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HomeMy WebLinkAboutcoa.lu.sp.Roaring Fork Railroad.1986I IC\%6 - 5'?- 0� 0 SI T, I 10Sopt;_­mhcr 1986 To: Plcvnning Commissjonyrs, Ccx/ncil,1BOCC From: Kinsl*y Subject: Fp�7k_f7a­i­l[������g����� The discussion about the proposer! train has includeJ so much Cmotionul misinformation that I thought it was tine % added my own. A little�stpry: Thirteen years ago, this community eebarked on the most brnad-based citizan planning c,ffort in our history. Upward,:., of 100 peopIe spsr/t many months in ��etzngs tu try to solve the valley trancportat)-on problCNo`~ 7hey consid�­red bus' moncrail° Oondola, rail, everything. tha� if we contin�ed to cater tc� the auto, s�ri�us problems would aris'e -- poIlutipn, congestion, impossible P_t_1rkjng, etc. They mere right. ��e pre�err�d alternative was unequivoca1lY ralI. It in Le.Jsd to pre�erve the qualit)/ of life 'of the cuum'uoi�y �nd thc r�so/-�. Hcwever, thL­ local 4ovnrnm�n�s s�ont'��Ily Procws eoded �th busebecause �h�y couldn't affC)rd rziI. T,1i_;s pIanning offort fozuscd almost entirely mn the mo`/emenC of peop]e within the valleY. Thr i�aa of a train fr�,m desirable, :as never rvgard�d as pns!:.�ble. C:., Y p@r,irv'�:- e.: Seprral years Iator a personal ex7ericnce co�rnborate�j the conclusion of that planning effrrt. One spring evening in a late snownto,m, % tr/sve11ed t�ro`!gh the Sierras over Donner Pass. A nasty night -- gl�zcJ pevem�,nt, dozens of cars in the ditch, red lights, rea'-end r-oIlisions, people slopping chains on tirris in LhC, freezing wet muL4. I watched all this 'as % glided by, sippiny wi�e, warm in my Amtrak Pullman. Is there a better may to t�av�l �n the m�untains? C,?unty_in�t��t� The aIignment for proposed railroad was origincul1�/ a railroad alignment. When D�RG gave it to the cuunty, it was preserved hy the county comn`issioner[: as a rail in case anyone ever wanted to reestablish rail n.ervico. The co�misc�zoners built a trail there in 2,74 bo�causz it wss a beautif//l and free. But it was always re arded as � rail alignmunt first� One proof of t h i o intent is found in the county' s approval of the Ja+ ev gravel pit. The pit was to cut deupl y across the alignment. �'h� court t'„ r�clui rE'd that.. the accommodate rail survi ce. I know this because I was the guy who added that requirement to the approval. There may be good reasons to deny the application for the train. The trail ain't one. Aspen's future: We should all be concerned about the future of this resort in a ski market with many hot competitors, flattened demand, and no hope for improvement in the foreseeable future. Some say that we need more lifts and more beds to compete. But, when people decide to come here instead of Vail, they aren't counting condo and lifts, they're counting on uni queneas and quality. Regardless of How one feels about "more," few will argue that we need to we need to be batter. We will. not beat the competition by trying to out build them -- that approach works as well as the arms race. Rather, we'll win by providing higher quality (which we are doing) and uniqueness. If the proponents are telling the truth (and that, we mined to determine) the train proposal certainly will enhance our uniqueness and quality. End of sermon. Aren't you glad that you don't have to listen to this stuxff from me all the time now. Box 2357 Aspen Colorado 8161 Planning and Zoning Comm=slion City of Aspen 130 South Galena Street Aspen Colorado 81611 September 2, 1986 To the Aspen Planning ana Zoning Commission: I 5_1 = - �—ea� my thoughts about the proposed Roaring Fork Railroad. While I do not share the optimism of the promoters of the railroad, partly because of my own failure years ago to convince the community of the desirability of a similar scheme, I nevertheless cannot contain my enthusiasm for their vision and their courage in pursuing it. Frankly, although I haven't seen the numbers, I do not see how they can afford to establish regular rail service between Aspen and Stapleton Airport, but I think the proposal is worthy of community support. The proposed railway is quite simply in our interest as we continue to compete with other Rocky Mountain ski resorts. I hope that as a Planning Commission you will put this railroad proposal in its true perspective in the transportation picture, for coincidentally and at the same time Aspen is again confronting the question of how best to enter town by car and how best to address the associated questions of parking and circulation. It is hopeless to address these questions in a fragmentary way. It is intuitively obvious that if you are going to have a railroad terminal then it has to be in the center of town. That is the whole point of railroads. They are supposed to take you directly where you want to go. Right now the Rio Grande is the only feasible place for a terminal. Even to debate the issue is obtuse. So what I hope from you is your recognition that this is your opportunity to face all of Aspen's transportation problems at one time. As you ponder the railroad questions, please do not: give too much weight to the obvious immediate trade- offs such as disruption of traffic and displacement of the Riogrande Trail. Surely this is an issue to be decided on more substantial grounds than temporary inconvenience. What you are being asked to approve or disapprove is the concept of establishing a major new mode of public transportation. If a lovely path most be disturbed in order to accomplish this, then Letter to Aspen Planning and zoning Commission James Breasted September 2, 1986 as a frequent user of that path let me say that it is certainly worth it to me. In closing let me say that shortly after being elected to the Aspen City Council fourteen years ago it was I, as one of my first official acts, who made'the motion to enter into negotiations to purchase the Rio Grande property. It was my conviction at the time that this property should not be developed but should be reserved by the city as the last large undeveloped tract of land near the center of town suitable for a large transpor- tation center and a major parking structure. The intervening years have done nothing to convince me otherwise. As a planning commission you must realize that this proe ty is your ace. Do not let the opportunity pass to plan this property comprehensively for transportation purposes as was originally intended by the voters. The land was bought from the transportation penny. The railroad terminal should be incorporated into a major plan to develop the Rio Grande property as a transportation center. I was one of those who fought successfully to prevent the post office from going right in the middle of things so that as a result the major portion of the tract east of Mill Street would remain intact. Let this be the place where cars, buses and the railroad meet in a major, multi -level structure. Every single professional transportation planner ever hired by the city over the past twenty years has recommended this. The existing playing field and the currently proposed ice rink can easily be, and should be, accommodated on the surface as can many other functions. And the Rio Grande trail can and should be accommodated on a new alignment within the railroad right of way and outside of it whereever possible. Your recommendation is a major one that will affect the town one way or the other for many years to come. I hope it will be in favor of the railroad on the Rio Grande as proposed. Sin erely, James Breasted MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission FROM: Tom Baker and Steve Burstein, Planning Office RE: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA DATE: August 29, 1986 ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- APPLICANT'S REQUEST: The Roaring Fork Railroad (RFR) requests conceptual approval of a Specially Planned Area (SPA) plan to locate a passenger railroad terminal and tracks on the Rio Grande property. Future tracks would extend along the old D&RGW right- of-way from Woody Creek to the Rio Grande property. Within the City limits, the alignment would be located across the Roaring Fork River on the existing railroad bridge, the Shapery Property, Puppy Smith Street, Trueman Property and Mill Street to the Rio Grande property. SUMMARY OF REVIEW PROCESS: The purpose of the two step (P&Z and Council) conceptual SPA review process is to evaluate the general intent and design approach of a project. General positive and negative impacts should be reviewed. Issues and concerns which City referral agencies and public bodies feel need to be studied as the subsequent stage, Precise SPA, should also be identified. Section 24-7.3 of the Municipal Code states that the Conceptual SPA plan submission shall consist of: "a statement of intent and a conceptual description of the type of development which is proposed to take place on a parcel, including, but not limited to, use categories, overall project density, and design concepts to be employed. The applicant shall consult with the Planning Director prior to the submission of the conceptual plan; however, as a general guide, it is not intended that the submission go into technical detail required of concep- tual subdivision or conceptual PUD." The City and County review and approval process involves a number of stages, tentatively identified in the following chart: 1 P&Z Conceptual SPA Rio Grande Plan Priori- ties CHART I ROARING FORK RAILROAD REVIEW PROCESS COUNCIL Conceptual SPA (Public Hearing Rio Grande Plan Priori- ties P&Z Precise SPA (Public Hearing) Commercial GMP** Competition (Public Hearing County 1041 Review* County -wide Vote RFTA COUNCIL Precise SPA Commercial GMP** Allotment County 1041 Review* (Public Hearing) * The County 1041 Review should be joint City/County hearings. ** Commercial GMP or GMP Exemption may be appropriate. There are several particular points to keep in mind about the entire review process. 1. There are many impacts of the project effecting both the City and County to varying degrees. It will be most helpful for the City P&Z to identify joint City/County impacts and work with the County P&Z to review the County aspects. Likewise, the County P&Z may assist in review of the City's Precise SPA. We propose that there be joint P&Z and Council/Board of County Commissioner meetings at the subsequent round of reviews. We believe that this approach will improve upon the results obtained when the County reviewed the Aspen Mountain Ski Area Master Plan for lift alignments and left the City in a reactive mode when it reviewed the base terminal. 2. It should be noted that joint City/County referral agencies, such as the Environmental Health Department and RFTA, have made comments about the project as it impacts both City and County jurisdictions. 3. City and County public referenda on the railroad's use of 2 the Shapery Parcel and Rio Grande Trail, purchased with Open Space funds, have been scheduled for November 4, 1986. 4. Because the Roaring Fork Railroad proposal involves partner- ship with the City for use of the Rio Grande site, three is a need to identify the responsibilities and costs to be assumed by each party. This aspect of the project should be handled in detail at the Precise SPA plan stage. Staff has tried to identify the major areas of potential cost sharing in this memorandum. 5. State, federal and private actions are also needed in order for the railroad plan to be realized. The status of these actions have been listed by the applicant (attached). Periodic status reports will be provided by the applicant to the Planning Office. PROBLEM DISCUSSION: A. Referral Comments: 1. Engineering Department - Assistant City Engineer Chuck Roth wrote memoranda on August 19 and 21, 1986, from which the following comments are summarized. a. The train is conceptually attractive as an alternative mode of transportation that will reduce the number of automobiles in Aspen. b. Several aspects of the commuter service require clarification before its viability can be fully evaluated including the commuting time from different origins to and destinations on the route, passengership that would be diverted from other modes of transit (bus and automobile), and effect of commuter service on City parking demands. C. Impacts on all utilities should be addressed by the applicant. d. Impacts of the railroad's use of public rights -of - way (i.e, Puppy Smith Road) will be off -set by the anticipated reduction in automobile traffic. e. Plans for the development of a municipal parking garage should be developed in conjunction or association with the RFR application. f. The Engineering Department supports the Spring Street extension to the Rio Grande property. 3 g. A drainage plan should be submitted. The present drainage channels and settling ponds on the Rio Grande site will need to be maintained or moved as approved by the Engineering Department. h. Raising the grade of the area next to the River and adjacent to the snow dump site for creation of a playing field is possible, subject to Stream Margin review and Army Corps of Engineers ap- proval. i. Relocation of the impound lot and snow dump need to be discussed and jointly worked out with the City and County. 2. RFTA - In an August 21, 1986 memorandum from Bruce Abel, the following comments were made: a. The effects of train tracks and service on Puppy Smith and Mill Streets need to be further studied. A higher level of commuter service will require more frequent crossing of Puppy Smith and Mill Streets and consequently greater impacts on street traffic. b. Accommodation for a municipal parking garage should be part of the Rio Grande site design in the event the TDP recommends the garage. C. The Spring Street extension will need to be accomplished for a railroad terminal and should be done either as part of the parking facility improvements or in conjunction with the railroad, funded by the railroad. d. No great impacts are anticipated from the arriving rail passengers on RFTA services, as they would be more appropriately served by taxis and limos. e. More information is needed to determine the impacts of commuter service on RFTA routes and ridership. 3. Fire Marshall and Public Safety - Fire Marshall Jim Wilson stated that if Mill Street is closed for a period of five minutes or less twice a day, there should not be a real problem in emergency access. Alternate routes to the Smuggler and Red Mountain areas exist. There should be an emergency entrance into the Trueman property off Mill Street as there is no other access to that site. 4 At a Public Safety Board meeting, concern was stated for the possibility of the train falling into the river. Detailed information on the train car design and access to sections of the line will be needed to prepare for emergency response. 4. Environmental Health - The following comments were made in Tom Dunlop's August 18, 1986 memorandum: a. The potential auto disincentive resulting from commuter service may reduce total air pollution in the valley. Further information on car traffic elimination and train engine idling is needed for this evaluation. b. Idling of locomotives on the Rio Grande site may add a significant amount of air contamination to the north area of town and other areas of the County. Options to remove the need for idling anywhere in the valley should be explored. C. Idling automobiles at the Rio Grande site will generate air pollution. Access and traffic flow should be arranged to help mitigate this problem. d. The applicant will be required to obtain state and local Environmental Health approval, for construc- tion activities. e. Water pollution concerns include fuel storage, fuel spill contaminant, site drainage pertaining to waste products, drainage grades along rights - of -way, maintenance of passenger and dining cars, and potable water supply replenishing. More information is needed in all these areas. f. A plan for handling trash off-loaded at the Aspen Depot and trash that may accumulate and blow along the right-of-way should be submitted. g. If mine tailings or dumps are uncovered they shall not be used as road bed material without first discussing it with the Environmental Health Department. h. Noise from the train is a significant impact that is probably the most difficult to mitigate. This issue should be well addressed by the applicant. i. If a food commissary is located in Pitkin County, the Environmental Health Department will be the 5 inspecting agency for the train's food service. 5. Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District - Heiko Kuhn stated that options mitigating the railroad's placement over sewer lines must be investigated. The trunk sewer line under the Rio Grande right-of-way and the smaller lines in Mill Street and crossing Puppy Smith Street may have to be moved, buried deeper and reenforced with stronger pipe. 6. Leisure Services Director - Tim Vanatta explained in his August 21, 1986 memo that the loss of the Rio Grande playing field would hinder the scheduling of a variety of events that are now accommodated there. The Leisure Services staff questions that the area desig- nated for a new playing field (snow dump area) is large enough. 7. Nordic Council - Craig Ward made the following comments in this August 12, 1986 memorandum. The Rio Grande Trail is a valuable community asset. Significant work has been done to complete a loop system along the trail to the Airport Business Center and back, including developing new connections. The trail should stay on one side of the tracks for the entire route. The entire cost of realigning the trail should be the responsibility of the applicant. B . STAFF COMMENTS This section will attempt to clarify what staff sees as the community -wide impacts of train service to Aspen. The basic emphasis of our comments is on the general issues not covered by referral agency comments. Inevitably there is some overlapping. Table II summarizes Conceptual Issues of the RFR Proposal and attempts to group and list all issues in the conceptual SPA review. Since little or no empirical data is available (at least to staff) regarding a similar project, it will be important for the applicant to demon- strate the magnitude of impacts and mitigation measures through subsequent studies at precise SPA. 1. Transportation Issues - Impact on the Street System - The Roaring Fork Railroad propose both long train and commuter, and the Rio Grande Concept Plan will directly impact Puppy Smith Street, Mill Street, Spring Street, Bleeker Street, Mill and Main intersection and perhaps Galena Street. These impacts include length of traffic delay and type of signalization for train/auto interface, internal circulation on G the Rio Grande site, and projected traffic volumes and service levels on streets around the Rio Grande site. The applicant should provide traffic and circulation studies to identify the impacts of Rio Grande plans which include the RFR proposal on the traffic and parking conditions in and around the Rio Grande site. These studies should be done with the assistance of the Planning Office and RFTA to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the total impacts to this area. Shared Use Potential of the Railroad Terminal Facility - The RFR terminal building is a struc- ture of significant size which will be utilized only twice a day. The applicant should explore the potential for shared use of the terminal structure, especially uses which are part of a Rio Grande Plan (i.e., Trailways, Transportation Center, Transit Facility, etc.). Integration with Other Transit/Transportation Modes - The RFR is proposing a long train and commuter rail option. The applicant should demonstrate how these will be integrated with transit (when necessary) and private sector transportation options on the Rio Grande site. People Movement from the Train to Destination - The applicant should develop a study which analyzes the type and number of vehicles which are required to efficiently move train passengers from the Rio Grande site to their destinations, and whether sufficient capacity presently exists to meet these needs (i.e., will there be secondary growth impacts of this project on the taxi and limo industry in Aspen). Reliable Transportation Mode (Winter) - Weather related constraints on the airport (especially in Aspen but also in Denver) are well-known. Weather related constraints on I-70 are equally famous. Train service between Aspen and Stapleton offers the potential for reliable service during adverse weather conditions because fixed rail is capable of operating normally or adequately under adverse winter weather conditions. Since winter is an important time for the resort community, the reliability attribute of the train is important. Staff would like the applicant to document the reliability of past train service into Aspen and/or similar train service in a comparable climate. 7 Second Transportation Corridor in Roaring Fork Valley - State Highway 82 is the only transporta- tion corridor through the Roaring Fork Valley. Constraints on the highway are weather, design and traffic related. State Highway 82 is also considered to be a less than safe road and weather and traffic contribute to this safety problem. Currently, the Highway is significantly over capacity in the Aspen Area. Regardless of how Aspen residents feel about four- laning, State Highway 82 is likely to remain essentially as it is (for automobile traffic) for a decade or more. A rail -line between Aspen and Glenwood Springs in the Roaring Fork Valley offers the potential option of moving people up and down the Valley on a fixed rail rather than the highway. This potential option has been largely referred to as "commuter" service; however, in this valley access to entertainment, recreation and shopping in both Aspen and Glenwood Springs seems to be significant, as well. The provision of commuter rail service in the valley has the potential of reducing vehicular traffic on State Highway 82, especially during the peak traffic times. Staff feels that the potential for valley rail service is a significant benefit of the applica- tion; however, the magnitude of the benefit is unknown. Staff would like the applicant to work with RFTA and Planning Office in developing a theoretical operating plan including station/park and ride locations, schedule, fares/costs, ridership, operating entity and other pertinent information which will assist the City/County/RFTA in determining the value of this aspect of the RFR proposal. Rail Service as an Auto Disincentive - It is important that the auto disincentive potential of the train not be overstated. Realistic views are necessary to avoid unnecessary disillusionment. Fact: State Highway 82 Capacity - 12,000 VPD; Existing volume - 22,000 VPD. Train service between Aspen and Denver, Stapleton, if success- ful, may average 300-400 riders per day. If one assumes that people drive between Aspen and Denver for cost reasons (four people renting one car vs. four airline tickets), then the train between Aspen and Denver will have a very small impact on existing traffic conditions. If we assume that E:3 people drive between Aspen and Denver because flying is something they wish to avoid, then the impact on the highway is greater than "driving for cost" but still small. In fact, if one assumes that the Aspen/Denver train displaced the maximum number of cars (100-200) the reduction in trips on State Highway 82 would probably be in the 1 percent to 2 percent range. Commuter/Valley rail service should not be expected to have a significant impact on existing traffic conditions in the Valley. During the high ski season, 1900 workers live Down Valley and work in Aspen and 500 transit trips are made per day (250 trips each way). A Planning Office survey found the average vehicle occupancy of Up Valley traffic during the A.M. peak was 1.2 persons. If we subtract transit trips from workers and apply the person per vehicle factor we end up with 1400 vehicles travelling to Aspen. It is not reason- able to expect that rail transit can remove all or most of these vehicles from the road; however, can we expect the rail option to remove 50 percent? 30 percent? 20 percent? If 20 percent of these commuter trips can be removed, that reduces traffic by 560 vehicles. Reducing daily traffic (22,000) by 560 vehicles does not seem very significant; however, these commuter trips happen during a short period of time and this same 20 percent (280 vehicles each direction) can have a significant impact on the A.M. and P.M. peak hour when traffic volume is 2,000 - 2,200 vehicles. The applicant should do a thorough study to determine the extent of the train's (especially commuter) potential for reducing traffic on State Highway 82 especially during the A.M. and P.M. peaks. Train Service to Woody Creek or Airport - It is the staff's view that the most significant potential benefit of train service to Aspen is the potential for a second transportation corridor in the Valley. Therefore, terminating train service at the airport or Woody Creek would, in the staff's view, only exacer- bates the automobile related problems associated with State Highway 82. The applicant should quantify the additional impacts to State Highway 82 which would be created by terminating the train at the airport, Woody Creek or other locations Down Valley. 9 2. Parks/Recreation/Open Space/Trails Issues Displacement Out of the Downtown Area or Loss of Rio Grande Playing Field - The Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan: Parks/Recreation/Open Space/Trails Element identified an existing shortfall for playing fields in the Aspen Area. Presently, every playing field in the City is fully utilized and needed to provide for current activity levels. Although the existing Rio Grande playing field was installed on land purchased for transportation purposes and was installed as a temporary use until a plan for the Rio Grande was developed, its possible loss, even for a short time, creates a major problem for on -going Parks and Recrea- tion Programs; and its displacement out of the Downtown Area may have a negative effect on the types of activi- ties currently in the recreation programs. The applicant should demonstrate how and where the playing field will be relocated. Relocation or Loss of the Rio Grande Trail - The Aspen Area Comprehensive Plan: Parks/Recreation/Open Space/Trails Element identifies the Rio Grande Trail as a major asset to Aspen's existing trail system: the Rio Grande is currently the most used trail in the Aspen Area (to Slaughterhouse Bridge). The loss of the Rio Grande Trail is unthinkable. Relocation of this trail for all season use is a must. Additionally, trail continuity throughout the Rio Grande site must be maintained. The applicant must demonstrate how and where the trails will be relocated. Feasibility of Retaining Open Space on Rio Grande Site - The P&Z indicated that open space is a high priority on the Rio Grande site. The snow dump site is the P&Z's preferred location for open space. The Roaring Fork Railroad proposal precludes the use of the existing playing field facility. If both the RFR and open space (active and passive) uses are to fit on the Rio Grande site, then an alternate site for the snowdump is required (or an alternate way of handling the snow). The applicant should work with the City and County staff to resolve the snowdump issue. 3. Utilities Issues - There are several utilities located on the Rio Grande site and under Mill and Puppy Smith Streets (gas, electric, telephone, television, storm drain, sanitary sewer, water) and at least two utili- ties located on the Rio Grande right-of-way (sanitary sewer, electric). The staff is concerned about the impact of RFR development on all utilities, especially the sanitary sewer (trunkline) and electric cables 10 under the Rio Grande right-of-way and sanitary sewer lines under Mill and Puppy Smith Streets. The appli- cant should demonstrate that the train will not destroy the integrity of these utilities. 4. Employee Housing Issues Employee Generation/Housing - The applicant should indicate how many employees will be generated by this proposal and how employee housing require- ments will be addressed. 5. Economic Issues Compensation for Use of Public Land - The appli- cant should identify ways to compensate the City/County for the use of public land. Feasibility of Operating Plan - The applicant should demonstrate the economic need for the scale of operation which is being proposed (i.e., 18 car train on the weekend). Public Risk/Expense -- As a potential partner in the Rio Grande SPA and because public land is involved, the City requires information on the ability of the applicant to successfully complete and operate the proposed project. It would be appropriate for the applicant to supply the City(County) with information similar to that which is required of Aspen Airway or Rocky Mountain Airlines or other private carrier to utilize public lands at the airport. Further, some mechanism must be put in place to eliminate public expense for removing the physical facili- ties should be project fail after construction. In terms of public expense, the applicant should indicate what expenses are to be incurred by the City, County or RFTA. Indirect Project Costs - Other cost factors which need to be addressed include: Is parking on the Rio Grande site a shared cost? The applicant has indicated they are willing to relocate the Rio Grande Trail -- Who pays for relocation of the playing field? If the playing field is relocated on the snowdump site, will the applicant assist in relocation of the snowdump? If so, how? 11 6. Land Use Issues Neighborhood Compatibility - Although existing and future structures on and around the Rio Grande site (Clark's Market, Ober- meyer Building, Trueman Center, County Courthouse, County Jail, Jerome Hotel) are as large or larger than the proposed railroad terminal facility, the staff is concerned that the scale, location and design of the structure be such that the structure's impact be mitigated as much as possible. For example, staff is concerned that the struc- ture is too visible from Mill Street. Since high visibility is not, in the staff's view, important to the success of the proposal, the applicant should demonstrate what landscap- ing, site design, or building design techni- ques can be used to minimize the structure's visual impact. Additionally, the amount of track coverage on the site seems excessive. The applicant should investigate ways to reduce the number of tracks on the site and/or investigate ways to reduce the length of the track system. Compatibility with Surrounding Land Uses and Zoning - Although the RFR proposal is located in the center of the Rio Grande site staff would like the applicant to demonstrate both physical and functional compatibility with surrounding land uses and zoning. Conceptu- ally, it appears that the depot is not inconsistent with the Service/Commercial/In- dustrial and neighborhood commercial to the southeast and west of the site. However, if a performing arts center is built on the site, will the train interfere with the relatively quiet atmosphere necessary for cultural activities? 7. Growth Issues Train Service as a Growth Generator - In general, the staff feels that train service between Aspen and Denver should not be viewed as a growth generator, but should be viewed as reliving pent-up demand for access to Aspen. Over the past several years the Aspen Area has grow in terms of population, housing, utilities, recreation facilities, parks, trails, open space and lodge rooms. 12 The only major infrastructure expansion which has not taken place recently is in the transportation system, especially access to the valley. (The airport has made runway improvements, but its capacity has remained the same and State Highway 82's capacity has not changed in over 20 years.) The railroad can be viewed as a response to the growth of all other aspects of the Aspen Area and can be viewed as enhancing the Aspen resort experience. Conversely, train service between Aspen and Denver will be unique and attractive (and possibly more reliable than air or auto travel in winter) and may draw people to Aspen who otherwise would not visit. The actual numbers of additional people that will be drawn to the Aspen Area solely by the train are certainly small and probably insignificant (when was the last time any of us took a train anywhere?). It is the staff's opinion that the primary growth generators in the Community revolve around the recreational/cultural amenities which draw people to Aspen and Pitkin County and the lodge, residential and commercial uses which serve our visitors and residents. 8. Code Interpretation Issue Commercial GMP, Essential Public Facility GMP Exemption, or Development Not Subject to GMP - Due to the unique nature of the Roaring Fork Railroad proposal, staff has debated whether or not this applicant is subject to Commercial GMP. The staff is aware that functionally the Railroad Terminal is much the same as the airport terminal, that is, a private sector transportation operator uses the structure to provide for the necessary services associated with that transportation operation. In both cases the private sector transportation operator is in business to make a profit. The difference is that the Airport is owned by the County and the RFR intends to own the rail terminal structure. Section 24-11.2(e) of the Municipal Code addresses the minimum requirements to quality as an essential public facility if . . . Minimum criteria for this 13 determination shall include, but not be limited to findings that the project meet an essential public purpose, provides facilities in response to the demands of growth and is not itself a growth genera- tor, is available for use by the general public, serves the needs of the local community and is a not - for -profit venture " Although the RFR proposal meets most of these criteria it clearly does not meet the not - for -profit requirement. Therefore, under this interpretation the RFR proposal is subject to Commercial GMP. If this interpre- tation is made, the Applicant will have to submit a request for the terminal on August 1st for a multi -year allotment (about 10,000 s.f. in a zone allowing 3,000 s.f. per year). In the opinion of the applicant, this approach puts the entire project at risk. Another way of looking at the growth manage- ment issue is to ask what impacts we are interested in addressing in applying the quota system to the project. Will it be useful to score the terminal building under the commercial quota system addressing, to a limited degree/the service issues and design questions? Would it be preferable to apply the essential community facilities exemption to the entire project, which requires that the applicant mitigate the employee housing, parking, road, water, sewer, drainage and environmental impacts of the project and be visually compatible with surrounding areas? From the standpoint of which review procedure is best for dealing with this project, it seems clear to us that the essential facili- ties exemption is much more to the point. However, this exemption specifically "shall not be applied to lodge or commercial developments" according to the language of Section 24-11.2(e). Therefore, despite our better judgement, we see no choice but to find that this project be considered a commercial development, subject to the annual quota limitations of Section 24-11.1(g). The only alternative we see to this finding would be a Code amendment revising the criteria for 14 what constitutes an essential public facility and to remove the not -for -profit aspect of the exemption language. Compatibility with Past and Current Plans - Virtually all of Aspen's major planning efforts from 1966 to the current 1986 transportation work have identified fixed rail as a desirable way of moving people in the valley. Many of the past planning efforts were done prior to movement of Aspen Area employees Down Valley and, as such, focused on rail transit between Aspen, Snowmass and the Airport. More recent plans and the current transportation work have recognized the residential shift Down Valley and called for investigating rail transit on what is known as the Rio Grande Railroad right-of-way. The Roaring Fork Railroad proposal has two aspects to it -- regional or valley transit which is consistent with past and current plans; and inter -city (Denver to Aspen) train service which has not been specifically pursued in past plans. It is the staff's opinion that inter -city train service of a very limited nature (one train per day) is not inconsistent with past and current transportation thinking. Therefore, it is the staff's opinion that the Roaring Fork Railroad proposal is compatible with past and current "transportation" plans. As an additional level of information, the applicant should investigate past decisions concerning the Aspen Area portion of the Rio Grande right-of-way including BOCC resolutions at the time of right-of- way purchase and any City decisions which may indicate the range of acceptable future uses of the railroad right-of-way. RECOMMENDATION: Conceptually staff recommends approval of the RFR proposal. Staff finds that the proposal is mainly consistent with prior and current transportation plans and studies in the Roaring Fork Valley. An alternate mode of transportation and especially an alternate transportation corridor within the Valley may have the potential to reduce automobile traffic, reduce air pollution, and increase summer and off-season visitorship, although it is not certain that any of these important community goals will be realized by the operation of the proposed railroad. While the Planning Office conceptually supports the RFR plan, we feel that the following eight issues are of such critical importance that the results of study and mitigation techniques will determine whether we can continue to support the proposal: 1. The feasibility and auto disincentive effects of commuter service. 2. The train's effects on traffic flow of Mill Street, Puppy Smith Street and (potentially) Spring Street and traffic service level impacts on all roads and intersections around 15 the Rio Grande site. 3. Processing of a commercial GMP application for the depot or GMP Exemption for an essential public facility entire railroad project. 4. Evaluation of public risks and expenses, including the economic feasibility of the Roaring Fork Railroad, gu- arantees for appropriate restoration of impacted areas (both for long-term operation of the train and if it is an economic failure) and cost sharing. 5. Realignment of the Rio Grande Trail. 6. Effects of locomotive idling on Valley air pollution. 7. Noise pollution in the valley. 8. Improvements and alterations to the sewer trunk line in the Rio Grande trail alignment. The recommended conditions for conceptual SPA approval are as follows: 1. A study shall be submitted analyzing the RFR proposal's potential for reducing vehicular traffic on State Highway 82 if (1) train comes to Rio Grande site; and (2) train terminates at Woody Creek or Airport. 2. The applicant shall submit as part of the Precise SPA plan a theoretical commuter rail service operating plan including capital and operating costs, station/park and ride loca- tions, time schedules, fare schedule, projected ridership, proposed operating entity and other pertinent information which will assist the City, County and RFTA in determining the value of commuter rail service. 3. The applicant shall submit as part of the Precise SPA plan a transportation study of the combined impacts of the RFR Proposal and proposed City uses of the Rio Grande property on the streets and intersections surrounding the site. 4. The applicant shall submit a commercial GMP application in conjunction with the Precise SPA plan. 5. The Precise SPA plan shall include an economic feasibility study including disclosure of the current and proposed RFR capital and operating costs for the purpose of evaluating the applicant's ability to construct and operate this proposal. Included in this study will be an economic analysis justifying the need of an 18 car train. 16 6. The applicant shall work with the City and County staff regarding the function and location for the Rio Grande Trail, Snowdump and Rio Grande Playing Field and shall submit the relocation plans as part of the Precise SPA Plan. 7. The applicant shall estimate costs and propose private/pub- lic cost sharing for all of the public improvements, reloca- tion, and alternations associated with the proposal, including, but not limited to the sewer trunk line, Rio Grande Trail, Snowdump, Impound Lot, Rio Grande Playing Field and all other impacted utilities to assist the City, County and appropriate special district in evaluating public expenses of the project. 8. The applicant shall prepare an engineering study as part of the Precise SPA plan of the effects of the rail systems on the sewer trunk line and methods of mitigating problems, if any, as acceptable to the Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District. 9. The applicant shall work with all City and private utility companies to develop an acceptable utilities plan. 10. A drainage plan acceptable to the City Engineer shall be submitted as part of the Precise SPA Plan. 11. The following environmental studies and mitigation plans shall be prepared to the satisfaction of the Environmental Health Department as part of the Precise SPA Plan: a. Noise (including the effect on the music tent) b. Air pollution resulting from locomotive operation and idling in the Roaring Fork Valley as per operation plan. C. Water pollution hazards as discussed in Tom Dunlop's August 18, 1986 memorandum. d. Disruption of mine tailings and dumps. e. Solid waste generation and management. 12. The applicant shall submit, as part of the Precise SPA Plan, a site plan, landscaping plan and building design techniques to mitigate visual impacts of the development. 13. The applicant shall investigate reducing the number and of length of tracks on the Rio Grande site. 14. The Applicant shall indicate how many employees shall be generated by this proposal and how employee housing require- 17 ments will be addressed. 15. The applicant shall explore the potential for shared use of the terminal structure facility, especially uses which are part of the Rio Grande Plan. 16. The applicant shall submit an Emergency Response Plan to the satisfaction of the Public Safety Board. TB.10 m r MEMORANDUM To: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker, Planning Office From: Chuck Roth, Assistant City Engineer C-r- Date: August 21, 1986 Re: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA This memo follows up on the memo of August 19 and contains comments in response to request for additional information. 1. You first question was in regards to culverting, rerouting, etc. the drainage channels and settling ponds. This topic was broadly covered in item 7 of the above referenced memo which talked about mitigating drainage impacts. The applicant will need to provide for maintaining those drainage facilities either at their current locations or at alternate locations approved by this department. 2. If a playing field were to be located at the snowdump site, I don't see any problem with bringing the area next to the river up to required grade. Note that the area and contours in that vicinity have been changed by channel widening work. The work would require stream margin and Army Corps approvals. Please note that in other memoes from this department, we have discussed the intention and desire to extend the Rio Grande trail along this side of the river in order to continue the riverside trail which currently ends at the Art Museum and takes up again on the other side of the river near the impound lot. In memoes regard- ing the snowdump, we have suggested pulling the dump back from the edge of the river, installing berms and landscaping along the top, and installing the trail alongside the river. If the impound lot is removed from its current site, it provides an excellent platform for dumping snow, and we may be able to still dump snow there even with the loss of area from channel widening and from pulling the snow dump back from the edge of the river. cc: Jay Hammond. City Engineer CR/cr/rr.2 CITY a!N ASPE 130 south galena street aspen, colorado 81611 303-925 -2020 M E M O R A N D U M TO: Tom Baker & Steve Burstein, Planning Office FROM: Tim Vanatta, Leisure Services Director DATE: August 21, 1986 RE: Roaring Fork Railroad Project AUG 2 11986 "1y staff and I have had the opportunity to review the Roaring Fork Railroad plan as it relates to the Rio Grande playing field. The report indicates that the playing field would be eliminated and possibly moved to the northern section of the property adjacent to the Roaring Fork River. First of all, let me state that this particular playing field is a viable facility as related to our comprehensive recreation program. The following is a list of activities that are conducted on the field: 1) Girl's softball 2) LaCrosse (men's & women's) 3) Rugby (practice $ games) 4) High school soccer 5) Youth soccer 6) League softball (back-up field) 7) Tournaments 8) Potential flag football league 9) Special events Consequently, the impact on losing this field would hinder our ability to effectively schedule the above activities. It is also staff's initial opinion that the area designated as a substitute area for the playing field would not be large enough to insert a regulation size soccer, rugby, football field or a combination multi -purpose field. .f Ob n ^2 e-A-<� 7� a"2, " �-C Buz. � �52 .�� �'1.c.✓t-e�e.. G✓�..2-2 �� OL 0 M �9L c e.vrLe d. a 6 cgu,k Y-/, S Ae,IZcr, z Qa` /-��-�� �_�L a - <X`%b CIO�- •t- Su ng- Gc� Y CtJ `Z� � � dos s � �� �► � S�a'`�.., �7 - MEMORANDUM 11 D ►f "low T0: City Attorney ' City Engineer Aspen Water Department Environmental Health Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District Roaring Fork Transit FROM: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker, Planning Office RE: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Review Parcel ID#2737-073-00-032 Case No. 38A-86 DATE: July 29, 1986 Attached for your review is an application submitted by Sunny Vann on behalf of the Roaring Fork Railroad Company, requesting Conceptual SPA approval for the purpose of establishing train service to Aspen which will include a train station in town and its ancillary tracks. This application is for the City portion of the system. The County portion will be reviewed independently as a 1041 review procedure. Conceptual SPA is a very preliminary point in the review process, during which the general intent and design approach to the project is established. It is also the time when the referral agencies identify the issues which they want the applicant to study at the subsequent stage, precise SPA.. Therefore, please provide us with comments on studies you wish to have conducted, information you require, and problems you foresee in serving this project. Please note also that we will be putting forward a plan for the entire Rio Grande Property, to be considered by P&Z and the Council at the same time as this proposal. Please review this material and return your referral comments to the Planning Office no later than August 18th. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call Steve or Tom. Thank you. ri,F,c6 /ip-e /IAA-y G QA-c4A.,,.s h. /► 14 TOA' 116 ?7tt t " AAc r Jp ilta TALI► 01- 7NP /�/jtw i rs 'Ay :4 r d-r K A.I - fir P k o'7 T a et c f t y op T v i hl e lY1! 7`►e 4 /v L A .-T. S � 7�' r t+ P- 'c- / A- mr / j- /i / 4." 3 r. A - D ?'/t r A- / ^ N t K e % /1 v ♦ 00y S ,.y / ? # a?'is RxT i•- TNT' VI —e r Y 0 1' ?rte 0<5& r arp4-& . TNes►t /-i t s 4oid.6.._ P A4 IS &- A t y /i A ►" Q r o fj At 1 b r A is / /3 /a % s s i a - Y Vt�s��.�lt l�rFt.�,�s�/-► �cr•�.ss ofi S1'�o^.��R. P�r'c� A.GS ti �A,I- A . /J-04 * k-.A--- ]ROARING r®Rz RAX LROAD Robert Brunkan's (Brunkan & Associates) art deco rendering of a vista -dome car interior. The original colored rendering may be viewed at the Roaring Fork railroad office at 601 E. Hyman, along with other railcar and engine models on display. They are like the ones we will be using and refurbishing over the next year. Come by anytime! EVENTS — The social side of the tracks is somewhat quiet during the holiday season, however, we'll keep you updated on future Railroad social happenings. — The Roaring Fork Railroad posters are still available, free of charge, at our office at 601 E. Hyman Avenue, Aspen, Colorado. Our T-shirt sup- ply has been exhausted, however, we plan to have a winter season version available in the near future. — Bill Keese, our Director of Marketing has re- turned to his home in Austin, Texas, however, he will continue as an outside Railroad Marketing Consultant. We express our thanks to Bill for a job well done. TAFF John R Parten, President Noel McGaughey, Vice -President CA. Bedinger, Ph.D. Consultant Environmental & Public Affairs Deborah Bitterman, Director of Administration & Community Affairs Cindy Travis, Administrative Assistant ;� S ROARING FORK RAILROAD P.O. BOX 4869 ASPEN, CO 81612 Chuck Roth Asst. City Engineer 130 S. Galena Aspen CO 81611 BULK RATE U.S.POSTAGE PAID ASPEN, CO 81611 PERMIT NO. 135 pzA► CO • — We are currently in the process of moving all our cars to a secured storage site in Denver and plans include having all our rolling stock in Denver by the end of the year. Several sites in Denver are being viewed for both overhauling the cars and servicing the trains once operations begin. Our plans are to decide on a facility site and staff by the end of the year and begin work in January of 1987. — The Roaring Fork Railroad Board of Directors met on Saturday, November 8th in Aspen. The Directors of the Board include: Randy Parten, President and Treasurer; Noel McGaughey, Vice - President and Secretary; William Phillips, John Rhodes, Michael Sarsynski Jr. and Chuck Carleton. Deborah Bitterman was elected as the Assistant Secretary to the Board. — The next Directors meeting is scheduled for December 13th in Denver. RAELBUS RIDERS PRIORITIZE CONVENIENCE The Roaring Fork Railroad Company com- missioned Stratton and Associates of Denver, Colorado to conduct a study of down valley residents who work in Aspen and commute on a regular basis. The survey was conducted from September 23 through September 25, 1986, and has a margin or error of +/- 4.5 percent, giving a 95 percent confidence level. Not surprisingly, parking in Aspen is the most widely perceived problem associated with transportation in the valley. Almost 9 out of 10 people believe parking is a problem. Convenience is the most important factor with people who commute to Aspen. Ninety percent of the commuters consider convenience very im- portant. Assuming that a railbus system provided convenient stops and ran at convenient times, two out of three commuters indicated they would utilize such a service. The poll provides solid evidence that wide spread dissatisfaction exists relative to local trans- portation and a transportation alternative should be well received. An extrapolation of survey data suggests that as many as 708 people would use a commuter rail service as their primary method of getting to and from work. Larger numbers may be obtained once additional information about the system has been disseminated. However, on calculations for cost purposes, we're using a daily ridership figure of between 400-450 people per day. THROUGH THE HOOPS — On Monday, November 1Otti, the Roaring Fork Railroad met with the Aspen City Council to review the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendations regarding our conceptual spe- cial permit application (S.P.A.) as appropriate. The Council reviewed approximately one-third of the conditions at that meeting. On December 3rd, the City Council will reconvene at City Hall at 5:00 p.m. to continue their review process. Pub- lic comments are welcome and all interested parties are invited to attend. — Immediately following the City Council process, the Roaring Fork Railroad and Planning Con- sultant, Sunny Vann, will meet with the City Planning Department to determine submission requirements for review of precise S.P.A. plans in the City and the County 1041 process. MEDIA COVERAGE In addition to local media coverage the following are of interest: — On November 12th, KUSA channel 9 T.V. in Denver provided news coverage on their 5:00 p.m. report featuring the Roaring Fork Railroad. — One of the major news networks has contacted us regarding a special story on private railroad ventures. — The November 13th Denver Post business section published an article on the Roaring Fork Railroad's proposal and current status. RAILWAY COMMUNIQUE Volume 1, No. 4 VOTERS SUPPORT TRAIN REFERENDUM �k*n Tuesday, November 4th, the citizens of Aspen and Pitkin County voted overwhelmingly to support both the concept of passenger train service from Denver's Stapleton Airrort to Aspen, and the down valley commuter railbus system. The voter support on the City referendum was 65% for the train and 35% against. In the County the referendum passed with a margin of 69% for and 3 1 % opposed. Prior to the election both the Aspen Times and the Aspen Daily News editorially endorsed a favorable vote on both the City and the County ballots. The Aspen Resort Association and the Aspen Restaurant Association also voted to endorse the train concept. Susan Musgrove and the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, with many local businesses and individuals placed a full -page ad in the Aspen Times urging the citizens of Pitkin County to support the train. On Thursday prior to the election, Stephen Albouy and Ray Pewtress col- lected an entire page of individuals, listing their number of years residency in Pitkin County and displayed it in the Aspen Times. On election eve, Randy and Lynne Parten hosted an election watch party at the Railroad's office. Over a hundred friends attended to watch the election returns and celebrate the overwhelming voter support. ROARING FORK RAILROAD RAILWAY COAUMIUMQUE Published for the public to provide news and information about the Roaring Fork Railroad Co. Requests for further information should be addressed to: Deborah Bitterman Public Affairs Roaring Fork Railroad P.O. Box 4869 Aspen, CO 81612 (303) 925-5241 November/December, 1986 We wish to express our deep appreciation to all the individuals and institutions who publicly supported the Railroad in this referendum. Your support enables the train and the railbus pro- posals to continue the long process of approval. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE! BUSINESS HAPPENINGS DOMES COME HOME — Noel McGaughey, Vice -President reports that sixteen stainless steel railroad cars, including six vista dome cars from the California Zephyr, have been purchased by Randy Parten and are being brought back to the Rocky Mountains. The six vista dome cars were named the Silver Bridle, the Silver Lodge, the Silver Stirrup, the Silver Colt, the Silver Mustang and the Silver Pony when they were in service on the California Zephyr. — Currently we own 39 passenger cars which represents 85% of the total needs of the Railroad. We have acquired two large blocks of cars, 16 from the Alaska Railroad and 16 from a private owner in Ohio. The cars purchased from the Alaska Railroad were built by the Budd Company between 1946 and 1956. The rolling stock, now includes 9 vista domes, 2 observations, 5 diners, 1 sleeper and 22 coaches. Page 22-B The Aspen Times ber 20, 1986 another voice jon busch deserve answers Colorado Land Use Commis- sion Chairman, McLain Flats re- sident and railroad opponent David Dominick last appeared in this paper on September 25. His statements then urged voters to reject the railroad ballot question because "the Rio Grande Trail is the single most important piece of open space in Pitkin County." Dominick's "Opinion" of November 13, though concilia- tory, argued that it must be clear- ly proven the railroad will make money before City/County gov- ernments approve such a project — again he alludes to loss of the Rio Grande Trail. Ridership he says is the issue, and the figures as he presents them lead to the conclusion that it is likely insuffi- cient. This argument is not new. It was made a number of times prior to the November 4 election. The obvious answer, that it is the rail - If Aspen received a regional road's money, that investors will not place money in an uneconomic ._ transit center which could house venture, is perhaps a bit too facile. downtown airline ticket counters, Opponents such as Eve Homeyer baggage check -in, and airline have vowed to fight the railroad to shuttles, we could achieve a signi- its death and this argument on ficant traffic reduction on high- the surface gives them a weapon to undermine the electorate's will. The truth be known, though history is strewn with miscalcu- lated investments, railroad eco- nomics begs the question from train questions A There are really two questions. First, do we want a downvalley commuter rail system? Second, do we want a regional transit center on the Rio Grande property? It is reasonable to assume, by virtue of the two to one passage of the rail- road ballot question in both the City and County, that the answer is yes. Voters saw past opponents' deceptive claims that the Rio Grande trail would be lost. The State Highway Depart- ment has indicated that Aspen will unlikely receive a four -lane highway before the turn of the century. It is clearly in our best interest to implement an alter- nate transit corridor before that time. If it can be capitalized (built) without public funds, it would be a gift beyond compare. The question of who pays to oper- ate it is secondary. All light rail systems (which is what a down - valley system would be) cost less to operate per passenger mile than any bus — period! egeranium/ •n runrhine way 82. Regional buses and char- ters could reduce pollution and congestion along Durant Street if routed to a Rio Grande Transit Center. If all of this is important to our future, as I believe it is, then the real question is how to quarantee its completion. This guarantee is achieved through performance bonds and has been seen as essen- tial by all parties from the rail- road project's very inception. The factors which are truly of paramount importance to us then, are these. The railroad track and station must be completed and in- clude all transit elements. The performance bond must quaran- tee that, should the Roaring Fork Railroad fail, the Transit Center Terminal Building and track would revert to the City of Aspen. Finally, it must guarantee that downvalley commuter vehicles would also revert to the City. Dominick is right when he says that we should move beyond our "romantic enthusiasms" about the train. The Denver/Aspen train is an attractive alternative to the bus or plane. It will arrive 'reliably no matter what the weather. It will give Aspen an edge in a very competitive tourist industry. I wish Roaring Fork Railroad luck, but its financial success or failure is of less concern than the guarantee that it gets built and becomes ours if neces- sary. PRE -THANKSGIVING SALE 20% off Storewide selected items up to 75 % off Includes all Christmas gifts, cards, ornaments, jewelry, children's, art -to -wear (special orders excluded) 12 noon-5 pm • Mon -Sat Ajax Mt Bldg • 925-6641 Than]. a Great at the Histori - join u1c Thank Your cho. and other 11 AM to For reser 18r aspen - - - ters should approve city hall bonds The first question on Aspen's special election ballot August 12 will ask voter approval for issuance of up to $2.2 million in general obliga- tion bonds for renovating and building an addi- tion to city hall. A decision to renovate the historic structure as well as construct an addition was made by the city council last winter after receiving a detailed facility study conducted by Interplan, a Denver consulting firm, and Gibson & Reno, Aspen architects. The 120-page report discussed existing con- ditions, which the council already knew to be intolerable, as well as two alternatives: renova- tion with construction of full basement for the existing building only, or renovation of the top three floors of the building plus construction of an annex in the rear. speak rill prosecute lest extent of requesting [own because :) have lambs of this lamb t of their top .is marked to ould be keep - her family e of the best en raised on t the time of nonths old to •ounger than 1 is killed for ould not have this death is thing to be t because our !n brought in :ly so that we n easier. If we n in it could !n our entire vn the drain ney we have maders consid- es of letting nd ask them- og have done en allowed to eel your dog )e the culprit. If it was a coyote then the Gredig family will probably simply step up its campaign to be allowed to use poisons and other methods to rid the world of coyotes that kill domestic animals for sport and not food. Sincerely, Ali Elias, Pam Woolley, Melissa Miller Emma, Colo survival domain Dear Editor: It is a comfort to know that from this day forth we in Aspen can receive the benison of something called Domain Shift. It is locally available at the hands of the latest group of liberation- theologues to migrate here, The Alive Tribe. See John Colson's coverage, Aspen Times, July 24. Ask yourself how long you have flopped, floundered, and frittered in the straight jacket bondage of Survival Domain? Spent half your life in it, have you? Well, no more! Up, up and away to Living domain! Like butterflies, warmed on the bronze temple bell we fly up and away to the Gardens of Shalimar, where there ain't no hive consciousness, pardners, no traditional groove or channel ever to be stuck in again, no villainous After much deliberation over several weeks, the council decided it w be better to build the addition than the ba ent and the costs would be roughly the same if construction took place over two fiscal years. Since we agree with the council that it would be less pleasant to work or meet in a basement than above ground, we approved its decision. Some people may object to construction of another building, but we agree it is justified by the improvement in working conditions. . There can be no question, however, about the need for renovation of the existing space or creation of new space. The building now is too small, and the space, after years of remodeling to create more offices, is a rabbit warren of odd -sized rooms, often needing access from other rooms. The building does not meet fire codes, has poor air circulation, provides a poor working environment and poor circulation. But above all there is not enough space to efficiently meet current needs, let alone those in the future. It would behoove Aspen voters to approve the bond issue on August 11 to permit the renova- tion and new construction. architects of society. Let's face it, we have lain around here in Aspen like drones, spoon fashion like the captives in the hold of a slaver, hag ridden with the guilty knowledge that none of us deserves to live in such a marvelous place. But lo, our redeemers cometh, self -described scouts, crossing plains like the Maps of Hell, exploring new ways for humanity to evolve. Avast there, Survival Domain! No more will we drink the old failed wine. As for bodily felt experience there has always been plenty of that around here (who, is the nomenclator of this group?) and Aspen is noted in some circles for releasing just a heck of a lot of limited reality and sourcing the limitless expanding new possibi- lities. Cantrup comes to mind. It is just our luck that all good names for members have been gobbled up. Laser and Rain Nightsky would have been my pick. Aligned with love, Gordon Forbes Aspen, Colo i�1nf_f train service 31 Dear Editor: I would like to offer my support for the passenger train line prop- osal from Glenwood Springs to Aspen, and from Denver to Glen- wood Springs. I feel that the train would greatly enhance travel to Aspen from Denver. And, as one who commutes 22 miles to and from Aspen each morning and evening, I strongly endorse the concept of a commuter train in the valley. May hospital and town =m- ployees travel Highway 82 daily, as share my concerns. Let us hope that the two obstacles you have mentioned as concerns, housing along the line and use of the Rio Grande trail, are resolved in the interest of the entire community. Best wishes on this endeavor Sincerely, Stephen S. Swanson Acting Administrator Aspen Valley Hospital elks picnic Dear Editor: The Elks selected a typical gorgeous Aspen day (last Sunday) in which to invite the local Seniors to their annual summer picnic. I am still trying to decide which part of the sumptuous meal and the variety of entertainment I liked the best. Ed Compton Aspen, Colorado c ?"Ln �c cm .3 a ` o� a . >�°=3°°'L= � n o �+ �@ Y c'1 � ° 6yi CL E r. p �y .00 O O C CO ° `` p pp CD 0 cl O 10 a Daa$oEo c ,E �vO E ° , �s c ca c ro ooc � o:: Q y cz aU u ro as E oa' ro O OC c C� R.0 C «. N v i.. 'a •� C 4J Q) °o EEro Q CC °y�: U 0. On 'in 0 O Qj O C❑ aCiZ . ro --y �, C ro t ,.a •. ar as ro p ro ° T O Q ° c M d n of o a� Z m x 5.54°� .¢� Ou °•G a v> > .0 ccl O O T ro 'O ° .'� T .^ �- cC co r ..`.. 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Barton-Aschman Associates, Inc. 720 Brazos Street Suite 403 Austin, Texas 78701 512-476-1600 9 January 1987 Mr. Chuck Roth Aspen Engineering Department 130 South Galena Aspen, Colorado 81612 Dear Mr. Roth: I appreciate very much the time we spent on the phone yesterday regarding the background issues on potential transportation impacts of the proposed Roaring Fork Railroad operations. As I indicated, Mr. Sunny Vann has requested a proposal from Barton-Aschman to conduct certain elements of the studies required by the City Council resolution of 12/11/86 granting conceptual approval for the developer's plan. We will be submitting our proposal to him shortly. We look forward to undertaking these study elements and appreciate your offer to provide basic data on traffic counts and transit ridership available at this time. As you requested, I am enclosing some of our promotional literature which will provide some additional information on Barton-Aschman's capabilities and experience. I'm sure that we will have additional requests for information and discussions regarding the study effort. In the meantime, should you have any further thoughts or questions, please do not hesitate to call. Sincerely, B=N-ASCCMAN ASSOCIATES, INC. 6Get James H. Vance, P.E. Senior Associate Enclosures IU Aspen Consolidated Sanitation (District 565 North Mill Street Aspen, Colo 611 Tele. (303) 925-3601 J V Tele. (303) 925-2537 SEP2S 1987 .Y %c = .,1NEER �O COLORP September 23, 1987 Roaring Fork Railroad 601 East Hyman Avenue P. 0. Box 4869 Aspen, Colorado 81612 To Whom it may concern: I understand that the Roaring Fork Railroad is contemplating building a train station in the Woody Creek area. This proposed train station is very near the 50 acres that the Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District owns and uses for the dumping of their sludge. There is some odor involved with the sludge and to disembark train passengers there may not be the best image of Aspen. I just wanted to make the railroad aware of this problem so that there will be no surprises. The land for the sludge site was bought in 1977 from Wink Jaffee and went through all the approval process with planning and zoning, county commissioners etc. and the various permits required from the State Board of Health. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Sincerely � Q Heiko Kuhn, Manager Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District cc: Jay Hammond, City Engineer cc: Alan Richmond, Planning and Zoning cc: Bob Nelson/Tom Dunlop cc: Planning and zoning Commission cc: County Commissioners Page 8-A The Aspen Times February 26, 1987 Downval le Fail y road boosters ride the rails by committB Jo committee y John Colson A group of citizens from the Carbondale area, plus a few from Aspen and Glenwood Springs, is working to make the proposed Roaring Fork Railroad a reality. The informal group is known as the Carbondale Roaring Fork Railroad Task Force, "but we call ourselves the Trainees," re- marked Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Director Susan Mus- grove. Although the group is not for- mally related to either the cham- ber or the town board of trustees, Musgrove and Carbondale Town Board member Hank Busby head up the group of some 35-40 volun- teers. The group has identified a list of projects to assist the organizers of the railroad itself (see related railroad update, page 9-A.) First on the Trainees' list, Mus- grove said, is to find a suitable location for the proposed Carbon- dale train depot. The depot, which is to be the train's major stop in the mid - valley area, is expected to be lo- cated in the downtown area some- where. Musgrove said a group of Trainees walked the railroad route last week, from the County Road 106 bridge over the Roaring Fork in Sutank to the Snowmass Drive coal bypass road at the east- ern edge of town, looking for prospective sites. One potential site already named is the area around the in- tersection of Eighth Street and the railroad tracks, near where RFRR President Randy Parten stopped last fall when he packed several rail cars with valley resi- dents and gave them a com- plimentary ride from Denver to Carbondale. Another potential site, men- tioned by town board members, business owners and citizens alike, is the area where the rails pass through the center of town and near the main downtown shopping core. Musgrove said the Task Force also plans to work on a design for the depot; an "impact analysis" concerning how the depot might affect business in the downtown area and what revitalization efforts would complement the de- pot; and a survey to determine the potential ridership of a proposed commuter railbus service that would operate between Glenwood Springs and Aspen. The Task Force formed in late January, Musgrove said, in re- sponse to calls to the chamber of commerce from local citizens ea- ger to help the railroad establish itself. The list of volunteers includes architects, urban planners, en- gineers, builders, draftsmen, artists and a couple of video pro- ducers, to name but a few, Mus grove said. "Here we had all this talen who wanted to help, so we decide( to use it," Musgrove said. In addition, the town board Iasi year passed a resolution in sup- port of the railroad, saying it would be of significant social an economic benefit to the town. Musgrove said the Task Force has its own newsletter, published on an "as needed" basis, to inform its membership about any new de- velopments in the drive to bring a train to Carbondale. Further up valley, in the Basalt and E1 Jebel areas, there has been discussion of railbus stops at Wingo Junction (where the tracks cross Highway 82, near the bridge over the Roaring Fork River) and possibly in the townsite of Emma once the Basalt Bypass is built, according to Town Manager Jerry L'Estrange. L'Estrange said he intends to contact Musgrove to arrange a working relationship between Basalt and the Task Force. He said the Basalt Town Board has indicated it supports the idea of a railroad from Denver to Aspen, and particilarly the re- lated proposal for a commuter railbus service up and down the Roaring Fork Valley. Both L'Estrange and Musgrove said it would be best if the efforts of their respective towns were combined. everyone reads the times I F--P--ubl notic DISTRICT COURT, COUNTY OF rl I'KIN. SPATE OF COLORADO Case No 84 CV 308 SHERIFF'S NOTICEci SALE-SALENUMBER 47( 70 UNEMPLOYMENT OMPENSATION SYS- TEMS, INC, a Louisiana corrppooration, and JOE A TERRELL and AL J RANSOME, Plaintiffs, v THE SUCCESSION OFRODRIC nRlrsuvv1t . H MAS rHE� PUBLIC �TRUSTEE OF PIOTK N COLORADO, Defendant. the Findings, Judgment and Decree in re entered December 30, 1986, effective r 14, 1986, in favor of defendant, THE 510N OF RODRIC D BUSHNELL, MEL- 1SHNELL,_EXECUTRIX, and aeainst UONTROL SYSTEMS, INC, a L-u- -,- a corpora d tion, and JOE A TERRELL and AL J RANSVME in the above -entitled action, and the Writ of S cial Execution contained therein. I am ordered sell the following real property, which is situates in Pitkin County, Colorado: Lot 100, MOUNTAIN VALLEY SUBDIVISION THIRD FILING, together with an easement across the Northwest corner of Lot 99. as shown on the plat thereof re- corded in Plat Book 4, at Page 186; also known as street and number 711 Mountain Laurel Drive, Aspen, Colorado. I shall offer for public sale to the hi hest bidder for cash, at public auction, all the rig�t, title and interest of the plaintiffs in said property on March 17, 1987, at ten 110:00) o'clock, am, at the South front door of the Pitkin County Courthouse, 506 East Main Street, in Aspen, Pitkin County, Colora- do. This notice supersedes the Amended Sheriffs Notice of Sale No (86-6361)87-6370. signed by me on January 23, 1987, and the date of sale described therein. Signed February 17, 1987. ROBERT C BRAUDIS SHERIFF OF PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO By Marta Jean Steinmetz First Publication: February 19, 1987 Deputy Second Publication: February 26, 1987 Third Publication: March 5, 1987 Last Publication: March 12, 1987 BARRY D EDWARDS 600 East Hopkins, Suite 301 Aspen, CO 81611 (303)925-9180 Attorney for Defendant, The Succession of Rodric d Bushnefl, Melba C Bushnell, Executrix Published in the Aspen Times February 19, 26, March 5, 12, 1987, AMENDED NOTICE OF UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE FORECLOSURE SALE NOTICE eb ven that MELBA CASEY BU HNELLsandrESTATE OF RODRIC D BUSH- NELL ("secured party") will sell at public foreclo. sure sae the below described personal property. l Sale will be to the highest bidder for cash or funds in other form satisfactory to the secured party. The sale will be held pursuant to Sec 4-9-504, CRS (Colorado Uniform Commercial Code), and the terms of the Security Agreement and Financing Statement dated December 9, 1983, between Un. employment Compensation Control Systems, Inc, a Corporation ("debtor") and secured arty, re- corded in the Pitkin Countyy, Colorado records under Reception No 255748, on December 16, 1983. The Security Agreement and Financing Statement secure in part debtor's obligation to se- cured party arising out of a Promissory note dated Auggust 16, 1983 in the original principal amount of $I,000,000.00, payable to the order of secured ppnrty; which promissory note is a subject of the findings, Judgment and Decree in Foreclosure en- tered in Civil Action No 84 CV 308, Pitkin Countyy District Court, Colorado, on December 30, 1986, effective November 14, 1986. This foreclosure sale will take Place at 1000 o'clock am on March 17, 1987, at the South front door of the Pitkin County Courthouse, 506 East Main Street, Aspen, Colorado 81611. This foreclw e sale ma-v one be postponed without further notice byannouncement of such postponement at the time and place of the on finally scheduled sale (THIS NOTICE SUPERSEDES THE NOTICE OF UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE FORECLO- SURE SALE SIGNED BY ME ON FEBRUARY 11, 1987, AND THE DATE OF SALE DE- SCRIBED THEREIN.) THE PROPERTY TO BE SOLD CONSISTS OF: A. 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SOX 4860 ASPEN, COLORADO 81612 (303) 9•'6.6241 July 14, 1986 Mr. Alan Richman Planning and Development Director Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office 130 South Galena St. Aspen, Co 81611 Re: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Application Dear Mr. Richman: Attached for the Planning Office's review are fifteen (15) copies of the referenced application and a check in the amount of $2,275.00 for payment of the application fee. Please note that in addition to the SPA/conceptual submission fee, the check provides for the application's anticipated referral costs. Should additional referrals be required, please advise and we will gladly provide the appropriate fee. As you may know, our objective is to initiate passenger service between Denver and Aspen in November of 1987. If we are to meet this schedule, it is imperative that the referendum regarding the Rio Grande and Shapery properties be held as soon as possible. Any assistance which the Planning Office can provide with respect to expediting the review of our application and the subsequent referendum would be sincerely appreciated. Should you have any questions regarding our if we can be of any further assistance, please do contact myself or our project planner, Mr. Sunny V of myself and the project team, thank you and your assistance in this matter. Very Truly Yours, ROARING F K OA John R. Parten President Attachment JSH application, or not hesitate to ann. On behalf staff for your AN APPLICATION FOR CONCEPTUALLY SPECIALLY PLANNED AREA APPROVAL FOR THE RIO GRANDE AND SHAPERY PROPERTIES Prepared for ROARING FORK RAILROAD COMPANY 601 E. Hyman Ave., Suite 103 Aspen, Colorado 81611 (303)925-5241 Prepared by VANN ASSOCIATES Planning Consultants 210 S. Galena St., Suite 24 Aspen, Colorado 81611 (303)925-6958 and HAGMAN YAW ARCHITECTS LTD. 210 S. Galena St., Suite 24 Aspen, Colorado 81611 (303)925-2867 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW 3 A. Equipment 4 B. Service 5 III. DEVELOPMENT PLAN 6 A. Shapery Property 7 B. Trueman Property 8 C. Mill and Puppy Smith Streets 9 D. Rio Grande Property 10 E. Creektree Property 14 IV. DEVELOPMENT TIMETABLE 15 I. INTRODUCTION As the staff, Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council are by now aware, the Applicants wish to re-establish passenger train service between Denver's Stapleton Airport and the City of Aspen. Conceptually, the Roaring Fork Railroad Company will provide service from Stapleton to Woody Creek utilizing existing railway, specifically, the Union Pacific Rail- road's tracks from the Airport -to downtown Denver and the Denver and Rio Grande Western's tracks from Denver to Glenwood Springs and Woody Creek. The Applicants propose to construct, at their expense, a new crossing over Woody Creek and to extend the exist- ing railway along the old D&RGW right-of-way from Woody Creek to the Rio Grande property in Aspen. The new track will generally follow the D&RGW historic alignment, entering the Aspen city limits at the so-called Shapery property and crossing Puppy Smith Street, the Trueman property and Mill Street to the Rio Grande. In addition to the new track, the Applicants propose to construct passenger stations at the Railroad's Stapleton and Rio Grande terminuses as well as smaller, commuter facilities at Carbondale, Basalt and other appropriate points along the route from Glenwood Springs. As an initial step in achieving the objectives summarized above, the following land use application, submitted pursuant to Section 24-7.3 of the Municipal Code, requests conceptual approv- al to utilize the City -owned Rio Grande and Shapery properties 1 for the proposed railroad's Aspen passenger station and related facilities. The portion of the Rio Grande which the Applicants wish to utilize is currently unzoned while the Shapery parcel (i.e., Lot 3, Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project) is zoned Service/Commercial/Industrial(SCI). Both parcels, however, have been designated with a Specially Planned Area (SPA) overlay, thus necessitating this application for conceptual SPA approval. The City Council granted the Applicants permission to submit a con- ceptual SPA application for the publicly -owned Rio Grande prop- erty at its April 14th meeting. In addition to SPA approval, the City's permission will be required to install tracks in the Puppy Smith and Mill Street right-of-ways, and to utilize a portion of an additional City - owned parcel located adjacent to the Rio Grande property within the Creektree Subdivision. No formal land use approvals are expected to be required in order to utilize the City's streets. The Creektree Subdivision parcel, however, is zoned R-6, Residen- tial and is subject to a previously approved PUD plan. In the event staff determines that an amendment to this plan is re- quired, an appropriate application will be prepared and submitted in conjunction with the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. Similarly, permission will be required in order for the railroad to traverse a portion of the privately -owned Trueman property (i.e., Lot 1, Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project). An amendment to the previously approved SPA plan for this parcel, if 2 required, will also be processed concurrently with the Appli- cants' precise SPA plan application. While the submission requirements for a conceptual SPA ap- plication are left largely to the discretion of the City's Plan- ning Director, the Applicants have attempted to provide suffi- cient information to enable a thorough evaluation of this appli- cation. However, given the obvious complexity of a project of this scope, questions may arise which the Applicants have not anticipated. To the extent that such questions need to be addressed at the conceptual SPA level, as opposed to the precise development plan level, the Applicants would be most happy to provide additional information in the course of the application's review. The following application has been organized so as to facil- itate, to the extent possible, the City's review of the Appli- cant's request. Section II of the application provides a brief overview of the Roaring Fork Railroad's proposed operations while Section III outlines the Applicant's development plan within the City of Aspen. Section IV of the application summarizes the proposed railroad's development timetable. II. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW Presented below is a brief description of the equipment which the Roaring Fork Railroad will utilize and an overview of 3 the level of service which the Applicants' propose to provide. The information contained in this section has been excerpted from the Applicants' previously submitted Roaring Fork Railroad Pro- posal and is provided here primarily as background for the de- velopment plan discussion contained in Section III. The reviewer is referred to this companion document for a more detailed discussion of the Railroad's operations. A. Equipment The Railroad's passenger operation will require two separate trains, each of which will consist of two to three modern diesel/electric locomotives, from seven to thirteen passenger cars, one or two dining cars, one or two baggage cars, and a bar car. The specific composition of the trains will vary according to the day of the week and the season of the year. For example, a weekend, peak season train will typically consist of thirteen passenger cars, two dining cars, a bar car and two baggage cars. In contrast, a weekday, off-season train would require considerably fewer cars. It is anticipated that the locomotives will be leased from, and operated by, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail- road. A fleet of vintage, stainless steel cars, including coaches, vista domes and dining and observation cars, will be purchased, refurbished and staffed by the Applicants. With re- gard to commuter equipment, the Applicants propose to utilize self-propelled diesel cars of a European design. 4 B. Service With respect to passenger service, the Applicants pro- pose to operate a daily train in each direction between Denver and Aspen from November 15th to April 15th and from June 15th to September 15th. Service during the remaining four months of the year (i.e., the so-called off-season) will depend upon market demand. This slack period will allow sufficient time to prepare the Railroad's equipment for peak season use. As currently envisioned, the westbound daily will de- part Denver's Stapleton Airport at 12:00 noon, arriving in Aspen at approximately 7:00 P.M. The eastbound train will depart Aspen daily at 8:00 A.M., and arrive at Stapleton at approximately 3:00 P.M. This schedule will enable a visitor to travel between any major airport in the United States and Aspen in one day. Gate service and baggage handling will be provided by a Stapleton based air carrier which will allow luggage to be checked through from point of origin directly to Aspen. Through airline pass- engers will be transported by the Applicants from the airport to the Stapleton station which will be located conveniently nearby. Passengers originating in the Denver area will be able to park directly at the station and board the train. Each passenger on the daily train will have a choice of three classes of service. Coach class will be the least expen- 5 sive and will guarantee the passenger a reserved seat with smoking preference. Coach passengers will have access to all of the train except the first class section and reserved vista dome seats. Vista Dome class will provide a reserved seat in one of the glass -roofed vista dome cars. Dome passengers will have the same access to the rest of the train as coach passengers. First Class service will provide a particularly high level of pro- fessional service in the rear one or two cars of the train including a round end observation car and, when available, a first class Vista Dome. Access to the First Class section will be restricted to First Class passengers. Local commuter service between Aspen and downvalley communities will be provided on an appropriate schedule which the Applicants will develop cooperatively with the area's local governments. Fares and responsibility for costs will likewise be a subject for negotiation. III. DEVELOPMENT PLAN This section of the application outlines the Roaring Fork Railroad's development plan within the City of Aspen. While the application specifically requests conceptual SPA approval for the Railroad's use of the Rio Grande and Shapery properties, the City's permission will also be required in order to utilize other parcels affected by the Applicants' proposal. Consequently, in 201 order to fully disclose the Applicants' requirements, a conc- eptual description of the development which is proposed to take place on each affected parcel within the City is provided below. A. Shapery Property As discussed in the introduction to this application, the Railroad will enter the Aspen City limits at the point where the Shapery property abuts the Roaring Fork River. A single track will traverse the length of the property, generally follow- ing the historic D&RGW right-of-way. While the installation of the track will require realignment of the exiting Rio Grande trail and pedestrian bridge, sufficient area appears to be avail- able to relocate the trail west of the track and the bridge slightly further downstream. Similarly, preliminary review of the Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project SPA plan indicates that existing utilities will not be adversely impacted by the track's alignment. The above notwithstanding, a detailed an- alysis of trail alignment alternatives and an evaluation of the impact of the railway on existing utilities will be provided in the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. All costs associated with the relocation of the trail, bridge and utilities will be borne by the Applicants. Although the Shapery property was zoned and designated SPA in conjunction with the approval of the Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project, no SPA development plan for the property currently exists. The City purchased the property in 1983 in order to block the previous owner's development of an allowed SCI use. While a railroad is not a permitted use within► the SCI zone district, it is reasonable to assume that the City will rezone the Shapery property to an appropriate category in the event permission to utilize the parcel is granted and an SPA develop- ment plan approved. Inasmuch as the property was purchased with sixth penny, open space funds, a public referendum will be re- quired in order to lease or convey the parcel to the Applicants for the Railroad's use. This referendum should ideally occur following conceptual SPA apprvoal. B. Trueman Property As shown on the accompanying Conceptual SPA Plan, the proposed railroad alignment traverses the northeast corner of Lot 1 of the Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project. The railway splits at this point to provide a second track to service the proposed passenger station to be constructed on the Rio Grande property. Inasmuch as Lot 1 is privately owned, and the existing parking lot will be impacted by the installation of track, the owner's consent will obviously be required in order for the Railroad to utilize the property. As discussed earlier, the City's approval of an amendment to the existing SPA plan for this parcel will also most likely be required. Should the City grant E? conceptual SPA approval for the use of the Shapery and Rio Grande properties, an amendment request, if required, will be submitted concurrent with the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. C. Mill and Puppy Smith Streets To the best of the Applicants' knowledge, no formal land use approvals are required in order for the Railroad to install tracks in a street right-of-way. The City's permission, however, will obviously be required in order to utilize public property. As the Conceptual SPA Plan indicates, a single track will exit the Shapery property, follow the approximate centerline of Puppy Smith Street to the Trueman property where it will split into two tracks which cross Mill street to the Rio Grande. All street crossings will occur at existing grade, thereby eliminat- ing the need to significantly reconstruct either Puppy Smith or Mill Street. Appropriate signals will be installed and the street crossings controlled so as to prevent accidents. The impact of the railway on the underground utilities in the streets will be addressed in detail in the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. All costs associated with the installation of track in Mill and Puppy Smith Streets, the relocation of utilities and the installation of traffic controls will be borne by the Appli- cants. As discussed in Section II.B, passenger service will be limited to two trains per day, the arrival and departure times of 9 which conveniently avoid peak usage of the affected street sys- tem. The temporary blockage of Puppy Smith and Mill Streets would, therefore occur only twice a day, and for periods of less than five minutes at a time. Additional disruption of the traffic flow would obviously occur in conjunction with the Rail- road's commuter service, but would typically be of a shorter duration given the significantly fewer railcars involved. D. Rio Grande Property As the Aspen terminus of the Roaring Fork Railroad, the Rio Grande property will require a variety of physical improve- ments. In addition to installing the necessary railway, the Applicants will construct a passenger station, two rail plat- forms, a transit plaza, parking lots, and an on -site circulation system. As shown on the Conceptual SPA Plan, two tracks will be required in order to accommodate the typical weekend, peak season train, each of which will have convenient access to the adjacent station building. An additional track will be required to service the Railroad's commuter operation while a fourth passing track will be required for locomotive run-bys. The four tracks, station and transit plaza are functionally interrelated. For example, an arriving weekend, peak season train will be split west of the city limnits into two halves. The front ten cars (i.e., seven passenger cars, two baggage cars and the bar car) will be pulled into the station on 10 track number one by three locomotives. The rear eight cars (i.e. six passenger cars and two dining cars) will be pushed into the station on track number two by a single rear locomotive. In extremely cold weather, all four locomotives will be moved uti- lizing track number four to an acceptable location downvalley where their engines will be allowed to idle until morning. In more moderate weather, idling will not be required and the loco- motives will remain in Aspen overnight. Passengers will exit from the front half of the train onto platform number one approximately five to ten minutes ahead of passengers from the train's rear half. Rear passengers will exit onto platform number two and cross the tracks to the station via an underground corridor. The passengers' luggage will be removed from the two forward luggage cars on track number one in containers pre -assigned to each of four luggage areas located in the basement of the station. Skis will be similarly removed from the train, but will be transported to the front of the station for convenient outdoor pickup. The station's baggage area will be designed for rapid pickup and will provide direct access to the transit plaza located immediately in front of the station. As the Conceptual SPA Plan indicates, the transit plaza will contain a separate lane for taxi queing, two lanes with two raised sidewalks to accommodate limo/bus and passenger car wait- ing, and two through lanes to allow vehicles to depart quickly following passenger pickup or dropoff. The transit plaza will be 11 accessed via the so-called Spring Street extension, a proposed public street improvement which has received considerable atten- tion from the City's engineers and planners in recent years. Short term parking for the stations will be provided. While the proposed circulation system is obviously conceptual in nature, the Applicants have attempted to address the basic transportation issues associated with a project of this scope in this location. A detailed analysis of such issues as turning movements, turning radii, pavement widths, signage, the number of short-term parking spaces, etc. will be provided in conjunction with the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. With respect to weekend, peak season departures, passengers will check their skis at the curb and their baggage inside the station. After the passengers have boarded the train, a single locomotive will pull the rear half out of the station. The front half will be pushed from the station by the remaining three locomotives and the two halves connected. The single locomotive will pull the entire train downhill to Glenwood Springs, using the rear locomotives for dynamic braking. The single front locomotive will uncouple at a siding in Glenwood while the three remaining locomotives pull the train to Denver. Although weekday and off-season arrrivals and departures will involve fewer cars, the basic operational pattern will remain essentially the same as outlined above. 12 The passenger station is currently envisioned as a one- story building with a hip roof and dormers. Approximately 7,200 square feet of enclosed space will be provided on the ground floor, while an additional 6,400 square feet of covered space will surround the building under the roof canopy. Architectural- ly, the ground floor will be designed as a large, open space which can also be used for a variety of public purposes when the Railroad is inactive. Portable ticket counters, seating, etc. will be utilized in order to maintain the flexibility of the space. Baggage handling will occcur in the station's basement with the passengers' individual luggage being transported by conveyor to pickup areas which will flank the large central space on the ground floor. A second floor will be located in the station's roof area and will contain the Railroad's offices and dormitory housing for the train's crew. While the Railroad will require a substantial portion of the Rio Grande property for its various facilities, the Applicants' conceptual site plan will allow numerous features of past plans for the property to be maintained. The areas previously earmarked for a municipal parking garage and performing arts center have been retained and are accessible from the proposed Spring Street extension. Similarly, the river frontage area has been retained and is buffered from the railway and station by existing stands of cottonwood. As a result, this area could be developed for passive park purposes or a new 13 playing field could be constructed. While parts of the existing trail network will have to be relocated, most of the system will be maintained in its current location. The existing parking lot, playing field, snow dump and impound lot, however, will be eliminated by the Railroad's use of the property. As indicated earlier, the portion of the Rio Grande property which the Applicants wish to utilize has been designated with an SPA overlay but has not been zoned. Consequently, should permission to use the property be granted by the City, and an SPA development plan approved, the area in question will have to be zoned to an appropriate category. This action, however, could occur concurrent with the adoption of a precise SPA plan for the property and subsequent to the public referendum which most likely will be required in order to lease or convey the parcel to the Applicants for the Railroad's use. Since all of the Rio Grande property has been designated SPA, a precise development plan could be adopted simply for the area to be used by the Applicants or for the entire parcel utilizing plans developed by the Planning Office for the remainder of the property. Given the Applicants' development timetable, the former approach is prefer- able. E. Creektree Property Although the majority of the Railroad's Aspen facili- ties will be located on the Rio Grande, the actual railway will 14 terminate on the so-called Creektree park property. This parcel was created in conjunction with the Creektree subdivision/PUD and dedicated to the City for open space purposes. As the Conceptual SPA Plan indicates, a single track will exit the Rio Grande onto the Creektree property and terminate just short of the large stand of cottonwoods located below the adjacent Eagles Club. The track, which is required to accommodate the switching of train's locomotives, will be designed so as to hug the parcel's southern property line, thereby avoiding the existing trail which para- llels the River. The railway will be installed at existing grade which is approximately twenty-five feet lower than the Eagles Club parking lot. To reduce the impact on the residential neigh- borhood located across the River, the area between the exiting trail and the new railway will. be extensively landscaped at the Applicants' expense. IV. DEVELOPMENT TIMETABLE The Applicants' objective is to initiate the Railroad's service between Denver and Aspen in November of 1987. In order to meet this scheule, a variety of issues must be addressed and numerous problems resolved. The necessary city and county land use approvals must be obtained and a public referendum held. Following the receipt of local government and public approval, equipment must be obtained and refurbished, contracts with rail and air carriers finalized, engineering and architectural plans 15 prepared, construction contracts let, and personnel hired and trained. Actual construction of the necessary bridges, grade crossings, track and stations will require approximately seven months to complete and will begin in the spring of 1987. As should be readily apparent, a substantial expenditure of time and money will be required to bring the Roaring Fork Rail- road to fruition. The Applicants, however, believe the under- taking to be economically viable as well as beneficial to the residents and visitors of Aspen and Pitkin County, and are pre- pared to pursue the realization of their proposal until such time as circumstance dictates otherwise. 16 ASPEN*PITKIN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT SOUND LEVEL MONITORING 4P Location: �,L�'�u-c �zC"S �v„`tay�G�r,�,t='as�i� Ja ors Date: LPL ��� lWL Noise Source Being Monitored: Sky: Wind Speed: �� j, Temp: $f� ° F ° Equipment: SLM Model: GR-1565-C Microphone: GR 1560-2133 Calibrator: GR-1562-A SLM Calibration Date (Major) : /Pa4- /�), /G 6o Start-up Operation: SLM On: L' Windscreen: 'A" Scale Selection Battery Test: 6 (Slow Response) Calibration: j/ Z dB(A) Time: ); 42pn-r Hz: Monitoring Range: 1/0 dB(A) To !Z D Tripod Height: r.3- / Angle of SLM to Ground Ambient Level: J�� dB(A) Readings: 5f'QuSAw dB(A Z; 2 2- Poj Shut -down Operation: Ambient Level: 5 ff dB(A) Calibration: dB(A) Time: Z;yd Hz: Battery Test: Gl�- Environmental Health Officer : A/P E.H.D. 6/80 (Location map on reverse side) 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 303/925-2020 I BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bob Wade, President Toby Morse, Vice President Jim Mollica, Secretary/Treasurer Peter Forsch Skip Hamilton Tom Isaac Greg Mace George Madsen Carolyn Moore Jeff Tippett EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Craig Ward TRUSTEES Executive Committee Bill Mason, Chairman Tom Blake Jim Chaffin Arthur Pfister Frederic Benedict Ruth Humphreys Brown D.V. Edmondson Elizabeth Fergus Jack F'rishman C.M. Kittrell Charles Marqusee Barry Mink Ken Moore Robert Oden Tage Pedersen Marjorie Stein ADVISORY BOARD Bob Beattie Bill Koch ASPEN/SNOWMASS NORDIC COUNCIL Mr. Tom Baker F City/County Planning Office 130 S. Galena Aspen, CO 81611 RE: Proposed Roaring Fork Railroad Dear Tom, August 12, 1986 I wanted to "go on record" regarding the proposed railway service into Aspen. The Rio Grande trail has been and continues to be a valuable asset to our community. The Nordic Council grooms the trail in the winter from the Post Office to beyond the Airport Business Center (snow conditions permitting). From the Rio Grande Trail we cross the Roaring Fork river at the Henry Stein Bridge, enabling us to set tracks to the Sanitation treatment plant. The County is presently considering a trail adajacent to the paved road. This will complete the trail loop system to the Airport Business Center and then back along Hwy 82. The City Parks Dept has budgeted this year to expand the railing on the two bridges on the Rio Grande trail, crossing Hunter Creek and the Roaring Fork River, which will enable the track setting machines to set tracks to Puppy Smith St. In addition to preserving these trail alignments and new additions, the proposed railroad would necessitate a clear seperation of trail and railroad along the entire route from Woody Creek to Aspen. For safety considerations the trail should stay on one side of the tracks for the entire route. The entire cost of making these necessary accomodations should be the responsibility of the applicants. If I can be of further assistance, please don't hesistate to call me at 925-4790. Sincerely, Crag C. Ward a P.O. BOX 10815 ASPEN, COLORADO 81612 303/925-4790 It ROARING FORK TRANSIT AGENCY ASPEN, COLORADO Date: August 21, 1986 To: Tom Baker, Steve Burstein, Planning Office From: Bruce Abel, General Manager - Roaring Fork Transit Agency�� Paul Hilts, Director of Operations- Roaring Fork Transit AgenE;4 Re: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Review In regards to the above referenced submission, the majority of our thoughts are not necessarily transit specific, but do relate to the overall trans- portation system and the possible effects of such a development on the over- all system. Recent traffic counts indicate that Puppy Smith Street is one of the busiest streets in town. It is the only access to the post office and to the Clark's Market shopping center. The proposed railroad desires to utilize a substantial portion of Puppy Smith Street for operations. While it does not appear that one passenger train per day in each direction will interfere to any great degree with traffic on Puppy Smith Street, we will need to take a serious look at the level of commuter service proposed before we can make any determination on how the railroad will affect Puppy Smith Street. We`may have to consider an additional access to Clark's/Post Office from Mill Street that does not utilize Puppy Smith Street. Similarily, it is proposed that two tracks cross Mill Street to the Rio Grande station. Again, the level of commuter service will determine the impact of the railroad on Mill Street's ability to carry it's traffic load. This street provides the main access to a significant number of residential units in town. • Page 2 Memo from Bruce Abel The transportation planning study that is currently underway seems to be leaning towards a Rio Grande parking facility. We need to make sure that if/when any final plans are prepared for the railroad that accomodation is made for the parking facility, if the plan does indeed recommend one. At any rate, the Spring Street extension is a necessity for a railroad terminal and if such improvements are not undertaken by the City as part of parking facility im- provements we should consider requesting that such improvements be funded by the railroad. We might request support for the Spring Street improvements regardless of potential parking facilities. As it relates specifically to transit, I would not envision that the proposed rail passenger service would have any great impact on our services as the existing services are not appropriately designed to serve the arriving inter- city passenger market segment. Such services are more appropriately provided by taxis and limos. As far as the proposed commuter service goes we would need more information to determine the kinds of impacts such services would have on our system. CITY OF ASPEN 130 Jouth galena street aspen, colorado 81611 303-925 -2020 MEMORANDUM DATE: August 20, 1986 TO: Planning Office FROM: City Attorney AUK 0 W6 I it '► RE: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Review As pointed out by the application, formal approval for utiliza- tion of various City rights -of -way and open space parcels is a prerequisite to the project. In those instances where the use of open space is contemplated, elector approval may be needed. PJT/mc ASPEN40PITKIN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM To: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker Planning Office From: Thomas S. Dunlop, Director" Environmental Health Department Date: August 18, 1986 D [E0WIE 1986 Re: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Review Parcel ID# 2737-073-00-032 Case No. 38A-86 This office has reviewed the above -mentioned submittal for compliance with Colorado Health Department laws, local regulat- ions and those regulations of the Pitkin County Land Use Code under Environmental Health Department jurisdiction. The concerns below include many in a general format to allow the them and formulate responses for which will follow. AIR POLLUTION: elements which will be addressed applicant the ability to review the more detailed review process It shall be noted at this time that the Aspen Clean Air Board (CAB) has requested the opportunity to review this proposal as well as this departmental review.- The LAB has expressed an overall conceptual interest strongly in favor of the railroad because of the potential for it to be an automobile disincentive to the Roaring Fork Valley. One specific issue raised by the CAB was the total air pollution benefit of having the train serve the valley. How much more air contamination could be removed by taking people out of their vehicles than would be generated by the train as long as reason- able steps are taken to limit train engine idling. Example; How many vehicle miles travelled per day would the train eliminate? It is important for the applicant to develop a train schedule that will allow the proposed commuter service between Glenwood Springs and Aspen to occur and not be in conflict with the daily service to and from Denver. Should a conflict occur the auto disincentive impact would be less. 130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 303/S25-2020 Roaring Fork Railroad August 18, 1986 Page 2 Construction of the rail yard and depot will obviously be disruptive to the neighborhood in the form of dirt and dust contamination. Measures to mitigate any and all such impacts will be required of the applicant. As part of this criteria the applicant will be required to obtain an air pollution permit and file an Air Pollution Emissions Notice to cover the construction phase from the Colorado Health Department, Air Quality Control Division and to have a Fugitive Dust Control Plan approved by this office and the Division. The idling of locomotives in the Aspen yard or at other locations in Pitkin County for more than brief periods of time shall be addressed at future submittals. There is a concern that the idling of engines during loading and unloading may add a signifi- cant amount of air contamination to the north area of town or other areas of the County. Further, it is important to provide a narrative describing provisions which will be made should inclement weather or mechanical malfunctions with the train or in the switch yard cause the locomotives to remain in Aspen over- night or for an extended period beyond the scheduled time. A further concern is the traffic flow into and out of the depot by vehicles picking up passengers and dropping them off. The parking space and flow pattern will be important elements in reducing the auto emissions that will be generated from such a facility. For example, if a main exit route from the station is to access the downtown area from North Mill St. the incidence of idling cars would be much greater than if the main exit is onto Bleeker by the Eagles Club. Making a left turn onto Mill St. from the station in the winter would be next to impossible during the height of the season. It is important that rental cars not be available at the station, but that the Roaring Fork Transit Agency provide a shuttle system and that lodges provide a similar shuttle service. The Aspen/Pitkin Environmental Health Dept. strongly encourages the Roaring Fork Railroad to use engine heaters, auxiliary power supplies, or whatever else is available to remove the need for overnight idling anywhere in the valley. WATER OUALITY• General questions which have surfaced concerning impacts the railroad may have on water quality are as follows: Will there be a fuel storage farm in the Aspen yard that will serve the locomo':ives or will all such storage be in Denver, Glenwood Springs or at other locations outside Pitkin County? If any fuel is anticipated to be stored in this area the applic- MEMORANDUM To: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker, Planning Office From: Chuck Roth, Assistant City Engineer l21Z Date: August 19, 1986 Re: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Having reviewed the above referenced application, the Engineering Department has the following comments: 1. As a matter of principal of municipal and transportation engineering, this reviewer favors the above referenced project. Studies could be performed, and we could list all of the streets in town with their current levels of service in good transporta- tion engineering fashion. However, we do not need studies to know that we also do not need more automobiles in town. There- fore, this reviewer favors any projects that the community cares to embrace which will reduce the number of automobiles in town. The potential for use of the railroad for commuters is also very attractive. Transportation analyses can be divided into two categories which can be considered separately - (1) local commuter and business transportation and (2) tourist transporta- tion. This application presents a project which could benefici- ally serve the community in both regards. A concern that this reviewer has for the viability of the commuter usage is the element of time. That is, a transportation system which takes less time to move people from point A to point B is more likely to suceed than one which does not. The times for commuting between different points were not discussed in the application. However, the review process is not as concerned with elements of viability of a project which is not being constructed with public funds. Any commuter usage of the train which does not represent a changeover from bus users would represent a decrease in the automobile traffic on city streets and in the demand for parking spaces. 2. All concerns of the project for impacts on utilities (gas, water, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, electric power, cable television, and telephone) should be addressed by the applicant maintaining close contact with all of the utility companies. 3. Since the anticipated effect of this project is to reduce automobile traffic in town, this reviewer does not object to contemplating the impact of the railroad using public rights -of - way for crossings and access to a station site at the Rio Grande J property. The City Attorney should be consulted regarding the legalities of permitting this use of public rights -of -way. 4. The Rio Grande property has historically been discussed as a possible site for a municipal parking garage. It is recommended that this possibility continue to be explored. Perhaps we could joint venture a parking structure with the applicant at this site with portions reserved for their use or general public use. 5. It is correct that this department has spoken in favor of creating new public right-of-way referred to in the application as the Spring Street extension in conjunction with planning for the Rio Grande property. This department anticipates continuing to favor the creation of that new public right-of-way. 6. On page 13 of the application, reference was made to using the ground floor open space of the station "for a variety of public purposes when the railroad is inactive." This reviewer would like to know what those uses might be. 7. Drainage impacts will be of concern to this department. We will want to see a drainage plan and mitigation of any adverse conditions generated by the project. 8. The community would be delighted to relocate the impound lot, but we have not been able to find a location. The applicant may need to assist in this matter. 9. Some of the community would be delighted to relocate the snow dump. This reviewer is not convinced that this would be in the best interests of the community in general. Hauling snow out Main St. to a site west of town such as the Thomas/Marolt Property, should the voters consent to such use, might adversely impact more individuals than the existing location because of the lodges situated along Main St. Would the noise level of the trucks impact guests at those lodges at three or four in the morning? The same might be true of hauling snow out of town to the east, if we could find a site out there. It might be better to maintain the existing snow dump site and find a different location for a ball field. 10. This reviewer is concerned about the impacts of the project on the Rio Grande trail. The existing trail is a great amenity to the community. 11. As regards the visual, architectual and bulk impacts of a train station on the Rio Grande property, this reviewer would like to suggest that the station be designed to look like a miniature. cc: Jay Hammond, City Engineer CR/cr/rr.1 Roaring Fork Railroad August 18, 1986 Page 3 ant will be required to provide a full accounting of such a facility to be in compliance with State of Colorado Underground Storage Tank requirements. It will not be required, but the applicant will be asked to provide fuel spill containment materials to be permanently stored in Aspen where it would be readily available for use by crews responding to an emergency spill of fuel into the Roaring Fork River caused by the railroad. Examples of such material would be containment boom, absorbent boom and absorbent pads. The applicant would also be required to submit a spill contain- ment plan to this office should fuel be stored in Pitkin County. This is a requirement of the U:S: -Environmental 'Protection, '` Agency(EPA). The plan does not have to be submitted to the EPA, but it must be in place and available for review by the EPA should they request to see it. The plan is basically an outline describing what response would occur should a fuel spill event take place. There obviously exists the possibility of a fluid leak in the switch yard and depot area from vehicles, passenger rail cars, dining cars, locomotives etc. A site drainage plan shall be submitted which will address the treatment of such waste products (Oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, antifreeze, waste water, hydraulic fluid, etc.). As a general statement, the applicant shall be aware of and take precautions to provide a drainage grade along the right-of-way (ROW) that will direct flows away from the river and back into the hillsides. It is not exactly clear to this office where maintenance of the passenger and dining cars will performed. If it is in Aspen or in Pitkin County the applicant shall describe the procedure for draining waste water from the cars. Further, if there is to be a potable water supply available to replenish the cars that also should be included in any future submittals. SOLID WASTE: The railroad company shall identify the proposed methods of handling trash that may be off-loaded at the Aspen Depot. Also, there shall be a plan to maintain the ROW to prevent the accumu- lation of trash that might blow into the river or onto public or private property as the result of maintenance activity. CONTAMINATED SOILS: As the result of past involvement in the Aspen area by the EPA as Roaring Fork Railroad August 18, 1986 Page 4 it relates to hazardous waste in the form of mine tailings the following is offered. During construction of the road bed the applicant shall be aware of disturbance of any old mine tailings or mine dumps that may pose a public health threat. Specifical- ly, if such material is uncovered the applicant shall have the soils tested to determine the concentration of heavy metals and supply the test results to this office. Mine dumps or tailings shall not be used as road bed material without first discussing it with this office. There are no regulations currently governing the use of mine waste, at least locally, but past experiences dictate the need to request the cooperation of the applicant in this issue to prevent future situations like .those currently existing at Smuggler Mountain. NOISE: Of all the environmental issues discussed, noise will probably be the most difficult to mitigate. There are many configurations which could occur along the ROW and in the station which could provide a problem that will not be easily resolved. For example, the train entering the station, sounding the horn at the Mill St. crossing, engines idling in the station for a long period of time and the broadcast sound from the speakers on the station plat- form. Since none of these sounds currently exist it will be a whole new circumstance for people along the ROW and in the north end of town. During a visit to the Glenwood Springs Depot on August 15, 1986 the following sound level readings were obtained using standard methods for taking noise readings. All readings are in decibels- [dB(A)]. Horn on the locomotive Station speakers Engines going by the sound Train cars entering station Idling engines in station Idling engines w/compressed Train start up from station Train cars leaving station 94dB(A) 65dB(A) meter 90dB(A) 65dB(A) 87dB(A) air release 90dB(A) 88dB(A) 75dB(A) at 30 feet away The train which was monitored was an Amtrak passenger train, three engines and sixteen cars. It arrived at the depot at 2:22 pm and departed at 2:35 pm. The background noise level in the area of the Aspen station will probably be in the area of 45dB(A) at night and approximately 65 to 70dB(A) during the daytime. The background noise level at the Roaring Fork Railroad August 18, 1986 Page 5 Glenwood Springs station was 57-58dB(A). Noise generated during construction of this project will also be a concern, but can be mitigated since it will be of short duration. The applicant should devote a significant amount of time in addressing this issue. FOOD SERVICE• The food service provided to train customers will be inspected by the Environmental Health Department who has jurisdiction in the area in which the food commissary is located. In other.words if the train commissary is located in Pitkin County this office will be the inspecting agency. The Environmental Health Department will be available to review this concern and any other discussed above at a time and place of convenience to proponents and opponents of this project. MEMORANDUM TO C. A. Bedinger Noel McGaughey Tom Ragonetti Brent Johnson File FROM: John R. Parten DATE: August 7, 1986 RE State and Federal Regulations There are seven local, State and Federal Regulatory Agencies which the Roaring Fork Railroad Company will need to address: 1. Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) The Colorado PUC is endowed to grant or deny Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity to certain carriers. Under Colorado law, there is a separate statute authorizing the formation of a "Colo- rado Railroad Corporation". The requirements differ from those for a general "Colorado Corporation". See Colorado Revised Statues 40-20-101. There is a specific provision in the Colorado Code which specifically exempts Colorado Railroad Corpora- tions from the requirement to seek a certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Colorado PUC. See CRS 40-5-106 (last sentence). There is another section of the Colorado Code which seems to indicate that all railroads in Colorado are exempt from seeking a Certificate of Public Con- venience and Necessity from the Colorado PUC. See CRS 40-5-104(2). The PUC has indicated however, that if a railroad operation were challenged, a hearing might have to be called if the operator was not a Colorado Railroad Corporation. I therefore recommend that the Roaring Fork Railroad Company be reorganized as a Colorado Railroad Corporation or that a sister company be formed as a Colorado Railroad Corporation to operate the railroad. If done, the only filings with the PUC will be infor- mational. 2. The National Railroad Passenger Corp. (AMTRAK) There are two grounds asserted by Amtrak in its claim to have the exclusive passenger rail franchise in the United States: a.) The Federal statute authorizing the formation of Amtrak so states. See , and b.) Apparently every railroad which contracted with Amtrak in 1972 to take over its existing rail passenger service agreed to a provision in the contract which provides that Amtrak has the exclusive rights to run passenger serv- ice on the rails of that railroad. As to claim a.) above, I have learned that Amtrak was challenged by the Eureka Southern Railroad in California. Amtrak had claimed a significant portion of the railroad's passenger income. The service was run on a line not served by Amtrak. The trackage was a part of the Northwestern Pacific, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific. The Southern Pacific was a party to a 1972 Amtrak contract; the Northwestern Pacific was not. I understand that the case was settled out of court with a nominal cash payment to Amtrak, not based on volume. Amtrak has recently indicated to me that it is the company's current policy to license routes which it does not serve, to individuals for a "nominal fee which will not be a disincentive to the operation". As to claim b.) above, the Rio Grande was not a party to a 1972 Amtrak contract and the current con- tract does not contain a provision giving Amtrak exclusive rights. On the other hand, I presume that the Union Pacific is a party to a contract containing such a provision. I therefore recommend that the Roaring Fork Railroad continue to negotiate with Amtrak to work out a "nominal fee" on a per train basis. It would be to our advantage to negotiate the right to serve Aspen, Glenwood Springs and Stapleton Airport. If absolutely necessary, Carbondale could be used to serve down valley residents instead of Glenwood Springs. 2 3. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) A long history of litigation has established the ICC's right to regulate intrastate railroad operation which interfaces with interstate movements. A carrier would be required to seek a Certification of Public Convenience and Necessity for any operation and, until recently, all tariffs were Federally controlled. See 49 CFR 1150. With the Staggers Act of 1980 and subse- quent regulatory changes, this requirement has been waived except in cases involving the abandonment and reopening of track between two Class I railroads. The Roaring Fork Railroad is not a Class I railroad and is thus exempt from the requirement. See Federal Regis- ter Vol. 51, No. 12, Jan. 17, 1986, Page 2503. 4. The Federal Railroad Administration FRA The FRA is the Federal agency responsible for railroad safety, both passenger and freight. They prescribe the necessary inspection and repair proce- dures for equipment as well as the standards for the construction of that equipment, everything from cou- pler height to window glass. I believe that it is inappropriate at this time to approach the FRA for the authority to perform our own mechanical work. When a trained maintenance staff and facility are in place, it will be appropriate to register with the FRA and receive a certificate show- ing that we are an approved shop to do C.O.T. & S. inspections, a well as other maintenance functions. Other small railroads have indicated that this is a procedural matter so long as the proper training and equipment are shown. 5. City of Denver The only areas in which the City of Denver are foreseen to be involved in the operation of the Roar- ing Fork Railroad are in the zoning for and the traf- fic flown around the Smith Road Station site. No investigation has been made as to the current zoning for the Smith Road site. It will be appropriate to approach the city once a more detailed site and opera- tional plan are finalized. 6. City of Aspen and Pitkin County The various requirements of the City of Aspen and Pitkin County are being addressed separately and are not outlined here. N /vc 7. Stapleton International Airport Authority The Stapleton International Airport Authority is charged with the responsibility for managing all operations at Stapleton International Airport. Once a more specific plan is arrived at for interfacing passengers and baggage between the Aspen train and the airlines, the plan will have to be approved and/or modified by the Stapleton International Airport Authority. This should be done with the assistance of our co-operating airline. Randy Parten M r- 601 EAST HYMAN AVE. Y.O. BOX 4869 ASPEN, COLORADO 81612 (303) 925.5241 August 5, 1980 Mr. Alan Richman Planning and Development Director 130 South Galena Street Aspen, CO 81611 Dear Alan Please find enclosed an outline of our proposed rail operations for both the East End and the West End of the Roaring Fork Railroad. We will get to you as soon as possible a letter indi- cating our current status with other governmental agencies. If you need any other material, please let us know as soon as possible._ ve trWPar ours John R. JRP:mjs ROARING FORK RAILROAD CO. PROPOSED EAST END OPERATION 1) The Eastbound train will proceed Grande locomotives and crews to the the Union Pacific Railroad. 08/02/86 through Denver under Rio point of interface with 2) At the point of interface, the train will pick up a Union Pacific pilot who will guide the operation across Union Pacific rail to the siding and station site on Smith Road, immediately adjacent to Stapleton International Airport. Arrival time will be 3:00 p.m. 3) The Rio Grande locomotives will be uncoupled and returned to the Rio Grande shops for servicing. 4) Passengers will be met on the Smith Road platform by an appropriate number of mobile lounges carrying approximately 120 passengers and provided by one or more airlines, then transported to a point at the Stapleton Terminal which is subject to an airport security check. 5) The train, once empty, will be moved by Rocky Mountain Railcar from the Smith Road station to a point located on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Grounds for servicing, cleaning, restocking and restructuring. 6) The following morning, the properly equipped cars will be moved by Rocky Mountain Railcar from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal servicing site to the siding station on Smith Road. 7) Passenger loading will be accomplished by two methods: a) Airline interconnect passengers will be transported by mobile lounge from an appropriate point at Stapleton International Airport Terminal to the train platform. Tickets will be pulled and boarding passes issued by our cooperating airline. b) Passengers originating in Denver will be able to park, obtain a boarding pass and check their baggage at the Smith Road Station. 8) Rio Grande locomotives and crews will leave from the appropriate servicing facility and proceed to the Union Pacific interface point. 9) At the interface point, the locomotives will pick up a Union Pacific pilot and proceed to the Smith Road Station. Rio Grande crews will couple the locomotives to the train and perform the air test. 10) At the appointed time, high noon, the train will depart for Aspen. 11) At the interface point, the Union Pacific pilot will turn the train over to the Rio Grande crews for the pull to Aspen. ROARING FORK RAILROAD PROPOSED WEST END OPERATION 08/02/86 1) The Westbound train will pass Glenwood Springs at approximately 5:00 p.m. and proceed to Aspen with Rio Grande locomotives and crew. 2) The train at Carbondale will pass from Rio Grande track to (RFR) track, into RFR dispatch territory. 3) As the train passes Woody Creek a single RFR locomotive (engineer and trainman) will follow the train to Aspen. See Note #1. 4) The train will stop in the vicinity of Hunter Creek Bridge. The trainman will uncouple the train behind the tenth car. Rio Grande locomotives will pull the front half of the train across Mill Street and onto Track 1 of the RFR Station/Transportation Center. See Note #1. 5) An RFR Trainman will couple the single RFR locomotive to the rear of the rear half of the train. The crew will pressure up for air test with RFR Trainman at front of Car #11. RFR locomotive will push the rear half of train across Mill Street and onto Track 2 of the Roaring Fork Railroad Station/Transportation Center. See Note #1. 6) On a normal evening, the entire train will be connected to local 480 volt, 3 phase electrical supply. On board generators will be shut down and locomotives will be shut down for the night. When the overnight temperature drops below 45 F, the locomotives must be kept heated by one of the following methods: a) Water system and lube system will be heated by plug-in block heaters, or b) All locomotives will be moved by RFR crew to suitable position down -valley to idle until morning. 7) The train is scheduled to depart Aspen at 8:00 a.m. At that time, a single RFR locomotive will pull the rear half of the train across Mill Street and stop in the vicinity of the Hunter Creek Bridge. See Note #2. 8) Rio Grande locomotives will push the front half of train across Mill Street to the point of coupling with the rear half. Coupling and air test will be performed by Rio Grande crews. 9) The single RFR locomotive will pull the entire train down valley "backward" with Rio Grande locomotives behind for dynamic braking. 10) At Carbondale, the train will pass from RFR track to Rio Grande track and dispatch. 11) At Glenwood Springs, the train (being pulled backward) will proceed along the west leg of the Wye toward Salt Lake City until it clears the Wye switch. 12) Rio Grande crews will uncouple the single RFR locomotive from the rear end of train. The full train under Rio Grande power will proceed to Denver. NOTES #1 This operation will be necessary only when the arriving train exceeds 10 cars in length. Our projections show arriving trains in excess of 10 cars will arrive on Friday and Saturday. #2 This operation will be necessary only when the departing train exceeds 10 cars in length. Our projections show departing trains in excess of 10 cars will depart on Saturday and Sunday. GENERAL NOTES FREQUENCY We currently project daily operation during winter and summer months with cutback in service in the slow seasons of the spring and fall. BAGGAGE In order to alleviate congestion in the vicinity of the terminal and baggage unloading delay, it is our present intention to carry the passenger baggage on a truck allowing us to sort all baggage and forward some direct to destination lodges prior to train arrival. On these days when weather closes the highway, baggage will be transported by rail. CARS The train will consist of one power/supply/baggage car, (an additional baggage car in inclement weather), passenger coaches and vista domes, two or three restaurant cars, one or two first class cars and, when required, private or private charter cars. Length will vary as required up to 18 cars. RAILBUS The operations described above will be augmented by a downvalley commuter RAILBUS service which will connect Aspen with down - valley communities. RAILBUS will allow downvalley residents who work in Aspen an opportunity to commute without the uncertainty and congestion of Highway 82. The equipment will consist of a self-propelled European vehicle (one or two units in length) which operates with a single operator. Accelerating and decelerating are similar to that of a bus requiring minimal street crossing times. Departure time, frequency of service, and bus interface schedules will be determined by necessity, demand and coordination with the appropriate local agencies, particularly Roaring Fork Transit Authority. CHANGES The operations described above represent our current plans for train operation. Various aspects may have to be altered out of necessity as the project progresses. ASPEN WATER DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM AUG 2 0 1986 TO: ALAN RICHMAN, PLANNING DEPARTMENT FROM: JIM MARKALUNAS SUBJECT: ROARING FORK R ILROAD CONCEPTUAL SPA APPLICATION DATE: AUGUST 19, 198 ----------------------- -�� -- -�'------------------ We have reviewed the p el minary application for the Roaring Fork Railroad for SPA and have the following comments to make. We have discussed the project with Mr. C.A. Bedinger, Phd., as well as identify in the field, the approximate location of our 16" transmission main to Red Mountain. Preliminary investigations indicate there should not be any difficulty for the railroad to cross our transmission lines. However, there might be a need to either lower or reinforce by spanning, any pipe line crossings. These necessary precautions should not present any difficulties for the Water Department. In the general area of Puppy Smith Street and the Mill Street crossing, it will probably be necessary to either lower or reinforce the pipe line crossing in these area to avoid any undue stress being placed on the pipe line. It is the Water Department's recommendation that an engineering analysis be done on the pipe line crossings prior to construction of the railroad, in order to assure that protection of our pipe lines is provided for. ROARING FORK 2100 TRAVIS, SUITE 810 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002-8796 (713) 652-5934 Newsletter: Vol. 1, No. 1, August 1986 August 6, 1986 Dear Friend: Thank you for your interest in the Roaring Fork Railroad project. As one of the first on our mailing list, you will begin receiving our monthly newsletters to keep you updated on the Railroad's pro- gress and other pertinent matters. The enclosed fact sheet gives a synopsis of our present plans. In addition, we are pleased to announce that we have just received our letter of agreement in principal from Amtrak allowing the es- tablishment of our service. Crossing this major hurdle establishes something of a precedent for our project, of which we are very proud. Please feel free to visit our office and give us a call at your convenience. We welcome your ccurnents and participation and thank you for your support. Very truly yours, John R. Parten, P sident C. A. Bedinger, i.D. Consultant Environmental & Public Affairs Deborah Bitterman, Director of Administration & Community Affairs Enclosure `�.. • ROARING RAILROAD A Fact Sheet Introduction: The Roaring Fork Railroad Company, a Colorado corporation, has been established for the purpose of reinstating passenger rail service from Denver to the resort area of Aspen and Snowmass. We believe that the uniqueness of the area, the real and perceived difficulty of travel to Aspen, the proximity of existing rail service and the cosmopolitan nature of the typical Aspen visitor, provide a blend of qualifications which make such a project economically feasible. It is readily apparent that high -quality train service through such an outstanding, scenic route would prove aesthetically incomparable. This Fact Sheet has been prepared to summarize available information on planning, present status and provide answers to relevant questions, specifically for the residents of Aspen, Pitkin County and the Roaring Fork Valley. Railroad Route, Facilities and Rolling Stock: The plan proposed for the Roaring Fork Railroad will begin with a new station immediately adjacent to the north end of Stapleton International Airport in Denver. This will allow ready connection from arriving planes through the service of a mobile lounge or airport bus. The preferred route west will require cooperation from several railroads, but basically involves the use of the Denver and Rio Grande Western locomotives and crews through Glenwood Springs and up the Roaring Fork Valley. The Roaring Fork Railroad will reconstruct tracks and facilities from Woody Creek into Aspen on the old right-of-way for a terminus at the location of the old railroad station in the present Rio Grande City Park on North Mill Street. There we will build a modern transportation center incorporating services for rail, bus, private auto, and.taxi transportation, and eventually connections with the regional light rail service. The train cars will be vintage 1940's and 50's stainless steel coaches, vista domes and observation cars, as well as necessary diner, club, entertainment and baggage cars. They will be completely refurbished to the most contemporary standards and the first class cars will be equivalent to those of the "Orient Express". It is evident from this brief description of plans that there will be significant impacts of importance to Aspen and Roaring Fork residents. We will cover our intentions to mitigate those impacts in the section immediately following. Impacts: A few apparently negative impacts cause immediate concern. For example, the hike and bike path known as the Rio Grande Trail, was built over the old railroad bed for the most part and also serves utility lines. It is the intention of the Roaring Fork Railroad to work closely with responsible users of the trail to develop plans for redevelopment adjacent to the present location, in a setting that is as equally aesthetic. We are confident that this can be accomplished and are committed to keeping this beautiful facility as uniquely 'Aspen' as it presently is. In the vicinity of the present Rio Grande Park where we plan to build the new transportation center, the jumble of parking lots, streets, the snow dump and private and public buildings present a somewhat unappealing section of Aspen. Our conceptual plan for the area includes a comprehensive realignment, relandscaping and renovation of the available public areas in order to produce a more integrated, usable and pleasing area. We believe this can be done without significant disruption of present private businesses while still maintaining the ball park, trail system and other desirable elements. Obstruction of traffic is another potential negative impact to be addressed. Our departure time of 8:00 a.m. will not seriously disrupt early morning traffic. Similarly, our arrival time of 7:00 p.m. will be after peak traffic flow in the area. The mere size of the diesel engines in modern locomotives is enough to cause concern about air pollution. We have done preliminary studies which show that on a per passenger basis, the train will cause only a small fraction of the pollution emitted by the equivalent number of autos, planes or buses. In fact, the train emissions have been compared to that of only a small number of private fireplaces, and a reasonable evaluation of the real data shows that with proper management the trains can actually reduce air pollution in Aspen. There are a number of positive aspects of the proposed rail service which cffset the perceived negative impacts. Of course, the most obvious benefit of our train service will be to lessen the number of cars on the streets of Aspen. This will result in lowered air pollution, reduced parking problems, more rapid traffic flow, and in the long run, increased safety on Highway 82. Additionally, while we don't feel we will supplant a significant portion of the commercial air service into the area, we are confident that our train will provide the stranded flyer with a realistic alternative to renting a car and driving to or from Denver. Ancillary to these and other ramifications of reduced auto use in the City, is the very important category of timeliness. Visitors arriving and departing Aspen on time, with assurance of actually reaching their travel destinations, will both arrive and leave with a more enhanced memory of their Aspen experience. Also their hosts in the various lodge facilities will be relieved of the anxiety of discordant bookings. Without lengthy explanation, it is apparent the positive attributes mentioned above, coupled with the quality of service we plan to offer, will make the remembrance of the overall Aspen trip even more especial. Long term, this will result in more repeat trips from high -quality clientele. Aspen will even further enhance its status as a preeminent vacation destination in America. Of extreme importance to down valley residents and the Aspen support sector are the Railroad's plans for initiation of a commuter service. With modern, rail -bus type vehicles, it is our intent to solve the plethora of problems now surrounding the single corridor up and down valley commute. It is evident that the economic benefits to the valley will be enormous -- not to mention the saving of lives on Highway 82. However, the exact plans for frequency of service, equipment, extent of the system, or economics have not been finalized. Milestones: The Roaring Fork Railroad has as its goal, reinstatement of Aspen passenger service in November 1987, 100 years after the first train service to the City. This goal is highly desirable from an economic and public relations standpoint. The most crucial milestones to be met are as follows: 1) The most critical point relative to initiation of the project is citizen approval from the electorate of Aspen and Pitkin County. At present, the Railroad has filed a conceptual Special Project Application (SPA); the first step through the City review process leading to a referendum. 2) The next step will be seeking similar support from the County, either through referendum or the Board of County Commissioners. 3) We have reached an agreement in principal with AMTRAK. Legal details and documentation remain to be completed. 4) Negotiations with the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad are currently underway concerning use of their locomotives, crews and facilities. Engineering studies have been scheduled for September 1986, allowing construction contracts to be drawn in the Winter and let by Spring 1987. During the time of construction and track refurbishment in 1987, the train equipment being acquired at present will be completely refurbished and service can commence in November 1987. 0' This is an ambiti'Dus schedule with little room for delays, however we feel it can be met providing the key initial hurdles are passed in a timely manner. Service and Standards: Because our railroad is a private venture, we recognize that its success will depend on service, not subsidy. TherE�fore, it is our intent to establish truly first -quality service. There will be three classes: coach, vista -dome, and first class. In keeping with the excursion nature of our train, extra amenities in the form of two or three dining cars, several lounges, and movie or entertainment cars will be standard. The schedule will be departure from Aspen at 8:00 a.m. with Denver arrival at 3:00 and Denver departure at 12:00 noon with Aspen arrival at 7:00 p.m. These trains will run daily from mid - November to mid -April and from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend. During the remaining; periods, service will be reduced to three to four days per week. This schedule will allow one -day travel to and from Aspen anywhere in the contiguous 48 states. Arrangements with the major airline carriers into Denver will allow direct passenger pick up at the concourse and baggage check through, therefore the passenger's "Aspen experience" will commence as soon as he/she boards the train. This brief synopsis of the plans for the Roaring Fork Railroad covers only a limited amount of the material available and addresses only a few of the most common concerns. We at the Railroad are committed to open communication with Roaring Fork Valley citizens, and look forward to answering your questions and receiving your suggestions and comments. To receive further information please complete and return the form below or write or visit us at: P.O. Box 4869 601 E. Hyman, Suite 103 Aspen, CO 81612 John R. Parten, President C.A. Bedinger, Ph.D., Consultant Environmental & Public Affairs Deborah Bitterman, :Director of Administration & Community Affairs -------------------•---------------------------------------------- NAME: MAILING ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: APPENDIX Table II Summary of Conceptual Issues of the Roaring Fork Railroad Proposal I. Transportation System Impacts A. Reliable Transportation Mode to Aspen B. Commuter Service OPtion: Auto Disincentive C. City Parking Demands D. People Movement from Train to Destination E. Development of Municipal Garage On Site F. RFTA Routes and Ridership G. Street Traffic and Emergency Service Impediments H. Woody Creek or Airport Depot Alternatives I. Shared Use of Terminal Facilities J. Integration with Other Transit/Transportation Modes II. Growth Impacts A. Train Service as a Growth Generator III. Code Interpretation A. GMP - Commercial Competition or Essential Public Facility IV. Employee Housing Issues �J A. Employee Generation/Housing V. Economic Impacts A. Public Risk/Expense B. Indirect Project Costs C. Feasibility of Operating Plan D. Compensation for Use of Public Land V VI. Parks/Recreation/Trails/Open Space A. Loss of Existing Rio Grande Trail/Realignment B. Loss of Rio Grande Playing Field/On-Site or Off -Site Relocation C. Feasibility of Retaining Open Space on Rio Grande Site VII. Environmental Impacts A. Air Pollution Reduction if Auto Disincentive B. Air Pollution Increase if Locomotive Idling C. Air Pollution Increase if Automobile Idling On -Site D. Noise Pollution E. Water Pollution Concerns Re: Fuel Storage, Spill, Waste Produce Disposal, Etc. F. Trash Generation and Blowing G. Disturbance of Mine Tailings and Dumps H. Drainage Concerns On-Site�r I. Floodplain Concerns: Regarding Riverside VIII. Utilities Impacts A. Sewer Trunkline Under Rio Grande Trail B. Water, Sewer, Gas and Electric Lines Under Mill and Puppy Smith Streets IX. Land Use Issues A. Neighborhood Compatibility B. Surrounding Uses and Zoning X. Compatibility with Past and Current Plans I. INTRODUCTION As the staff, Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council are by now aware, the Applicants wish to re-establish passenger train service between Denver's Stapleton Airport and the City of Aspen. Conceptually.. the Roaring Fork Railroad Company will provide service from Stapleton to Woody Creek utilizing existing railway, specifically, the Union Pacific Rail- road's tracks from the Airport to downtown Denver and the Denver and Rio Grande Western's tracks from Denver to Glenwood Springs and Woody Creek. The Applicants propose to construct, at their expense, a new crossing over Woody Creek and to extend the exist- ing railway along the old D&RGW right-of-way from Woody Creek to the Rio Grande property in Aspen. CThe new track will generally follow the D&RGW historic alignment, entering the Aspen city limits at the so-called Shapery property and crossing Puppy Smith Street, the Trueman property and Mill Street to the Rio Grande. In addition to the new track, the Applicants propose to construct passenger stations at the Railroad's Stapleton and Rio Grande terminuses as well as smaller, commuter facilities at Carbondale, Basalt and other appropriate points along the route from Glenwood Springs. As an initial step in achieving the objectives summarized above, the following land use application, submitted pursuant to Section 24-7.3 of the Municipal Code, requests conceptual approv- al to utilize the City -owned Rio Grande and Shapery properties 1 for the proposed railroad's Aspen passenger station and related Cfacilities. The portion of the Rio Grande which the Applicants wish to utilize is currently unzoned while the Shapery parcel (i.e., Lot 3, Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project) is zoned Service/Commercial/Industrial(SCI). Both parcels, however, have been designated with a Specially Planned Area (SPA) overlay, thus necessitating this application for conceptual SPA approval. The City Council granted the Applicants permission to submit a con- ceptual SPA application for the publicly -owned Rio Grande prop- erty at its April 14th meeting. In addition to SPA approval, the City's permission will be required to install tracks in the Puppy Smith and Mill Street right-of-ways, and to utilize a portion of an additional City - owned parcel located adjacent to the Rio Grande property within the Creektree Subdivision. No formal land use approvals are expected to be required in order to utilize the City's streets. The Creektree Subdivision parcel, however, is zoned R-6, Residen- tial and is subject to a previously approved PUD plan. In the event staff determines that an amendment to this plan is re- quired, an appropriate application will be prepared and submitted in conjunction with the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. Similarly, permission will be required in order for the railroad to traverse a portion of the privately -owned Trueman property (i.e., Lot 1, Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project). An amendment to the previously approved SPA plan for this parcel, if 2 ( required, will also be processed concurrently with the Appli- cants' precise SPA plan application. c While the submission requirements for a conceptual SPA ap- plication are left largely to the discretion of the City's Plan- ning Director, the Applicants have attempted to provide suffi- cient information to enable a thorough evaluation of this appli- cation. However, given the obvious complexity of a project of this scope, questions may arise which the Applicants have not anticipated. To the extent that such questions need to be addressed at the conceptual SPA level, as opposed to the precise development plan level, the Applicants would be most happy to provide additional information in the course of the application's review. The following application has been organized so as to facil- itate, to the extent possible, the City's review of the Appli- cant's request. Section II of the application provides a brief overview of the Roaring Fork Railroad's proposed operations while Section III outlines the Applicant's development plan within the City of Aspen. Section IV of the application summarizes the proposed railroad's development timetable. II. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW Presented below is a brief description of the equipment which the Roaring Fork Railroad will utilize and an overview of l 3 the level of service which the Applicants' propose to provide. CThe information contained in this section has been excerpted from the Applicants' previously submitted Roaring Fork Railroad Pro- posal and is provided here primarily as background for the de- velopment plan discussion contained in Section III. The reviewer is referred to this companion document for a more detailed discussion of the Railroad's operations. A. Equipment The Railroad's passenger operation will require two separate trains, each of which will consist of two to three modern diesel/electric locomotives, from seven to thirteen passenger cars, one or two dining cars, one or two baggage cars, Cand a bar car. The specific composition of the trains will vary according to the day of the week and the season of the year. For example, a weekend, peak season train will typically consist of thirteen passenger cars, two dining cars, a bar car and two baggage cars. In contrast, a weekday, off-season train would require considerably fewer cars. It is anticipated that the locomotives will be leased from, and operated by, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail- road. A fleet of vintage, stainless steel cars, including coaches, vista domes and dining and observation cars, will be purchased, refurbished and staffed by the Applicants. With re- gard to commuter equipment, the Applicants propose to utilize self-propelled diesel cars of a European design. 4 B. Service With respect to passenger service, the Applicants pro- pose to operate a daily train in each direction between Denver and Aspen from November 15th to April 15th and from June 15th to September 15th. Service during the remaining four months of the year (i.e., the so-called off-season) will depend upon market demand. This slack period will allow sufficient time to prepare the Railroad's equipment for peak season use. As currently envisioned, the westbound daily will de- part Denver's Stapleton Airport at 12:00 noon, arriving in Aspen at approximately 7:00 P.M. The eastbound train will depart Aspen daily at 8:00 A.M., and arrive at Stapleton at approximately 3:00 CP.M. This schedule will enable a visitor to travel between any major airport in the United States and Aspen in one day. Gate service and baggage handling will be provided by a Stapleton based air carrier which will allow luggage to be checked through from point of origin directly to Aspen. Through airline pass- engers will be transported by the Applicants from the airport to the Stapleton station which will be located conveniently nearby. Passengers originating in the Denver area will be able to park directly at the station and board the train. Each passenger on the daily train will have a choice of three classes of service. Coach class will be the least expen- 5 sive and will guarantee the passenger a reserved seat with smoking preference. Coach passengers will have access to all of the train except the first class section and reserved vista dome seats. Vista Dome class will provide a reserved seat in one of the glass -roofed vista dome cars. Dome passengers will have the same access to the rest of the train as coach passengers. First Class service will provide a particularly high level of pro- fessional service in the rear one or two cars of the train including a round end observation car and, when available, a first class Vista Dome. Access to the First Class section will be restricted to First Class passengers. Local commuter service between Aspen and downvalley communities will be provided on an appropriate schedule which the Applicants will develop cooperatively with the area's local governments. Fares and responsibility for costs will likewise be a subject for negotiation. III. DEVELOPMENT PLAN This section of the application outlines the Roaring Fork Railroad's development plan within the City of Aspen. While the application specifically requests conceptual SPA approval for the Railroad's use of the Rio Grande and Shapery properties, the City's permission will also be required in order to utilize other parcels affected by the Applicants' proposal. Consequently, in 6 Corder to fully disclose the Applicants' requirements, a conc- eptual description of the development which is proposed to take place on each affected parcel within the City is provided below. A. Shapery Property As discussed in the introduction to this application, the Railroad will enter the Aspen City limits at the point where the Shapery property abuts the Roaring Fork River. A single track will traverse the length of the property, generally follow- ing the historic D&RGW right-of-way. While the installation of the track will require realignment of the exiting Rio Grande trail and pedestrian bridge, sufficient area appears to be avail- able to relocate the trail west of the track and the bridge Cslightly further downstream. Similarly, preliminary review of the Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project SPA plan indicates that existing utilities will not be adversely impacted by the track's alignment. The above notwithstanding, a detailed an- alysis of trail alignment alternatives and an evaluation of the impact of the railway on existing utilities will be provided in the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. All costs associated with the relocation of the trail, bridge and utilities will be borne by the Applicants. Although the Shapery property was zoned and designated SPA in conjunction with the approval of the Trueman Neighborhood 7 CCommercial Project, no SPA development plan for the property currently exists. The City purchased the property in 1983 in order to block the previous owner's development of an allowed SCI use. While a railroad is not a permitted use within the SCI zone district, it is reasonable to assume that the City will rezone the Shapery property to an appropriate category in the event permission to utilize the parcel is granted and an SPA develop- ment plan approved. Inasmuch as the property was purchased with sixth penny, open space funds, a public referendum will be re- quired in order to lease or convey the parcel to the Applicants for the Railroad's use. This referendum should ideally occur following conceptual SPA apprvoal. B. Trueman Property As shown on the accompanying Conceptual SPA Plan, the proposed railroad alignment traverses the northeast corner of Lot 1 of the Trueman Neighborhood Commercial Project. The railway splits at this point to provide a second track to service the proposed passenger station to be constructed on the Rio Grande property. Inasmuch as Lot 1 is privately owned, and the existing parking lot will be impacted by the installation of track, the owner's consent will obviously be required in order for the Railroad to utilize the property. As discussed earlier, the City's approval of an amendment to the existing SPA plan for this parcel will also most likely be required. Should the City grant 8 conceptual SPA approval for the use of the Shapery and Rio Grande properties, an amendment request, if required, will be submitted concurrent with the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. C. Mill and Puppy Smith Streets To the best of the Applicants' knowledge, no formal land use approvals are required in order for the Railroad to install tracks in a street right-of-way. The City's permission, however, will obviously be required in order to utilize public property. As the Conceptual SPA Plan indicates, a single track will exit the Shapery property, follow the approximate centerline of Puppy Smith Street to the Trueman property where it will split into two tracks which cross Mill street to the Rio Grande. All Cstreet crossings will occur at existing grade, thereby eliminat- ing the need to significantly reconstruct either Puppy Smith or Mill Street. Appropriate signals will be installed and the street crossings controlled so as to prevent accidents. The impact of the railway on the underground utilities in the streets will be addressed in detail in the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. All costs associated with the installation of track in Mill and Puppy Smith Streets, the relocation of utilities and the installation of traffic controls will be borne by the Appli- cants. As discussed in Section II.B, passenger service will be limited to two trains per day, the arrival and departure times of 9 which conveniently avoid peak usage of the affected street sys- tem. The temporary blockage of Puppy Smith and Mill Streets would, therefore occur only twice a day, and for periods of less than five minutes at a time. Additional disruption of the traffic flow would obviously occur in conjunction with the Rail- road's commuter service, but would typically be of a shorter duration given the significantly fewer railcars involved. D. Rio Grande Property As the Aspen terminus of the Roaring Fork Railroad, the Rio Grande property will require a variety of physical improve- ments. In addition to installing the necessary railway, the Applicants will construct a passenger station, two rail plat- forms, a transit plaza, parking lots, and an on -site circulation system. As shown on the Conceptual SPA Plan, two tracks will be required in order to accommodate the typical weekend, peak season train, each of which will have convenient access to the adjacent station building. An additional track will be required to service the Railroad's commuter operation while a fourth passing track will be required for locomotive run-bys. The four tracks, station and transit plaza are functionally interrelated. For example, an arriving weekend, peak season train will be split west of the city limnits into two halves. The front ten cars (i.e., seven passenger cars, two baggage cars and the bar car) will be pulled into the station on 10 track number one by three locomotives. The rear eight cars (i.e. Csix passenger cars and two dining cars) will be pushed into the station on track number two by a single rear locomotive. In extremely cold weather, all four locomotives will be moved uti- lizing track number four to an acceptable location downvalley where their engines will be allowed to idle until morning. In more moderate weather, idling will not be required and the loco- motives will remain in Aspen overnight. Passengers will exit from the front half of the train onto platform number one approximately five to ten minutes ahead of passengers from the train's rear half. Rear passengers will exit onto platform number two and cross the tracks to the station via an underground corridor. The passengers' luggage will be Cremoved from the two forward luggage cars on track number one in containers pre -assigned to each of four luggage areas located in the basement of the station. Skis will be similarly removed from the train, but will be transported to the front of the station for convenient outdoor pickup. The station's baggage area will be designed for rapid pickup and will provide direct access to the transit plaza located immediately in front of the station. As the Conceptual SPA Plan indicates, the transit plaza will contain a separate lane for taxi queing, two lanes with two raised sidewalks to accommodate limo/bus and passenger car wait- ing, and two through lanes to allow vehicles to depart quickly following passenger pickup or dropoff. The transit plaza will be accessed via the so-called Spring Street extension, a proposed Cpublic street improvement which has received considerable atten- tion from the City's engineers and planners in recent years. Short term parking for the stations will be provided. While the proposed circulation system is obviously conceptual in nature, the Applicants have attempted to address the basic transportation issues associated with a project of this scope in this location. A detailed analysis of such issues as turning movements, turning radii, pavement widths, signage, the number of short-term parking spaces, etc. will be provided in conjunction with the Applicants' precise SPA plan submission. With respect to weekend, peak season departures, passengers will check their skis at the curb and their baggage inside the station. After the passengers have boarded the train, a single locomotive will pull the rear half out of the station. The front half will be pushed from the station by the remaining three locomotives and the two halves connected. The single locomotive will pull the entire train downhill to Glenwood Springs, using the rear locomotives for dynamic braking. The single front locomotive will uncouple at a siding in Glenwood while the three remaining locomotives pull the train to Denver. Although weekday and off-season arrrivals and departures will involve fewer cars, the basic operational pattern will remain essentially the same as outlined above. 12 The passenger station is currently envisioned as a one- story building with a hip roof and dormers. Approximately 7,200 square feet of enclosed space will be provided on the ground floor, while an additional 6,400 square feet of covered space will surround the building under the roof canopy. Architectural- ly, the ground floor will be designed as a large, open space which can also be used for a variety of public purposes when the Railroad is inactive. Portable ticket counters, seating, etc. will be utilized in order to maintain the flexibility of the space. Baggage handling will occcur in the station's basement with the passengers' individual luggage being transported by conveyor to pickup areas which will flank the large central space on the ground floor. A second floor will be located in the station's roof area and will contain the Railroad's offices and dormitory housing for the train's crew. While the Railroad will require a substantial portion of the Rio Grande property for its various facilities, the Applicants' conceptual site plan will allow numerous features of past plans for the property to be maintained. The areas previously earmarked for a municipal parking garage and performing arts center have been retained and are accessible from the proposed Spring Street extension. Similarly, the river frontage area has been retained and is buffered from the railway and station by existing stands of cottonwood. As a result, this area could be developed for passive park purposes or a new 13 C playing field could be constructed. While parts of the existing trail network will have to be relocated, most of the system will be maintained in its current location. The existing parking lot, playing field, snow dump and impound lot, however, will be eliminated by the Railroad's use of the property. As indicated earlier, the portion of the Rio Grande property which the Applicants wish to utilize has been designated with an SPA overlay but has not beer► zoned. Consequently, should permission to use the property be granted by the City, and an SPA development plan approved, the area in question will have to be zoned to an appropriate category. This action, however, could occur concurrent with the adoption of a precise SPA plan for the property and subsequent to the public referendum which most likely will be required in order to lease or convey the parcel to the Applicants for the Railroad's use. Since all of the Rio Grande property has been designated SPA, a precise development plan could be adopted simply for the area to be .used by the Applicants or for the entire parcel utilizing plans developed by the Planning Office for the remainder of the property. Given the Applicants' development timetable, the former approach is prefer- able. E. Creektree Property Although the majority of the Railroad's Aspen facili- ties will be located on the Rio Grande, the actual railway will 14 terminate on the so-called Creektree park property. This parcel C' was created in conjunction with the Creektree subdivision/PUD and dedicated to the City for open space purposes. As the Conceptual SPA Plan indicates, a single track will exit the Rio Grande onto the Creektree property and terminate just short of the large stand of cottonwoods located below the adjacent Eagles Club. The track, which is required to accommodate the switching of train's locomotives, will be designed so as to hug the parcel's southern property line, thereby avoiding the existing trail which para- llels the River. The railway will be installed at existing grade which is approximately twenty-five feet lower than the Eagles Club parking lot. To reduce the impact on the residential neigh- borhood located across the River, the area between the exiting trail and the new railway will be extensively landscaped at the Applicants' expense. IV. DEVELOPMENT TIMETABLE The Applicants' objective is to initiate the Railroad's service between Denver and Aspen in November of 1987. In order to -meet this scheule, a variety of issues must be addressed and numerous problems resolved. The necessary city and county land use approvals must be obtained and a public referendum held. Following the receipt of local government and public approval, equipment must be obtained and refurbished, contracts with rail and air carriers finalized, engineering and architectural plans 15 C prepared, construction contracts let, and personnel hired and trained. Actual construction of the necessary bridges, grade crossings, track and stations will require approximately seven months to complete and will begin in the spring of 1987. As should be readily apparent, a substantial expenditure of time and money will be required to bring the Roaring Fork Rail- road to fruition. The Applicants, however, believe the under- taking to be economically viable as well as beneficial to the residents and visitors of Aspen and Pitkin County, and are pre- pared to pursue the realization of their proposal until such time as circumstance dictates otherwise. 16 ROARING FORK RAILROAD 2100 TRAVIS, SUITE 810 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002-8796 (713) 652-5934 August 12, 1986 Mr. Alan Richman Planning & Development Director 130 South Galena Street Aspen, CO 81611 Dear Alan: AUG 1 21986 You have requested that the Roaring Fork Railroad Company provide you with a status report indicating the progress we have made on the various requirements for our project. Our original requirements are listed in our master proposal beginning on page 92. This letter will serve to update that list showing our status as of today. 1. We have had several meetings with the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) staff in Denver as well as made an onsite engineering inspection of the track of the branch from Glenwood Springs to Woody Creek. We have iden- tified with the D&RGW the necessary elements for a contract to pull our train and have determined that the track between Glenwood Springs and Woody Creek can be upgraded to passenger service standards at a reasonable cost. We have reached an agreement in principal with the D&RGW and are ready to enter into a contract with then subject to our ability to provide $40 million of liabil- ity insurance. 2. As you know, we have submitted our conceptual SPA Plan to the Aspen/Pitkin Planning Office for the use of the Rio Grande right of way and establishment of a Transportation Center. Alpine Surveys has been contracted to provide a survey of the utilities presently using the right of way for use in further planning. 3. For the required Public Referendum we have suggested that the question be put to the voters on November 4th at the general election. 4. We have made a written request to the Union Pacific and have had three meet- ings with that Railroad relating to the services we will require from them. We have determined that the land for the station site on Smith Road is owned by the Union Pacific and is available for lease if we can work out details acceptable to both parties. The Union Pacific is currently considering our operational plan for train movement. 5. We have talked to airline officials with wham we hope to operate our Stapleton facility. They have indicated that our proposed interfaced plan for passen- gers and baggage will work and are within their capabilities. Mr. Alan Richman 2 August 12, 1986 6. We are not planning to approach the City of Denver and the Stapleton Airport Authority until we are further along and can give them a more detailed des- cription of exactly how the railroad/airline interface will work. We do not believe that either body will have any significant objection to the concep- tual plan we have worked out. 7. We have made a concerted effort to determine that passenger equipment in the U. S., Canada, and Mexico which would be appropriate for the high -quality restoration work which we plan to do. We have currently located and expressed interest in about 60 railcars. Of these, we have outstanding written bids to buy about 15 and we have already purchased five cars, including two vista domes, one observation, one sleeper, and one coach. 8. We are currently investigating two versions of the railbus which we plan to use for cmmuter service between Aspen and down valley communities: one is manufactured in Great Britain, one in Hungary. We have met with officials with British Rail Engineering Limited, have made a test ride on the car, and have asked them to provide us with additional information so that we can per- form a detailed economic analysis. 9. We have located a major car rebuilding facility in Denver which we can lease for our restoration project. We have also talked to Rocky Mountain Railcar, an existing railroad car repair facility located on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal grounds, and have determined that they are interested in assisting us with on- going maintenance, storage, and stocking of the train. For our down valley maintenance area we have located two tracts of land in Carbondale which we think would be appropriate for section maintenance. 10. We currently have investors to provide between 35 and 50 percent of the start- up cost of the project. We are talking to several other potential investors, both local and out of state, to determine if there is significant interest in a full private placement. In not, we plan to make a public offering. 11. We have had numerous conversations with Amtrak regarding their exclusive right to run passenger service in the United States. Amtrak has agreed in writing to license the Aspen route to the Roaring Fork Railroad Company sub- ject to our payment to them of a nominal fee per train. The fee, while not set, has been agreed to be a nominal sum which will not be a disincentive to our operation. 12. As to other State and Federal Agencies which will have to approve our opera- tion, we have prepared a detailed memorandum outlining the requirements, a copy of which is attached hereto. Mr. Alan Richman 3 August 12, 1986 If the Planning Office needs any further information, we will be happy to provide it. Very truly yours John R. Parten President JRP:mjs Enclosure I I01 Na) IM IBill41l To: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker, Planning Office From: Chuck Roth, Assistant City Engineer (21Z Date: August 19, 1986 Re: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Having reviewed the above referenced application, the Engineering Department has the following comments: 1. As a matter of principal of municipal and transportation engineering, this reviewer favors the above referenced project. Studies could be performed, and we could list all of the streets in town with their current levels of service in good transporta- tion engineering fashion. However, we do not need studies to know that we also do not need more automobiles in town. There- fore, this reviewer favors any projects that the community cares to embrace which will reduce the number of automobiles in town. The potential for use of the railroad for commuters is also very attractive. Transportation analyses can be divided into two categories which can be considered separately - (1) local commuter and business transportation and (2) tourist transporta- tion. This application presents a project which could benefici- ally serve the community in both regards. A concern that this reviewer has for the viability of the commuter usage is the element of time. That is, a transportation system which takes less time to move people from point A to point B is more likely to suceed than one which does not. The times for commuting between different points were not discussed in the application. However, the review process is not as concerned with elements of viability of a project which is not being constructed with public funds. Any commuter usage of the train which does not represent a changeover from bus users would represent a decrease in the automobile traffic on city streets and in the demand for parking spaces. 2. All concerns of the project for impacts on utilities (gas, water, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, electric power, cable television, and telephone) should be addressed by the applicant maintaining close contact with all of the utility companies. 3. Since the anticipated effect of this project is to reduce automobile traffic in town, this reviewer does not object to contemplating the impact of the railroad using public rights -of - way for crossings and access to a station site at the Rio Grande property. The City Attorney should be consulted regarding the legalities of permitting this use of public rights -of -way. 4. The Rio Grande property has historically been discussed as a possible site for a municipal parking garage. It is recommended that this possibility continue to be explored. Perhaps we could joint venture a parking structure with the applicant at this site with portions reserved for their -use or general public use. 5. It is correct that this department has spoken in favor of creating new public right-of-way referred to in the application as the Spring Street extension in conjunction with planning for the Rio Grande property. This department anticipates continuing to favor the creation of that new public right-of-way. 6. On page 13 of the application, reference was made to using the ground floor open space of the station "for a variety of public purposes when the railroad is inactive." This reviewer would like to know what those uses might be. 7. Drainage impacts will be of concern to this department. We will want to see a drainage plan and mitigation of any adverse conditions generated by the project. 8. The community would be delighted to relocate the impound lot, but we have not been able to find a location. The applicant may need to assist in this matter. 9. Some of the community would be delighted to relocate the snow dump. This reviewer is not convinced that this would be in the best interests of the community in general. Hauling snow out Main St. to a site west of town such as the Thomas/Marolt Property, should the voters consent to such use, might adversely impact more individuals than the existing location because of the lodges situated along Main St. Would the noise level of the trucks impact guests at those lodges at three or four in the morning? The same might be true of hauling snow out of town to the east, if we could find a site out there. It might be better to maintain the existing snow dump site and find a different location for a ball field. 10. This reviewer is concerned about the impacts of the project on the Rio Grande trail. The existing trail is a great amenity to the community. 11. As regards the visual, architectual and bulk impacts of a train station on the Rio Grande property, this reviewer would like to suggest that the station be designed to look like a miniature. cc: Jay Hammond, City Engineer CR/cr/rr.1 aw. CITY OF ASPS 130 south galena street aspen, .colorado 81611 303-925 -2020 MEMORANDUM TO: Tom Baker & Steve Burstein, Planning Office FROM: Tim Vanatta, Leisure Services Director DATE: August 21, 1986 RE: Roaring Fork Railroad Project [ C�LSOM[ AUG 2 1 198% JJ My staff and I have had the opportunity to review the Roaring Fork Railroad plan as it relates to the Rio Grande playing field. The report indicates that the playing field would be eliminated and possibly moved to the northern section of the property adjacent to the Roaring Fork River. First of all, let me state that this particular playing field is a viable facility as related to our comprehensive recreation program. The following is a list of activities that are conducted on the field: 1) Girl's softball 2) LaCrosse (men's & women's) 3) Rugby (practice & games) 4) High school soccer S) Youth soccer 6) League softball (back-up field) 7) Tournaments 8) Potential flag football league 9) Special events Consequently, the impact on losing this field would hinder our ability to effectively schedule the above activities. It is also staff's initial opinion that the area designated as a substitute area for the playing field would not be large enough to insert a regulation size soccer, rugby, football field or a combination multi -purpose field. MEMORANDUM TO: Tim Vanetta, Leisure Services Director Bill Ness, Director Parks Department Bill Efting, Director Recreation Department FROM: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker, Planning Office RE: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Review Parcel ID#2737-073-00-032 Case No. 38A-86 Date: August 11, 1986 ------------------------- ------------------------- Attached for your review is an application submitted by Sunny Vann on behalf of the Roaring Fork Railroad Company, requesting Conceptual SPA approval for the purpose of establishing train service to Aspen which will include a train station in town and its ancillary tracks. This application is for the City portion of the system. The County portion will be reviewed independently as a 1041 procedure. Conceptual SPA is a very preliminary point in the review process, during which the general intent and design approach to the project is established. The purpose of this memo is to inform you and your staff about the project and request information from you regarding impacts, and problems which need to be addressed at the precise stage of SPA. Therefore, please provide us with comments on studies you wish to have conducted, information you require, and problems you foresee in servicing this project. Please note also that we will be putting forward a plan for the entire Rio Grande Property, to be considered by P&Z and the Council at the same time as this proposal. Please review this material and return your referral comments to the Planning Office as soon as possible. We will be drafting our memo the week of the 21st. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call Steve or Tom. Thank you. TB. RF MEMORANDUM TO: Tim Vanetta, Leisure Services Director Bill Ness, Director Parks Department Bill Efting, Director Recreation Department FROM: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker, Planning Office RE: Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Review Parcel ID#2737-073-00-032 Case No. 38A-86 Date: August 11, 1986 ------------------------- ------------------------- Attached for your review is an application submitted by Sunny Vann on behalf of the Roaring Fork Railroad Company, requesting Conceptual SPA approval for the purpose of establishing train service to Aspen which will include a train station in town and its ancillary tracks. This application is for the City portion of the system. The County portion will be reviewed independently as a 1041 procedure. Conceptual SPA is a very preliminary point in the review process, during which the general intent and design approach to the project is established. The purpose of this memo is to inform you and your staff about the project and request information from you regarding impacts, and problems which need to be addressed at the precise stage of SPA. Therefore, please provide us with comments on studies you wish to have conducted, information you require, and problems you foresee in servicing this project. Please note also that we will be putting forward a plan for the entire Rio Grande Property, to be considered by P&Z and the Council at the same time as this proposal. Please review this material and return your referral comments to the Planning Office as soon as possible. We will be drafting our memo the week of the 21st. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call Steve or Tom. Thank you. TB. RF MEMORANDUM TO: - City Attorney City Engineer Aspen Water Department Environmental Health Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District Roaring Fork Transit FROM: Steve Burstein and Tom Baker, Planning Office Roaring Fork Railroad Conceptual SPA Review Parcel ID#2737-073-00-032 Case No. 38A-86 DATE: July 29, 1986 Attached for your review is an application submitted by Sunny Vann on behalf of the Roaring Fork Railroad Company, requesting Conceptual SPA approval for the purpose of establishing train service to Aspen which will include a train station in town and its ancillary tracks._ This application is for the City portion of the system. The County portion will be reviewed independently as a 1041 review procedure.. Conceptual SPA is a very preliminary point in the review process, during which the general intent and design approach to the project is established. It is also the time when the referral agencies identify the issues which they want the applicant to study at the subsequent stage, precise SPA.. Therefore, please provide us with comments on studies you wish to have conducted, information you require, and problems you foresee in serving this project.. Please note also that we will be putting forward a plan for the entire Rio Grande Property, to be considered by P&Z and the Council at the same time as this proposal. Please review this material and return your referral comments to the Planning Office no later than August 18th.. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call Steve or To m. Thank you. L&2-,u Si 7-1 A) S P- OWN r PRO! 4r, ram, -f 11D A,L4 F. �44z C..'a o., uQ k,04k k\ �0. o G aa•,tt, Q kik%%, - f 4L"o *. A *. C. 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