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HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Only 042523AGENDA INFORMATION UPDATE April 25, 2023 5:00 PM, I.Information Update I.A 2023 Palm Tree Festival Debrief I.B Transit Counts and Transit Ridership I.C Community Picnic 2023PalmTreeDebriefMemo_final.docx 2023_Palm Music Festival Survey_Responses_Report.pdf 2023 03-30 Transit Info Memo.pdf 2023CommPicnicMOI_final.docx 1 1 INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO:Sara Ott, City Manager FROM:Nancy Lesley, Director of Special Events THROUGH:Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager Austin Weiss, Parks and Recreation Director MEMO DATE:Monday, March 27, 2023 RE:Palm Tree Music Festival Debrief SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: On Tuesday, September 6th, 2022 staff brought to City Council an application for a music festival to be held the final weekend of February in Rio Grande Park. This was an application staff had reviewed and determined its viability and ultimately, made a recommendation for its approval. Council agreed with the staff recommendation and approved it to move forward. The conditions in which it moved forward were the following: o Friday and Saturday, February 24 th and 25th 2023 in Rio Grande Park o Capacity, to be determined by the fire marshal, approximately 4,000 o A noise variance was granted with music to be within 100 decibels and end at 10pm o Additional fees to be charged for the park rental o The free community concert will be held at a later date (TBD) DISCUSSION: Over the course of the fall and winter, staff met on a regular basis with the applicant to continue to review and discuss details of the proposed event. Approximately 15 meetings were held from October through February to ensure that all parties understood and agreed to the proposed plan to execute the concerts. The Aspen Police Department made the request that the Incident Management Team (IMT) be “stood up” for this event. The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office agreed with that request and a small team was assembled at the venue each concert day, beginning at 3pm until the venue was cleared (approximately 11:00pm both nights). The City of Aspen Special Events Department, on behalf of the applicant, requested Colorado State Patrol assist with traffic control on Main Street (Hwy 82) at key intersections where pedestrian traffic would be highest each concert night. 2 Friday, February 24th was clear and cold. The crowd continued to grow with each act leading to the biggest crowd of the evening when the headliner took stage. The show ended at approximately 9:50pm. Saturday, February 25th was warmer and saw larger crowds and went smoothly. Like the previous night, the crowds grew to the largest for the headliner act. The show ended promptly at 10pm. The concerts were closely monitored both nights for sound/decibel levels and never exceeded the permitted levels under the noise ordinance. The event wrapped up both evening’s shows within their allotted time. Both nights egress was smooth. The actual concert, while it generated some noise complaints from neighbors, went very seamlessly. Loading in and out this event presented numerous challenges mostly due to the large amount of infrastructure requested by organizers and the limited total space available to complete the build. Comments during the committee debrief highlighted how, for this event to be more successful in the future, loading in and out will need more thoughtful planning. Specific concerns were: Maintaining patent emergency access on Rio Grande Place whether through communication or actually keeping an access corridor free and clear of work activity. Managing the entrance and exit outside of Rio Grande Parking Garage in a manner as to provide uninterrupted service. Providing more management to better guide vendors, especially when challenges arise. Placing as much importance on load out as in load in. We recognize the professionalism of the event organizers and the well thought out planning required to make this event happen in such a confined space with so many challenging variables. There were a couple poor interactions with some of their subcontractors during a few high energy moments which could be improved upon in the future, but event organizers otherwise were very professional and responsive to all concerns presented to them. Their years in the industry and the list of highly successful events were a testament to how they achieved what they did. Overall, this was a massive undertaking and we understood what it would take to host this event and we also knew there would be challenges to overcome and concerns to figure out for any future festivals. In 2023 the Palm Tree Festival and the Wheeler LaughFest landed on the same weekend. The Wheeler team, including some members of the Wheeler Advisory Board, felt the Palm Tree Festival attracted the same demographic as the LaughFest and that, consequently, their event was negatively impacted. Staff always strives to manage the calendar with as 3 few overlaps as possible. There are many factors that determine event dates and staff will continue to manage the calendar to the best of our ability. With snow still covering the ground actual impacts to the park remain unknown. Mother Nature helped out by snowing 2 days leading into the event and giving the ground an additional layer of snow. Will that help? Only time will tell. Attached you will find the results of the Aspen Community Voice survey. FINANCIAL IMPACTS: Based on Council direction, staff charged the applicant $33,660 which is four days of the current exclusive use fee. The Parks Department also collected a bond to be used in the spring (if necessary) for any field damage. All other fees associated with the application were paid prior to the event. As agreed, a free community concert will be held on July 4th in the late afternoon, early evening prior to the free community laser light show. The expense of this will be borne completely by the Palm Tree Music Festival. RECOMMENDATIONS: As discussed, the snow needs to melt for staff to assess park impacts. If staff receives an application for a 2024 Palm Tree Festival, staff will check with the City Manager to identify next steps. 4 Q uestionnaire SURVEY RESPONSE REPORT 14 June 2016 - 26 March 2023 PROJECT NAME: Palm Tree Music Festival 5 REGISTRATION QUESTIONS Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 1 of 27 6 Q1 Please enter your zip code and wait for the drop down menu to locate your zip code and then click on the correct entry. If you do not wait for the drop down menu, you will get an error message. 49 (73.1%) 49 (73.1%) 3 (4.5%) 3 (4.5%)2 (3.0%) 2 (3.0%)2 (3.0%) 2 (3.0%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%)1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%) Aspen, CO 81611 Snowmass Village, CO 81615 Mc Lean, VA 22102 Carbondale, CO 81623 Manhattan, NY 10003 Telluride, CO 81435 Aspen, CO 81612 Chicago, IL 60654 El Jebel, CO 81623 Berthoud, CO 80513 Seattle, WA 98121 Basalt, CO 81621 Richmond, VA 23226 West Hollywood, CA 90069 Denver, CO 80246 Question options Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Region Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 2 of 27 7 Q2 Age 1 (1.5%) 1 (1.5%) 9 (13.4%) 9 (13.4%) 37 (55.2%) 37 (55.2%) 18 (26.9%) 18 (26.9%) 2 (3.0%) 2 (3.0%) 18 and under 19 - 29 30 - 49 50 - 64 65 + Question options Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Radio Button Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 3 of 27 8 Q3 Gender 25 (37.9%) 25 (37.9%) 41 (62.1%) 41 (62.1%) Male Female Question options Optional question (66 response(s), 1 skipped) Question type: Radio Button Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 4 of 27 9 SURVEY QUESTIONS Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 5 of 27 10 Q1 Please select the option(s) that best describes you (Select all that apply). Aspen resident Aspen business owner Downvalley commuter Aspen visitor Other (please specify) Question options 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 52 6 3 8 3 Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Checkbox Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 6 of 27 11 Q2 How did you get to the music festival (Select all that apply)? Car Pedestrian Bus Ride Share/Taxi Other (please specify)Bicycle Question options 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 10 27 15 5 16 Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Checkbox Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 7 of 27 12 Q3 Did you attend the music festival? 8 (11.9%) 8 (11.9%) 11 (16.4%) 11 (16.4%) 37 (55.2%) 37 (55.2%) 11 (16.4%) 11 (16.4%) I attended Friday I attended Saturday I attended both days I did not attend Question options Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Radio Button Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 8 of 27 13 Q4 Please indicate your satisfaction with the following aspects of the event: Too quiet Acceptably quieter Just right Acceptably loud Too loud Question options 20 40 60 80 Music Volume 10233121 Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Likert Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 9 of 27 14 Q4 Please indicate your satisfaction with the following aspects of the event: Too loud : 10 Acceptably loud : 23 Just right : 31 Acceptably quieter : 2 Too quiet : 1 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Music Volume Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 10 of 27 15 Q5 Please indicate your satisfaction with the following aspects of the event: Too late Just right Too early Question options 20 40 60 80 Event Times 5548 Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Likert Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 11 of 27 16 Q5 Please indicate your satisfaction with the following aspects of the event: Too early : 5 Just right : 54 Too late : 8 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 Event Times Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 12 of 27 17 Q6 Did you enjoy having the festival in Aspen? 53 (79.1%) 53 (79.1%) 2 (3.0%) 2 (3.0%) 8 (11.9%) 8 (11.9%) 4 (6.0%) 4 (6.0%)0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) No, as an attendee Other (please specify)No, although I did not attend Yes, although I did not attend Yes, as an attendee Question options Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Radio Button Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 13 of 27 18 Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 11:42 AM nothing Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 08:43 PM Disliked event Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 08:54 PM Nothing Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 09:39 PM NOTHING too loud Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:32 AM The downtown location Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:33 AM Well organized space. Music and f&b options Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:41 AM Location was great and truly offered the feeling of being at a festival IN Aspen with the view of Ajax, Smuggler and Red Mountain from the venue as part of the experience. Proximity to restaurants/downtown was great. Music genres were varied and very high quality, along with production. Very organized event. Ticketing great and access was easy. Security and police support was strong, especially for ped- crossings. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:22 PM Lights/ stage effects Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:48 PM #1 the early bird ticket special for locals #2 location, easy and in town, #3 local vendors #4 staff was really helpful and just nice! #5 of course music lineup was incredible. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:57 PM The festival itself, the layout and planning really seemed to have thought about every aspect to keep people safe and happy. I live right next to the festival and it was never too loud at the house for my parents. It really seemed like the production company and the city had thought of everything. Q7 What elements of the festival did you like the most Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 14 of 27 19 Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:59 PM The venue was amazing, location incredible, security were polite, music was amazing, so happy with this festival, keep coming back! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 01:25 PM It was incredibly easy to come and go with minimal traffic. Easy to get to with public transport and helpful staff Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 01:45 PM Kygo was amazing Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 01:54 PM Excellent use of a park. Well organized and staffed. Great energy in town. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 02:47 PM The People. such a good respectful crowd. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 03:35 PM There were people cleaning up the micro trash. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 04:21 PM Convenience, efficiency, production Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 04:31 PM Finally something fun in town!!! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:02 PM Wasn’t too crowded so you don’t have to be squeezed in the crowd, ability to leave and return, local food vendors, Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:02 PM The location! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:07 PM Very professional, safe, well organized Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:11 PM Great music, amazing production, effortless, not too crowded, friendly staff, everyone was happy. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:32 PM The production was amazing. Loved the VIP viewing deck. Loved the local food vendors inside the venue. RFV Early Bird Pricing! Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 15 of 27 20 Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:42 PM Location, timeof day- not too late Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:46 PM Affordable festival, good artists Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:05 PM Lots of fun Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:21 PM Location, infrastructure, talent, organization. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:28 PM Artists were amazing, accessibility was great. Being able to ski during the day and fest in evening was wonderful Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:34 PM Outdoors, lots of space to move around and dance, separate bathrooms for women. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 07:09 PM I thought the set up was awesome in terms structure/stage. Sat night was so fun. And kygo was amazing. Friday night performances were disappointing. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 08:23 PM The venue and wrist band technology. The music was also great! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 09:38 PM The sound was off-too much base, so it was hard to hear the singer Saturday night. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:27 PM The vibrancy it brought to town the music was fantastic, the setup was great, easy to get to and safe Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:48 PM Brought the community together, fun for all ages, brought a fun energy to the town, great performers such as Kygo. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 11:48 PM JACK WHITE! also sound was great..think you should do more music in rio grand Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 16 of 27 21 Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 04:19 AM Loved seeing red mountain to the left and aspen mountain the the right! So amazing to also see the stars. Loved the artists and the fun community of people. Everyone was just enjoying every minute of it! The crowd was seemingly older than a usual edm concert which was also very nice. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:54 AM Loved that it wasn't absolutely massive, easy to access bathrooms/merch/drinks and get back to my spot. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:55 AM NA Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:07 AM The music. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:35 AM N/A Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:03 AM The vibrancy of the event and the young crowd. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:29 AM NA Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:31 AM Venue, sound quality, energy Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:54 AM I liked how easy it was to get my wristband, I enjoyed the music, and didn’t feel overly crowded. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 10:10 AM Easy access, not crowded, the snow felt like I was walking on a sandy beach, Jack White. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 11:55 AM I think it's important to bring events to town that appeal to a younger demographic Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 12:09 PM Great music and venue set up. Screen Name Redacted The line up and the venue. You all did an amazing job setting it up. Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 17 of 27 22 2/27/2023 01:40 PM The venue was safe and roomy. It wasn't too crowded and wherever you were standing, you could see the stage. The food vendors were delicious! Good job! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 01:46 PM The ability to put on that caliber of an event, in February, outdoors, in our humble town. More of this is great. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 02:36 PM I did not attend. Intentionally - even though I am a fan of Jack White. Why did I not attend? Because it was very expensive and not accessible to the general public. $325 to start. $1500 for VIP. I heard $30K for one of the tables. All of it was gross. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 06:08 PM Jack White and Gryffen. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 06:31 PM It was organized well in terms of security, entry and exit, and VIP tables. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 06:43 PM Everything. Went perfect and the other members of the town agree! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:05 PM The vitality, the youth, the energy and the positive vibe! It reminded us of old Aspen! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:10 PM Music Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:27 PM So well organized, safe and very professional. Just what Aspen needs to revive itself. Thank you for going for it! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:21 PM proximity Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:59 PM Mix of music styles Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 09:00 AM Traffic management on the days of the event was handled well. Extra police presence to include safety crossing Main Street was appreciated. Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 18 of 27 23 Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 09:33 AM Perfect event--It was very organized. There was not down time between shows. It was not too crowded--you could get a drink, go to the bathroom and get some great tacos without waiting -- Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 09:39 AM Extremely well organized. 5 Star quality of sound, and timely transition from one act to another. Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 12:52 PM Stage, convenience, reentry Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 03:52 PM Inappropriate for the reasons below. Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 05:10 PM The setting, location & how organizers set up tent areas, etc. The line up was well done on how they booked Friday & Sat. Closing act w/ brilliant with top quality staging/light show excellent! So positive & exciting to see such a professional festival! The crowd was stylish. Not a rowdy college crowd but more young working professionals. Festival wasn’t too crowded so next year(s) hope they put a cap on # of tickets sold. Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 07:58 PM outdoor venue was nice Screen Name Redacted 3/01/2023 10:33 AM It was a new switch up for aspen. It was the most fun weekend I’ve ever had in aspen. After the weekend there should we one in the summer and winter Screen Name Redacted 3/01/2023 11:56 AM Music choices , location Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 11:42 AM I live in the Hunter Creek neighborhood and this event should never have taken place in Rio Grande Park. Our homes are being blasted with noise so loud we have to raise voices to hear each other in the Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Essay Question Q8 What, if anything, did you dislike about this event? Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 19 of 27 24 house. So clear I could sing along to the ever changing samples. This is a residential area completely inappropriate to an EDM concert. You even allowed them to face the stage INTO our neighborhoods, noise bouncing off Red Mountain further amplifying the problem. The Mayor is a sound engineer and should have known this was going to be a problem. This is This concert was 'sold' to the City as a community event. Total BS. A $235 ticket to see a dj has nothing to do with our community. This is an affront to our community and the hard working people who actually still live here. My husband worked 14 days strait and really needed a nap before his hockey game last night. Impossible due to the noise. The City has chosen an out of town promoter, wealthy visitors and an overpriced music venue over the quality of life land experiences of it's residents. Just because we live in employee housing does not mean you can dump on us. No one lives on Red Mountain so you probably figured it won't matter to them. Years ago, JAS was no longer allowed to use Rio Grande for the June Festival, because of the impact on the park and the community. That was jazz in a tent, and too much. This is not an experiment that needed to happen. If people want to see EDM, they can find it at Belly Up 6 nights a week. Why wasn't this downtown like other outdoor music events? There was ZERO consultation with or consideration of the people who live here. No notification, no compensation for the impact. Noise started before 11am today. This event is completely tone deaf to the sentiments throughout our town about the loss of community. The LAST place we have for refuge is our homes, employee neighborhoods, and parks. Finally, having this survey up only until Monday, also with no outreach or notification to the people most impacted, is more fake outreach. So you can say you want our opinions, but you do not. Your decision is an affront to hard working locals, an increasingly rare breed. Profits over people - Welcome to Aspen! Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 08:43 PM Massive trucks in town, road closures, destruction of park, no use of park, insane loudness, not family friendly, insane price of tickets! Our family lives just over castle creek bridge - we hear the music tent in summer on Sundays, but the noise from rio grande park?!! Wow?! Also we have World Cup and free bud light concert series coming up. Why did we need this? Say no to Belly up next time please. Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 08:54 PM Noise was extremely loud Screen Name Redacted 2/25/2023 09:39 PM Too loud Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 20 of 27 25 Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:32 AM None Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:33 AM Can’t think of anything Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:41 AM That is wasn’t 3 days! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:22 PM None Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:48 PM Would have liked to have the timing and schedule earlier in the month, to plan my day attending better. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:57 PM Nothing to dislike About this festival Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 12:59 PM I wish it were warmer ;) Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 01:25 PM Loved the event all aspects Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 01:45 PM Cold and openers very fair , too big of a venue could be smaller Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 01:54 PM NA Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 02:47 PM it was so cold on Friday! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 03:35 PM Nothing, I thought it was a nice change up from the usual events. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 04:21 PM KYGO Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 04:31 PM Why are you making me say something negative? Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 21 of 27 26 Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:02 PM Hard to enforce the no smoking but not that pleasant when you are in a tight crowd. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:02 PM N/A Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:07 PM Nothing - well done! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:11 PM None Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:32 PM A little expensive without the special pricing tiers. I realize that it’s an outdoor, park event in winter, but it was quite difficult to walk on the snow sometimes. I saw that some grooming was done, which was good, but it was challenging. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:42 PM Very late communication about time of start and each act- had no idea if this was going to be a daytime event, a nighttime event or both when I bought tickets and timing wasn’t communicated until about two weeks ago Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 05:46 PM Nothing Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:05 PM No Complaints Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:21 PM Maybe a few more “locals” tickets so more have access. There was no information regarding quantity but I heard it was less than 100. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:28 PM More/better food options Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 06:34 PM We loved it, no changes on my end. Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 07:09 PM None. I thought it was really well done. Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 22 of 27 27 Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 08:23 PM Loved it Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 09:38 PM N/A Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:27 PM The rude people from Denver Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 10:48 PM I wish it happened in the past!! Screen Name Redacted 2/26/2023 11:48 PM Drink selections..not much food but thanks for having Grateful Deli there! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 04:19 AM Not long enough! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:54 AM Everything was honestly great, but please do not allow guests under 21 to this type of event, maybe 18+. There were children there (saw a <10 y/o with his grandfather), some unaccompanied by adults (say 14-16y/o's) and that environment is just not the place in my opinion. We had an issue with some teenagers aggressively pushing through the crowd, getting physical/shoving/yelling and being extremely disrespectful to our group and other surrounding groups -- nobody was having it and they are lucky to not have gotten in fights with multiple people. Lastly, it was super slippery! Maybe next time, grate up the snow or put down as many rubber mats as possible. Overall loved the location, layout, and amenities. Kygo was sick and I hope you all host such an event again next year! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:55 AM The volume of the festival on Saturday night. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:07 AM Safety concerns: While they were setting up for the event, there was little to no direction for pedestrians. Both walkways were blocked with no indication that they were blocked or how to get around the park. Someone would be directing a vehicle to back up without awareness of pedestrians in the area. Environmental concern: The exhaust from the generators was overwhelming in some areas of the walkway. Is there a way to mitigate this? Thanks for checking into this. Linda Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 23 of 27 28 Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:35 AM -Too loud throughout the day and evening/night -Drunk and loud people in town -No usage of Rio Grande Park for several days or the surrounding -Usage of an indoor facility would have been the better choice Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:03 AM Set and break down is inconvenient Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:29 AM NA Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:31 AM Too many electronic artists - more bands would be better Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 09:54 AM I felt the opening acts for each headliner felt like they were mismatched. I wish Griffyn would’ve opened for Kygo and King Princess would’ve opened for Jack White. The genres felt mixed. The crowded was so excited after Griffyn so it felt like a weird transition to Jack White. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 10:10 AM Breathing exhaust from the generators, not having a local priced one day pass, not enough palm trees, poor camera work/video production, entitled rich people being rude. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 11:55 AM I did not like the extent to which the public was cut off from even the perimeter of the park during set up. I could not access trash or other features along the edge of the park at all during those days. I feel the event was too tied to for profit businesses (Belly Up and Matsuhisa) given the amount of public subsidy provided through use of the park, use of City staff and other public resources. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 12:09 PM More food options. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 01:40 PM Nothing. It was all good thank you! I appreciate you all advising folks to take the bus. I work downtown so I just left my car there and drove it home after Saturday's concert. Thank you! I hope you do this again! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 01:46 PM The sound of haters hating. When nothing is going on, people complain. When something like this, is planned, invested in and goes on, the same people complain. Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 24 of 27 29 Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 02:36 PM This event is totally antithetical to Aspen's stated values. We give restaurants and others grief about environmentally questionable tactics in service of our visitors. We have many rules about how things should look or function or contribute to Aspen's character. This event was contrary to all of that. Hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel and a blanket of diesel exhaust. Heated areas for Matsuhisa sushi and bottle service. A trashed park. Closed or inaccessible trails. A closed city street for more than a week. Inconvenience for neighbors and delivery - UPS and USPS did not deliver to my house for the duration. If this were free and open to the public and didn't have all of the negative stuff above - I would say go for it - and do it again. A privatized use of a beloved park for over a week - with little benefit for the average Aspenite? Why? Snow Polo used to seem egregious - but in comparison to this - now seems like a low impact, community- minded event. Please don't do this again. We do not need any more fuel on the fire. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 06:08 PM Nothing Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 06:31 PM Wouldn’t change a thing and looking forward to the next festival. Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 06:43 PM N/A Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:05 PM Nothing! Let’s do it again! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:10 PM Nothing ! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 07:27 PM None Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:21 PM cold!!! Screen Name Redacted 2/27/2023 08:59 PM The Kygo crowd did not appreciate the opening acts Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 25 of 27 30 Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 09:00 AM -Rio Grande park was inaccessible for > 1 week -Extensive set up with excessive number of truck trips with poor awareness of pedestrians ( Aspen prides itself on its green initiatives however brings in events that are anything but climate and planet friendly. This event had multiple large fossil fueled generators to power the event and large amounts of truck traffic. The trucks sat running while they were waiting in a line to be loaded and unloaded) -Private event for profit utilizing a public space for > 1 week Other events hosted in the park such as Snow Polo allow the park to be utilized aside from the hours surrounding the event itself, the Palm Tree Festival disrupted normal flows both vehicular and pedestrian traffic for > 1 week with complete inaccessibility of the park -Blocking of Rio Grande Place impacting traffic flow -Sound considerations: sound checks beginning early in the day (prior to noon) when the notice stated noise would begin at 4 pm, the sound checks and music were audible across the valley up into the Hunter Creek Valley on Saturday - Following the event - food scraps and waste products in the snow not properly disposed of Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 09:33 AM Maybe add one more band and drop one DJ Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 09:39 AM Maybe March next year. Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 12:52 PM Na Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 03:52 PM I don't see how this aligns with City of Aspen Values. If this had been a free event and not gone as late or as loud I would feel differently about some of the below items. Big picture it is unclear to me what the benefit was to the community. (1) Number of employees needed to put on the two day concert (set-up etc.) (2) Too loud - it could be heard at Buttermilk and Truscott (3) Traffic impacts - on Tuesday 02/28 I couldn't leave the garage for 5+ minutes because they had both directions blocked. (4) Idling vehicles, heaters, etc. - GHG impact. --> resources needed to fuel the event, especially with the number of people served. Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 05:10 PM I’d consider targeting a few restaurants (a low priced sponsorship opportunity??) (since they’d be promoted to crowd via a Palm Tree app or txt message to ticket buyers???) one stipulation - they’d serve food until 10:45pm so festival goers could eat something vs. just more drinking. Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 26 of 27 31 Screen Name Redacted 2/28/2023 07:58 PM too much EDM music. The sound system was not as good for the rock groups. It was too much base. Screen Name Redacted 3/01/2023 10:33 AM It was run absolutely perfect. The event didn’t run land so people can’t complain about noise, trash was moderated. This event is going to change aspen for the better and we need to keep having it. My house is right behind it and the noise level was completely fine Screen Name Redacted 3/01/2023 11:56 AM Loved it Mandatory Question (67 response(s)) Question type: Essay Question Questionnaire : Survey Report for 14 June 2016 to 26 March 2023 Page 27 of 27 32 INFORMATION ONLY-MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Pete Rice, Deputy City Engineer THROUGH: Scott Miller, Director Public Works Trish Aragon, PE, City Engineer MEETING DATE: March 30, 2023 RE: Information Only: Traffic Counts and Transit Ridership SUMMARY: Attached for your information and review are the traffic counts coming in and out of town at the Castle Creek Bridge and transit ridership data for the local City transit system and the RFTA valley system. BACKGROUND The City of Aspen has maintained traffic counts with permanent traffic counters located on SH 82 prior to the Castle Creek Bridge to count the daily traffic coming into and out of Aspen since 1999. The monthly traffic counts from 1993 and were established in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Entrance to Aspen (ETA) Record of Decision (ROD) as the target traffic levels. The community adopted the 1993 traffic levels in the Aspen Area Community Plan (AACP) and other planning documents as the community target. Over the years some months have been higher or lower than the 1993 levels but, annual average has remained below the 1993 target level. The many Transportation Demand Measures (TDM) and programs undertaken over the years have contributed to keeping traffic below the 1993 levels. These programs and TDM measures include expanded transit, BRT, paid parking, Car Share, Bike Share, Car-pooling, employer outreach, the Downtowner micro transit, expansion of the Brush Creek Park N Ride lot, and SH 82 bus lanes in and out of town. DISCUSSION Annual Traffic Counts: The annual traffic count table shows annual average counts from 1999 through February of 2023. 33 The chart indicates annual counts peaking in 2004 and 2005. Traffic volumes then declined for several years and dipped in 2008 – 2010 during the recession. Counts then began trending upward beginning in 2011. Counts peaked in 2015 and then leveled off. The bridge and bus stop construction project in 2018 greatly impacted the annual counts as the construction and detours routed traffic away from the counters. Counts increased in 2019 and then decreased significantly in 2020 during COVID. Counts are trending upward in 2021 and are approaching the 2019 pre-COVID levels. The annual counts for 2021 year to date (through July) are 14% above the 2020 levels but 2% below the 2019 (pre-Covid) levels for the same period and 11% below the target levels for 1993. 2022 levels were approximately 10% below 2021 and 26% below the targeted level for 1993. It should be noted that 2022 low vehicles trips can partially be attributed to construction that was done through a CDOT project at the roundabout during August, September and October. Monthly Traffic Counts: The start of 2023 has seen both January and February below the 1993 target levels. January is 14% below the 1993 levels and 4% below the 2022 levels. February is 16% below the targeted 1993 levels and 11% below the 2022 level. Daily Traffic Counts: The July 4th week is the heaviest week of the year. The highest day in 2022 was July 8, at 26,676. The highest day ever was July 3, 2003, when the daily count was recorded at 33,600. Downtown Core Occupancy: Parking in the downtown core occupancy is below the levels in 2022. The parking occupancy sets a goal to peak at 85% occupancy during the peak periods which is generally between the hours of 12:00 and 2:00. Month Occupancy Percentage of Parked Vehicles December 2021 65% December 2022 64% January 2022 58% January 2023 52% February 2022 61% February 2023 56% 34 Transit Ridership: Ridership for the Aspen system in 2022 is 896,967 people. Ridership on the local system increased 26% in 2022. Total ridership in 2022 remains 37% below the peak year in 2019 prior to covid, but the 2023 season looks to be trending upward in ridership with an increase of 16% in January compared to the previous year. Attachments: Appendix A Monthly Traffic Counts 35 MONTHLY 1993 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 %2023 % AADT vs 1993 vs 1993 vs 2022 vs 2022 JAN 23,800 22,701 22,504 22,827 22,945 22,837 23,816 24,398 20,588 23,387 22,584 21,745 21,254 21,994 22,607 23,859 22,956 23,415 23,649 22,766 22,418 21,262 22,005 19,272 21,215 20,457 -3,343 -14.0%-758 -3.6% FEB 24,300 23,638 23,910 23,932 23,207 23,694 23,400 24,162 22,356 23,000 22,449 21,131 20,730 21,376 21,684 22,077 22,405 22,804 22,825 23,486 21,871 21,717 21,771 20,501 22,906 20,477 -3,823 -15.7%-2,429 -10.6% MAR 24,800 25,574 24,590 24,752 23,822 23,812 25,417 25,892 23,618 23,927 23,171 21,967 23,852 22,384 22,436 22,742 23,432 24,285 23,648 23,405 22,650 21,792 15,501 21,793 22,394 APR 18,800 19,734 20,270 19,443 19,900 19,789 18,921 19,420 18,264 18,993 18,882 19,177 18,405 no data 17,134 17,425 17,883 19,163 18,098 17,781 14,528 18,519 8,462 18,627 16,916 MAY 19,300 18,538 19,944 18,929 19,310 18,837 18,924 19,021 18,051 18,530 17,813 17,392 17,878 17,874 19,077 17,662 17,396 17,208 18,037 17,985 11,294 17,443 13,748 17,313 14,355 JUN 26,200 25,408 25,126 23,719 23,618 25,003 25,650 25,097 22,552 23,940 23,279 22,877 22,701 22,724 25,124 22,966 23,884 24,993 24,501 23,986 21,218 23,259 20,344 23,510 20,737 JUL 28,600 26,579 27,873 27,325 28,777 29,285 29,278 29,544 26,165 27,193 26,187 25,950 26,538 25,849 26,245 26,785 27,286 27,825 26,549 26,489 25,979 26,083 23,766 25,844 24,979 AUG 28,600 25,142 27,375 26,237 27,497 27,391 27,952 27,998 24,233 26,171 24,375 23,374 24,763 24,755 25,077 26,141 25,081 25,621 25,857 25,193 24,690 24,831 22,939 24,341 21,623 SEPT 24,000 23,294 21,964 21,763 22,396 22,231 23,879 23,796 no data*22,068 21,151 no data*21,901 21,590 21,080 21,428 22,033 23,207 23,325 23,246 17,474 22,170 22,402 22,852 13,875 OCT 20,500 20,038 20,511 19,921 19,969 19,866 20,521 20,371 no data*19,576 19,640 no data*18,350 18,189 18,873 19,024 19,519 20,497 19,772 19,823 14,307 17,782 19,577 19,290 11,691 NOV 20,000 no data*18,643 18,430 no data*18,220 19,652 18,892 no data*19,076 17,930 no data*17,853 17,531 18,910 no data no data 17,390 17,790 17,910 16,431 16,805 16,483 16,860 15,723 DEC 25,200 24,743 22,847 22,394 no data*22,880 24,882 22,449 22,567 21,983 21,038 20,376 21,986 23,049 24,788 no data no data 22,524 22,298 22,905 22,066 21,597 20,146 20,863 20,940 ANNUAL MONTHLY TOTAL 284,100 255,389 275,557 269,672 231,441 273,845 282,292 281,040 198,394 267,844 258,499 193,989 256,211 237,315 263,035 220,109 221,875 268,932 266,349 264,975 234,926 253,260 227,144 251,066 227,354 ANNUAL MONTHLY AVERAGE 23,675 23,217 22,963 22,473 23,144 22,820 23,524 23,420 22,044 22,320 21,542 21,554 21,351 21,574 21,920 22,011 22,188 22,411 22,196 22,081 19,577 21,105 18,929 20,922 18,946 The numbers highlighted in yellow mean monthly traffic counts exceeded the 1993 levels 36 MEMORANDUM OF INFORMATION TO:Mayor and Council FROM: Nancy Lesley, Director of Events and Marketing Sarah Roy, Director of Red Brick Center for the Arts THROUGH: Austin Weiss, Director of Parks and Recreation MEMO DATE:April 19, 2023 MEETING DATE: April 25, 2023 RE: City Council Community Picnic PURPOSE:Staff is proposing to host the annual Community Picnic in conjunction with a reception for the new City Hall art exhibition on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. The picnic will be held in Galena Plaza and guests will be invited inside the civic building to view the artworks, meet the artists, and learn more about the exhibition program. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: Over the past couple of decades, the Community Picnic has taken on a few iterations and themes. Staff has found that hosting the picnic in various locations showcases different City assets and allows people to enjoy the spaces in a unique way. Throughout it all, the event has maintained the same underlying goal of providing the community with a delicious, fresh meal served by City Council and City Management and offering a chance for more informal interaction outside of Council Chambers. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity for our entire community to come together for a fun, social gathering. The Red Brick Center for the Arts is pleased to present City Hall’s second art exhibition since it’s opening in 2021. The exhibition program is intended to recognize and celebrate the work of our local and regional artists and add to the experience of our governmental building. The new exhibition introduces artworks by 12 artists selected through a juried process along with the ongoing display of a few selected works. The artworks reflect themes and experiences relevant to contemporary life and life in the mountain west. They are a testament to the incredible talents of our regional artists. The inaugural exhibition was very well received by the public and staff and became a draw for visitors to the building. DISCUSSION: Following the success of last year’s community picnic held in Galena Plaza, staff recommends hosting the event in the same location. Last year, Galena Plaza 37 was activated with kids' games and informational booths hosted by different City departments who shared information about their services and engaged with folks in a casual setting. Staff is proposing similar activations for the event this year with the addition of inviting people into City Hall to view the new exhibition of artworks by local and regional artists. As a recognized community celebration and gathering, the annual picnic offers the perfect occasion to feature the art exhibition and add a new element to the event. The date proposed, Wednesday, August 16th is prior to the start of the school year, which we hope will attract families. The location is convenient for walking, public transportation, and potentially attracts downtown workers and business owners. The following elements will be included: o Event held from 4:30pm to 7:00pm on Wednesday, August 16th o Dinner served by Council and Staff (to the first 750 diners) o Tables and chairs for gathering, eating, and socializing o City Departments hosting tables or booths to educate the public on City services o City Hall will be open for guests to view artworks and meet artists o Lawn games FINANCIAL IMPACTS: The Community Picnic feeds approximately 750 people and has a budget of $25,000. Where possible, all foods are locally sourced and includes homemade desserts. This event continues to work towards (and obtains) a zero waste goal. With the addition of the new exhibition, staff has planned for and budgeted an additional $2,000 for outreach and information. All of this is within the approved budget in the Special Events Department. 38