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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.20030603ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Minutes June 03, 2003 COMMISSIONER. STAFF and PUBLIC COMMENTS ........................................ 2 DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ............................................... 2 SOUTH ASPEN STREET FINAL PUD, REZONING, SPECIAL REVIEW, GMQS EXEMPTIONS ............................................................................................. 2 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Minutes June 03, 2003 Jasmine opened the regular meeting of the Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission at 4:30 pm in Council Chambers. Dylan Johns, Roger Haneman, Eric Cohen and Jasmine Tygre were present. Ruth Kruger and Jack Johnson were excused. City of Aspen staff in attendance: David Hoefer, Assistant City Attorney; Joyce Allgaier, James Lindt, Community Development; Jackie Lothian, Deputy City Clerk. COMMISSIONER~ STAFF and PUBLIC COMMENTS Jasmine Tygre said that many special events that take place in town impact parking at the base of the mountain and were also of concern; she suggested they be addressed at a work session. David Hoefer noted that the Special Events Committee dealt with special events parking and this request could be directed to that committee. Joyce Ohlson stated that she would bring the parking concerns for special events to the SEP committee. DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Dylan Johns stated that he had a conflict with the South Aspen Street Public Hearing. Ruth Kruger and Jack Johnson were also conflicted. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING (05/20/03): SOUTH ASPEN STREET FINAL PUD, REZONING, SPECIAL REVIEW, GMQS EXEMPTIONS Jasmine Tygre opened the continued public heating from May 20th on South Aspen Street Final PUD, Rezoning, Special Review, GMQS Exemptions. James Lindt stated that the application was submitted by Aspen Land Fund II, LLC and represented by Sunny Vann and Brooke Peterson. Lindt stated this was a combined application; Planning & Zoning was the recommending body to City Council. David Hoefer noted for the record three (3) affirmative votes were required for the recommendation for approval. Lindt said there were 14 Free Market Dwelling Units and 17 Affordable Housing Units on three (3) parcels of land near the intersection of South Aspen Street and Juan Street. Parcel 1 was known as the Barbee parcel, which was currently zoned LTR and proposed to develop 5 free market units and 7 affordable units. Parking Lot Parcel 2 currently held the Ski Co parking lot, which was zoned R-15 with a Lodge overlay held about 18,000 square feet. South of that was the Mine Dump Apartment Parcel, which was Parcel 3 currently with 23 bedrooms in 16 units; the proposal was for 6 free market units of 3 bedrooms each, 6 affordable units 2 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Minutes June 03, 2003 consisting of 2 one-bedroom units and 4 three-bedroom units; it was split zoned LTR and R-15. The applicant proposed rezoning the portions of the property that were not zoned LTR to LTR. Lindt utilized a site plan for the location of the proposed development. There was also a parking garage under parcels 2 and 3, which would house the majority of affordable housing parking for these two lots and contain 30 parking spaces, which the Ski Company would lease for the replacement of their existing parking. A pocket park was proposed in the southwest comer of parcel 1; there was currently a deed-restriction,on that property where no structures could be built. There also was a deed-restriction that limited the affordable units in that same area to 16 feet in height. There were some changes from the original conceptual plans that were reviewed, which were moving 2 of the affordable housing units to Parcels 2 & 3 to lessen the impacts of the development on the Timber Ridge Condominiums; a mix of categories (1, 2 & 3) for the affordable housing units was now being proposed; the rooflines were lowered on Parcel 1 from 28 feet to 25 feet; the first 2 levels of the free-market units were now faced with stone as well as the chimneys; the Parcel 1 trash enclosure was moved to the northeastern most portion of the parcel and was faced with stone. Lindt said that Staff felt that the proposed uses were consistent with neighborhood; the dimensional requirements for the most part meet the LTR zone district requirements, the proposal was consistent with the conditions of approval that were required at the conceptual level and met the multi-family replacement housing reqmrements with the demolition of the Mine Dump Apartments. The multi- family replacement reqmrements are that 50% of existing bedrooms and 50% of the square footage be replaced as affordable housing on the parcel; staff felt this was met with the 6 units of affordable housing on Parcel 3. Lindt said the applicant proposed the vacation of the alley with no recommendation required from P&Z. Lindt said there were several discussion issues as one of the conditions of approval from the conceptual PUD (1) the garage entry location for Parcel 2 be changed however moving it east would make the entry too steep and unacceptable; therefore the entry would not be relocated. (2) The Parcel 1 access to the affordable units is from Garmish Street through Dean Avenue, which was a public right-of-way that was currently being used for about 9 parking spaces for the Timber Ridge Condos; between P&Z and the time they go to Council they hoped to settle the parking issues. (3) Another issue was the landscaping on Juan Street in the public right-of-way; Parks requested an amended landscape plan to replace some of the tree species with a heartier type. Staffrecommended approval with these conditions. 3 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Minutes June 03, 2003 Sunny Vann stated that Savannah originally brought this conceptual development forward and now a similar group that brought the Residences at the Little Nell owned it. Vann noted that unlike the Residences and the Tippler they were not simultaneously submitting 2 applications although the owners wanted to build a hotel rather than a residential timeshare project on this property. Vann stated that the project was designed to comply with all the requirements of the underlying zoning; there were no requests for variances with respect to anything. Vann said to enhance the Savannah application there were more affordable housing units than required and changes were made froTM the conceptual approval requested by Timber Ridge Condos or Council. The only request that was not met was the relocation of the sub-grade garage entrance on Parcel 2 because of grade related reasons. Roger Haneman inquired about the vacation of Dean Street with adverse possession regarding the Timber Ridge parking. Varm explained that a portion of Dean Avenue was privately owned but the lower portion was a 50-foot right-of- way; they proposed using 22 feet of it for access to the affordable housing units on Parcel 1. Vann said the Timber Ridge Condominiums used the other 28 feet for landscaping and 7-9 parking spaces, apparently without objection by the city. Vann said there was an issue of having the right to use it; Council decided for access purposes 22 feet could be used. Vann said that the Planning Office asked if they would be interested in widening it further to provide a row of parking within that right-of-way and they would to the extent that it did not require them to remove the landscaping but they did not know if Timber Ridge was interested in cooperating in the cost of those improvements. Vann said that if it did not cost them any more than the pavement and curb and gutter then they would do it. Eric Cohen asked why the affordable housing was rental. Vann replied rental or sale was the option of the applicant, under the guidelines any replacement housing had to be category 2. The developer transfers ownership of the rental unit to the condo association for the free market units, who in mm are required to rent them pursuant to the deed-restriction. Vann said that the unit mix and categories met the housing authority's current needs. Vann noted that these units meet or exceed the size requirements and are in a desirable location. Cohen inquired about the hotel. Vann replied the applicants purchased the property to pursue development of a hotel (mixed timeshare) on these three properties; the underlying value of the property is supported in the large part by the conceptual, approval for the timeshare residential project, in the event they could not obtain approval for a hotel in this location they are prepared to build this proposal. 4 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Minutes June 03, 2003 Brooke Peterson stated that he became part of this entity in January of this year; he said that they acquired the property with the ultimate idea that it would be a good place for a n~w hotel in Aspen. Peterson said that they had begun conceptual discussions with the city, neighbors participating and with the planning office for a new hotel with some fractional, condominium and whole ownerships. Peterson said that it would be a hotel (80-100 units). Sunny Vann provided the history of this property and the adjacent properties. Vann stated that P&Z approved the conceptual when Savannah was the owner. Roger Haneman said that the minutes from the P&Z 2001 would have been helpful. Haneman recalled that there was an issue with the height of the chimneys. Vann replied that everything was lowered 3 feet. Public Conunents: Galen Waldron, public, stated that she has been an Aspen resident for.32 years and has a planning background, which she has been a consultant to the city and county and an owner of a Timber Ridge Condo Unit owner. Galen Waldron utilized a site plan of there area and said that parking has gotten very tight and much tighter with Mr. Semrau's development with additional traffic and service vehicles. Galen Waldron stated that Timber Ridge was faced with the brunt of the open parking lot and employee housing; she said that she supported employee housing. Waldron said that the developer said that they would consider undergrounding this parking if there were a number of Timber Ridge owners who would help defer some of the costs. Waldron said that Timber Ridge recently surveyed their homeowners and 9- 10 people would pay between $25,000. and $30.000. to underground that parking and restore the green space on top with parking down below. Waldron said that they wanted more consideration than they have been given even if it changed to a hotel, they wanted it understood about ½ of the homeowners wanted to participate in the underground parking. David Ellis, public, stated he was an owner and president of the Timber Ridge Homeowner Association but he was primarily speaking on his own behalf. Ellis supported Galen that there were 9 owners that were financially willing to participate in underground parking; there was an interest to work out something. Ellis provided the history of the Dean Street vacation with regards to the Timber Ridge maintenance of Dean but it remains a public right-of-way with landscaping and used by the Timber Ridge for parking until the time the city takes back that right-of-way. Ellis also gave the history of the parking in the area and the parking problems of the neighborhood and the disappearing number of parking spaces with regards to development and the demand for on-street parking. ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Minutes June 03, 2003 Nancy Culgren, publicl stated that she lived in Southpoint Condominium and the parking was definitely an ~ssue m the neighborhood and supported the neighbors when there was an option to build underground parking. Culgren said that it was always congested behind their building ~mpacted with big trucks as well as cars. Roger Haneman asked why the affordable housing was staggered rather than stacked on Parcel 1. Sunny Vann replied that originally the western most building was 2 stories but there was a 16-£oot height limit imposed by the Barbee project; as long as Mary Barbee owned the property. MOTION: Roger Haneman moved to approve Resolution #14, series of 2003 with 40 conditions, recommending that City Council approve the South Aspen Street Final PUD, Rezoning to LTR with a PUD overlay, Subdivision, Special Review for Affordable Housing Parking, and GMQS exemptions for the reconstruction of a demolished multi-family building and the development of affordable housing on Parc61s 1, 2 and 3 of the property known as the South Aspen Street Subdivision/PUD, City and Townsite of Aspen, Colorado with conditions. Seconded by Eric Cohen. Vote: Cohen, yes; Haneman, yes; · ygre, yes. APPROVED 3-0. Discussion of motion: Roger Haneman said that since it was a city right-of-way the city should be involved to allow for further parking because it would be a benefit to the neighborhood. Eric Cohen said that the city voluntarily vacated that space over history and Timber Ridge has maintained that portion of Dean Street giving Timber Ridge some rights; he also agreed that underground parking should be pursued to a greater extent. David Hoefer noted that vacation was a very complicated issue and Timber Ridge had no vested right to a vacation. Jasmine Tygre stated that since conceptual took place a couple of years ago, it was very important to attach those minutes from the conceptual approval 2 years ago for this approval to go forward. Tygre stated that a lot of time was spent on an application that will probably never be built. Tygre noted that the parking situation was already bad because the reqmrements then were not to provide parking but expec~ the new people to pick up the slack. Tygre said that i£this particular project did get built then there was concern over the parking issues. Tygre asked how the SkiCo parking during the day would be controlled. Vann said that it would probably be a physically controlled parking area. Meeting adjourned 6:00 p.m. ~c!~ie Lothian, Deputy City Clerk 6