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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.19860603 ReQular Meetinq Aspen Plann~n9 and Zon~n9 June 3 ~ 198"6 Chairman Welton Anderson called the meeting to order at 5:00 with members Jasmine Tygre, Al Blomquist, Ramona Markalunas present. COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS There were none. ASPEN CONSOLIDATED SANITATION DISTRICT SPA AMENDMENT Steve Burstein, planning office, told the Board this is a request for an SPA amendment and GMP exemption for an essential public facility. The proposal is for an office and storage facility for vehicles, machines and supplies located at 565 North Mill street. This will be a 4,154 square foot addition to an existing building. There is a landscaping plan to screen this from both Mill street and the trail. Burstein told the Board the Sanitation District has amended their plan by eliminating the employee housing. Blomquist asked if SPA plans had to be submitted for the entire parcel. Burstein said applicants may do phased development if they choose and show the entire site on the maps. Burstein said the staff has determined that the Sanitation District is an essential public facility and is eligible for a GMP exemption. Burstein said there has been much discussion about a consolidated maintenance facility for the entire county. This has not come to fruition and it is not fair to delay the Sanitation District as their need at this time is valid. Burstein noted the character of the area is in conformance with the greenway plan, trails and open space. The applicant has removed the sewage treatment facility and cleaned up this area. Burstein recommended a portion of the northerly parcel should be designated as open space. Burstein said the environmental concerns can be addressed. Burstein told the Board that the applicant has stated no new employees will be generated by this project, and that has been accepted by the housing office. The applicant is exempt from stream margin review because the development is more than 100 feet from the river. Burstein said the structure has been sited behind the existing structure and the visual impacts are reduced. Burstein recommended approval subject to 8 conditions outlined in his memorandum. Blomquist said it should be possible to take a trail through the property between the housing and the office complex for access to the Visual Arts Center. Bob Sterling said if the trail is on their land, there may be insurance problems. Heiko Kuhn said it would be bad planning for a trail across the site because there would be no opportunity for further development on the site. Sterling said they need to hold onto the land because of possibility of growth of the district. 1 lI#".' Reqular Meetinq Aspen PlanniII9 and-Zonin9 "iJune 3. 1986 Sterling said 1/3 of the site is set aside as open space. Blomquist reiterated that the SPA should cover the entire site and land use patterns should be designated. Sterling said there are some problems in determining the use of the parcels at this site and the primary objective is to maintain the functions of an operating sanitation plant. Sterling pointed out plans for public facilities are an evolutionary process, depending upon what the needs of the community are, and these may not fall within the SPA. There needs to be some latitude. Anderson said a lot of dirt has been brought into this site. Sterling said that was fill so the Sanitation District could landscape, which was required by the city. Elyse Elliott, engineering department, told the Board this is not within the flood plane. Anderson opened the public hearing. Anderson closed the public hearing. Blomquist moved to approve the proposed SPA plan amendment and GMP exemption for an essential public facility subject to the 8 conditions in the planning office memorandum; seconded by Ms. Markalunas. All in favor, motion carried. There were no comments. HOTEL JEROME PUD AMENDMENT PHASE II Perry Harvey, representing the applicant, told the Commission the Jerome would like to begin construction this summer as the historic renovation was very expensive and they need hotel rooms to help operations. They also would like to get this complete before the Little Nell hotel starts next year. Harvey told the Board the hotel has been listed on the Historic National Register, which means any addition has to meet the standards of the state historic society and the National Parks Service. Harvey said the approved additional was vetoed by both the Parks Service and the state. This necessitated a redesign as well as the fact that the annex, which was to be eliminated, is going to stay. Harvey told the Commission the new owners want to make changes in how the hotel will work, which will eliminate the commercial space, reduce the number of restaurants and the number of meeting rooms. An additional change is to provide parking on site, previously there had been none. The applicant is also proposing to reduce the number of rooms to create spacious and luxurious rooms comparable to the historic rooms, to avoid the Brown Palace syndrome. Harvey said the net effects of the changes will benefit the city as well as the applicant. Harvey said the original plan had the building on Mill street stepped back, and the Parks Service did not like that. The Parks Service felt that historic buildings in Aspen are on the property lines, and the 2 <- Reqular Meetinq Aspen Planninq and Zoninq June- 3. 1986 facade on Mill street should be as the historic hotel. Harvey told the Commission he has received HPC approval for the proposed facade on Mill street. Larry Yaw, architect, said the redesign is a much improved hotel, operationally, reduced community impact and in guest services. The addition is designed to operate efficiently to deliver a consistent and high quality service to guests. The addition is harmonized with the existing historic building. Yaw presented a model of the addition, showing the open space courtyard dividing the old and new hotels. There will be 50 on site parking spaces under the addition. There will be a ballroom, which will be divisible into conference rooms with two stories of rooms above it. There will be two entrances to the building. Yaw presented the street level floor plan. There will be two types of rooms, 475 and 670 square feet. Yaw said they attempted to create a building using brick and sandstone to relate to the historic building. Yaw presented the landscape plan. Glenn Horn, planning office, said the new design will have a smaller FAR, less commercial space, on site parking, the rooms have been decreased. A primary issues in this amendment is the height of the building. The site is zoned CC and the height limitation is 40 feet, and the original plan has a height variance to 52 feet. Horn pointed out the neighboring R-6 zone district has a height limitation of 25 feet, and the office zone has a height limitation of 28 feet. In 1983 the site was rezoned from 0, office to CC. Horn told the Board a consideration during that rezoning was that the height on the northwest portion of the site would be 24 feet. Horn said the Code states that condi tional uses in the CC zone must be compatible with the adjacent land uses. The staff's concern is to have a proper transition between the CC zone and the residential zone as well as setting a precedent for rezoning in these areas. Horn said staff feels the new plan is far superior to the old pI an. The main problem is the height. The height of the building contributes to a shading problem on Bleeker as well as the grade of Bleeker and the location of the service area. Harvey presented the Commission with a shading analysi s. Horn told the Board that the new service plan is better than the original plan which had service trucks making a K turn to access the building. The new plan allows trucks to drive right into the delivery dock. Horn said this will be a very busy area, with entrance to the parking garage, deliveries and trash areas. The applicants have suggested in the early hours, pickup and drop off would occur on Main street. Harvey reminded the Board they are not expanding the restaurant or bar space so deliveries won't increase. Harvey said they will 3 .. - Reqular Meetinq Asoen Planning and Zoning June 3,- 1986 be able to accommodate all trucks on site. Harvey told the Board during the season, there are 2 to 3 deliveries per day taking place before 11 a. m. Harvey said he has worked out an arrangement with BFI regarding trash pick up. Harvey said he feels there will be very little conflict in this area. Horn said the engineering department would like a data analysis on the traffic impacts on Bleeker and Monarch. Harvey said this could be a condition prior to Council hearing. Elyse Elliott, engineering department, said staff does have numbers on cars generated by the project and would like a delivery schedule from the applicant. Horn said the hotel construction is an opportunity to correct the problem of the grade on Bleeker street. Horn said if the applicant's tear up Bleeker for utilities and the city does not have funds to correct Bleeker, that the city ask the developer to front the money to correct Bleeker. Horn said the new landscaping plan is a significant improvement over the old plan. Horn said the open space does not fit the definition of the city's code. Computing open space that does fit the definition is about 18 percent of the site. Horn showed open space areas, which are open space, but do not front on the street. Horn said P & Z may vary the way the open space is interpreted. Harvey showed the Commission the original plan open space, which according to the Code would be zero. The new plan has 13,000 feet of open space. Horn said staff feels this is a good project and would recommend approval with conditions. Anderson opened the public hearing. Bill Parzebock, 232 East Bleeker, said the renovation of the existing structure is very nice. Parzebock said he is pleased with the addition of the on site parking as the parking situation in the neighborhood is crowded. Parzebock said he is concerned about the height, and it is inappropriate to have a 40 foot hotel at the entrance to a residential area. The intersection of Bleeker and Monarch is the entrance to the west end. Parzebock said he would like to see an improved level of landscaping, especially on the corner of Bleeker and Monarch. There needs to be a buffer between the hotel and the residential area. Pat Hodgson, 212 Monarch, said she is concerned about the height of the proposed hotel. Ms. Hodgson said there is a risk of setting precedent for other lots in the area by allowing a height variation. Ms. Hodgson said she is pleased with the parking on site. Ms. Hodgson said during the renovation there were workers eating, sleeping in their vehicles and on people's lawns and requested that the ci ty patrol this during construction. Ms. Hodgson asked what will happen to the cottonwoods. Harvey said the applicant is proposing a replacement planting, as the 4 - ",.,,,:. Reaular Meetinq Aspen -Planninq and Zonirrq - June 3, 1986 cottonwoods are almost gone. Harvey said they intend a fairly intense planting system along Monarch and Bleeker. Anderson closed the public hearing. Harvey said the height approved at 51-1/2 feet at the corner of Mill street. When the height was set it was so the old and new buildings will have the same height. Harvey said the new building is 51-1/2 feet with a 30 inch parapet for a total of 54 feet. Harvey said the rezoning to CC was to be able to approve the hotel, which is not allowed in the 0, office zone. Harvey said allowing 40 feet on the northwest portion of the site is allowable in CC under the zoning code. This building does not set any precedents. The compatibility issue was discussed when the site was rezoned to CC. Harvey said originally the applicant told the city they had agreed to do a traffic study before the hotel was built and after it was built, and then agree to work with the city on Bleeker. Harvey said the applicant looked at eliminating parking on Bleeker, having it one-way, no left turn. Blomquist asked what would be a reasonable share for the applicant to participate in regrading and repaving Bleeker street. Harvey told the Commission the city does not have the money for this project. Yaw said the applicant recognizes it would be a benefit to them and .to the public as well. Blomquist said he feels fixing Bleeker street should be a condition of approval. Blomquist recommended the applicant front end the cost and the city pay back half the cost in a certain time period. Yaw said the applicants will pay for 50 percent as long as the total does not exceed over $35,000. Anything over $35,000 would be the city's res po n sib i 1 i t Y . Ms. Ell i 0 t t sa i d t his s h 0 u 1 d bed 0 n e coincidentally with the hotel construction. Harvey said he would like the city to be contractor and coordinate with the hotel construction. Ms. Tygre said this project has reduced hotel rooms and commercial space, why is the building higher. Harvey said this is to accommodate the on-site parking. Ms. Tygre said she is displeased with the height of the proposed hotel. Blomquist asked if 5 units on the northwest end of the project could be moved somewhere else in the hotel. Yaw told the Commission breaking up the building would create a visual disturbance. Blomquist said the only objections to the project is the height on the west end. Blomquist said the Commissions responsibility is to the neighborhood. Harvey said allover town the height in CC is 40 feet right next to residential neighborhoods without having a requirement for stepping a building. Ms. Markalunas said this project has to interface with the neighborhood and should not be a giant wall facing the neighborhood. Horn pointed 5 -.......... "":. Reqular Meetinq Aspen Planrrina and Zoninq - June 3, 1986 out that a hotel is a conditional use in a CC zone, and the criteria for an acceptable conditional use is compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. Horn said the applicant should look for a better way for a transition between the hotel and the residential area. Yaw said the applicant has reduced the impact, has added on-site parking and the Commission should look at this in balance. Yaw said the applicant feels they have done a much better job than the approved project. Anderson agreed the applicants have done a better job, but the consensus of the commission is there is a problem with the height of the northwest corner of the hotel. Blomquist said he feels strongly that the northwest end of the hotel should be lowered. Yaw said the applicants have not pursued this, and suggested P & Z approve the project subject to the applicant exploring that before City Council hearing. Yaw agree this is a valid concern but needs to examine the design. Harvey asked what height would be acceptable. Anderson pointed out condition #2 asks for 32 feet. Yaw said the applicant cannot meet 32 feet as that would eliminate 17 rooms. Harvey suggested one alternative is moving the top floor rooms back 10 feet. Horn suggested recommending approval conditioned on the applicant exploring alternatives to redesign the northwest corner of the building to soften the impact of height and bulk and increase compatibility with the neighborhood prior to going to City Council. Harvey said condition #4 makes the applicant responsible for putting in the water line. This is a city utility and Harvey said he would be more comfortable if the city installs it. Ms. Elliott said if the applicant compensates the city, that is fine. Blomquist moved recommend approval of the project subject to conditions 1 through 7 in the planning office memorandum of June 3, 1986; seconded by Ms. Markalunas. Ms. Tygre said she does not want the building to look lower, it has to be lower than 40 feet. Horn said staff will return with a resolution with alternative language for the height concern. All in favor, motion carried. LOT 3 AND 5, SUNNY PARK 8046 GREENL INE REVIEW Steve Burstein, planning office, told the P & Z this is a joint appl ication by the Siegels and Smiths as both of the proposed structures will be within 50 feet of the 8040 elevation. The access would be off the Salvation ditch. Burstein said a geotechnical study was done by the applicants and it was determined there is not a risk of subsidence. Burstein pointed 6 Reqular Meetinq Aspen Planning ana- Zoninq June 3, 1986 out that the Salvation ditch is part of the trails system and there seems to be a conflict with vehicular access to these lots as well as accommodating a trial system. Burstein said this is an important trail link. Burstein said his memorandum recommended an easement be dedicated. The city attorney notes the review criteria for 8040 greenline review is not strong enough to require an easement. Burstein said staff is very committed to trail easements in this area and is willing to ask Council to condemn a trail easement through this area. Other issues are revegetation, landscaping and regrading. The applicants for lot 3 have proposed a program for these. Burstein said other concerns are visual impacts and open space and this should be addressed further by the applicants. Burstein recommended approval of lot 3 with conditions, and given the impacts on lot 5 and the visual impacts this should be tabled for investigation. Gary Wright, representing the applicants, told Council the memorandum regarding the trail easements has gone far beyond the 8040 review criteria. Wright said if this is going to be an easement that bisects the property, the city should condemn it in which case they are not suitable for residences. Wright showed an alternative trail easement that would be less expensive. Wright told the Board that the alternative location for the house on lot 5 does not work for the applicant, and the site they have picked is where they would like to have their house. Wright told P & Z his cl ients have no obj ections to condi tions 1 through 5; however, 6, 7, and 8 are tied into the Salvation Ditch issue. Wright stated he feels there is an alternative trail easement that does not include condemnation. Blomquist asked if the applicant would dedicate a trail easement on the Salvation Ditch right-of-way. Wright said they would not. Blomquist said he would prefer to see this tabled for a year to investigate a summer and winter trail. Craig Ward, Nordic council, said the typical method of acquiring easements is through joint positive reinforcement in a development process. One of the problems with this area is conflicts between trails and vehicular traffic that was not addressed during subdivision. Ward said the best place for a trail would be the Salvation Ditch; the alternate trail shown by the applicant would give an 8 percent grade for about 450 feet, which would be quite steep. Ward said for a Nordic trail, this area is low on the list because of the southern exposure. Blomquist suggested asking the county as the owner of a parcel in this area to deny access to these lots and ask Council to purchase these lots or at minimum purchase the right-of-way. Ward said access to lot 5 could be given through lot 7. Glenn 7 Reaular Meetinq Asoen Planning and-Zoninq "iJune -3, 1986 Horn told the Board the trail has been constructed through Centennial; there is an easement on the Randall parcel, which will be constructed this summer. Horn said staff feels this is a vital trail link. Horn noted with the exception of these two lots, the trail is in place from Midland to the Hunter Creek trailhead. This is a strong priority for the summer trail system because there is so much population in this area. Horn said he would prefer not to see houses constructed in the proposed trail because there are other places on the lots for houses with careful site planning. Karen McLaughlin, city attorney's office, pointed out the Board has to limit their review to the guidelines in the 8040 review. Ms. MCLaughlin said these guidelines do not address trails as a consideration. Ms. McLaughlin said section B refers to reviewing the development plan, which are the proposals the applicant is making. Ms. McLaughlin said the applicant has a need to rely on certain property rights. The staff is very concerned about the trail. The solution is a recommendation for condemnation of the trail as soon as possible. Blomquist said the Commission has the authority to ask the county to not give access. Blomquist said the Commission should have more time for more thorough investigation and to study trail alternatives. Wright stated the 8040 criteria is clear and does not deal with an alignment for a trail. City Council should deal with the issue of condemnation for a trail. Burstein said the P & Z should look at comprehensive plans when they effect development proposals. Burstein said he would like to encourage more creative ways of dealing with the trails and development. The Commission is also looking at the suitability of the site for development, open space, views of the mountain. Ms. Markalunas asked about fire protection. Burstein said the fire department responded they are satisfied they could serve this area, al though truck access may be limited. Ms. Tygre moved to table this application to allow time for the city planning staff to pursue condemnation or other avenues for obtaining the necessary easements and/or alternate trail alignments; seconded by Blomquist. All in favor, with the exception of Ms. Markalunas. Motion carried. Ms. Tygre moved to adjourn at 7:42 p.m.; seconded by Blomquist. All in favor, motion carried. Kathryn S. 8