HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20090915MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Tom Rubel; Operations Manager, Parks Dept.
THRU: Jeff Woods; Manager, Parks and Recreation
DATE: September 9, 2009
MEETING DATE: September 15, 2009
RE: Special Event Opportunities Matrix
CC: Steve Barwick, City Manager
Randy Ready, Assistant City Manager
John Worcester, City Attorney
REQUEST OF COUNCIL:
Due to the renewed interest in Special Events within the City of Aspen, Staff created a matrix
that shows which venues within the core are available during various months. This matrix is
designed to help Staff, the outside event coordinator, the Special Events Committee, and even
Council with guidelines to ensure that Parks, Streets and other named venues are not over-used,
or to highlight those that are underused. Staff would like Council to approve this Matrix to be
used to balance event impact with sustainability of the Parks.
BACKGROUND:
Presently, Wagner and Rio Grande are near capacity for event and athletic use as shown by
former studies from turf consultants. (Attached with list of current uses.) Staff continually
receives requests for the use of Wagner Park for special events. The perception from the event
coordinators is that Rio Grande is too far removed from the core, and their event will suffer from
the distance. Staff works with every event request, through direct contact, or during the Special
Events Committee reviews, to accommodate all needs and requests; but it is not possible to have
every event in Wagner Park. As Staff has mentioned to Council on numerous occasions, turf is
more susceptible to damage during certain times of the yeaz, which could result in the need for
significant closure periods.
DISCUSSION:
After considerable review, Staff has created the attached Special Event Matrix. Wagner and Rio
Grande are especially popular venues, and we reserve these parks for revenue-generating events
that serve the community. As Council will note, there is room for one or two more low-to-
Page 1 of 3
medium impact events in both Rio Grande and Wagner Parks, as well as Paepcke, with the
caveat that weather could cause maximum damage if elements were extreme. Winter months of
January and February might possibly be open to another one or two low impact events at each of
these pazks as well. Staff has further identified some alternate sites that would open up more
opportunities for events to be held elsewhere, which would in turn allow increased use by the
general public in both Wagner and Rio Grande. As with all sites, there are elements that need to
be worked with. For example, using a street for an event will present challenges and concerns
for the Fire Marshall and the public safety sector that need to be addressed. These are not
insurmountable, as we have closed streets on previous occasions with various events.
The goal of the matrix is to prevent the current trend of every event requesting Wagner Park for
their event location. We could entertain perhaps one high impact event at Rio Grande or even
Paepcke, but certainly not Wagner. Mid-Mazch to late April and November/December are
critical months where events cannot be scheduled in these parks as any activity could cause
severe or irreparable damage to turf, resulting in long closures of these pazks during high season.
Staffs intention is that the Matrix would provide a positive experience for those hoping to
schedule a new event in Aspen, allowing them to suggest a specific site that the Special Events
Committee could approve. There are several locations where fewer events are held, such as Cozy
Point and Koch Park. These could easily accommodate increased use. Again, Staff hopes to give
new and existing events options that may not have been realized by the event coordinator. Staff
feels it is appropriate to have a standazd policy to easily distinguish site availability and types of
events allowed during specific times of the year. Therefore, this matrix shows available time
slots for additional events.
FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPACTS:
No budget increase expected.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:
Any increase in events will cause an increase in environmental impacts from vehicle and
equipment emissions for set up, take down, and increased field maintenance. These all have to
be considered in conjunction with increased tax revenues from events.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends approving the Special Events Matrix to encourage additional events in Aspen
through opportunities innumerous venues at appropriate times.
ALTERNATIVES:
Continue reviewing events on a case by case basis to determine appropriate venues and times.
PROPOSED MOTION: This should be a brief statement for a Council member to read such as
"I move to approve Ordinance # ..."
Page 2 of 3
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
Attachments: Opportunities for Special Events Matrix, Turf Report, Wagner/Rio Grande activity
list.
Page 3 of 3
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Wagner Schedule
Normal daily use
Food and Wine- Two week period of intense use with limited ability to water.
Six to eight rugby matches throughout the summer
Arts and Craft Fair- 4 days with set-up/take-down
Motherlode volleyball- Labor day weekend; four days, all day each day
United Soccer Club- practice nightly Sept. 1 to Nov. 1 and weekend games
Kids fund raiser late September to early October
Ruggerfest- Four days mid September
Fourth of July fireworks
New Years Eve activities
Nordic ski race- one-day event
Winterskol Fireworks
This equates to over 150 activity days for this park. Some days have multiple events. Most
events occur June to November.
This list is not all-inclusive.
Rio Grande
Normal daily use
Race for Cure
Ducky derby
Spring youth soccer-early to mid April until June 1
Spring Rugby League- three or four games April to June
Rugby Practice- three nights a week April through September
Ruggerfest
Fall youth soccer- Practice nightly with weekend games; Late August to Nov.l
Weekend pick-up soccer throughout summer
Motherlode Volleyball
Snow Polo
This equates to over 170 event days for this site. Some days have multiple events. Most events
occur between April and the beginning of November.
This list is not all-inclusive.