HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.apz.011-84RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING CO~k~4ISSION
RECOMMENDING THAT THE ASPEN CITY COUNCIL
ENDORSE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVBS OF THE
ASPEN AREA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Resolution No. 84 - 11
WHEREAS, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission has initiated
an update of the City's Comprehensive Plan, and
WHEREAS, one of the first tasks in the update of the Plan is to
review the adopted goals and objectives for the community to determine
whether they continue to represent public aspirations for Aspen's
future, and
WHEREAS, the Planning Office did complete a working paper on
community goals and objectives, including a detailed historical review
the 1971 Goals Task Force, 1973 Aspen Land Use Plan,
Force, 1983 Growth Management Policy Plan Update and
Report on the role of the City of Aspen in the Resort,
of the goals of
1983 Goals Task
1984 Task Force
and
WHEREAS,
of goals and
the Planning Commission did
objectives
August 14, 1984 and in a
WHEREAS, a public hearing
was held on September 18, 1984,
were presented to the Commission.
review a proposed statement
in work sessions on July 10, July 24th and
regular meeting on September 4, 1984, and
on the proposed goals and objectives
at which time evidence and testimony
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning and Zoning Commission
that it does hereby recommend that City Council endorse the following
as the goals and objectives of the Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan
(Note: No priority order is implied by the listing of goals or objec-
tives):
Goal 1: Manage the rate and form of growth experienced by Aspen
and Pitkin County to maintain the small town residential character
and quality of life of the community.
Objective: Maintain a comprehensive, dynamic and flexible
growth management quota system designed to control the rate
of growth throughout the County at or below 3.5 percent,
annual simple. (Note: The historical annual Citywide simple
growth rate has been about 2.0 percent).
Objective: Review the rate of growth experienced by Aspen
and Pitkin County on a periodic basis to evaluate the capacity
of the community to continue to provide facilities to serve
that growth and the carrying capacity of the valley to
support further development.
Objective: Study the conecpt of the ultimate carrying
capacity of our valley, including both social and environmental
variables, such that the community better understands the
implications of full buildout under zoning, and adjusts its
planning accordingly.
Objective: Obtain and preserve a balance among the growth
sectors in the community such that shortfalls or excesses
among these sectors do not fuel future growth cycles, and
such that the community's growth priorities can be met.
Objective: Maintain land use regulations which insure
that growth is concentrated into Aspen and Snowmass as
two defined communities separated by open space and agricul-
tural land.
Objective: Maintain land use regulations which ensure
that the growth which occurs is of a high quality and meets
community environmental, social and fiscal policies.
Goal 2: Improve upon the quality of the resort environment
to increase the attractiveness of Aspen and Pitkin County as
a tourist destination.
Objective: Increase the community's accessibility to other
population centers via national air, rail and bus carriers.
Objective: Provide incentives for upgrading the quality
of the community's lodging accommodations.
Objective: Maintain the unique small town character of
the community which represents one of its major attractions
to visitors.
Objective: Continue
ational and cultural
to the community.
to increase the diversity of the recre-
opportunities which attract visitors
Objective: Provide improved transportation facilities
for visitors to permit easy mass transit travel in Aspen and
between Aspen and Snowmass, better parking opportunities in
Aspen and safer, more efficient movements on State Highway 82.
Objective: Improve the appearance of Aspen's lodging and
commercial districts and provide for better pedestrian
movement from these areas to key activity destinations
(i.e., ski lifts, performing arts center, transit terminal).
Objective: Provide the capability for quality improvemenu£
to be made to the four existing ski areas in Pitkin County.
Goal 3: Maintain the high quality natural and man-made environment
which attracts both visitors and residents to Aspen and Pitkin
County.
Objective: Continue the regulation of scenic views from
key public places, the protection of fragile and/or hazardous
environmental resources, and the preservation of air and
water quality values consistent with a mountain resort.
Objective: Pursue the acquisition and/or protection of
high priority open space parcels which provide recreational
or scenic amenities.
Objective: Provide mechanisms for
agricultural lands which have scenic
agricultural operations.
the preservation of
value or are viable
Objective: Prevent the development of a sprawling land
use pattern in the Aspen Metropolitan Area.
Objective: Continue to provide incentives for the preservation
of designated historic buildings in the City of Aspen and
for the conservation of energy use in all buildings.
Objective: Insure the availability of a high quality skiing
experience for visitors and residents which is characterized
by uncrowded ski runs, a relative lack of lift lines and a wide
variety of types of terrain geared to all levels of skier
expertise, including both alpine and nordic skiing oppor-
tunities.
Objective: Give preference to ski expansions which are
found to have minimal impacts on land development, the base
area, environmental quality and service needs (i.e., expansions
to existing areas) over proposals which have substantial
impacts in these areas (i.e., expansions involving new base
villages, major infrastructural extensions or upgrades, or
expansions into existing wilderness areas).
Goal 4: Support the development of business and tourism opportuni-
ties which are compatible with the other goals and objectives
of the community.
Objective: Improve the degree of balance between tourist
visitation in the summer and winter, such that summer
visitation exhibits a greater degree of longer, destination-
type stays rather than short, pass-through drives, provided
that any increase in visitation is consistent with our
ability to provide the services and facilities expected by
residents of and visitors to the community.
Objective: Increase the diversity of cultural and recreational
support facilities so as to provide a multi-season entertain-
ment environment to attract guests to the community, and so
as to allow the scheduling of "events" (i.e., World Cup,
running and bicycling races, ballet, etc.).
Objective: Encourage the private development of additional
employment opportunities in the fields of recreation, culture,
education or other "soft" technologies which compliment
or do not conflict with the needs of the resort.
Goal 5: Increase the stability and social diversity of Aspen
and Pitkin County as a permanent residential community.
Objective: Provide incentives for the development of
affordable housing in proximity to the community's employment
centers at a level sufficient to offset the demands created
by growth.
Objective: Support the private development of employment
opportunities which provide challenging professional jobs
on a year-round basis, and which will help to retain the
community's youth as permanent residents, provided that
the economic development is consistent with the community's
other goals and objectives.
Objective: Expand and improve higher educational opportunities
for both children and adults which will provide stable,
challenging jobs and which can enrich the lives of residents
of the valley.
Objective: Increase the degree to which the needs of the
elderly are being met by providing housing and health care
services which will retain these citizens in the community.
Objective: Provide expanded opportunities for citizen
participation in neighborhood and community affairs.
Goal 6: Upgrade the effectiveness, convenience and safety of the
community's surface and air transportation systems.
Objective: Provide safer, more efficient access to and
throughout Aspen and Pitkin County by upgrading State Highway
82 in a manner that compliments the rural character of
the Roaring Fork Valley. Particular attention should be
given to eliminating the current "bottleneck" at the entrance
to Aspen and to providing viable alternatives to automobile
travel so as to reduce the ultimate volume of cars on this
road.
Objective: Maintain and improve the City and County road
system to meet the needs of residents and visitors without
providing excess capacity which would be an incentive to
growth.
Objective: Continue to improve service at the Aspen/Pitkin
County Airport such that an increasing share of our visitors
arrive by air. Improve the direct connections capability
between Aspen and airports other than Stapleton so as to
offer greater convenience to our visitors.
Objective: Continue to provide for interregional bus service
into and out of the Aspen Area (i.e., Trailways bus service
and privately chartered buses) while considering passenger
and freight convenience. Provide for a bus link between Aspen
and the recently inaugurated Amtrak train service in Glenwood
Springs.
Objective: Continue to improve transit within the Aspen
Metro Area, between Aspen and Snowmass Village and to
downvalley locations, which is perceived by residents and
visitors to be at least as convenient, effective and safe as
is travel in an automobile.
Objective: Develop an improved and interrelated local/regional
transit center and intermodal transportation center which
intercepts the automobile with long-term parking and a
convenient transit shuttle in the downtown, while providing
accessability to the overall transit system.
Objective: Establish long term parking facilities within
and surrounding Aspen which are linked to the transit facili-
ties. Develop a comprehensive parking management program
in Aspen to provide for short-term and long term parking
needs in a balanced fashion.
Objective: Maintain rail transit as a potentially viable
transportation option by keeping the integrity of the Rio
Grande right-of-way and the rail terminal points until such
time as a decision is made whether or not to pursue its
impl ementati on.
Objective: Continue to maintain and improve the pedestrian-
bicycle-skiing trail system, both as an alternative method
of travel to activity centers in Aspen and Pitkin County
and as a means of allowing residents and visitors to access
natural areas in the community.
Goal 7: Develop new community facilities and services in accordance
with, rather than as an incentive to growth.
Objective: Maintain and update land use regulations which
insure that growth pays its own way, recognizing both fiscal
costs and contributions that growth can have.
Objective: Provide
fashion to ensure a
and visitors.
needed community facilities in a timely
high quality of life for both residents
Objective: Choose among proposed capital
on the degree to which each furthers the
and plans of the community.
investments based
goals, objectives
APPROVED by the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission at their
regular meeting
on September 18, 1984.
ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING
COMMISSION
ATTEST:
Perr~ Harvey, Chapman
Barbara Norris, Deputy City Clerk