Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Use Case.CU.221 E Main St.A67-90r ,_ CASED,.0 SUMMARY SHEET City of Aspen DATE RECEIVED: ll 19 90 DATE COMPLETE: PARCEL ID AND CASE NO. 2737 - 073 -28 -002 A67 -90 STAFF MEMBER: LL PROJECT NAME: Explore Booksellers Insubstantial Amendment to Conditional Use Permit Project Address: 221 East Main Street, Aspen, CO 81611 Legal Address: Lots D and E, Block 74, Aspen, CO APPLICANT: Katherine Thalberg Applicant Address: REPRESENTATIVE: Katherine Thalbera Representative Address /Phone: 221 E Main Aspen 925 -5336 PAID: YES NO AMOUNT: NO. OF COPIES RECEIVED: TYPE OF APPLICATION: 1 STEP: 2 STEP: P &Z Meeting Date PUBLIC HEARING: YES NO VESTED RIGHTS: YES NO CC Meeting Date PUBLIC HEARING: YES NO VESTED RIGHTS* r YES NO J u L�J Pla ing Director Approval: t t>-? , 1 Paid: Insubstantial Amendme t or Exemption: Date: REFERRALS: City Attorney Mtn. Bell School District City Engineer Parks Dept. Rocky Mtn Nat Gas Housing Dir. Holy Cross State Hwy Dept(GW) Aspen Water Fire Marshal State Hwy Dept(GJ) City Electric Building Inspector Envir. Hlth. Roaring Fork Other Aspen Con.S.D. Energy Center DATE REFERRED: INITIALS: FINAL ROUTING: DATE ROUTED: City Atty City Engineer Zoning _ Env. Health Housing other: FILE STATUS AND LOCATION: i MEMORANDUM TO: PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FROM: PLANNING STAFF (JS) DATE: JANUARY 3, 1977 RE: CONDITIONAL USE -- BOOKSTORE IN THE SCHOENBERG RESIDNECE ON MAIN STREET This proposal requests the development of a bookstore in the structure on the south side of Main Street between Monarch and Aspen Streets. The structure is a Victorian residence which has received historic designation, and the proposal as a conditional use is compatible with the land use plan for Main Street. Two residential units are included in the proposal. The applicants also request a reduction in the number of off - street parking spaces. Two spaces are assigned to the two units with the remainder for the bookstore's use. The Planning Office recommends approval of both the conditional use and the reduction of parking spaces. MARTIN H. KAHN ATTORNEY AT LAW 415 EAST HYMAN. ROOM 301 BOX 3386 ASPEN, COLORADO 81611 TELEPHONE (303) 925 -1539 August 20, 1976 City of Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission 130 South Galena Aspen, Colorado 81611 Dear Commission Members: r<e C rw A• �. �=ilc Katharine Thalberg, owner of Explore Booksellers, requests approval of a retail bookstore as a conditional use for the building located at 221 East Main Street, Aspen. Ms. Thalberg intends to move her present business to the proposed location, if this request is granted. Applica- tion has been made by the present owner, Ruth S. Johnson, executor for the estate of Ethel M. Frost, for H historic designation of the house. Ms. Thalberg hopes to renovate and remodel the interior of the building and restore the present exterior, with some additions not inconsistent with the present architecture. More detailed plans will be pre- sented when we appear before you. Attached, please find a listing of property owners within 300 feet of said property. We would appreciate being placed on the next possible P & Z Commission agenda. Very t my yours, Martin H. Kahn MHK:sm Encls. 623 East Hopkins (DLO0 B eS OOK LLEISS Aspen, Colorado 81611 303 925.5336 LIST OF PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 300' OF LOPS D & E, BLOCK 74: Claude M. and Claudine Connor Box 159, Aspen, CO 81611 James E. and Alberta L. Moore Box 707, Aspen, CO 81611 Matthew and Carolyn S. Bucksbaum 600 59th St., Des Moines, Iowa 50312 Duane and Margaret Johnson Box 149, Aspen, CO 81611 Elizabeth Marie Jones Box P, Aspen, CO 81611 Portia L. and Francis Whitaker 1265 Bunny Court, Aspen, CO 81611 David and Margaret Pace 208 Mo m ingside Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78209 Harry W. Jr, and Mary A. Bass 1150 Mercantile Dallas Bldg., Dallas, Texas 75201 Hod D. Nocholson, Modern Method Corp. Box A, Aspen, CO 81611 Lena Van Loon 303 E. Main St., Asnen, CO 81611 Svea F. Elisha Box 259, Aspen, CO 81611 Carl R. and Catherine M. Bergman Box 1365, Aspen, CO 81611 William R. Dunaway, Mountain States Communication Box 1365, Aspen, CO 81611 John F. Gilmore Box J, Aspen, CO 81611 Mary Esbaugh and Wm. P. Hayes Box 497, Aspen, CO 81611 623 East Hopkins Aspen, Colorado 81611 303 925.5336 PROPERTY OWNERS p. 2 John Crosby 325 S. Forest St., Denver, CO 80222 Louise H. Saurel Rm. 2400, 152 E. 81st St., NY, NY 10028 Ethel McCabe and Fred Pearce Box 531, Aspen, CO 81611 Louis O, and Frances L. Wille Box 1145, Aspen, CO 81611 Chevron Oil Co., Western Division Box 599, Denver, CO 80201 Thomas J. ani Alice Rachel Sardy Box 1065, Aspen, CO 81611 PUBLIC NOTICE Re: Explore Booksellers - Conditional Use Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on January 4, 1977 at 5:15 P.M. in City Council Chambers,, City Hall before the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission to consider the conditional use of a bookstore (Explore Booksellers) in the Office zone to be located in Block 74, Lots D and E, Aspen Townsite(221 East Main Street). A copy of the application may be examined inthe Office of the City/ County Planner during normal working hours. MARTIN H. KAHN ATTORNEY AT LAW 415 EAST HYMAN. ROOM 301 BOX 3386 ASPEN. COLORADO 81611 TELEPHONE (303) 925 -1539 December 31, 1976 Planning and Zoning Commission City of Aspen 130 South Galena Aspen, Colorado 81611 Dear Commission Members: In connection with Ms. Katharine Thalberg's application for conditional use as a book store the building located at 221 East Main Street, we would request a reduction of one parking space required for the book store, i.e. we would request that only five parking spaces rather than six be required. The reason for this request is that Ms. Thalberg intends to construct two employee housing units on the site, as opposed to the one originally contemplated, raising the total required parking spaces from seven to eight. There is, however, room for only seven spaces. We would like to allocate one space each for the two housing units, and five for the book store, on the grounds that the location borders on an area not requiring parking for commer- cial space, that the nature of her business has been such that five spaces would be more than adequate for the book store and that, should the apartment residents either not have an automobile or, if they do, should they be employed at such location as to necessitate its use, the residents' parking space(s) could also be utilized by the book store customers. We would greatly appreciate favorable consideration to this request. Very truly yours, Martin H. Kahn MHK:cd TO: Bill Drueding, Zoning Officer FROM: Leslie Lamont, Planner RE: Insubstantial Amendment to Conditional Use, Explore Booksellers DATE: November 19, 1990 ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: An insubstantial amendment to the Conditional Use approval is recommended for the Explore Booksellers, 221 East Main Street. The applicant, Katherine Thalberg, proposes to amend the Conditional Use Permit to prepare food on site. STAFF COMMENTS: The existing bookstore and coffee house is a conditional use in the Office zone district. In 1987, the bookstore received Conditional Use approval to expand the retail space and incorporate tea and pastry service. A condition of approval was that no food would be prepared on -site. The applicant is requesting to add to the kitchen facility to meet health department standards for food preparation. According to the application the expanded kitchen "will permit us to improve our service and improve the quality of our food and drinks, as well as give us better food handling facilities." Seating capacity will remain at the approved 50 seats. A liquor licence has also been applied for service of beer, wine and some liqueurs. This application seeks to amend the Conditional Use permit pursuant to Section 7 -307 of the Land Use Code. Section 7 -307 (A) sets out the standards for an insubstantial amendment to an existing Conditional Use as follows: 1. The change will not cause negative impacts on pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation, parking or noise; and RESPONSE: This amendment will not increase the amount of pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The allowed seating will remain at 50 seats. 2. The change will not substantially affect the tourist or local orientation of the conditional use; and RESPONSE: The amendment does not alter the use of this building which has a strong local and tourist following. 3. The change will not affect the character of the neighborhood in which the use is located; and RESPONSE: The amendment does not change the use of this l� TO: Yvonne Blocker, Housing Authority Tom Dunlop, Environmental Health Leslie Lamont, Planning FROM: Amy Margerum, Planning RE: Request for Insubstantial Amendment to Explore Booksellers Conditional Use Permit DATE: November 7, 1990 Explore is requesting an insubstantial amendment to the existing Conditional Use permit to operate a bookstore and coffeehouse. The current permit states that there will be no food preparation on site. In order to allow them to prepare food on site, they need to amend the Conditional Use permit. Katherine Thalberg has requested an insubstantial amendment to her existing conditional use to allow for food preparation on site. She appears to meet all of the code requirements for an insubstantial amendment, however, I would like for you to check to ensure that the change does not require any new mitigation from your respective positions. I would appreciate a response as soon as possible, as her building permit and liquor license are pending this change. Thanks for helping me out on this. cc: Tom Baker Bill Drueding Jed Caswall Gary Lyman Attachments: Letter from Katherine Thalberg dated November 6, 1990 Conditional Use Amendment Allowing Coffee House Use Land Use Code Criteria on Insubstantial Amendments November 6,1990 Amy Margerum Planning Director Aspen/Pitkin Planning Department 130 South Galena Aspen, Colorado 81611 Dear Amy: I am requesting an Insubstantial Amendment to Explore's Conditional Use approval. We are in the process of building additions to the service area of both the bookstore and the Coffee- house. None of the additional space will increase the public use of the building, but simply will make our service to both areas more efficient, as we are presently working under very crowded conditions. The bookstore is adding a shipping/receiving room, as well as additional office workspace. Un- der present conditions, our few desks are shared by a number of workers, our bookkeeper shares a small office with two to three other people, and our receiving area has virtually no space to function and the boxes of books that are received are always blocking our passageways. Our returns depart- ment is a small ledge in a hallway. The Coffeehouse has no office area at all. We are not adding more staff, but only giving our present staff a little more room to function. We are not adding on to the bookstore selling space. We are not adding to our inventory. We will simply be able to serve our customers better and more efficiently. The Coffeehouse, which is a small and intimate place for locals and visitors to gather and read and discuss literature and enjoy coffees and teas and light foods, has been operating with a very inadequate and tiny kitchen for the past two and a half years. We are adding a kitchen which will permit us to improve our service and improve the quality of our food and drinks, as well as give us better food handling facilities. We are not adding on to our seating capacity, nor are we adding on to our seating area, but only to the kitchen. Our seating remains very limited, approximately 32 to 34 seats, for the Coffeehouse is essentially an amenity for the bookstore, rather than a separately - functioning entity. It was added in order to enhance the bookstore, which is a large bookstore for such a small town. We are presently applying for a liquor license, because our customers have informed us that they would like to be able to have a glass of wine. We will not be a bar, but will only serve an extremely small selection of wine and beer by the glass. We are requesting a full liquor license because cus- tomers would like to have liqueurs with their coffees, and liqueur- flavored coffee drinks. We will not serve "hard" liquor. 221 East Main Aspen, Colorado 81611 303/925 -5336 Our previous kitchen did not have an adequate number of sinks to permit us to prepare any of the foods we served on site. Our new kitchen will meet health department standards for food prepara- tion, and we plan to prepare some of our foods on site, as the cost of purchasing all foods already cooked from purveyors is prohibitive. Our foods prepared on site will also be fresher. We will still continue to purchase food products from purveyors as well. We do not plan any large -scale food preparation, and our menu will always be limited to light, vegetarian fare, as well as pastries. Explore provides a unique and valuable asset to Aspen. The bookstore is a literary and sophisticat- ed store providing a large inventory in a handsomely appointed, historic setting. It is a store that locals appreciate, and that visitors rave about, as there are few bookstores of this quality left in the country because of the encroachment of the chain bookstores. The Coffeehouse provides a gather- ing place with food and drinks available at all hours and at all times of the year. Unlike most As- pen businesses, Explore does not close during the off - season, stays open seven days a week, 365 days a year. We stay open long hours each day and into the evening. Our business does not really warrant our long hours and our faithful schedule during the off - season, but we do so because we truly want to be here for the locals as well as the tourists. The combination of the bookstore and the Coffeehouse provides an atmosphere and a setting that is not available anywhere else in Aspen. The addition and its use will not in any way have an impact on traffic circulation, parking or noise. We already provide parking, unlike most businesses in town, for a number of vehicles, and we are within walking distance to the center of town. Because we are not increasing our retail bookselling space or our Coffeehouse seating space, there will be no change in parking needs or traffic circulation or noise. The change will in fact enhance both the tourist and local orientation of our conditional use. We will be able to provide better service to our customers. We will continue to keep our same long hours, and be open when many local businesses are closed during all seasons of the year. The change will not affect the character of the neighborhood. Explore is a quiet, sophisticated, in- tellectual gathering place, and it will remain the same. The change will simply enable us to func- tion more efficiently. The change will not increase the number of employees. Our present employees work under very crowded conditions, and the change will simply ease the overcrowding. We are not adding a sin- gle employee as a result of the addition to our work space. Despite the fact that we are not hiring ad- ditional personnel, we have paid over $7,000, as required, into the housing fund to mitigate addi- tional employee housing needs, and we have also purchased three apartments in town to house our management personnel. The change will not increase the retail square footage of the bookstoree, or the seating area of the Coffeehouse. The entire addition is in the work areas that service both the bookstore and the Coffee- house. The appearance of the building will be totally unchanged in the front of the store, as all the addition is in the back, off the alley. We are preserving both our outside deck seating area, and a small garden in the back, rather than building out as much as we are allowed in FAR. We are ad- ding a minimum of square footage, as we wanted to preserve some open space and preserve our deck, as well as build the addition in character with the original Victorian house. Thank you for your consideration of this request. nc ely ours, Katharine Thalberg Aspen Land Use Reculati, Sec. 7 -305. Procedure for Conditional Use approval A Development Application for a conditional use shall be reviewed and recommended for approval, approval with conditions, or disapproval by the Planning Director, and then approved, approved with conditions, or disapproved by the Commission at a public hearing held in accordance with the procedures established in Common Procedures, Art. 6, Div. 2. A Development Application for a conditional use may be consolidated with any other Develop- ment Application pursuant to the requirements of Common Proce- dures, Art. 6, Div. 2. Sec. 7 -306. Application The Development Application for a conditional use shall include the following. A. The general application information required in Sec. 6- 202; B. A sketch plan of the site showing existing and proposed features which are relevant to the review of the conditional use application; and C. If the application involves development of a new structure or expansion or exterior remodeling of an existing structure, proposed elevations of the struc- C Sec. 7 -307 Amendment of development order - --7G Insubstantial amendment An insubstantial amendment to an approved development order for a conditional use may be authroized by the Planning Director. An insubstan- tial amendment shall be limited to changes in the operation of a conditional use which meet all of the following standards: 1. The change will not cause negative impacts on pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation, parking or noise; and kL 2 The change will not substantially affect the G tourist or local orientation of the conditional use; and 6(i The change will not affect the character of the neighborhood in which the use is located; and 4.) The change will not increase the use's emplo ee base or the r etail square footage — 1n tFe 7 -4 Revisions incorporated through August 14, 1989