HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.apz.017-81 RESOLUTION OF THE ASPEN PLANNING AND
ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING THE ADOPTION
OF A SMALL COMMERCIAL PROJECTS GMP EXCEPTION
Resolution No. 81 - 17
WHEREAS, the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission has indicated to the
Planning Office that it does believe that small, low impact commercial projects
are unduly disadvantaged by the requirement that all commercial-office expansions
must compete under the GMP; and
WHEREAS, the Commission believes that it is in the best interest of t~e
community to provide incentives for the retention and rehabilitation of existing
commercial and office buildings by allowing small additions to them, rather than
forcing applicants for such additions to compete under the GMP, which may lead to
the destruction rather than the preservation of existing buildings by encouraging
larger, more competitive projects, and
WHEREAS, the Commission has considered the reservations of the Planning
Office regarding the proposal to exempt small commercilal projects on the basis
of their size, as opposed to distinguishing among projects on the basis of
their type (that is mechanical and storage space versus commercial and office
space),.:and
WHEREAS, the Commission concludes that there will be a justifiable community
benefit which will result from the creation of a procedure to except small
commercial projects from competition under the GMP.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning and Zoning Commission of
the City of Aspen that it does hereby recommend that the Aspen City Council
adopt the following language as a new Section 24-11.2(1) of the Aspen Municipal
Code:
"The expansion of an existing commercial or office use in a building
which is at least five years old for the purposes of providing a
small addition of space which can be shown to have no impact upon
the community. For expansions which involve less than 250 square
feet and are for the purposes of providing space which is accessory
to or incidental to the principal use (i.e., mechanical, storage,
corridors, stairs) the expansion shall be subject to staff-level
review only. For expansions which involve any request for commercial
or office space, or which involve an expansion of any type of space
in excess of 250 square feet, the expansion shall be subject to the
special approval of city council, based on the recommendation of the
planning and zoning commission. The review of any request for the
expansion of an existing commercial or office use shall include a
determination of minimal or no impact on the community, considering
but not limited to findings that no additional employees will be
generated by the expansion; that no additional parking demand will
be created or that parking can be accommodated on-site; that there
will be minimal visual impact on the neighborhood due to the project~
and that no new demand is placed on services available at the site
such as water, sewer, drainage and fire protection. Applications
for expansion shall be limited to a single such commercial addition
for any building within the city of Aspen. Applicants are
recommended to submit requests which do not exceed 500 square feet
of expansion, although requests which exceed this size but can be
shown to have minimal or no impact will be considered.
Provided that the building inspector shall, as required by section
24-11.8, annually report the amount of residential, commercial,
office and lodge construction exempted by reason of section 24-11.2(b),
(c), (d) and (1) and the nondeed restricted portion of the residential
construction exempted by reason of section 24-11.2(i) and (k) within
the previous year and these totals shall be deducted from the quota
of allowable development in succeeding years. When reporting exempted
construction pursuant to subsection (b), the inspector shall calculate
only the additional commercial floor area or dwelling units resulting
from such construction."
Approved at a special meeting of the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission
on November 24, 1981.
ATTEST:
ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
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