secure bike
storage, will encourage bicycling and walking as a warm weather commuting option.
The trail network connections in the Buttermilk area will be improved as part of the
Entrance to Aspen and Buttermilk construction projects.
• The parking spaces for ASC employees in the parking structure will be actively
managed to encourage use of the spaces by carpools. An appropriate number of
spaces will be reserved solely for use by these high occupancy vehicles (HOV). It is
expected that this will result in an average vehicle occupancy of 1.5 or greater.
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig Page 37
Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
APPENDIX A
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
Table A-1
Traffic on West Buttermilk Road
rn;unted: Friday, March 3, 1995
buttermilk Mountain Master Plan
Period
Beginning
Inbound Inbound Outbound Outbound
from. from Total to to ' Total Hourly
U valle Downvalle Inbound U valle Downvalle Outbound Totals
i
8:00
27
30 I
57
19
7
26
170
8:30
34
31
65
14
8
22
i
9:00
40
41
81
16
6
22 1
197
9:30
39
27
66
22
6
28
10:00
43
35
78
27
9
36
216
10:30
46
23
69
19
14
33
11:00
34
26
60
33
8
41
193
11:30
45
16
61
17
14
31
i
12:00
35
19
54
36
11
47
171
12:30
17
12
29
27
14
41
1:00
30
17
47
26
14
40
165
1:30
24
11
35
30
13
43
2:00
17
11
28
44
26
70
169
2:30
13
11
24
29
18
47
3:00
25
14
39
55
27
82
266
3:30
17
12
29
60
56
116
4:00
15
13
28
32
29
61
171
4:30
12
7
19
38
25
63
5:00
8
5
13
13
12
25
54
5:30
3
2
5
7
4
11
Totals
524
363
887
564
321
885
i
59.1 %
40.9%
63.7%
36.3%
I�
Count Period Total
1772 vehicles
Percent Upvalley
61.4%
Percent Downvalley
38.6%
Buttermilk Transportation Analysis Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
Table A-2
Traffic at the Intersection of
SH-82 and West Buttermilk Road
'ay, March 3, 1995
Buttermilk Mountain Master Plan
Hour
Beginning
SH-82 - Heading Upvalley SH-82 - Heading Downvalley
Total Right Total Left
Approach ThroughTurn Approach Through Turn ''
West Buttermilk Road
Total Left Right
Approach Turn Turn
8 AM
651 590 61
532 471
61
48
15
33
9 AM
722 654 68
592 513
79
50
12
38
10 AM
605 547 58
605 516
89
69
23
46
11 AM
624 582 42
574 495
79
72
22
50
12 PM
605 574 31
593 541
52
88
25
63
1 PM
569 541 28
622 568
54
83
27
56
2 PM
615 593 22
684 654
30
117
44
73
i
3 PM
708 682 26
837 795
42
198
83
115
I PM
845 825 20
797 770
27
124
54
70
5 PM
789 782 7
747 736
11
36
16
20
j
Total Daily Traffic on SH 82 east of W. Buttermilk Road =
20,709
Total Daily Traffic on W. Buttermilk Road at SH 82=
1,932
j
Total Daily Traffic on W. Buttermilk Road s/o ski area =
485
Buttermilk Transportation Analysis Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
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Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
APPENDIX B
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
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Revised - Buttermilk Master Plan - Transportation Analysis
APPENDIX C
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
e, Resident, and Guest Transit Riders
PM Peak Analysis
I
i ransit Riders from Aspen
Transit
Riders from
Downvalley/Buttermilk
AM Peak
Transit Pax
PM Peak Transit Pax
AM Peak Transit Pax
PM Peak Transit Pax
Rider
Inbound Outbound
to Project from Pro'.
Inbound Outbound
to Project i from Pro'.
Inbound
to Project
Outbound
from Pro'.
Inbound i Outbound
to Project I from Proj
t
'Current Service Assumptions j
Buses/Hour
j Castle/Maroon Route
Aspen Highlands Shuttle
Pax/Bus
''Capacity
I 43 I 43 3
43
3 i
43
1
129 129 129
!
129
,Current Riders in peak direction
65 1 65
j
I
Current AHSA Employees
I
to/from Aspen
15 j 0 0
I 15
to/from Downvalley/Snowmass
28 I 0 0
i 28
Skiers
I 6 0 0
6 I
j I
!Others
�
12
�
12
!
l Total Current Riders
60 65 65
!
60
jFuture Ridership
I
AHSA Employees
!I
!
Current auto users
22 0 0
!I
22
(
41 I
1
it New employees
3 0 0
�
0 I
0 41
BAH Village Employees
12 0
i
0 ! 5
;AH Village Res. & Guests (2)
0
13 I 26
12 I)
!
22
0 22
IMoore PUD Residents (2)
j 2 4 42
31
6
11
14 g
Subtotal
i 53 29 36
61 '�
1 !
75 i
2
13
2 1
16 79 j
!
Total
113 I 94 101
121
75 1
13
16 79
Notes:
(1) Based on 1995-96 season statistics and conversation with RFTA.
(2) Directional Assumptions for AH Village
Residents and Guests:
Aspen
70%
Downvalley
30%
A. Estimated Bus Requirements
I
! Divided by
Peak Hour ( Bus
Plus
Total
Add'I
I
(AM/PM) Capacity Divided by
I
Spares @
Buses
I
Less
Buses
Required
Transit 43 Trips per
Demand i Pax/Bus *
20% ! Re uired
Existing
Design
Castle/Maroon Route
bus/hour
of Fleet ' Desq
n Da
Buses
Da !'
1.5
AM Peak)
PM Peaky
113 2.63 1.75 1
121 1 j
0.35
2.10
2
0.10
2 1.88
0.38
2.26
2
0.26
Shuttle Route
�12�.8
aacity Trips
43 4.0
AM Peak;
75 1.74 0.44
(
0.09
0.52
0
0.52
PM Peak 79 1.83 0.46 0.09 0.55
Note: Bus capacity assumes 43 passenger buses with the recent purchase of a ui men
q p t by RFTA
0
0.55
16 ."august 1999
Board of County Commissioners
Pitkin County
530 E. Main St.
Aspen, CO 81611
Dear Board of County Commissioners,
A U G' 2 5 1999
a ac.V; PIT KIN
The proposed Buttermilk Master Plan demonstrates the dedication to skier/snowboarder demands
and the dedication to the community that makes the Aspen Skiing Company a model company
within the skiing industry.
Through the proposed on -mountain improvements, the Aspen Skiing Company will cater to a
more demanding skier/snowboarder with enhanced customer service. Upgrading and replacing
existing Tiehack lifts ,� Ath one high speed lift from bottom to top will increase the pleasure of
visitors by making Tiehack more accessible and, therefore, more attractive. Adding chairs to
Summit Express, to increase capacity to its full hourly rate, will ensure that the maximum number
of visitors get to enjoy Buttermilk. Creating direct gondola access to Aspen Highlands will
provide visitors with easy and comfortable access to both mountains. By upgrading Tiehack lifts,
adding chairs to Summit Express, and creating gondola access with Aspen Highlands, the Aspen
Skiing Company will improve the quality of time spent on Buttermilk Mountain by the visitor.
Through the proposed base facilities improvements, the Aspen Skiing Company will cater to the
demands of the Aspen community. Building affordable housing, with a mixture of seasonal and
year-round units, will provide much needed housing for the workers of the community, who
currently face outlandish rent prices in the free-market. Building a new childcare center, licensed
for infant care and up, will provide parents, both locals and tourists, with a convenient and safe
place for their children. By addressing affordable housing and childcare issues, the Aspen Skiing
Company will enhance the Aspen community.
In this day and age, it is increasingly difficult for a large business with such intricate ties to the
community, to propose such radical changes without suffering the opposition of some faction of
the community. The Aspen Skiing Company's Buttermilk Master Plan has shown that with
increased customer service through on -mountain improvements and with attention to the needs of
the local community, "change" or "growth" do not have to be ominous words.
Sin �-erely,
ohn Switala
I
RECEIVED
JOHN K WALTER
401 NORTH AHWAHNEE ROAD AU6 1 -< 1999
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS 60045 ASPEN / P IT KI N
"'-!JMHNITY DEVELOPMFIN"T
August 10, 1999
Ms. Suzanne Wolff
Community Development Department
130 South Galena Street
Aspen, CG 5 i 05111
Dear Ms. Wolff.
We have recently purchased property in the Eagle Pines subdivision. There are several
issues regarding the Buttermilk Master Plan presented by the Aspen Ski Company which
we would like to address:
First, we request that the new Owl Creek/Buttermilk Road be separated from the base
facility. The base area and the Inn at Aspen can share an entrance.
Second, regarding the maintenance facility, the maintenance traffic must enter the new
facility some other way than off Buttermilk Road. There needs to be extensive
landscaping between the new structure and our road.
Third, the delivery trucks must access the base area at some point other than off our road.
We urge you to seriously consider these requests.
Sincerely,
TEL 847 234 4256 FAX 847 234 4253
JOYCE P. AMICO
CHARLES M. MALKEMUS
477 ASPEN OAK DRIVE
ASPEN CO 81611
970-544-3949
970-544-8412 fax
July 30, 1999
Ms. Suzanne Wolff
Community Development Department
130 South Galena Street
Aspen, CO 81611
Dear Ms. Wolff,
RECEIVED
A U 6 6 1999
ri H6Ncri / PaKIN
We want to endorse the proposals that Mr. John Kane, President of the Buttermilk Homeowners
Associations, has stated to parties regarding the proposed changes at the base of Buttermilk Mountain.
First, we request that the new Owl Creek / Buttermilk Road be separated from the base facility road for the
Aspen Ski Company. We feel that the estimate number of parking spaces has been greatly underestimated
by the Ski Company, and that we should not be forced to constantly have to negotiate that congestion by
this new base development.
Second, the new maintenance facility is 400% larger than current facility, and that traffic and residual
disable trucks entrance is now planned off our Buttermilk road at a dangerous curve in that road. That
traffic should also enter through a separate entrance from the Ski Company base facility. We also need to
have this huge building properly landscaped.
Third, delivery trucks must also access through the separate entrance from the Ski Company base facility,
not as now planned off the Buttermilk road
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely yours,
P 0-"�
oyce P. Amico
Charles M. Malkemus
26 July 1999
Suzanne Wolff
Community Development Department
130 South Galena Street
Aspen, CO 81611
Dear Ms. Wolff,
RECEIVED
1,1 L 2 19 1999
A6i-Er� / ' P1 r"IN
I A ",�j q,o7� nCN/FL0PMEN!-"
As homeowners, taxpayers and residents of the Buttermilk Homeowners Association
we would like to respectfully request that you carefully analyze the proposed Owl
Creek/Buttermilk road plan, as well as the proposed plan for the base facility. It is our
understanding that the plan for the base area allows access only from the West
Buttermilk Road off of the newly realigned Owl Creek Road. Considering the discus-
sion of expanding the ski company offices, maintenance facilities, the construction of a
two story parking garage and 140 employee housing units, it seems illogical that there
should be only one entrance to the Buttermilk Ski Area. As it stands the newly pro-
posed West Buttermilk Road would be the only access to this increasingly populated
area for innumerable vehicles, heavy equipment and busses, which inevitably creates
the potential for a dangerous and difficult situation.
With the 400% enlargement of the maintenance facility we strongly propose that there
should be a separate entrance with some landscaping to separate the heavy equip-
ment and the incumbent traffic from our road.
Thirdly, delivery trucks can not be expected to access the base area by this same pro-
posed West Buttermilk Road. The congestion potential is enormous. We propose that
the delivery trucks must access the base area at some other point than our road.
Thank you for addressing our sincere concerns regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
Pamela Joseph
Robert Brinker
Pamela Joseph and Robert Brinker 407 Aspen Oak Drive Aspen, Colorado 18611 970.920.4098
July 25, 1999
CenterPoint
fr In Aspen
Awl
R
As the Aspen Ski Company is presenting their revised Buttermilk Master Plan to the County
Commissioners this Tuesday July 27, I am writing to call to your attention 3 issues of great
interest to myself and to the West Buttermilk homeowners as a whole.
First, I want to request that the new Owl Creek/ West Buttermilk Road be separated from the
base facility traffic flows. It seems logical that the base facility and Inn at Aspen could share an
entrance. The increased congestion from Owl Creek, Snowmass, West Buttermilk and the base
facility, all into one road and exit/entrance to Highway 82 is a frightening thought indeed , if
only from a safety standpoint. I am really nervous should the police, an ambulance or fire truck
have to get up the West Buttermilk Road at peak traffic flow times, or at any time for that matter.
Additional lanes to a road linking all the above locations will simply not be useful or effective,
given that we are talking about encountering the discharge of a 900 plus car facility. Should you
approve a base facility entrance linked with the Inn at Aspen, and grant a separate road for Owl
Creek and West Buttermilk, I realize we may lose a traffic signal at the 82 intersection, a small
price to pay for separating traffic having 2 very different goals.
Second, but no less important, I am extremely troubled by the maintenance facility access
coming off as well from the Buttermilk Road. As I understand it, the proposed facility with be
some 400% larger than the current one. Maintenance traffic MUST enter the new facility some
other way than off the Buttermilk Road. There must be extensive landscaping between the new
structure and the Buttermilk Road.
Third, with the proposed huge increase of activity in the base facility as well as the maintenance
facility, I shudder to think of the impact of hugely increased deliveries and delivery, truck traff c.
Delivery trucks must access the base area at some other point than off the Buttermilk Road.
Warmest thanks in advance for your consideration of these 3 points. Approval of them would
make a tremendous difference in the efficiency of the proposed base facility and of the traffic
flows from! Snowmass and Owl Creek.
'ncerely,
acque ine errs
Secretary, Buttermilk Homeowners Association
c` : Suzanne Wolf d Bill Kane
278 Oak Ridge Drive, Aspen, CO 81611 Tel: 970-920-2393 Fax: 970-920-1 150
email: jackiemerrill@compuserve.corn
STEVEN S. CALLAHAN, Ph.D.
0369 Aspen Oak Drive
Aspen, CO. 81611
Suzanne Wolff
Community Development Dept.
130 S. Galena St.
Aspen, CO. 81611
Dear Ms. Wolff:
July 24, 1999
I am writing to express my concern over plans for the Highway 82-Base of Buttermilk -
Owl Creek Road highway interchange. I have reviewed the most recent set of CDOT and Skico
plans and, as a Buttermilk homeowner, find them to be alarmingly short-sighted and poorly
planned.
My understanding is that the ski company plans to dramatically increase the size and
usage of their Buttermilk facilities. The ski company has reported on plans to increase skier
visits to Buttermilk by encouraging beginning skiers to ski there, by adding a Buttermilk to
Highlands gondola, by upgrading the lift and restaurant on West Buttermilk, etc. In addition, the
Skico is planning to establish additional administrative offices and an extremely large
maintenance facility at the base of Buttermilk. Furthermore, they are planning to add employee
housing units at the base of Buttermilk. All of these factors will greatly increase the use of the
Buttermilk ski facilities by skiers, by Skico employees and administrative staff, by Skico
vehicles, etc.
The explansion plans of the Skico are problematic enough. But, add to this the fact that
traffic at this intersection also will be significantlX increased because: 1) the Buttermilk parking
lot is planned as an intercept lot for the City, 2) the number of occupied homesites on West
Buttermilk is growing, and 3) Owl Creek Road traffic will be diverted through the Base of
Buttermilk area.
I The current plans that I have reviewed seem totally insufficient to handle the traffic of
the skiers, commuters, Skico employees, Skico housing occupants, Skico vehicles, West
Buttermilk Road traffic, and Owl Creek Road traffic that supposedly will easily share this
intersection at Highway 82. Only the naive or the unrealistically optimistic could expect the
current plan to work.
I urge you to carefully review the current plans and that you work to have them revised.
There will be no excuse for having to pursue expensive revisions if the current plans are
implemented and then, predictably, fail. It should be evident that some other plan should be
designed now, before a crisis situation is created.
STEVEN S. CALLAHAN, Ph.D.
0369 Aspen Oak Drive
Aspen, CO. 81611
Dorothea Farris
County Commissioner
530 East Main
Aspen, CO. 81611
Dear Commissioner Farris:
jui 1Qgq
1 �
July 24, 1999
I am writing to express my concern over plans for the Highway 82-Base of Buttermilk -
Owl Creek Road highway interchange. I have reviewed the most recent set of CDOT and Skico
plans and, as a Buttermilk homeowner, find them to be alarmingly short-sighted and poorly
planned.
My understanding is that the ski company plans to dramatically increase the size and
usage of their Buttermilk facilities. The ski company has reported on plans to increase skier
visits to Buttermilk by encouraging beginning skiers to ski there, by adding a Buttermilk to
Highlands gondola, by upgrading the lift and restaurant on West Buttermilk, etc. In addition, the
Skico is planning to establish additional administrative offices and an extremely large
maintenance f:?cility at the base of Buttermilk. Furthermore, they are planning to add employee
housing units at the base of Buttermilk. All of these factors will greatly increase the use of the
Buttermilk ski facilities by skiers, by Skico employees and administrative staff, by Skico
vehicles, etc.
The explansion plans of the Skico are problematic enough. But, add to this the fact that
traffic at this intersection also will be significantly increased because: 1) the Buttermilk parking
lot is planned as an intercept lot for the City, 2) the number of occupied homesites on West
Buttermilk is growing, and 3) Owl Creek Road traffic will be diverted through the Base of
Buttermilk area.
The current plans that I have reviewed seem totally insufficient to handle the traffic of
the skiers, commuters, Skico employees, Skico housing occupants, Skico vehicles, West
Buttermilk Road traffic, and Owl Creek Road traffic that supposedly will easily share this
intersection at Highway 82. Only the naive or the unrealistically optimistic could expect the
current plan to work.
I urge you to carefully review the current plans and that you work to have them revised.
There will be no excuse for having to pursue expensive revisions if the current plans are
implemented and then, predictably, fail. It should be evident that some other plan should be
designed now, before a crisis situation is created.
HERMOU UO
Jeffrey J. Melahfj" ASPEN / PITKIN I
—,-A L j N) TY C EV E L OP M, E,d 7
Joslyn V. Wood
1679 Maroon Creek Road, Unit 21
Aspen, Colorado 81611 L
(970) 925.3040
July 20, 1999
Board of County Commissioners
Pitkin County
530 E. Main Street
Aspen, CO 81611
Re: Buttermilk Master Development Plan
Commission Members:
f�is{r,bu �e
�coln�ce.
I.qqq
OFFICE
We are writing this letter as citizens of Pitkin County, residents of the Maroon
Creek corridor, seasoqal employees of the Aspen Highlands ski area and as the parents
of three children. We would like to tender our total support for Aspen Skiing Company's
Buttermilk Master Development Plan, specifically the gondola connection between the
Highlands ski area and the top of Buttermilk. We consider the gondola connection to be
an innovative and creative alternative to what would have been the inevitable increase
in traffic and congestion on Maroon Creek Road as guests and residents travel between
these two ski areas.
With the ultimate development of the Aspen Highlands' base area as a
residential and commercial center, the increase in skier/snowboarder numbers at this
area is inevitable. The physical connection of Highlands and Buttermilk will ease the
impact of this increase and facilitate the following benefits to our community and to the
guests our Town strives to attract and retain:
1. The increase in acreage accessible by chair lift should help to offset any
increase in visitor numbers resulting from the'development of either base area, thereby
maintaining the uncrowded conditions locals and visitors alike have grown to expect of
these two ski areas;
2. The necessity of vehicle travel between the two ski areas will all but be
eliminated. While this may not seem to be a major impact, please consult with any
Aspen Valley Ski Club parent with more than one child enrolled in programs at different
mountains. As working parents, traveling between Highlands and Buttermilk this past
season to drop off and pick up our children before and after the AVSC programs was as
difficult as it could have been. As development proceeds and more families move into
the Maroon Creek road area, without the gondola connection this situation stands only
to worsen. Further, from a guest services perspective, parents want to be physically
page 2
I would recommend that consideration be given to the following:
1) create one entrance/intersection from Highway 82 into the Buttermilk ski area/parking
lot (this could probably serve as an entrance for the Inn at Aspen also); this entrance should be
the access for the Skico maintenance facility as well; this intersection should have a traffic light
2) create a separate access for West Buttermilk -Owl Creek Road to empty into Highway
82; this intersection would not require a traffic light.
This solution should ease the congestion considerably and I know of no reason why it
could not be put into effect. It seems to me that the Skico would prefer to have private access to
Highway 82. And those of us who live on West Buttermilk (or who use Owl Creek Road) are
used to having no traffic signal at Highway 82 and certain would prefer to have our own access
to Highway 82 and not to have to constantly fight the Skico crowds.
Tha you for y ur onsideration.
v l,�han, Ph. D.
Mac Smith
PO Box 456
Snowmass, CO. 81654
July 20, 1999
Board of County Commissioners
Pitkin County
530 E. Main Street
Aspen, CO. 81611
To: Board of County Commissioners
rlar--ji,r 1-1 !�
6 0 C C 4. =�I,`E
1 felt compelled to write you in support of the Buttermilk Master Plan because too often
the vocal minorities are the only letters that might come across your desk. There is a
montage of competitive sustaining items that the master plan addresses.
Items such as the children's center, skier intercept parking lot and other ski related facilities
would only help maintain a healthy, vibrant enterprise. The replacement of the Tiehack and
West Buttermilk lifts with high-speed technology is again the lifeblood of world class resorts.
The gondola link between Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk is the keystone to success of the
two struggling mountains. Guests can arrive at Buttermilk and have choices of entertaining
beginner and lower intermediate runs for some family members and can make sure they get
off to a good start. Then other more adventuresome skiers can jump onto the gondola to
access the Highlands. This makes too much sense to be ignored. Likewise guests at Aspen
Highlands have the same choices of allowing different skill level skiers to enjoy what they
search for as fulfilling in recreational time. All of this can be accomplished without the use
of a vehicle. The convenience of this will add to the viability of both areas.
1 don't know whether the skiing public will ever recognize these two skiing mountains as
one but in the ability to access both from one will certainly add to the efficiency of both
guests and companies.
Sincoerely,
za,9 — - —
Mac Smith
J
co obin Perry
P.O. Box 2085
Carbondale, CO 81623
'f July 19, 1999
Martha Ketelle
Forest Supervisor
U.S.D.A. Forest Service
While River National Forest
P.O. Box 948
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
Dear Martha:
}
It'll �
r �aaq
SOCC I �:: 1
I am writing in regards to the Buttermilk Master Development Plan, specifically to offer my support for the
mountain segment of the Plan and the Gondola Connection between Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands
mountains. In my opinion, these proposals are a great opportunity for both Buttermilk and Aspen
Highlands.
Providing a gondola link will allow easy access to a wide variety of skiable terrain for all skier levels.
Families with children having a wide range of abilities could utilize the terrain from both mountains. The
children could be in the Buttermilk Ski School Program and parents could ski at Aspen Highlands. Being
able to go back and forth between these mountains for a couple of runs, or meeting the children for lunch
and at the end of the day without leaving a mountain and getting into a bus or car would be a nice added
amenity.
The Buttermilk lift replacements would also be a great addition. On the Tiehack side of Buttermilk, more
challenging terrain would be utilized to a much greater degree. By building a new lift on West Buttermilk,
lift equipment would be much more user-friendly for first -tune skiers and beginners.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
R"-�,�
Robin Perry
cc Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners
cc � taMu �AQQ_
July 9, 1999
Board of County Commissioners
Pitkin County
530 E. Main St.
Aspen, CO 81611
To whom it may concern,
. C 12i 1V7
J 01 1 3 lggq
I
0C%',,' 0, i=C
JUL 1 4 1999
As a new parent I'm anticipating only skiing a dozen days or so next year. However, I
have my eye on the future when I'll be skiing 40+ days a year again —with my son! I've
been thinking about what our first few seasons might be like. And, I'm hoping that we
see some progress on the Buttermilk/Highlands plan before my son is of skiing age.
Back in the 70s when we were vacationing in Aspen and I was learning to ski, my mom
and I skied at Buttermilk, and my father and brothers skied at Highlands. After a lot of
coordinating and shuttling, we hooked up at the very end of the day. It didn't make for
much of a "family" vacation.
The Highlands/Buttermilk gondola is a solution. Families can start and end their day at
Buttermilk, ski Highlands, and meet for lunch! While Buttermilk is an excellent
mountain, it just doesn't serve the complete needs of families in Aspen.
In fact, as part of a marketing research effort to collect customer satisfaction information
about ASC guests' on -mountain experience, we learned that the majority of guests want
to be on the same mountain as their children. Not surprising.
For the sake of locals and guests alike, I hope the BOCC will help advance Buttermilk's
facility and lift improvements to create a more family -friendly experience.
Sincerely,
&6/5L'A.
Bobbie Burkley
1024 E. Cooper Ave.
Aspen, CO 81612
Board of County Commissioners
Pitkin County
530 East Main St.
Aspen, CO 81612
G
Dear Commissioners,
J U I 0 7 1999
AsPE,N / Pi rKIN
LN1 t'1s "V lt.i�`� 00/C
r I VEE D
I am writing to express my support for the Buttermilk Master Plan, especially the
proposed gondola link between Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands. Having attended the
most recent meeting .of the Country Planning and Zoning Commission I would like to
take issue with the testimony offered by Craig Seaman on behalf of the property owners
adjacent to the proposed gondola expansion.
Mr. Seaman argued that the proposed link would provide no transportation benefit
to skiers and valley commuters saying that people will always choose one mode of
transportation over two (i.e. the shuttle bus vs. bus to gondola to get to Aspen Highlands).
This argument doesn't hold for several reasons.
People will be skiing as soon as they arrive at Buttermilk (instead of simply being
en route to Aspen Highlands) and families will be able to take advantage of the different
kinds of terrain offered by both mountains with one stop. Buttermilk provides the best
access to and from Highway 82 of any of the mountains making it the logical transfer
point for any skiers using public transportation be it bus or possibly rail. It provides an
incentive for people to use public transportation rather then penalizing them by forcing
them to transfer from bus to bus to get to Aspen Highlands. Mr. Seaman claims that the
bus system is adequate, but that ignores the increased pollution and gridlock caused by
the shuttles. With fewer buses and less traffic servicing Aspen Highlands, valley
commuters will definitely benefit.
Please don't succumb to arguments that can best be summarized by "not in my
back yard." The transportation and housing benefits of this development extend to the
entire valley.
Thank you for your consideration of this letter.
Best regards,
Alan Cole
P.O. Box 10321
Aspen, CO 81612
FROM : WRITER FAX ND. : 9709275464 Jun. 22 1999 03:16PM P1
TO: Joint Pitco Aspen Ibmnmig and Zoning Commissions - Lance Clarke
CC, -
From; Scott Writer kk 970.927,804,4
970.927-5464
e,maiL- wri�sopristut
Date.- June 22,1999
S'Ubicer. BaAAands -Buttermilk link.
I on afraid I w!U be unable to attend tonighes meeting to express ray opinion personally. So.
if 2ppm- priate I would ask that you read the fbUowing comment ipto the record_
I coixW viite a 5 page letter about the, positive fCRtUfe3 a$$064-ftdwith 6k1agIighl =d
Buttermilk with a gpndola6 but IT try and boll it down to the most c3itical analysis.
Does it make this place that we all love better or worse? I believe sig0fic=tly better
became:
It WILL take, cw off the road. 11 find it ironic that nmy of those against the new gondola
opposed F1431=ds because of the increase in cars on Maroon Creek Road- This proposed
gondola is a way to take some of those ears off the toad but now that is not such. a big deal
to its opponents. It seems to me that removing a percentage of auto impacts on maroon
Creek Road is.a positive for wildlife.
It WELL improve the skiing and hence quality of life. issues (at least for the of us who 51d
h= and/or have families that ski here).
It WILL h4 with recreational opportunities for the ch2d=a attending the aspen school
district and members of the Aspen Ski Club.
It VAL sHow more centrally based bus and wwsit a4-mativm How cw those is fkvoT of a
train not love this?l One of the huge beefs against the train is there is no rail link to
His fore s6m. Now they can warn up at Buttr� and he -ad to Highlands.
Vismlly — this is a s� town, I person4y dou't find it feasoiaoblc to object to seeizig
lifts/gondolas here.
Does it mAe out community better or worse? I say better. So ramy people here seem to
want this r1we to be pedtstn',= oriented community with fewer reasons to' ride in cars- This
is a small Piece of that overall puzzle and a piece dhAt we should thonir the private sector for
bearing 100% of the costs.