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HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.council.004-85RECO~D OF PROCEEDINGS 100 Leaves RESOLUTION NO. ~__ (Series of 1985) A RESOLUTION IN RESPONSE TO THE BURNT ~OUNTAIN ENVXRONNENTAL ASSESSMENT AS XSSUED BY THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE WHEREAS, the United States Forest Service (hereinafter Forest Service) has issued an Environmental Assessment (hereinafter fA) which evaluates the potential impacts of a range of alternative development plans for the Burnt Mountain section of the Snowmass Ski Area; and WHEREAS, of those by the Aspen Skiing Company development plan; and WHEREAS, Alternative alternatives, Alternative 2 has been proposed (hereinafter Ski Company) as their preferred 2 would, according to the EA's analysis and the findings of the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission and Aspen City Council, create the most severe impacts of any of the alternatives; and WHEREAS, those impacts would affect a wide range of environmental and socio-economic issues, concerns and conditions; and WEEREAS, the Aspen/Pltkin Growth ~anage~ent Policy Plan Update establishes Goals, Objectives and Policies to be applied in the review development proposals such as the Burnt Mountain of significant proposal, and; WHEREAS, addresses alpine skiing capacity, and; WHEREAS, the Forest Service has allowed review period during which interested members of the Aspen/Pttkin Short-Term Accommodations Report the concept of balance in the community between bed base and for a 60-day public the public and local governments may respond to the the Forest Service prior to the NOW, THEREFORE, ASPEN, COLORADO: EA, such response to be considered by issuance of a Decision Notice: BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF The City Council does hereby find that the following issues are not adequately addressed in the EA and recommends that the following concerns be addressed, and mitigation requirements imposed, prior to RECOI~D OF PI~OCEEDINGS 100 Leaves the issuance of any approvals for Burnt Mountain development by the Forest Service or the Town of Snowmass: Issae S1: Impacts on Land, Water, Air, Noise & Wildlife o Land Policy ~4 of the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission's Resolution No. 84-2 which officially adopted Goals, Objectives and Policies of the Growth ~anage~ent Policy Plan Update. "Ski expansions are preferred which are found to have minimal impacts on land development, environmental quality and service needs (i.e.,expansions to existing areas) over ski expansions which are found to have substantial impacts on land development, environmental quality and service needs(i.e., expansions involving new base villages or major infrastructural extensions or upgrades or expansions into existing wilderness areas." Based on the conclusions of the EA, it is found that the proposed Burnt Mountain development is inconsistent with this policy, and this inconsistency must be addressed and resolved. ® The City of Aspen is concerned in particular with how Burnt Mountain will impact visitor services in Aspen and the movement of Aspen's guests to Snowmass Village. Objective ~4 and Policy #3 of Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission's Resolution No. 84-2 which officially adopted Goals, Objectives and Policies of the Growth ~anagement Policy Plan Update address the concept of community balance as follows: "Improve the degree of balance between winter and summer tourist visitation, provided that any increase in visitation is consistent with our ability to meet the demands upon our transportation and other community facilities, and with the other goals and objectives of the community." "Aspen and Pitkin County should support the private development of a wider range of summer tourism opportunities to better balance with winter activities, including improved cultural, recreational and conference facilities. Aspen and Pitkin County should also support the development of employment opportunities which compliment or do not conflict with the resort industry and are consistent with the COmmunity's other goals and objectives." Based upon the EA it is proposal is inconsistent and Policy. found that the Burnt Mountain with the preceeding Objective e The EA must include analysis of the project increased growth rates resulting from Burnt Mountain development and the impact of that growth on land use patterns and growth pressure. The EA must include analysis of development phasing and include phasing as a mitigation requirement if that 2 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 199 Leaves analysis finds that phasing would significantly reduce land use impacts. Water and Wastewater The EA must include analysis of how the development of a reliable water supply for Burnt Mountain facilities will affect minimum streamflow and riparian habitat on Snowmass Creek, which is likely to be the principle source of such water, and analysis of how will water quality standards be monitored and enforced. The EA must require establishment of a water quality baseline for watershed impacts from Burnt Mountain and of an ongoing water quality monitoring program. 3m The EA must include existing data on the plans, goals and policies of the Snowmass Water and Sanitation District regarding expansion to the degree necessary to serve Burnt Mountain and associated secondary development and analysis of the impacts of such expansion. Air Quality The EA must include an analysis of the impacts of gaseous pollutant increases on air quality in the Brush Creek Valley and mitigation requirements designed to minimize such impacts. 2m The EA must include an analysis of the impact of increased air pollution levels on visibility in the Brush Creek Valley and mitigation requirements to minimize such impacts. The EA must determine if State and National air quality standards are sufficient to adequately safeguard visibility in the Brush Creek Valley and if they are not, more stringent standards must be developed and imposed. 3m The analysis of air quality should include data collected by the Snowmass Village high volume air samplers, which is available through the Aspen/Pitkin Environmental Health Department. e Mitigation requirements for all air pollution sources such as woodburning devices, restaurant exhaust systems and other secondary sources must be imposed. Many of these mitigation strategies are outlined in the Snow.ass Area Air Quality Assessment for Projected Expansion Activities (IEC, 1981). Sm Ail data regarding regional air quality baselines and trends should be taken from the 1982 edition of the Air Quality Emission Inventory for the Aspen, Colorado Area. Noise me The EA must include analysis of the impact of elevated noise levels from all sources, including snowmaking, construction equipment, automotive and airplane traffic and secondary commercial and residential development, on the Burnt Mountain environment. Methods for the monitoring and enforcement of noise standards must be developed and required. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 100 Leaves o #ildlife The EA finds that Burnt Mountain development will directly and significantly reduce elk and deer populations in the Burnt Mountain-Owl Creek areas. The Forest Service must meet its obligation to preserve critical big-game habitats and viable big-game populations within National Forests by requiring strong mitigation measures to minimize this impact, including preservation of critical habitat or acquisition of alternative habitat, prohibition of dogs within developed areas, and establish- ment of ongoing monitoring and management progrems. It is inappropriate for the community to degrade existing wildlife resources in exchange for expanded ski terrain unless it can be clearly shown that such expansion has greater co, unity benefits than does the threatened wildlife resource Issue S2: Impacts on Local Governments The EA must include a more detailed analysis of the impact of Burnt Mountain development on local fiscal stability and of the equitable distribution of fiscal impacts among local government jurisdictions, development interests local taxpayers and visitors. The EA must address, in greater detail, impacts on the Roaring Fork Transit Authority, parking and City streets in the City of Aspen. The EA must include assurance that the Forest Service will fulfill its obligation to analyze and/or disclose the impacts of Burnt Mountain development in the event that actual development is delayed to the extent that the current EA data becomes outdated or irrelevant. The EA must include an analysis of the impacts of Burnt Mountain development on the need for seasonal and permanent employee housing outside Snowmass Village and requirements for mitigating those impacts. Se A regional financial analysis which links ski expansion to the costs of government services, including indebted- ness, should be undertaken on an inter-jurisdictional basis. Issue #3: Impacts on the Existing Sno~mass Skiing Area An analysis of the impacts of all of the Alternatives, particularlyAlternative ~4, on the existing ski area must be undertaken in order to adequately assess the feasi- bility of that Alternative. Issue S4~ Impacts on Skiing Area Capacity and Meeting of Skier Demand The EA's demand analysis must be revised to accurately reflect differences between skier markets in the State of Colorado, the White River National Forest, and Pitkin County, and that analysis must yield a realistic projection of future skier demand on the local market. 4 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 100 Leaves ® The projected capacity of Burnt Mountain must be calculated in a way that is consistent with other local capacity projections and acceptable to the Joint Review Committee and to the Town of Snowmass, the City of Aspen and Pitkin County. The Aspen Skiing Company, the City of Aspen, Pitkin County, the Town of Snowmass Village, and the Forest Service should jointly discuss the concept of skier-day thresholds which could trigger various mitigation measures in the form of capital improvements, infrastruc- ture upgrades and regulatory adjustments. Such thresholds should be designed to establish a formula for allocating the cost(s) of ski expansion-related capital improvements while not acting as an incentive or justification for such expansion. The parties noted above should acceptable technique or procedure area capacities and estimating including marketing. establish a mutually for establishing ski future skier demand, The City Council reaffirms their support of the Growth ~a~age~ent Policy Plan Up,ate and the overriding Goals of the City to maintain Aspen's small town, rural character, high quality residential environ- ment, and Policy to grow at a manageable rate. Additionally, the City Council recognizes the importance of maintaining an environmental balance in the Roaring Fork Valley which is critical to the quality of life which Aspen's residents and visitors enjoy. Section 3 The City Council activities to obtain supports the Community goal of increasing summer a balance with winter activities but also is strongly committed to Objective 3 of the Growth ~a~agement Policy Pla~ U~ate which states "maintain the high quality ski experience in Aspen and Pitkin County." The City Council encourages the Aspen Skiing Company and Pitkin County to update their master plans so that ski expansion might be analyzed in light of the larger picture and not be approved piecemeal. We would urge the Aspen Skiing Company to consider other alternatives to the proposed Burnt Mountain development which would better address the issues of the skier/bed imbalance between Aspen and Snowmass and the Snowmass/Aspen transportation corridor impacts. We endorse the concept of giving the ski entrepreneur the planning opportunity to have approved ski terrain in advance of skier RECORD OF PROCEEDII~S 100 ~eaves demands but only to do so when it is clear that the next proposed expansion assists the overall community in meeting its goals. However, the City Council finds Alternative 2 of the Burnt ~ountain Environmental Assessment to be totally unacceptable to the City of Aspen given its inevitable inconsistency with the goals, objectives and policies of the Growth ~anagement Policy Plan Ulxlate (see Attachment 1) and due to the potential, indirect, negative, fiscal impacts on the City associated with Alternative 2. City Council suggests that the U.S. Forest Service, along with the applicant, continue to study Alternative 4, with modifications. Dated: /~ ~4w_a_ /~- , 1985 ~ Stifling, ~ayor I, Kathryn S. Koch, duly appointed and acting City Clerk do certify that the foregoing is a true and accurate copy of that Resolution adopted by t~i/.ty Cou.ncil o/.~the City of Aspen, Colorado, at a meeting held ~ , 1985. City Clerk GH:jlr:ccbmreso_2_ll 6