HomeMy WebLinkAboutordinance.council.021-80RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
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ORDINANCE NO. 21
(Series of 1980)
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE PERMITTED AND CONDITIONAL USES OF
STRUCTURES ON CERTAIN PROPERTY WHICH IS DESIGNATED
AS A SPECIALLY PLANNED AREA
WHEREAS, the property described in Exhibit "A" attached here-
to (the "Property") is presently owned by the Meadows Corporation,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Aspen Institute for Humanistic
Studies (collectively called hereinafter "The Aspen Institute")
and designated S.P.A~ (Specially Planned Area), and
WHEREAS, the designation of the Property as a specially
planned area was a recognition by the City of its size and his-
toric uniqueness as an educational institution in the community
and the designation was intended to allow for flexibility in the
development of a facility to meet the needs of The Aspen Insti-
tute, and
WHEREAS, at the request of the City of Aspen The Aspen Insti-
tute has submitted an application which requests the adoption by
the City of a precise development plan for the Property including
the establishment of permitted and conditional uses of the land
and of the structures located on the Property, and
WHEREAS, the proposed precise development plan submitted by
The Aspen Institute requests the establishment of permitted and
conditional uses to allow for the development of a Commercial Con-
ference Center as hereinafter defined, and
WHEREAS, It is the policy of the City of Aspen that the
creation of permitted uses and allowable density in a specially
planned area should not be granted absent the imposition of condi-
tions which require that the development and use of the lands
shall have no significant adverse effect on the adjacent land-
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owners, stream and air quality, road congestion, wildlife, adopted
master plan, and the general public interest, and
WHEREAS, the property remains as the largest undeveloped
tract of land within the City of Aspen and its development will
have significant impact on the Aspen co~munity, and
WHEREAS, the property includes areas of limited suitability
for development, and
WHEREAS, the property is bounded by river frontage and severe
slopes on the North and West, and a low-density residential neigh-
borhood to the south and east, all of which limit accessibility
and create unique problems for the development of the site, and
WHEREAS, the property has minimal vehicular and pedestrian
access, and
WHEREAS, the available vehicular access to the property has a
carrying capacity substantially less than that required if devel-
opment was allowed to proceed at the density requested in said
precise plan without restriction of
structure~ and
WHEREAS, severe ecological and
as a result of development, and
WHEREAS, development can alter
the use of the land and of the
envirnmental damage may occur
and degrade the aesthetics and
quality of life of the neighborhood and of the Aspen community,
and
WHEREAS in conjunction %~ith the
for said S.P.A designation the City of
required to establish the permitted and conditional uses, and
WHEREAS, the Aspen Institute has submitted, and at the
request of the City of Aspen withdrew, applications for the
approval of a preliminary P.U.D. plan and a preliminary subdivi-
sion plat, and
approval of the precise plan
Aspen is directed and
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WHEREAS,
Institute must resubmit and obtain approvals of both
plan and subdivision plat, and
WHEREAS, on May 29 1979,
mission recoi~nended approval of
the City of Aspen [las indicated that The Aspen
a P.U.D.
the Aspen Planning and Zoning Com-
a precise plan for the Property
subject to certain conditions, and
WHEREAS, on July 23, 1979, the Aspen City Council held a pub-
lic hearing pursuant to the Zoning Code of the City of Aspen which
requires that "... the applicant, and all parties interested
therein, shall be given an opportunity to be heard, to present and
rebut evidence, and to procure an adequate record ...", and
WHEREAS, following the public hearing the Council determined
that denial of the precise plan was appropriate, and
WHEREAS, the Zoning Code of the City of Aspen requires that
the City Council "shall make findings adequate to apprise the
applicant of the reasons for ... denial and the specific grounds
relied on for such action", on August 27, 1979, the Aspen City
Council adopted Resolution No. 17, setting forth its findings,
and
WHEREAS~ on August 21, 1979, The Aspen Institute brought suit
in the District Court in and for the County of Pitkin against the
City of Aspen and others for judicial review and other claims,
and
WHEREAS, on March 24~ 1980, the Aspen City Council agreed to
consider a precise plan for the Property, and
WHEREAS, the continued presence of the Aspen Institute for
Humanistic Studies, the Aspen Music Associates and the Aspen
Center for Physics as three cultural and educational facilities is
of primary concern to the Aspen City Council.
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WHEREAS, on _ ~,~ /~ , 1980, the precise plan
was approved by the Aspen Planning and Zoning Co~lission, and
WHEREAS, the City Council has suggested and the Planning and
Zoning Co[~,]ission has determined that it is more appropriate, when
greater detail and information is available, to establish the
necessary parking, a transportation plan, lot yards and setback
requirements, maximum heights~ minimum open space and any other
planning and zoning matters which contribute to the development
and use of the area as a whole (with the exception of permitted
and conditional uses and the permitted density which are covered
by this ordinance) as well as the location and characteristics of
streets, other rights-of-way, and utilities, the dimensions and
grading of parcels and the dimensions and siting of structures at
the time and during the P.U.D. and subdivision approval process.
NOW~ THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO:
Section 1. S.P.A. Approval.
The City Council approves the precise plan for said S.P.A.
designation of the Property with said approval being limited to
permitted and conditional uses all in conformity with this ordin-
ance with the reservation of all other planning and zoning mat-
ters, consistent with this ordinance, ~lich contribute to the
development and use of the Property as a whole to future consider-
ation and approval as part of P.U.D. plan and subdivision plat
approval. The precise plan which is receiving approval differs in
some respects from the narrative and site plan originally sub-
originally submitted by The Aspen Institute and therefore Council
is not approving the narrative and site plan originally submitted
by The Aspen Institute. This approval is conditioned upon the
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applicant obtaining full P.U.D. plan and subdivision plat
approval.
Section 2. Definitions.
(a)
COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER. "Commercial Conference
Center" means and includes a facility dedicated to
handling group meetings and providing program develop-
ment and educational support. For the purpose of this
ordinance, the Commercial Conference Center shall design
programs which cater essentially to the corporate,
association and educational institutions market for
intensive educational or training sessions whose pro-
grams primarily require daytime use of the facilities
and rely upon full use of the conference facilities as
opposed to those of the community in order to maximize
conferee interaction. For the purpose of this ordin-
ance, the permitted uses of a Commercial Conference
Center are limited to residential (including lodging)~
meeting, food and beverage~ recreational, retail and
miscellaneous facilities and uses as hereinafter
defined.
(b) COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER FOOD AND BEVERAGE
FACILITIES. "Commercial Conference Center Food and
Beverage F~cilities" include a restaurant, kitchen, and
similar facilities which are capable of providing gen-
eral dining, banquet, and room service, hospitality
suites, and a cocktail lounge. Entertainment may be
provided in such facilities.
(c)
COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER MEETING FACILITIES.
"Commercial Conference Center Meeting Facilities"
include an auditorium, large and small conference rooms,
and supporting services. "Supporting services" means
and includes a lobby, library, audio-visual service,
print shop, duplicating facilities~ computer service,
office facilities, and other similar uses.
(d)
COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER MISCELLANEOUS FACILITIES.
"Commercial Conference Center Miscellaneous Facilities"
include parking, inhouse laundry, storage and other sim-
ilar facilities required to provide service or mainten-
ance of land, building, equipment~ etc.
(e) COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
(f)
"Commercial Conference Center Recreational Facilities"
include card and game rooms, health center, racquetball
courts, tennis courts, jogging tracks, walking paths
bicycle paths, cross country ski trails, swimming pools,
and other related or similar facilities.
COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER RESIDENTIAL FACILTIES.
"Commercial Conference Center Residential Facilities"
(g)
include employee housing, apartments, guest rooms, and
rooms to accommodate the housing of faculty and staff.
COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER RETAIL FACILITIES.
"Commercial Conference Center Retail Facilities" include
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a tennis pro shop primarily for sales and rentals to
guests, faculty and staff of recreational equipment and
accessories and rental of such items as bicycles, cross
country ski equipment, etc., and a convenience shop, to
be conducted entirely within the principal building, for
the retailing primarily to guests, faculty and staff of
the facility of such items as newspapers, magazines,
stationery, post cards, toiletries and other convenience
items.
(h)
COMMERCIAL CONFERENCE CENTER ACCESSORY USES.
"Commercial Conference Center Accessory Use~" include
uses which are naturally and normally incidental to~
subordinate to, and devoted exclusively to the principal
use of the premises, and which do not change the basic
character thereof, as determined by its principal use.
Section 3. Commercial Conference Center Tourist Use.
Traditional cos~ercial conference centers do not include
tourist use. However, the Aspen Institute has presented evidence
of past and current accommodation of tourists within its existing
92 bedrooms as a result of this existing tourist use, the Aspen
City Council recognizes that this particular commercial conference
center shall have as an additional use under this ordinance the
accommodation of tourists, provided that the accommodations are
restricted to not more than any 92 bedrooms rented to tourists on
a calendar quarterly average, i.e. not more than 8,464 room days
per calendar quarter. (It is the intent of this provision to
allow those who are housed within these 92 bedrooms to use the
food and beverage, recreational,
commercial conference center.)
Although the provisions of
and other facilities of the
Article XII, Chapter 24 of the
Municipal Code of the City of Aspen apply generally to this tour-
ist use, the provisions of Sections 24-12.4 and 24-12.5 of the
Municipal Code of the City of Aspen shall not apply to the use of
this Commercial Conference Center.
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Section 4. Establishment of Permitted Uses.
Pursuant to Section 24-7.2(a)(1) of the Code of the City of
Aspen the following permitted and conditional uses are established
for the Property:
(a) Permitted Uses: Co~aercial Conference Center with uses
defined in Section 2(a) to (g), inclusive, and in Sec-
tion 3.
(b) Conditional Uses: Accessory uses.
Section 5. Permitted Density.
The allowable density for the property shall be
at the time and during the P.U.D. approval
The Aspen Institute shall construct,
equal in percentage to the development of
established
process.
in phases approximately
the new faculty/guest
bedrooms, housing adequate to house 60% of its operational staff.
For the purpose of this ordinance, housing adequate to house 60%
of the Aspen Institute's operational
minimum number of employee units and
established at and during the P.U.D.
City require The Aspen Institute to
staff is considered to be a
this minim~n number will be
process. At no time will the
use its faculty/guest residen-
tial bedrooms to house its operational staff. In the event that
60% of the Aspen Institute's operational staff do not choose to be
housed within The Aspen Institute's employee housing, The Aspen
Institute may either leave these units vacant or may offer the
remaining space to other qualified employees of the community.
Rental prices for employee housing shall be at levels within the
housing price guidelines established by the City Council. The
above requirement for housing operational staff shall apply to all
future owners of the facility as well as the Aspen Institute.
The faculty/guest residential housing shall be divided into
living units containing not more than 265 bedrooms and 20 addi-
tional rooms which may be used for or as living rooms, kitchens,
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dining areas, or a combination of the
265 bedrooms with 20 additional rooms
for the site and no further bedrooms,
same. The above-designated
shall be the total density
living rooms, kitchens
dining areas or a combination of same shall be constructed on the
site, with the cxception of employee
Section 6. Conservation Area.
The Aspen Institute is willing
housing as defined above.
to treat portions of the
Castle Creek area as conservation land. Therefore, as a further
condition of this approval, the Aspen Institute will covenant to
preserve the following described areas from any development,
including tennis courts, and for conservation purposes.
Institute
and lying west of
(a) Ail land owned by The Aspen
Castle Creek;
(b) Ail land owned by The Aspen Institute and lying both
within the Castle Creek valley and east of Castle Creek
below 7800 feet mean sea level,
16, 1974, Cooper Aerial Survey
maps, sheets J-1100 and L-1~00.
Section 7. Growth Management.
as shown on the October
Company topographical
The development of the Commercial Conference Center is exempt
from the Growth Management Quota System by reason of Section 24-
10.2(a), (h) and (i) of the Municipal Code of the City of Aspen,
Colorado.
Section 8. Phasing.
The Aspen Institute is encouraged, but
not required, to phase
the construction of the Commercial Conference Center and of the
employee housing in a manner best calculated to meet the needs of
The Aspen Institute and best calculated to mitigate the impacts of
the development on the neighborhood. The Aspen Institute is
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requested to submit a phasing
application.
Section 9.
The accommodation of tourists~
plan with its conceptual P.U.D.
while acceptable, is not the
most desirable or ideal use of this property. The City Council
recognizes that there exists no guarantee that the Aspen Institute
will remain in Aspen. As a result, the Council shall rely upon
traditional land use controls to mitigate the adverse impacts of
the project. Specifically, in order to obtain P.U.D. approval,
the Aspen Institute will be required to create a traffic circula-
tion system containing adequate bus service together with a sub-
stantial auto disincentive program.
Section 10. Non-reliance.
The approval of the permitted, conditional and tourist uses
and the permitted density may be relied upon as an act of approval
of a specific precise SPA plan. This approval, however, should
not be relied upon as approval of the general plan as originally
submitted or of any specifics therein. Nor should reliance be
placed upon this act to believe that the City of Aspen shall
approve either a final P.U.D. plan or subdivision plat
Section 11. Non-severability.
If any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof
to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity
shall affect each and every provision or application of the
ordinance, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are
declared to be non-severable.
Section 12. Public Hearing.
That a public hearing on this ordinance be held on
day of ~
City Council Chambers,
the
, 1980, at 5:00 P.M. in the
Aspen City Hall, Aspen, Colorado 15 days
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prior to which hearing notice of the same shall be published in a
newspaper of general circulation within the City of Aspen.
INTRODUCED, READ AND ORDERED published as provided by law by
the City Council of the City of Aspen, Colorado, at its regular
meeting held on the ~ day of ~-~ __, 1980.
ATTEST:
City Clerl~
FINALLY adopted,
of
H~rman Edel
Mayor
passed and approved on the
· 1980.
day
ATTEST:
Herman Edel
Mayor
~athryn S. Koch
City Clerk
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