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Asoen Planninl! & Zoninl! Commission Meetinl! - Minutes - January 16.2007
MINUTES .................................................................................................................2
DECLARATiONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST ...............................................2
LODGE AT ASPEN MOUNTAIN FINAL PUD ....................................................2
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Asoen Planninl! & Zoninl! Commission Meetinl! - Minutes - January 16.2007
Ruth Kruger opened the regular meeting at5:05 pm in the Sister Cities meeting
room. Members Dylan Johns, John Rowland, Steve Skadron and Ruth Kruger
were present. Brian Speck was absent. Staff in attendance were Joyce Allgaier,
Community Development; Kathy Strickland, Chief-Deputy City Clerk.
MINUTES
The minutes were postponed until the next meeting.
DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Dylan Johns stated a conflict on the Lodge at Aspen Mountain. There would only
be 3 voting members.
CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING:
LODGE AT ASPEN MOUNTAIN FINAL PUD
Ruth Kruger opened the continued public hearing on the Lodge at Aspen Mountain
final PUD. Notice was provided at the previous meetings. Joyce Allgaier stated
this was a planned unit development with a number of other land use reviews for
the planning commission as well as city council. Allgaier explained that the Lodge
at Aspen Mountain has been to the planning commission for conceptual review and
to city council for conceptual with an approval and now the process takes the plan
back to the planning commission and city council for any issues or concerns raised
at conceptual reviews. Those issues from city council were the location to South
Aspen Street, the scale and mass.
John Sarpa said that he represented Centurion Partners and this project has been in
the process for a 3 year period. Sarpa said that they have had many meetings with
the homeowners from Lift One, Timberridge, Juan Street and Shadow Mountain.
There was a letter in the record form Lift One Homeowners in support of the
project and Timberridge also has shown support; they have worked through the
issues with both Lift One and Timberridge. Sarpa said they were working with
Lift One and Timberridge on a vacation of Dean Street; the lower part of Dean
Street has been vacated with the city through the hearing process and the upper
part is yet to be vacated but have reached a 3 way party agreement on how the
vacation would be approached. Sarpa said that this plan was less impactful on
Juan Street than the previous approval. Sarpa said that they made changes to the
building to be less impactful on Shadow Mountain. Sarpa said the Aspen Chamber
Resort Association, the Aspen Lodging Association, Stay Aspen/Snowmass Group,
the Ski Company and others have all supported this project.
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Aspen Planninl! & Zoninl! Commission Meetinl! - Minutes - January 16. 2007
Sarpa said the building had a reduction in height and a different treatment of the
exterior of the building with different appearances on different areas ofthe
building, the materials and unique architecture.
Bill Poss, architect, introduced the team: Andy Wisnoski, Dave Carpenter and
Steven Holly. Poss utilized the site plan with a bridge over Juan Street; the
northern residential building contained the spa, 13 affordable housing units, 12
fractional units and 2 free market units. Poss said that a pedestrian ramp was
eliminated and all entrances will go through the main building, the lodge building.
The upper northern building was made up of 80 hotel rooms, 11 residential units
including 9 fractional units and 2 residential free market units. Poss said the
building was lowered between 16 feet and 19 feet; the average heights were
approximately 40 feet above grade, in some places 42 feet; the highest, 30 some
feet back from the sidewalk, was 55 feet to the ridge of a roof over the entry area.
Poss said the fa<;ade of the building was divided into 4 distinct characters of
architecture; 2 stories of the building were built into the roof. Poss described the
lodge entrance, the residential look to the parts of the building that were adjacent to
residential units, more refined timber work and the mountain eclectic with steeper
and shallow pitched roofs. Poss said that there were hanging balconies, there were
elements broken up into smaller elements built into the roof and siding that was
combination of shingle siding with rough or smooth finishes. There were heavy
smooth timbers and more shed roof areas. Poss said that they would bring a model
to the next building.
Poss used the site plan with the comparison of height brought down.
Sarpa said that they have engaged in a ground source heat pump system with the
energy efficiency for the street and the building. Sunny Vann spoke about the
Council concerns for the energy requirements for the narrowing of the street,
which parking was removed from the street and the street was heated and
relocation of the parking to another location.
Dave Patten, the principal of Resource Engineering Group, said they were involved
with the charrette last summer; his firm does mechanical engineering design. Dave
said that they intend to work all the way through the project to keep the energy
goals on track; there was a conceptual plan for the working of the mechanical
systems. Dave Patten said the idea was to use a ground source heat pump to try to
reduce the energy use and increase the efficiency of the entire system for snow
melt and the building; so from an engineering and energy perspective it was for the
ground source system to handle a good part ofthe snow melt load and building
load supplemented by natural gas boilers, a hybrid system. Dave Patten described
the heat pump as nothing more than a device that moves heat from one place to
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Aspen Planninl! & Zoninl! Commission Meetinl! - Minutes - January 16. 2007
another; in this kind of system they were moving heat from the ground into the
building and in the summertime they move the heat from the building into the
ground. The other advantages were that there no condensers on the roof and no
cooling tower. Sarpa stated that there would be a lot less things seen on the top of
the building. Patten said it would also reduce the noise without roof cooling fans.
Sarpa added that means they were taking leadership on exceeding the current
energy codes and they intend this to be an exceptional project. Sarpa said it makes
sense even though it will cost more money up front; they were confident that in the
long run the energy efficiency will be lower cost and better.
Steve Skadron asked for a brief explanation of the different options to the ground
source heat pump and a positive and negative. Dave Patten replied if you don't
have a ground source heat pump then all your heating would typically come from
boilers; the way that they have it set up was a third of the boilers. Patten said what
would be needed was a bigger boiler plant and a refrigeration unit for a chiller with
a big cooling tower, which would make cold water would then go to a 4 pipe
system for a return of hot and cold water; if the room calls for heat then hot water
would be supplied to the coil and if the room called for cooling then the cool water
goes through the coil. Patten said there also could be a third option of a water loop
heat pump similar to what was being done with running the ground source water
all around in the building and then individual devices for the meeting room, for
hotel rooms or the refrigeration for the walk-in were all connected to the same
water loop. Skadron asked the primary advantage to the ground source heat pump;
was it smaller infrastructure with nothing on the roof. Patten said in his estimation
it was the energy efficiency of it; to neighbors it maybe that there were no cooling
towers. Patten said the main benefits were energy efficiency, flexibility, quiet and
invisible. Patten said there were holes drilled below the footprint of the building
that would be about 300 feet deep; there would be approximately 100 holes.
Ruth Kruger asked ifthere would be a complication with the mine shafts. Patten
replied they did one test bore hole and they have not talked about mine shafts.
Poss said that most of the mine shafts were on the Ajax side all the way to
Smuggler. Kruger asked if the system used glycol. Patten responded there were 2
kinds of glycol and they used the glycol with alcohol instead of propylene glycol
with anti-freeze in it. Patten said the coolants were mandated by the EP A.
Sarpa emphasized that the construction management would exceed the guidelines
that the city has in place. Sarpa said that they would suggest that the vast majority
of workers on the project were intercepted at the Brush Creek Lot to reduce the
total load of a project of this size. Sarpa said that this building had a requirement
of 94.5 employees to be housed and the current projection of affordable housing
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Aspen Planninl! & Zoninl! Commission Meetinl! - Minutes - January 16. 2007
would be around 115 people, so they were intending to house more people than
what the formulas propose. Sarpa said that they took a year from conceptual to
final to work through the building and the energy efficiency was breaking a lot of
new ground on the efficiency proposals.
Sunny Vann said the key position was to off-set the energy demand with solving
South Aspen Street and to go beyond that with energy conservation for the project
as a whole.
Skadron asked how many on-site and off-site employees were being housed. Vann
replied the mitigation was a combination of on-site (77% of the employee
generation within the city of Aspen) and off-site, in the urban growth boundary
(about 23%). Vann said there were 9 units at the Airport Business Center that
were being constructed in connection with the mitigation ofthe Residences at
Little Nell (3 bedroom units) and the 13 on-site housing units with the demolition
of the Mine Dump Apartments; the remainder of about 70 employees that were
proposed to be housed at the redeveloped Smuggler Racquet Club. Kruger asked if
any of the people that were in those units would be housed in the new units. Vann
replied that prior current tenants of the Mine Dumps would have the right of first
refusal but he said that he would have to look at the PUD agreement for the exact
language.
Skadron asked if the plan from 2 years ago, which included an employee to
maintain the street, has gone away now because there was a better plan process.
Sarpa replied it was better because of the safety of the street and ability to maintain
the street in a snow free state. Allgaier said that Section 13 of the resolution
included exceeding the energy code by 50%. Sarpa said there would be a new
bench mark set before the next meeting. Vann said the commitment was to offset
the energy required to snow melt the street and to exceed to what was normally
required for the building; the issue was what was it that they were going to
measure, how were they going to measure and what was the appropriate condition.
Sarpa said that they will take the obligation of the whole street including the cuI de
sac.
Public Comments:
1. Alex Biel said he lived at 809 South Aspen Street, Shadow Mountain, and
they were pretty enthusiastic about the most recent reiteration and in the beginning
they weren't enthusiastic. Biel said they were more concerned about the location
of the ski lift by moving it.
2. Michael Meizen reiterated Alex's comments and said that they appreciated
John working with the Shadow Mountain board.
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Aspen Planninl! & Zoninl! Commission Meetinl! - Minutes - Januarv 16. 2007
3. Mary Barbee said that she lived at the corner of Juan and Garrnisch and
asked for environmental issues such as sound once the project was up and running
with the mechanicals of the building. Barbee voiced concern for the shadow
effects from all of the trees; she said that the devil was in the details and it would
be a long term effect on those that live in the neighborhood.
4. Carl Levy, the president of the Southpoint Condo Association, asked if the
snow melt would have any concern for Southpoint. Sarpa replied no, it would not.
5. Dennis Murray said that he was with the Trainers Landing Homeowners
Association said that their concerns were the snow banks with very little parking in
the winter and new plan shows a sidewalk eliminating the roadway parking in front
of the Juan Street Development. Murray said this plan diminishes the parking on
Dean, Juan and Garmisch, which was a major concern for them. Murray said other
concerns were the speed of traffic, construction traffic, maintenance of this
building and the parking.
6. Chris Galley, Aspen Ski Company, said they have been enthusiastic
supporters of this project and look forward to the re-vitalization of the area.
7. Derek Johnson, Juan Street Homeowners Association, stated concern for the
parking. Johnson said the developers of this project have listened to them so they
would support this project.
8. Steve Dunn, Juan Street, said that comer was approved as a pocket park and
hoped there would be more landscaping; he supported the development.
Kruger said that she did not know how the previous PUD requirements would be
held to the new PUD. Vann replied there were some similarities in the street
situation of widening Juan Street to 22 feet and the Parks Department wants a
group of cottonwood trees by Juan Street retained; to accomplish this some parking
was taken away. Vann said there were planning strips, sidewalk and curb and
gutter to be installed per the city's request to enhance pedestrian safety in the
neighborhood and facilitate drainage on the street. Vann said that they dedicated
additional right-of-way on the southeast corner to maintain a uniform sidewalk and
street transition around that curve; as a result some parking spaces would be lost on
the east side of Garmisch Street. Vann said that the neck down at Garmisch and
Durant was off of their property but it was something that they could discuss with
the city to implement that in the neighborhood.
Sarpa said that they could meet with Juan Street and Mary Barbee prior to the next
meeting to possibly retain some parking. Vann stated there were to be no lost
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Aspen Planninl! & Zoninl! Commission Meetinl! - Minutes - Januarv 16.2007
parking space as a result of the South Aspen Street improvements; they were
proposed to be relocated in one of two alternative depending upon the combination
of projects.
Dave Carpenter, landscape architect, said there were numerous challenges at Juan
Street having to do with materials, engineering and safety. Carpenter said that they
have worked with the City Parks Department, Stephen Ellsperman, on trees.
Allgaier entered Doug Allen's letter into the record as representing Lift One
Condominiums and said that the changes to the Lodge at Aspen Mountain was an
improvement to the project as it relates to Lift One Condominiums.
Skadron asked if there would be details of the parking on South Aspen Street.
Vann responded that there was a project on the other side of the street that runs
from Dean A venue to the base of One A and includes that existing parking lot on
the South side of Dean A venue and encompasses Willaoughby Park and the volley
ball area, which would relocate the parking in a sub-grade parking garage below
Willaoughby Park. Vann said that garage would incorporate the surface parking
on Willaoughby Park and include the spaces that were being removed from South
Aspen Street; iffor some reason the Willaoughby Park project doesn't get built
their solution would be to take the parking and relocate from South Aspen Street
into their sub-grade parking garage and make it accessible to the public.
Skadron said that the applicant has done an extraordinary job in coming to
agreements by those most impacted by this project. Sarpa said the process would
be the same for the next meeting.
John Rowland said that they were down to implementation. Vann said that they
would record the construction management plan; they have a draft of that plan.
Rowland said that Koch Park was used for staging and would like to have that
addressed.
MOTION: John Rowland moved to continue the hearing on the Lodge at Aspen
Mountain to February 6th, seconded by Steve Skadron. All in favor, APPROVED.
Meeting adjourned at 7 pm.
ckie LothIan, Deputy City Clerk
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