HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.19940719
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RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
JULY 19. 1994
Chairman Bruce Kerr called meeting to order at 4:30 P.M.
Answering roll call were Steven Buettow, Marta Chaikovska, Tim Mooney,
Sara Garton, Roger hunt and Bruce Kerr. Robert Blaich and Jasmine
Tygre were excused.
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
There were none.
STAFF COMMENTS
Kim brought commissioners up to date on the installed traffic plan
for the west end and attendies of the Music Festival.
Roger: I can tell you the traffic plan in the west end is working
generally well.
Leslie: We have set up September 6 as a work session date with the
City Attorney on limited liability companies. This is a regular
meeting date.
Roger asked for discussion at the same time regarding approval of
projects that put the City in the hole as far as services if for some
reason we can't up our taxation to cover the services required for a
development--as a result of the Bruce Amendment.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were none.
MINUTES
JUNE 7. 1994
Roger: I move to adopt minutes of June 7, 1994.
Sara seconded the motion with all in favor.
SMITH CONDITIONAL USE REVIEW
FOR AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT AND 8040 GREENLINE REVIEW
Bruce opened the public hearing.
Mary Lackner, Planning: Made presentation as attached in record.
Public notice was submitted. (attached in record)
Brooke Peterson, Attorney for Rowars: Rowars is the new owner of the
real estate immediately behind the Smith property.
He then read a letter into record stating Rowars concerns regarding
this application. (attached in record)
PZM7.19.94
Subsequent to this letter I have had numerous discussions with Mr.
Smith and my client. We are prepared to agree that if Mr. Smith is
willing to agree and it is acceptable to the Commission that as far as
Mr. Rowars is concerned we have no objection to an addition to Mr. &
Mrs. Smith's home if that addition is kept at the height of the present
roof line.
In return for Mr. & Mrs. Smith's agreement to that we are willing to
allow Mr. Smith & Mrs. Smith temporary access on our driveway easement
through County property over which we have control at the present time
to construct this ADU and the addition to his home because it will be
less damaging to the environment.
I believe that is the understanding Mr. Smith and I reached late last
week. And on behalf of Mr. Rowars that is acceptable to us. We are
not objecting to the construction of the additional space or the
additional dwelling unit. We simply want the height kept at the height
of the existing roof line.
Bruce asked for public comment.
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Jim Auster: I have a contract on the adjoining property owned by the
County. I would like to echo Brooke's comments. The adj oining
property will be affected by the height of this addition and we wanted
to see the height kept to the original end of the house. Mr. Smith
presented plans originally that did keep the height and character at
that level and just recently raised it up which impacts the view both
from behind the house and people down looking at the mountain.
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I offered the same proposal to the Smiths regarding the construction
access. Since we have a contract on it the County has agreed not to
grant any construction access over that property unless we have proof
of that and without that approval there will not be any construction
access from that direction. On the adjoining property there is not
enough room to get around the house without going on an adjoining
property. So we would like to see the height reduced to the existing
height of the house. It does work. It may reduce the size of a few
of the windows but it does work.
The alternative construction access that the Smith's have is straight
up the hillside behind Barry Siegel's house and I am afraid quite an
impact on the vegetation. In that area a very visible scar will be
created up that hillside if they use that access for construction.
So we would like to see the height reduced. In exchange we will agree
to construction easement. If they don't agree to that it will be some
considerable scarring going up the hillside and you will have greater
visual impact.
Barry Siegel: I am Bob Smith's neighbor to the south.
the plans he submitted--I think the last version.
I have reviewed
I don't have any
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problem with it if he wants to access to the north of my house. Based
on the 10 years Bob has been my neighbor he has planted more trees on
my property than I have. I know it will be re-vegetated better than
it is now. It is his hobby. It is his passion. There are more trees
on the north side of my house which he planted than on the south side
of my house which I planted. So I have absolute confidence that it
will be restored rapidly. He has to look at it more than I do.
Sharon Siegel: I have no problem with him doing the construction.
Any of the vegetation I know will be restored and any scarring of the
area will be restored quickly. I have no objection to them using our
land for access at all.
Edna?: I am the previous owner of Chuck Rowars house and still living
in it. Since I am leaving I shouldn't have any feelings about it but
he has been a great neighbor. I too agree with how much time Bob and
Glenda and the kids have put into their surrounding property. They are
planting grass. They are planting trees. They are saving flowers.
They are doing everything they can--connecting hoses everywhere all
over the hill to make sure everything gets watered. So I am sure that
they would take care of the land.
I invite you all up to my kitchen so you can overlook that area and
see. I don't feel that it obstructs anything. I know nothing about
architecture but I would be glad to have you come up and look at it.
F ~ Anyway he has been a great neighbor and I think he would do a great job
at whatever he does.
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Bruce asked if there were any further comments. There were none.
Sara: Clarification from both Brooke and Jim- -you mentioned that you
would allow construction access- -only construction access through their
property? After it is built he cannot access through that drive?
Brooke: As I understand it the plans that we are dealing with this
afternoon, which is the second set of plans, don't require access at
this time of a permanent nature because there is not a garage. It is
not an entrance. They are still going to be entering from the other
side of the Smith's property.
Smith: I prefer to have the first plan with a garage. But since
speaking with Jim Auster--and we walked on his little cul-de-sac there
where Chuck comes and they pile the snow. That will not have a build-
ing on it as far as Jim is concerned. He is worried about standing on
it when there is grass or something there and looking out at town and
is worried about my height which is way below it no matter what.
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He said he wouldn't give me access unless I took the garage out or
lowered my garage roof. So with not knowing all this I said "OK if you
are not giving me access then I have to go and redesign the plan". The
plan--the footprint is exactly the same as the one with the garage with
slight variation. I tried to get it to make it at one height with my
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roof because it is much easier for me cost-wise to use their access.
(to Brooke) But getting your letter late after I talked to you I have
decided that I would rather work with Barry Siegel and go up that way
and my architect and I had a topo map done legally by a professional
that we have to stay 2 feet higher than our ridge line or else the
front windows of this unit are going to be down in the ground. The
people would look out and the accessory dwelling unit is going to have
dirt right there. And 2 feet makes a huge difference.
That is why I put these strings up there so people could actually see.
(showing pictures) The only thing I am going to block is Barry
Siegel's roof. So if you look at Barry Siegel's roof, you look at
mine. I am willing to give up probably the access, which I am, so I
can keep my height up so it is better for the people who live in it.
When we built these projects we went up the same way I am going now.
This is not a steep hill. You can see how it is re-vegetatedand we
did all our excavation that way when we first built the house so we
wouldn't ruin anything up there. And then we replanted all of this.
And this is what it looks like now. Between the Siegel's house and my
house we planted trees so that way there would be absolutely no
disturbance other than I had to move some Aspen trees and I will move
them back and replant. Again, that is my view. I look right out there
so I am not going to leave it ugly. That is my main view.
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The house--you can asi<: Edna--you can stand on her deck and look out
and if you look down to the far left corner you will see some red
lines--that is the strings I have--that will be the peek of my roof.
I have tried everything I could to lower my height. As far as Jim
Auster is concerned if he ever gets his approvals to do his project,
his house will never look down on mine at all. He is only worried
about if he is standing out there and it is grass or a lawn chair
looking down he will see my roof. But when he builds his house there
will be no impact whatsoever.
If anybody will go up there and stand on the cul-de-sac and look out
you will know exactly what I mean. It is flat and then it goes up.
Is that true, Jim, you are just worried about if you are sitting there
in a lounge chair and looking out to town--
Auster: That area is within our building envelope.
Smith: So are you putting the house right there?
Auster: We don't have any plans yet.
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Smith: See, that's what is hard for me to comprehend. That somebody
who has no house plans or anything like this--again if you go look
from there that wouldn't be the obvious place for them to build. But
as far as Chuck Rowars goes when I read this letter after agreeing with
Brooke about lowering it I did everything I could with the architect.
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I am allowed according to the Building Codes to be 9 feet high. And
I am only 2 feet high. So I don't think that is being excessive.
I have already talked to Barry and Sharon. I have a contract signed
by all parties that I will have a legal access to drive up there to do
the construction.
Bruce: Point of clarification: The matter of the access easement
for construction and the 2 feet height variation is actually a matter
of private contract with private agreement. It is not part of what we
are deciding here tonight. What we have to decide is whether this
application as submitted and as amended fits within the standards of
the 8040 Greenline review. And if we find that it does then we approve
it. And then it is up to them to work out the easement. But that is
not something that we are going to try to decide for them.
Leslie: Staff needs to know that so we can look at any amended plans.
Bruce: I think the staff memo indicated that you have recommended
approval regardless of which access is used.
Peterson: Is what Mary's memorandum recommending approval for is the
red line or the line or the silver line on your pictures?
Smith: What he is saying is that this isn't the place or time to
~ ., discuss that. We have to work that out.
~ Bruce: We are either going to approve or deny it based on what we
have in our packet and what has been submitted to us by staff. If it
is the feeling of this Commission that the extra 2 feet is too much and
doesn't fit in with the hillside or whatever, so be it. But the
agreement or lack thereof between these parties is not our concern
here.
Peterson: I was trying to raise the issue of what the application
represents on site.
Smith: The red line.
Peterson: The red line. OK.
Smith: That is 2 feet higher than what is there.
?: If you approve the lower height, then we will go along with the
less impact construction easement. That is the difference in what
you approve. We are not trying to get through our construction
easement. The effect of the construction easement straight up the
hill from Barry Siegel's--frombehind is a much greater visual impact
coming up the front. If you approve the lower height they will be able
to use the upper access. Then you will have less scarring of the
hillside.
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Bruce: It is not up to us to approve the lower height. The
application is for the higher height. And we either approve the higher
height based on the standards of the 8040 Greenline Review or reject
it. At this point those are our options.
Siegel: When Bob and I built our houses simultaneously we had several
bulldozers running as a part of that construction. I defy anyone to
see where the damage is at this point in time. That is all to his
credit--not mine.
MOTION
Roger: I move to approve the 8040 Greenline Review for approximately
1,600 square foot addition on Lot #5, Sunny Park North Subdivision and
Conditional Use Review for approximately 700 square foot attached
accessory dwelling unit within that 1,600 square feet with conditions
#1 through #9 on Planning Office memo dated July 19, 1994. (attached
in record)
Marta seconded the motion.
Smith: This unit that I am doing--I am still under my allowable FAR
by putting this unit in and not using the bonus system or anything
else. We are not taking the subgrade out--if you count as 1,600 square
feet and you take the 700 off for the accessory dwelling unit you get
250 square feet credit plus the subgrade. You get credit for that.
I am still--you count everything at 1,600 square feet and add my house
~ together I am still 250 feet under my FAR allowable. When Mary told
me 1,600 square feet, I had a cow myself. I didn't think it was going
to be that big. But when you take off all that stuff, I am not even
exceeding my FAR as far as the bulk and all of that goes.
Marta: You are very timely.
Sara: You mean above grade.
Smith: No. Total. If you take my total house--what I am allowed on
my FAR.
Sara: But your ADU is above grade--that is when you get a bonus.
Smith: Well, it is above grade.
Sara: Right. And you are not taking the bonus.
Smith: But I have some subgrade stuff. But still even including all
of that--again I am building into the side of the hill so it is less
impact on everybody.
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Peterson: I am not here to say--I feel like I have been sandbagged.
The last conversation I had with Bob indicated that we had reached an
acceptable compromise. With that aside I think I have to now to urge
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the board to take due consideration first of all the severity with
which any 8040 Greenline development is treated. The fact that Bob and
Glenda can keep their house under the existing FAR doesn't have
anything to do with whether or not a development is appropriate in the
8040 Greenline situation.
I hate to bring up the horrible example of the Hogue Subdivision.
But you all know what you have been through and what I have been
through in dealing with the Hogue Subdivision. All of that development
was well within the height limitations, well within FAR limitations and
all of the things that Bob and Glenda are contending should allow them
to do this.
Unfortunately I don't think that they can meet criteria #5 that the
grading is going to minimize to the extent practical disturbances of
terrain, vegetation and natural land use. That the placement that the
building height and bulk will be minimized and the structure will be
designed to blend into the open character of the mountain. I urge you,
at the minimum, to take the time to do a site visit because I think
that is important in any 8040 Greenline situation. And my experience,
my office's experience and most of the time when there is an 8040
Greenline question the Commission does take the time to make that site
review.
The other issues that come up with this 8040 Greenline are really what
.- I said before. And that is that the height and bulk of this property
and this addition which we are not trying to prevent the Smith's from
-- doing. I am not trying to appear to be a bad neighbor. But it does
have an impact on a neighboring piece of property and it is in my mind
and my estimation an impact that is worth noting in the 8040 Greenline
situation in addition to which you need to take into consideration that
any 8040 Greenline Review has to be looked at from the rest of the
City. That is the whole reason we have an 8040 Greenline. And I would
urge you to consider what adding, even though it seems like a minimal
amount of 2 feet to Bob and Glenda's house up on the side of Smuggler
Mountain- -what affect that will in fact have.
I think it is appropriate for the Commission in this instance--that the
application is to have this out to 2 feet. We know that there are
viable alternatives. And I know it is not up to the Commission to
design the project for the Smiths. But it is up to the Commission to
make sure that the conditions that are contained in the section of the
code dealing with 8040 Greenline are met. And I think that those
conditions are not met by this application in it's present form.
Bruce: We have a motion and a second.
J"',',......
Sara: In thinking about the height I would like to remind the
Commission that if ADU's are built we care a lot about the quality of
life in that ADU. And since what the applicant represents is supposed
to be true his architect says that any reducing it by 2 feet is going
to bring all the windows in the ADU to what we call garden level, that
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is not enhancing the quality of life of that ADU.
Staff, if the project is approved and finally built, access for both
the main house and the ADU will be on the present driveway?
Mary: Yes.
Sara: So this access is only for the construction.
Roger: Clarification for #5. The construction access you are
proposing was used before for construction of both this and the Siegel
project?
Mary: Yes
Roger: Under the circumstances that qualifies as minimizing to the
extent practical. Now if it would be further minimized through further
negotiation--thatis great.
I should modify my motion slightly to indicate that we have found that
criteria #1 through #11 have been met for this 8040 Greenline Review
approval.
Marta: I accept that for my second of the motion.
Bruce then closed the public portion of the hearing.
~ Roll call vote: Steven, no, Marta, yes, Tim, yes, Sara, yes, Roger,
yes, Bruce, no.
Motion passes 4 to 2.
ZOLINE REZONING
Leslie made presentation as attached in record.
Bruce: I know you said this has been noticed publicly but as a matter
of courtesy have we contacted the lessee of this property to let him
know?
Leslie: All property owners within 300 feet were notified.
Bruce: I know but he is not a property owner.
Leslie: Yes he is. I know that because Mr. Zoline called me and
asked what is going on. So we know that it was mailed out.
Bruce: In the MCDC plans has there ever been anything proposed on
this property of the nature of what you are talking about?
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Leslie: No. And I double checked the plans before we recommended it
and there is no structures proposed for that area.
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Roger: Aside from making the comment that those berms really negate
any open space I want to get down into the technical aspect of it.
City of Aspen has this corner. If you have this flag pole going right
by City of Aspen property shouldn't that flag pole end that short
distance of whatever that parcel lover 2 is? That is the east
north/ south boundary.
Leslie: We are annexing the highway in the same process. The
annexation has been handled by the City Attorney's office and the
Engineering Dept. We are just doing the rezoning of it.
Bruce: Asked for comments from the public.
Joe Zoline: I must say first of all that I received this notice a
couple of weeks ago. Up to that time I had no knowledge of this
proceeding. As a matter of fact when I read the public notice I was
startled because it referred to annexation of the Zoline piece of
property. Then when I examined the file I saw it was the former Zoline
parcel.
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In a very real sense the parcel as it is still belongs to Parks by
virtue of a deed of trust to the Zoline Foundation which was the seller
of the property to the City. And the terms of the transaction were,
as we thought anyway, extremely favorable to the City. But left some
security questions that I think were never contemplated at that time
that there would be leaks. Now you are proposing annexation. And the
interest of the Zoline Foundation which is a charitable foundation-
-it's interests are such that I think there are a number of questions
that should be answered. For example, one of the provisions of the
arrangement or sale from the Zoline Foundation to the City was that if
the City never defaulted the payment of its obligations under the
promissory note and deed of trust the City may not be personally held
responsible or ____ that obligation which means that the only resort
that the Foundation would have by some strange misfortune the City
should not continue to pay the balance of the sale price.
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So that the Foundation would be hard put to realize what is coming to
us if there ever should be that kind of default. What it means here
is that the property which has been sold to the City subject to this
deed of trust goes into default the Foundation would have lost it's
funds to a very substantial degree because there is still--the plain
fact is that the City owes the Foundation at this point more than the
City has thus far paid on it's side.
So that let's say some __?___ happened 8 years down the road. The
obtaining of that property in a foreclosure would be virtually
worthless because the things that the Foundation would be unable to do
as open space would certainly mean that the transaction had failed in
a very real way and against an organization which was attempting to
favor the City and would now be faced with an asset worth nothing.
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Roger: Mr. Zoline, you are concerned this zoning to open space is a
down zoning and if your foundation should have to recover the property
it is not the same property as you sold to the City.
Zoline: That is right.
Tim: Do you have something you would like to propose that would
satisfy the interest and the needs of your Foundation in the future
if it does regain the ownership of this property through default?
Zoline: I haven't had an awful long time to think about that. But
it does occur to me that it would be something that if the annexation
takes place perhaps there could be a provision in the papers that would
be binding in the future which would say" If the annexation takes place
that the zoning would be re-arranged so that it would be no different
after said recovery of the property than it was at the time the
original transaction took place". That way the Foundation would not
have the force to suffer a tremendous loss if that were done.
Marta: I would be curious to know whether this property is actually
being used as security for the death of ___?___ to the Foundation.
Zoline: It is.
Marta: Do you know if there is anything in the language of the
documents which addresses this issue?
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Zoline: No. I don't know that.
that addresses this question.
I don't believe there is anything
Sara: It might be in there that we can't rezone until it is paid for.
Tim: We should have language that says that Mr. Zoline's Foundation
is protected if there is some kind of default through some catastrophe-
-can be reversed in order to give them back the property.
Roger: I would feel better if Mr. Zoline had a chance to deal with
the City Attorney and make sure we have all of this worked out so that
his Foundation is protected before we continue on this. We need
assistance from the City Attorney on how to address this situation.
MOTION
Roger: I move to table the rezoning of the Zoline open space property
until we get instructions from the City Attorney as to how to proceed
as to the protection of the Zoline Foundation should the property be
put in default. Include in my motion that we will continue the public
hearing to the regular meeting on the 16th of August, 1994.
Sara seconded the motion with all in favor.
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TEMPORARY OVERLAY TO REDUCE FAR
Leslie made presentation at attached in record.
What this resolution is asking the Planning & Zoning Commission to do
is pass on to City Council a recommendation for overlay zone district.
And that overlay zone district we are recommending will be in place
until February 19, 1995.
The purpose of this is not a size reduction.
and get a handle on the new development that
context with the surrounding neighborhood.
The purpose is to try
is out there and not in
Bruce opened the public hearing and asked for public comment.
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Laurie Winnerman: I live at 217 Park Avenue and I am looking at your
east side guideline scales. We were concerned about what you are
trying to do. It looks piecemeal. For example we own a lot on east
Ute Avenue mumble And I am a little nervous because a lot of
these things that I heard at an outcome with my architect yesterday is
that it is rather arbitrary and capricious as to what you are able to
do. I will give you an example. We were asked by the planner after
we went through P&Z that we save as many trees as we can. We
diligently pursued moving the house enough to save 200 year old trees.
And then the P&Z said to my architect "We approve your new plan. We
think you have done a nice job" and turned it over to staff. Staff not
only turned us down cold but they refuse any discussion about it.
--
I am having a real problem with all these hearings and three people
can be design police especially when we have tried so hard to try to
be responsible citizens and get something done that accommodates all
of these conditions. And now it happens that they increase these
conditions. And I am looking and it says to me in the east side
neighborhood that if I do a home I have to look at the little miner's
cottages that are around me where people lived in 1,000 square feet.
And my building currently calls for 2,200 square feet above grade. I
have to tell you that if you live in anything now with 2 children and
2 adults that 2,200 square feet above grade is barely liveable. And
now we are talking about how we have to redesign to the miner's
cottage.
Amy Amidon, Historical Planner: You are actually in the Smuggler
Mountain neighborhood, not east Aspen neighborhood.
Winnerman: OK. Well that even talks more about miner's cottages.
Amidon: It talks more about scale but--
Winnerman: I am just trying to say that design policemen is getting
out of control and if you, as a group, feel that we need to save trees
for instance on my lot on Ute Avenue and I do everything to comply
which also cost me hundreds of more dollars to try to save a tree which
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I believe in and then staff overrides anything that you guys have said.
I am kind of lost here. To me it is just more problems that you are
going to create. And I want to know what is the point and purpose?
Who has offended you that you have done this?
Amidon: I will do my slide show again. I think walking around town
there are a lot of houses that are focused entirely on what they would
like to create on their own site and disregard what is around them,
what is in the neighborhood, the scale. They create voluminous spaces
that do nothing more than alienate pedestrians, scale. I don't think
they have a lot to do with what Aspen's traditional character is like.
Winnerman: I live in a very transitional neighborhood. I live in a
neighborhood that really is mostly miner's cabins and really old time
locals only ability to live in this town. Now 1,000 square feet to
2,000 square feet is really not something that--certainly work with
design but I think you have to be realistic. The west end is already
created. There are obviously some problems that have--maybe 2 houses
in the west end that are out of scale. The west end was a prestigious
neighborhood of wealthy people in the nineteen hundreds. My
neighborhood wasn't. Obviously people are coming to this neighborhood
now and try to upscale where they can in terms of either design but
they are certainly not going to go 1,000 square feet again.
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Amidon: By no means are we trying to ask people to build a thousand
or two thousand square feet. We are asking you to design something
that has the appearance of being broken down into small forms rather
than a 3,000 square foot block. We are asking for you just to use some
design skills to relate to your surroundings a little bit better.
",...."r'
winnerman: I am telling you I can build 2,200 square feet and mine
is the typical lot. If you look at the City map the average lot is
6,000 feet. I guess my other concern really is what is happening me
on Ute Park right now is that P&Z sits here and says to our architect
"Please save these trees". And then we do it and staff overrides us
without a conversation.
I need to know here. I need to
clout? Can they override you?
anything that you do.
see that from P&Z--do you have any
I want to know if they can override
Bruce: The answer to that is "No". The matter of your 8040 Greenline
Review is not subject to this hearing. I am sorry. I don't mean to
try and put you off.
Winnerman: In the overlay. That is all I am asking you.
Leslie: Every zone district that could be R-15b zone district is in
the overlay.
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Bruce: Everything within the City limits. But if you have a problem
with the 8040 Greenline Review approval that you have already received
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you come back at something other than this public hearing on this
overlay that we are talking about.
Winnerman: My point is that if you guys give a recommendation whether
on this overlay for us on this buildout then what my fear is that we
have 2 people that can say "Not according to my eyes".
Bruce: Staff always has the option to for example with this body
tonight, decided that we didn't approve this resolution, staff always
has the option then to go ahead and present that to City Council. And
the reverse of that is true as well. If we approve it and it goes to
City Council they can turn it down. We will make some sort of
recommendation about this overlay--to approve it or not approve it
tonight and then it supposedly goes to City Council as presented by
staff.
Winnerman: I understand what you are saying. I want you all to
recognize what I am saying. That is that this has become a design
police committee. And I think that some people just have a bad taste
about how much power they have. And that there are a lot of people
that live here that in working with all local architects maybe you need
to get on the architects and help them.
Bruce: Good suggestion.
..,,"......
Roger: To add to our concern I talk with some architects from time
to time and one of their problems with HPC is that they will go before
HPC at one time and there is this group of HPC members and they
recommend some changes. Then they come back and the complexion has
changed on HPC and that mix has a different idea. So they end up in
limbo back and forth and I would hate to see this type of thing happen.
It generally doesn't happen wi th the P&Z. I have heard this often from
enough architects to think that there is a problem with that committee.
'--
Leslie: I don't think what we are striving for is an overall design
review over the City over every piece of property. I think we have to
really work on numbers and standards. What I heard from this Board
after spending an hour and a half on the Winnerman proposal at the end
of Ute Avenue which 2 of you voted down is the standards weren't strong
enough for you to say "It is too big".
That is why I would like to work on a slope FAR reduction on the river
so we don't get these towering straight walls over the river. We do
something like Hallam Lake that requires people to step back. I think
Laurie is right when you get into just straight design review without
strong standards or even strong dimensional requirements then you get
into those criticisms for those concerns.
Jake Vickery, Architect: These neighborhood character guidelines were
suggested or mandated in the AACP. And the HPC spent the last 2 years
with their consultant developing the guidelines. The resolution you
have before you is really the next step in this process of implementing
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what was mandated in the AACP by forming an ordinance which sets up
the guidelines and puts them into effect.
The idea that there is currently an allowable FAR and by in concept
backing off this 20% and then giving it back to people who are willing
to kind of meet a higher standard and participating in the community
character which we hope everyone would do, I think that in it's
simplest form is what is trying to happen here.
It is important to remember these are neighborhood character
guidelines, that they are urban design guidelines. They are not
architectural guidelines out of individual projects and trying to
bring a relationship out of them and to build a streetscape and a
pedestrian friendly environment. And if people are totally focused and
their priorities are based on how big their closet space is, how big
their entry is and all these kind of things that are individual to
their parcel without some sort of scrutiny or establishment of some
kind of priority for the overall town and streetscape. That is the
whole purpose of this resolution I believe.
There were no further public comments.
MOTION
Sara: I move to adopt Resolution #q4-'t recommending to City Council
an overlay zone district in all zone districts of the City of Aspen
except the R-15b zone district for a period of 7 months until February
~- 1995.
Steve seconded the motion.
Bruce: I am going to vote against the motion for reasons that I have
stated in other meetings previously. I think we have admirable
intentions. I think we are trying to correct some things that I think
are wrong with our City and our community. I don't think this is the
proper way to do it.
The other thing that concerns me is that admittedly at the last City
Council meeting where these items were considered they had a split and
it was an even number of Council persons. But, in effect, Council said
"This is not an emergency and therefore we don't want to take emergency
action by virtue of the 2 to 2 split. By voting in favor of this
resolution we, in effect, are saying We think it is an emergency and
therefore at this very moment in time that this passes we are putting
the clamps down".
I just can't support doing that.
happening in town. I think we need
to address neighborhood character.
overlay is the way to do it.
I am against the things that are
to address bulk. I think we need
I don't think that an emergency
Marta:
I also will be voting against it.
I like the idea that we
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are concerned about our town and that there is a lot of work that is
going to be put into trying to figure out how we can look at scale, how
we can keep the character in tact. I am not a proponent of a special
review where people will be asked to look at the design and make value
judgements on whether they do or do not meet the character of the
neighborhood I am more a proponent of having objective guidelines
whether it is scale, bulk, mass and setbacks. People can look at it
and say "OK this is what I am going to design around" .
It is also in fear of people who have maybe just bought a piece of
property and really can't afford to go through this period where they
have got to design, re-design, go to special meetings. They all know
how difficult it is to come to us, to HPC. It basically puts a
moratorium on them for a year until objective guidelines come out as
to what they can or cannot do with their property.
I will be very happy to work with people toward getting objective
guidelines set up. But I also feel this is not the way to go.
Sara: People have property rights but there is an older riding right
and that is why there l.S such a thing as a Planning & Zoning
Commission. That is the rights of the community. And I have sat on
this Commission for 4 years and I cannot go through the heartbreak,
because it is within code, of seeing another Ralph Braden, another Mike
Garrish replacement, and a Winnerman blocking of the river from the
public because according to what the code says they can do that.
I feel we do not feel we get good review either by committee. And
that is why I asked again to have staff clarify to us that design
review is only a 7 month measure for people that want to come in over
the 80%. It may and probably will not be the final answer. We have
to have things codified. But meanwhile within the 7 months we can get
4 more Mike Garrish replacements. And I can't agree to sit on the
Commission with respect to what is happening.
Roger: I have to agree with Sara. I understand the dislike for this
kind of action but occasionally I think it is justified. What I like
about this action is that it is not a moratorium first of all. We are
saying that if anyone wants to go up 80% of the allowable FAR, pullout
your building permit and do it, folks. And I am willing to compromise
FAR with the way it is defined and the way we attempt to get a volume
formula in at this point.
We agree that there is a problem of some buildings being built that
just appear to be terribly over scale either for the neighborhood or
the immediate surrounding neighbors. So I will support this motion.
I don't like design by committee either. And ultimately I would like
to stay away from that. However I have always been a promoter of a 2-
tier system saying whether it is FAR, I prefer bulk, that under a
certain level, fine, let people go for it. There is a certain level
that I believe that I don't care how "ugly" it is to someone's point
of view, if it is small enough it won't overpower it's neighbor.
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PZM7.19.94
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Tim: I am going to support Sara. I don't know if it is a change for
me to take a conservative approach. But this is getting out of hand
as far as I can see. I don't think that the best interests of the
community are being displayed with a lot of the most recent develop-
ment, most recent design, a lot of the most recent motives for living
in this community.
The essence of the value of living here is being really squashed. We
are on the verge of being a second class community and it definitely
a second class resort because individual' s motives for capitalizing on
the number one real estate market in the country are ahead of the
values of the community. And that is too bad.
I basically feel that this is at the staff's request. The staff feels
like they need the time to produce better information for us to work
with. I have to agree t.o give them all the time they need to formulate
whatever rules and regulations we need to keep the community in tact.
The resort and the resort atmosphere, resort values are very much
endangering the life-style of the community. And I am worried about
that. So I am going to give the staff as much rein as they need to
take the time to formulate a way to get a handle on it.
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Bruce: I would comment regarding staff. I know you guys have worked
and are overburdened at times but at the end of the 7 months if we do
nothing more than extend an arbitrary sort of temporary 20% reduction
in FAR and we haven't really addressed what we all know what the
problem is--the bulk, character and all of that--in a permanent way,
I will fight it then much more strongly then than I am now.
.. ''-I.........
I am hopeful that the 7 months will give us the time to do what we need
to do to really address the problem. I don't think we are doing that
with this. So I am just hoping that in 7 months we really will have
legislation that will address what I think all of us share are the
common problems in town. I just don't believe. this is the way to solve
it and I hope that 7 months from now we have got the way to solve it.
There being no further comment Bruce closed the public hearing.
Roll call vote:
yes, Bruce, no.
Steven, yes, Marta, no, Tim, yes, Sara, yes, Roger,
MOTION
Sara: I move to recommend to City Council approval of the adopted
resolution #___ series of 1994.
Steve seconded the motion.
Roll call vote:
yes, Bruce, no.
Steven, yes, Marta, no, Tim, yes, Sara, yes, Roger,
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PZM7.19.94
-- KAJX CONDITIONAL USE REVIEW
SATELLITE DISH
CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING
Leslie: Made presentation as attached in record.
Roger: Because I had been the most apprehension about this with the
story poles up there the point at which it was most obvious was where
it could be screened the easiest. That is along the eastern side.
Where it is most obvious from is the entry to Clark's parking lot. I
can deal with the 12 foot 6 inch dish if necessary providing that it
is satisfactorily screened on that end. I think then that it would be
perfectly fine.
Architect:
if there is
be happy to
And if when we get through with the plants we put up there
still something that you still find objectionable we will
complement that with more trees.
Marta: Did you ask ACES whether it had any effect at all on them?
Arch: I walked down there and I didn't really see that--it is fairly
dense down there with a lot of layers of Cottonwoods and Aspens.
Sy Coleman: Also in response to your concerns we are going to be
covering it with this stuff so it is not going to be white. It is
~- going to blend into the ground because of the coloration of the canopy.
We can paint the back side of it any color we want. We can paint it
"'''''' any color that is deemed appropriate.
Sara: I agree with Roger. With the landscaping and cover I don't
think people will even know it is there.
Sy: We are proud to be putting in a few trees in an otherwise desolate
spot.
Leslie: I heard from Jim Sparborrow who is a neighbor right on the
corner. He had been in contact with me about the dish when he received
his public notice. His only concern was the location and to have
vegetation cover.
Marta: I heard from a few neighborhood people who were opposed to a
dish in the neighborhood. They said it is a residential area. They
don't want a giant dish there. I urged them to walk past the posts.
They asked me to convey that. They flat out didn't want a dish.
MOTION
Roger: I move to approve the conditional use of a dish for KAJX behind
the red brick school and conditioned on #1 through #3 of the Planning
Office memo dated July 5, 1994. (attached in record)
Leslie reviewed the conditions and then added a 4th.
"The applicant
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shall comply with all representations made at the July 19, 1994 public
hearing and everything they have submitted since July 5, 1994.
Roger: I will add condition #4 to my motion.
Bruce then closed the public hearing.
Sara seconded the motion with all in favor except Marta.
MOTION
Roger: I move to table action on the Creektree Subdivision and
continue the public hearing to date certain of August 19, 1994 at the
request of the applicant.
Marta seconded the motion with all in favor.
INDEPENDENCE PLACE SPA DESIGNATION
AND CONCEPTUAL SPA PLAN
MOTION
Roger: I move to table action and continue the public hearing on
Independence Place SPA designation and conceptual SPA plan to date
certain of September 20, 1995 at the request of staff and the
applicant.
Sara: What does that mean? Because Jim Curtis asked for an August
1st deadline from Council so he knew ? Kraut or not.
Leslie: What this means is any meeting on this proj ect we will
completely re-notice everybody. It has been so far out we don't expect
people to keep track of something like this.
The reason we tabled it to September 20th is that we are pretty sure
that we will know exactly what we are doing by then. We are having a
breakfast meeting with Council and the applicant. There have been a
series of letters going back and forth trying to clarify issues and
where Council stands on certain issues and the applicants are trying
to decide whether they still have a project.
Sara: Will Jim Curtis have an answer by August 1st then?
Leslie: August 1st is also pressing Council as a deadline. Council
is giving the money for the Kraut Property. Jim Curtis has been up
front with them about the deadlines and how much it will cost for them
to change horses in the middle of the stream. They are having this
meeting Thursday morning in order to be able to know what to do with
the Kraut property by August 1st.
Council has always said this is a big project. We are not going to
decide in favor of this project just because of the Kraut property.
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If we do go forward on September 20 or another meeting it will be
completely re-noticed because it will be a different project. But we
can't close the public hearing because we can't close the GMQS
application that they submitted.
Everyone then voted in favor of the motion.
Bruce then adjourned the meeting.
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