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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.20050503ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION -Minutes - May 03, 2005 COMMENTS ............................................................................................................ 2 MINUTES ................................................................................................................. 2 DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ............................................... 2 LIMELIGHT CONCEPTUAL PUD ........................................................................ 2 I ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION -Minutes - May 03, 2005 Jasmine Tygre opened the Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting in Sister ,~• Cities Meeting at 4:30 p.m. Commission Members Ruth Kruger, Dylan Johns, Brandon Marion, Steve Skadron, Brian Speck, Jack Johnson and Jasmine Tygre were present. John Rowland was excused. Staff in attendance were Chris Bendon and James Lindt, Community Development and Jackie Lothian, Deputy City Clerk. COMMENTS Chris Bendon introduced Jennifer Phelan, the Senior Long-Range Planner for Community Development. MINUTES MOTION: Steve Skadron moved to approve the minutes from the April S, 2005 meeting; seconded by Dylan Johns. All in favor, motion approved. DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST None stated. PUBLIC HEARING: LIMELIGHT CONCEPTUAL PUD Jasmine Tygre opened the public hearing for the Limelight Conceptual PUD. James Lindt stated that the notice, posting and mailings were in order. Lindt explained the application was for the redevelopment of the Limelight, Deep Powder and Snowflake Inn properties with a lodge building containing 1281odge units and a residential building containing 17 free market residential units. Lindt said that there would also be 1 free market unit in the lodge building. Lindt explained that many of the code amendments were pending with City Council and being reviewed on May 9`n Dale Paas said that he was the current operator and his family has been operating the Limelight Lodge since 1958 when there were still dirt streets. Paas said that the Limelight has seen a lot of changes in town and they have been able to adapt but it has become more difficult to do business since 1991. Paas said they have been the major housing for most of the special events that come to town. Paas said that their hotel is old enough that they have 110 outdated, energy inefficient rooms, 3 ancient swimming pools, 3 old Jacuzzis and old boilers. Paas said their hotel is not what the traveling public expects when they come to a world class resort. Paas said they want to step forward and build a new hotel at that mid-market level so they can continue to house the same people with more hotel rooms than they have now. Paas said they have to have the financial engine to generate the money to build an energy efficient hotel. Paas noted their development team has a good 2 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION -Minutes - May 03, 2005 reputation and were very ethical. Steve Szymanski was the development manager; Robin Schiller and John Cottle were the architects. Robin Schiller introduced the physical planning aspects of the project. Schiller said the Stay Aspen Snowmass 1994 study came up with the loss of 1291 lodging beds lost. Schiller said the Paas family has come to the City with a proposal to redevelop their lodging business. Schiller explained the PUD process as a way for an applicant to present the project to the City, which differs from the underlying zoning with advantages and benefits to the community which justifies those changes from the zoning. Schiller said they were asked to design a project with more rooms than existed and acquired the Snowflake and Deep Powder. Schiller said they have preserved the same views and extended the pedestrian environment of the downtown core. The entrance to the lodge was on Monarch across from Wagner Park with a basic L-shape along Hyman and Monarch Streets to keep the mass away from 210 Cooper. The lodge was the primary point of the project and was located on the best part of the site with 1281odge rooms. There would be 17 residential units, which will be sold with the intention of full ownership not fractional and the Limelight Lodge would offer services to these units such as house keeping services and booking the units if the owners want to rent out their units giving the Limelight Lodge quality over the bookings and reduces the number of employees required to operate all of these. Schiller said there were more employees needed to operate the 3 lodges of 110 rooms than will be needed for the new 128 rooms because they will be more efficient rooms. There will be a courtyard and spa in the middle of the project and the building steps down to the adjacent house and 210 Cooper. The parking garage will accommodate 50 cars below grade and the entrance was off of Hyman at the existing parking lot entrance. Schiller said they were asking for changes in the dimensional requirements at 2.5 bedrooms per square foot of lot area; 1 lodge unit minimum per 500 square feet of site area; a maximum height of 48 feet and allowance of 54 feet for some limited accent elements. Schiller said the ceilings need to be 9 or 10 feet with 12 feet from floor to floor. Steve Szymanski said this project will get built all at once and will not be a phased project; they bought the Snowflake to redevelop it. Szymanski said the family would be the flag for the hotel. Szymanski said they had to blend the physical, financial, political, market and implementation; the condos were the financial engine. They took their books and opened them to the city manager and finance director to show their underlying needs. They see the free market density as an 3 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION -Minutes - Mav 03, 2005 urban renewal tool. The overall intent and purpose of this project was to preserve the moderate room market. John Cottle said there was an underlying belief that good buildings fit into their community and they need to distinguish themselves. Cottle explained that most of the lots in Aspen were 30 feet wide, 45 feet and 60 feet. Cottle said the Wheeler, Jerome and Elks landmarks define the commercial core of Aspen. Cottle said in terms of height the Jerome is 49 feet and the annex at 54; the Elks is 47 feet to the cornice; the Wheeler is 49 feet to the cornice 66 feet to the ridge. Cottle said the next idea is varied scale to create a better street and open space. Cottle said the scale was varied from larger to smaller with the trees still higher than the buildings. Dale Paas said that his grandparents and parents ran the lodge before him and now the next generation was already working in the hotel; he introduced Valerie, Margaret, Forest and Curtis. Dale Paas asked the commission to help them get the project entitled for the rebirth of the Limelight to become a reality. Brandon Marion asked the applicant to define mid-market hotel. Paas said that if the project was built at a certain size hotel rooms without a full scale restaurant and with no spa and with pricing below the top and not the bottom price. Marion asked the current price of the rooms. Paas replied depending upon the time of the year the rooms were from $89.00 to $150.00 in the summer and during Christmas starting at $250.00 but groups negotiate prices even in the winter. Paas said they have an advantage since there were repeat guests over the 47 years of operation but the guests tell the Limelight that the hotel is getting old, rundown with tiny bathrooms and would like to keep these guests coming back. Marion asked if there was any conference space. Schiller said there was a 1200 square foot meeting room located on the 3`d floor. Dylan Johns asked if the project would be phased. Szymanski replied that it would not be phased from an economic, financial and get it all done need; the contractor has already been selected. Paas said that they did not want the construction to go on forever. Szymanski said the construction schedule would be to close right after ski season and be open prior to the next ski season in '07; the marketing office would remain open. Steve Skadron asked in percentage terms very generally how short a project like this falls from the goal of preserving moderately priced rooms under these current economic conditions. Szymanski said that Limelight south was the financial engine. Szymanski said that the lot divided by 500 square feet was 128 rooms, which is what they were building but it couldn't be done in 3 floors with parking. 4 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION -Minutes - Mav 03, 2005 Brian Speck asked the size of the existing rooms. Dale Paas replied they were from 350 to 450 square feet; the main problem was the bathrooms were too small. Speck asked if they would maintain a residence on this site. Paas answered they would like to; they live in Basalt now. Jack Johnson asked why fractionals were not being considered. Szymanski responded that he wasn't sure that a small development team should take that on; fully managed with the hotel was a better choice. Ruth Kruger asked if a proforma was run with 2 levels of parking. Szymanski said on the lodge side one level worked for them and timing wise it adds considerable timing and cost; it was an analytical decision. Schiller said the cost per parking space goes up per space as you go deeper into the ground. Lindt outlined what the major issues for the P&Z review, which were employee housing mitigation; height and massing; relationship with the neighboring historic cottage; historic significance of the Deep Powder; % of the proposed free market residential development; kitchens in lodge units; vehicular access; alley vacation; and public parking garage. Public Comments: 1. Norma Dolle stated that she was worried about the height. 2. Bill Tomsich stated that he was president of Stay Aspen/Snowmass, which is one of the reservation services; he said there were unique properties in Aspen privately owned like the Limelight Lodge. Tomsich applauded the Paas family in their willingness to take on the preservation of the family owned business. 3. Bob Leatherman said he was currently the president of the 210 Cooper Condominium building; his experience with the Paas family has been good and they want to be supportive but they have concerns. Leatherman's concerns were the density, height and parking. Leatherman said they would want the entrance to the parking garage on Hyman. 4. Irma Goldinger said she hoped all went well. 5. Jeff Halferty stated concerns with the height, density and direct relationship to a historic resource. Halferty said there were parking issues but wanted to support the family. 6. Ron Christian said that relatives and friends stay at the Limelight and if we lose the affordable units and the Paas family then what, we lose a lot. 5 ASPEN PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION -Minutes - Mav 03, 2005 7. Miriam Hartman said that she lived in the little white house and wanted to make sure that they don't get swallowed up. 8. Steve Siefert said that he was a hotel operator for years and they key point was the economics of operating a large hotel. Siefert encouraged the size of the hotel of at least 110 rooms to make the project work; the other key component was the economic driver of the project. 9. Tom McCabe applauded the Paas family for coming forward with a moderate priced traditional hotel and to use whatever advantage to make the project work. McCabe said that when he was with Mountain Rescue the Paas family was very helpful in finding a way to put the pilots and resources up in their hotel. 10. Alan Bush wanted to echo support the Paas family owned business and thought it was good that they were not going to the fractional ownership. Bush stated concern for the height and impact on the views; he suggested story poles to help the neighborhood visualize the impacts of the proposal. Bush asked about the corner having tables outside. Dale Paas replied they serve a continental breakfast. The commission requested the view from Wagner Park, a roof plan with heights, a simple site section as it relates to the historic Victorian, story poles, scope of the Mountain View Plane; the angle of declination. MOTION.• Ruth Kruger moved to continue the public hearing on the Limelight Conceptual PUD to May 17, 2005. Seconded by Brian Speck, all in favor, motion APPROVED. Adjourned. ckie Lothian, eputy City Clerk 6