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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.19851029 SPBCIAL MEBTING RECORD OF PROCBBDINGS PLAlflUNG AND ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBER 29. 1985 Chairman Welton Anderson called the meeting to order at 4:50 p.m. with Commissioners' David White, Al Blomquist, Roger Hunt, Jim COlombo, Mari Peyton, and Ramona Markalunas present. COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS There were no comments. PUBLIC BEARING ROARING FORK BAST MASTER PLAN Glen Horn, planner, told the Commission they had already considered this master plan, at the beginning of the summer. City Council then endorsed the plan as recommended by the Commission. The plan is now being returned to the Commission for adoption. Whi te said he thought bicycle and pedestrian traffic should be more emphasized. Mr. Horn said that concern had been beefed up, referring to page 18 and 19 of the Master Plan. White felt it should be stressed even more than the plan describes. Whi te thought the concept of dr ive and park to trail heads was ridiculous. He thought there should either be buses to take you there or trails out of the City. White commented that we are building a great cross country trails system and encouraging people to get in their cars and drive to it. Everything possible should be done to discourage people from driving their cars. Horn suggested adding guidelines about trying to provide a mass transit point. Blomquist thought the idea of shoulder trails was dangerous, feeling it was nothing but the widening of the highway. Blomquist thought it should be specified that they be separated trails wherever possibl e. Blomquist did not agree with the statement, on page 1, last paragraph, that the federally owned land had no development potential. He said that all of the BLM and Forest Service land between the US Forest Service boundary of the City was under direct orders by the Reagan Administration to be sold as fast as possible. Some of the property has already been purchased and other proposals are being considered. Blomquist thought the plan should say that there should be a positive progran. to a<X}uire from the Federal Government all parcels that are not protected by being within the Forest Service boundary. Or, as an alternative, the plan could 1 SPBCIMi MEETING RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS PLAHRING ARIl ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBBR 29. 1985 say that a bill should be presented to Congress to move the boundary closer to the City. The statement that there is no development potential is not true. Mr. Horn said he was not aware of any parcels in the Roaring Fork East area identified for land disposal but would look into it further. Motionl Blomquist moved to adopt Resolution #85-21, amending the trail reference to the east to separate bicycle access pathways and encourage the use of more public transportation, and to amend the wording on page 1, last paragraph, as suggested by Blomquist; White seconded. All in favor; motion carried. Motion: Hunt moved to reconsider the previous motion; White seconded. All in favor; motion carried. Anderson opened the publ ic hearing. There were no comments, therefore, the public hearing was closed. Motion: Hunt moved to readopt the previous motion; White seconded. All in favor; motion carried. liIBW BUSINESS TRANSPORTATION ifi.BMERT A1I1Tl DOIflft'OlfB LAllI> USB PLAN Anderson explained that this was a joint meeting with the Aspen City Council, Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission, CCLC, RFTA, The Clean Air Advisory Board and other members of the press and public. Tom Baker, planner, said the purpose of the meeting was to elaborate on concepts of the future Aspen Area Transportation plan and Downtown land use. Tonights meeting is to generate ideas that the planing office staff can focus their research on. Colombo said one of his pr ime concerns was a transportation system, thinking the integration of that system so there are several sub-stations interrelated throughout the city and county should be looked at. He also suggested the idea of several parking garages, rather than just one. In addition, the idea of mul tiple uses with the parking garages. Another point was the integration of residential and commercial use in the downtown 2 --,"...."_._.----,,,""........--..- SPBCIAL MEBTING RECORD OFPROCBEDINGS PLAHRING A1I1Tl-ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBBR 29. 1985 area. In Mr. Colombo's op1n1on there has been an overshifting to commercial use. The type of usage that will perpetuate opening all night long or residential will cause revitalization of the downtown area. Colombo also expressed concern about the loss of outdoor dining in the summer. In addition, Colombo said that it must be kept in mind that people will only walk so far in the winter time and ideas of everyone parking outside the core area and walking will probably not happen. Colombo thought something should be developed for local recreational water use. Blomquist said he was intrigued with expanding the Mall system as an auto disincentive. Blomquist also expressed concern with the bus routes and suggested that the Mallon Galena might be opened up so that Galena and Monarch could be bus routes, which would tie in with expanding the mall on Mill St., eliminating bottlenecks. Blomquist said he felt strongly that the entrance to Aspen should be kept on the existing alignment. Another of Blomquist's suggestions was the purchase of the Independence Square property, gaining open space. In addition, he wanted to see an analysis that lowers the FAR in downtown. Finally, Blomquist suggested traffic islands on Main St, fully landscaped. Whi te thought transportation should be looked at as an overall program, starting with a transportation hub at the airport and 3 or 4 others throughout the City. White also thought downtown housing was very important. Trails should leave the core of the City and be signed, hopefully eliminating trailhead parking. White agreed that the City should buy Independence Square. White al so thought there was a need for small buses in town. White expressed concern that alot of local businesses were having a hard time surviving. Hunt said he wanted to see a successful downtown core, with a mall and a transportation system supporting it. Concentrating his comments on the Rio Grande area he thought it was one of the key areas to get in place to support the shortage of parking spaces in town. Along with that parking/transportation center it is essential to have a direct, convenient, and desirable transit system to get people where they need to go in the downtown core area. Hunt suggested the Trolley system would be a way to accommodate that, thinking the buses would not be a solution. Hunt thought a linear transportation system from the Silver King area to the lA area was essential. Peyton said she thought it was time to get serious about auto disincentives and one of the ways to get people out of their cars 3 RECORD OF. PROCEEDINGS SPBCIAL MEETING . PLAHRING AND. ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBER 29. 1985 would be to make it easier for a person to walk. There are many places in Aspen where there are no sidewalks forcing people to go in to streets and gullies. She thought it was important to get sidewalks put in where there aren't any. Peyton also thought the river should be incorporated in to the City. Peyton expressed concern with scale and size in the downtown area. The GMP rules are skewed so that the larger scale projects have a better chance of winning the competition and there are no points given for being small scal e or unde r FAR. Ms. Peyton thought that should be looked at. Markalunas said the Rio Grande Center was her top priority. She was also concerned about Aspen Mountain and the view of the mountain that everyone has always enjoyed. There have been more and more reviews of property to allow construction above the 80 40 Greenline. She thought the encroaching development on Aspen Mountain should be looked at. Suzanne Caskey, County Planning and Zoning Commissioner, expressed concern that some form of transportation be devised so that Lift lA can be used more and so that some of congestion in the center of town can be eliminated. Her preference would be something along the lines of the horse drawn Colorado Taxis. In addition Ms. Caskey said she would like to see bus stops at the trail heads, smaller buses mixed in with the existing larger buses, a planted median down the middle of Main St., more Mall area and the Independence Square area, a more pedestr ian or iented center to town with cars being held to the perimeter, a trolley system, and the highway alignment to remain as it is now. Marvin Jordan, CCLC member, said they feel consideration should be given to one way streeting along Mill, at least between Hopkins and Hyman, and in the block of Hyman St. immediately west of the Mall. In addition, Mr. Jordan suggested expansion of the Malls, re-establishment of the flower box program, a sign at the dancing fountain explaining it, sidewalk snow removal consideration, and implementation of the Electric Departments maintenance program for the new street lights. Jon Busch, citizen, said he thought a key factor in the transpor- tation system was a north south link. In addition, a parking structure in conjunction with the north south link concept. Mr. Busch said he was in favor of closing off Mill St. from Main St. to Bleeker St. and making it a mall. Mr. Busch also suggested making some of the streets in the center of downtown one way to 4 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS SPECIAL -MEET:ENG- PLARHING A1I1Tl Z ONIRG COMMISSION OCTOBER 290-1985 re-route traffic. A regional transit center was another of Mr. Busch's suggestions. Edith Dunn, Clean Air Advisory Board member, said it sounded as though the concentration was on automobiles rather than making things easy and more pleasant for pedestrians. She thought sidewalks were needed and some sort of buffer between the pedestrian and automobil es. Chuck Roth, City Engineering Department, said he thought another element of auto disincentive would be to improve transportation between Aspen and other activity centers such as the airport and the mountain bases. Mr. Roth suggested light rail, monorail and SWiss Aero buses as transportation alternatives. Bruce Able, RFTA, said they recognize the need to find transit vehicles more in scale to Aspen and it is their intention to pursue that in the vehicle replacement plan over the next several years. It was Mr. Able's feeling that Rubey Park needs to continue as a collector and distributor, from the transit perspe- ctive, of local people. On the other hand, they see a need for some point that can act as a collector and distributor of people who are coming in to Aspen. Mr. Able thought there was a great deal of logic to looking at the development of the Rio Grande as a j oint use facil ity. Pat Fallin, City Council member, said she would like to reinforce the need for sidewalks. Ms. Fallin also felt smaller, cleaner buses were needed and the study of a parking structure at the Rio Grande location. Chic Collins, City Council member, said he thought transportation was one of the more important questions facing the city. He thought there were 2 elements involved: a parking structure and Highway 82 alignment. Bruce Able, RFTA, commented that it may be easier to distinguish between auto disincentive and alternatives to auto incentive. The reason being strategically there is a very different approach to providing disincentives to using an automobile versus incentives to using some mode other than an automobile. Markalunas said she thought it would be a good idea to look into electric buses. She also suggested that RFTA explore a loop system for the buses so there is not a duplication of alot of loops in town and it could serve cross town traffic as well. 5 SPBCIAL MEETING REeoRD OF -PROCEEDINGS PLARHING A-ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBER 29. 1985 Anderson adjourned the meeting at 6:20 p.m. ~~uJ~ Kim Wilhoit, Deputy City Clerk 6