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HomeMy WebLinkAboutcclc.min.021799 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING coMMiSSION M~UTES OF FEBRUARY 17~ 1999 Chairperson Jon Busch opened the regular meeting at 8:35 a.m. with members Don Swales and Bill Dinsmoor present. Terry Butler and John Start were excused. Staff in attendance were Gervaise Dupree, Director of Public Relations/Communications and Kathy Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk. Gervaise informed the members that the ACRA luncheon with the City will be March l0th at the Gant at 11:30 a.m. Light a Light, Mountain ReScue Debbie Kelly from Mountain Rescue requested that lights and bows be placed on the tree in the mall when donations are made to Mountain Rescue. This event has occurred for the past three years and is the number one source of income. A podium will be placed at the bOttom of the tree with a notebook indicating the names of the donors. A light is $25 and as more donations come in the entire tree gets lit up. The request is from the middle of February to the middle of March. When a donation of $100. is made a red bow is placed on the tree. For $250 a silver bow is placed on the tree and for $500 a gold bow is placed on the tree. Don asked if there is a charge to rescued individuals who go out of bounds etc. and have to be rescued. Debbie explained that it is the Sheriff's responsibility in the State to provide search and rescue. Getting money back would only occur if everyone went out and bought the hiking certificate for $1. a year and that money goes into a fund managed by the Dept. of Local Affairs. The Sheriff's Dept. can then apply to that fund to re-coop any expenses. The organization is all volunteers. The Board unanimously approved the event. Housing Authority & Housing Department Discussion Dave Tolen, Housing Director Mary Francis, Housing Authority Frank Peters, Housing Authority COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING cOMMISSION ~NUTES OF FEBRUARY 17~ ~999 Jon Busch talked about the CCLC goal in moving forward housing issues from a different arena. If enough groups come together something can happen. One issue is the infill downtown and it is not happening. An example is the GAP; it got approval but never happened. The second story over Stage 3 fell apart also. CCLC has always had the idea ofinfill and it is perfect because it is "housing" where the jobs are. Where is the infill and what is the Housing Dept./Authority doing to create an atmosphere where some of the infill can happen. Dave Tolen stated that the housing is part of the Aspen Area COmmunity Plan AACP. Bob Nevins from the Community Development Department is doing a presentation on the physical potential for development downtown on additional stories to the AACP. The potential buildings will be identified and over the next two months Bob will identify the barriers as to what is making it difficult for landowners to add space downtown. What would be the barriers and what would be the opportunities for the City to offer incentives and participate in the development. The Housing Departments role would then be to work with individual land owners and identify particular opportunities in making it possible to develop. There are many small businesses by themselves that do not have the opportunity to create housing but as a group they might be able to put something together. Dave felt that downtown infill housing will serve a limited segment of the community but not limited that we can't take advantage of it. It needs to be determined under what circumstances is it economical to build downtown. Bill Dinsmoor asked what areas would Housing be working with to make this happen. Dave said the landowner needs to identify what they feel constrained by. Possible opportunities might be rezoning or transfer of development rights. Possibly if it is an historic building the air rights could be transferred. Parking The question is why you need a car. If you are downtown you do not need a car but cars need to be used from time to time and they need to be kept 2 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 17, 1999 somewhere. Housing has looked at developing fewer parking spaces on the locations and provideplaces for people to warehouse their cars. Bill suggested cash in lieu for parking. Jon said the police can ticket illegal parked cars when they move them to other residential areas. Frank suggested that small businesses should get together collectively and provide employee housing. When tax dollars are put into a project those units must be opened to the public and not just for a particular businesses employees. The major Housing policy is a six month minimum lease. Tying your employment to your job is not favorable to the Housing Authority. The real obstacle for the landowner is how valuable is their space. A thought would be to make amends to the landuse code regarding height limitations for employee housing only and allow that height to exceed the regulation. Don felt that small lodges that want to sell out are ideal for employee housing. It might be cheaper to buy these hotels and rent them out. Frank stated that they have looked at the lodges and they are over valued right now. Bill felt that maybe the over value of lodges is due to the ability to convert lodging beds to condominium beds. The Housing Authority has been doing buy-downs but not with lodges yet. Buy-downs are attractive because the building is there and you get to buy improvements for basically the value of the lot. The downside is that you get tiny rooms and they are overpriced right now. Frank said his view on lodges as an owner is different. He feels the lodges will go away or be giant condos and then the community will want more lodge rooms and we will get a large hotel. Lodges are part of the character of the town. COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 17~ 1999' Dave said at the meeting with Bob Nevins it will be discussed whether the city should just do infill or do infill and areas like Burlingame as well. Frank stated Burlingame will be a more family opportunity, a more permanent resident opportunity. Lodge conversion as a rental is more short term. There is a lot of need that will not be served by lodge conversion. The housing needs will not likely be served by building out downtown. · Bill asked if a formula was used by the Housing Authority when a proposal is brought forward. Dave stated that pilot studies will be done to find out what a landowner needs to complete a project and then incentives will be discussed to see what is needed to make the projects work. Jon asked about the Sanitation District in regards to a component or any efforts to try and work with the independent sectors to try and figure out a way to come up with housing on their property. Frank said the Housing Authority is open to any kind of proposal but they do not go out to special distriCts. The Housing Authority complies with the AACP. Ony hardship will make special districts come forward. Bill asked if a project was brought forward does the~Housing Authority have any basic information to guide them. Dave said in the past within a week he will get someone in the office who has a piece of property for sale and a few days later someone else comes in with a mitigation problem and if the need and the opportunity resemble each other he can get those people together. Frank said it is even better ifa group of individuals comes in with a specific amount of money that they want to spend on a project. He used the Barbee project as an example. The Housing Authority will always look at a project and compare it. The project has to be a benefit to the general public. 4 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MiNuTES OF FEBRUARY 17~ i999 Frank stated presently, the HOusing AUthority is funding a real-estate professional to advise a private property owner on a potential sale to the Housing office for one piece of land. They have also worked with Barry Siegel. Dave stated the Housing offiCe does not go out and motivate people, they usually come to them. It would be too difficult to pursue. Bill stated he was involved with DEPP and one of their issues and CCLC's was what can we do to get people to live downtown and making that happen. Don reiterated that the CCLC is very interested in the infill of downtown and offered their assistance. Bill stated that Bob Nevins is keeping the CCLC abreaSt of DEPP and what is being implemented and its relationship to the Downtown Housing project. Jon stated that some landowners indicated that the process is too much aggravation to carry through and that concept needs addressed. Bill stated what is important is if enough people in the community know that the Housing Department/Board has the ability to direct that group toward projects that have been brought to them and have done research about cost and value. Frank said the authority in the past has paid for the planning of Projects. Bill stated that he hopes all the money and energy that was put into the DEPP project be implemented in the AACP and Housing concepts. Hopefully Bob Nevins will bethe one to pull it all to the top in order for the implementation to take place. Bill's concern is how do we convert commercial to housing and is it viable. Frank's personal goal is to try and limit the demand to the extent that when the build-out is reached it is a little less painful than it is today to put down roots if you are a good committed person. With regard to the lottery you 5 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 17~ 1999 would know that in five years or whatever you would eventually have the opportunity to have penmnent roots. There has to be something better than what we already have. Mary informed the CCLC that she is working with the Forest Service regarding the purchase of that site for housing. The CCLC offered their services to the Housing Authority if needed to go forward with the downtown infill projects. Jon moved to adjourn the meeting at 11:00 a.m.; second by Bill. All in favor, motion carried. Kathleen J. Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk 6