Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutcoa.lu.su.Rio Grande Place.0022.2008.ASLU18 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn Shelter and Framing Buildings form the defined boundaries of public space and may provide gaps to connect to the landscape beyond. Partial enclosure permits the public space to expand, visually and/or physically beyond the public space to vistas beyond. The landscape outside the public space becomes part of the focus. Buildings embrace public space in a variety of ways: shelter / protectIon • The arcade serves as a transition between exterior and interior spaces, enhances pedestrian movement, and provides character (through rhythm, shade and shadow) to the public space boundary. • The overhang/cantilever maximizes the connection between sheltered space and open space, and creates distinct areas for activity. IdentIty • The tower or other landmark structures on the boundary perimeter permit pedestrian orientation within a public space. • Water features, sculpture or other design features within the public space provide focus and centering for users. • Paving patterns create detail, interest and texture for users of urban public spaces. ZG Master Plan 19 part I: physIcal desIgn 20 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn Movement Buildings contribute to the pedestrian experience and contribute to movement in a variety of ways: • Stairs and ramps permit vertical movement through a public space and can engage the pedestrian experience with the adjacent architecture. • Stairs and ramps provide venues for street “theater” – the interaction of users in active or quiet activities and “people-watching” opportunities. • Buildings can shape gathering places for active or quiet public participation. ZG Master Plan 21 part I: physIcal desIgn 22 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn Transparency • The porous wall: connections between inside and outside. • Openings provide physical connections that expand the exterior and interior experience. • Glazing permits views of extended landscapes or interior activity. • The transmission of light activates interior spaces in the day and exterior spaces at night. • Solid to transparent transitions in walls provide for varied experiences and space quality. ZG Master Plan 23 part I: physIcal desIgn 24 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn Landscape Architecture Water features, flower gardens and greenscape The ZG Master Plan proposes a relatively simple approach to landscape architecture for the site. One of the strongest benefits of the proposal is the new open spaces and new pedestrian routes – taken together, they bring new view corridors that don’t exist today. These view corridors should not be obstructed with structures such as built arches or a massive water fountain. Specifically, Galena Plaza should remain free of permanent structures so that it can serve as an outdoor performance area. There should be no mature trees in and around Galena Plaza, both to prevent future breaches in the garage roof and to create expansive views to the park and mountains. This does not exclude removable shading elements, including tents or more creative treatments as cloth that is stretched from building to building. There are several treatments that would be appropriate for the ZG site. These include interesting and colorful pavers for walkways, specifically in the Galena Street Extension, to signify that it is no longer a paved area dominated by vehicles, but a park area dominated by pedestrians. Colorful pavers can extend throughout the site as pedestrian walkways, rather than the existing asphalt – again, to reinforce this area as pedestrian-only. Picking up on the metaphor of the waterfall effect – the ZG site as a descending series of tributaries falling about 30 feet from Main Street to Rio Grande Park, the ZG Master Plan encourages modest water features such as the irrigation ditches found on the pedestrian malls. Additionally, a water feature as a gathering place would be a strong element of this site, as long as the supporting structure is not imposing in size and scale. The overall purpose of any water element on the site is to include the soft sights and sounds of water, reinforcing a pleasant park-like atmosphere. Finally, there may be appropriate areas for modest planted flower gardens at the ZG site, continuing the tradition of the Aspen downtown in summer. Flower gardens should not be encased in excessive structure or serve as barriers for pedestrians to walk around, but could contribute, in a supplemental manner, to the park-like atmosphere. ZG Master Plan 25 Since the Civic Master Plan was adopted, there has been little or no discussion regarding the City Council and the Board of County Commissioners attempting to share a meeting hall, but the few discussions that have occurred do not strongly support the idea. The City Council recently invested in a major upgrade to the Council Chambers, and the feedback from two recent City Councils has been to retain the Council Chambers in the existing City Hall. County staff has also expressed an interest in a meeting room located within the new County Complex that is dedicated to the County Commissioners and the County Planning and Zoning Commission. However, the Civic Master Plan included important findings that support a new meeting room(s), including: • The existing meeting space for the City of Aspen and Pitkin County is not adequate. • The design of meeting space currently used by the City and the County do not reflect the importance of the discussions, debates and decisions being made. • A Civic Meeting Hall should be close to downtown government offices, adjacent to outdoor public space and at a prominent site that conveys a sense of significance. • A Civic Meeting Hall should be designed so that it can be available for a variety of uses by the general public as well as government meetings. The ZG Site Plan currently includes two large multi-purpose meeting rooms at the north edge of Galena Plaza that would function much as the Rio Grande Meeting Room functions today but in a substantially larger, more functional and more technologically advanced space. The Civic Master Plan recommended the north edge of Galena Plaza as one of three possible locations for a public meeting room. The design of these new meeting rooms would also have a significantly stronger relationship to the outdoors due to its prominent location. This meeting room would be available to the public, and could be used by a wide range of civic groups, political caucuses and local government agencies for a variety of events, trainings and other purposes. Colorado Mountain College has expressed interest in downtown classroom space. It may also be used by the City Council or County Commissioners for meetings that are anticipated to attract unusually large numbers of people. Today, there is no public meeting room that can comfortably accommodate more than 60 people – a substantial problem for a town that is so politically active. For example, the City has been forced to rent spaces at high prices in order to hold wireless keypad voting sessions that could easily take place in these new meeting rooms in the future. Top: A view looking north over Galena Plaza as it exists today. The corner of the County Courthouse is at bottom right. Above: The same view, showing the proposed Aspen Art Museum (at right, blue), the Pitkin County Library expansion (at left, yellow) and the Public Meeting Halls (orange). This portion of the ZG Master Plan will focus on how the various uses proposed for the ZG site evolved from the Civic Master Plan. Shared Public Meeting Hall A Prominent Gathering Place part II: mIxed uses = memorable places 26 ZG Master Plan part II: mIxed uses = memorable places “Museums are no longer dark, quiet repositories of precious objects – they have become destination points and community gathering places. Museums help define … a city’s identity … ” – Aspen Art Museum: Facility Needs Assessment, 2000. “A downtown location for arts-related events and activities tends to reinforce Aspen’s identity as a center for arts and culture, and tends to make such events more economically viable.” – Finding from Civic Master Plan, 2005. “The Civic Master Plan Advisory Group supports the Aspen Art Museum’s exploration of downtown locations in collaboration with the City of Aspen.” – Recommendation of Civic Master Plan, 2006. “Arts, culture and education are acknowledged as essential to Aspen’s thriving year-round economy, its vibrant international profile, and its future as a unique place to live, work and learn.” – Aspen Area Community Plan, 2000 During the two-day charrette process in March 2007, one scenario showed a new Aspen Art Museum at the Zupancis site, while the three other scenarios showed it bordering Galena Plaza in various configurations. Ultimately, the majority of the charrette attendees preferred seeing the Art Museum next to Galena Plaza largely because of the vitality the museum could bring to this under-used yet prominent public space. There was also a recognition that nighttime events at the museum would make good use of the Rio Grande Garage, which is typically empty at night. The Art Museum staff and board of trustees prefer the Youth Center site for a variety of reasons, including one that was suggested by the Civic Master Plan, which recommended that, “In conjunction with the future renovation or replacement of the former Youth Center, the CMPAG recommends that the east edge of Galena Plaza be considered in the future as a built edge, extending to the existing stairwell/elevator feature, and including compelling architectural elements intended to draw pedestrians across Main Street.” The museum has engaged Shigeru Ban, an architect with a strong international reputation for innovation and green building principles to begin preliminary and conceptual work with a local architect on a “signature building.” This approach reflects Core Principle #8 in the Civic Master Plan: “The display and presentation of arts and cultural events is a core element of Aspen’s identity as a unique community in a competitive resort environment, and Aspen should build upon this intrinsic asset at every opportunity.” While the Civic Master Plan clearly wants to see an arts and cultural presence in this area, a fundamental question was often discussed during the eight-year Civic Master Plan – and since: Which arts group(s) should be located in this area? Other non profit arts groups have been involved in the discussion about locating around Galena Plaza. During the Civic Master Plan process, Theatre Aspen led an effort to plan for a shared-use arts facility, and while Filmfest and the Writers Foundation showed some interest, the effort dissolved when Theatre Aspen dropped the idea in favor of trying to replace its existing tent. At times during the Civic Master Plan process, various different board members of the Santa Fe Ballet visited City staff to talk about the potential of working with Theatre Aspen. During these discussions, it became clear that the two groups needed dramatically different designs for the stage area. Dory Vanderhoof, a Toronto-based consultant working for the Wheeler Opera House at the time also advised staff that trying to accommodate dance and theatre uses at one site has never been successful due to fundamentally different needs. Also, the Civic Master Plan stated that if the Wheeler Opera House was to move forward with a proposal to build on the vacant lot next door, that site would likely accommodate the needs of local performing arts groups. In addition, a consultant hired by the Wheeler – Michael Strong – warned of too much performance space, saying “Any plans to A Signature Aspen Art Museum Building on Aspen’s Identity as a Center for Arts and Culture At Left: Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, director and chief curator of the Aspen Art Museum. ZG Master Plan 27 part II: mIxed uses = memorable places expand the Wheeler … should only be done … with an eye toward partnerships that will severely limit or eliminate the threat of significant dark periods for all of its performance and usage spaces.” The Art Museum emerged as an organization that is already staffed and programmed to operate a facility on a day-to-day basis consistently throughout the year. This is in contrast to other arts groups, who organize their staff and programming around two or more special events, or one season per year. This state of affairs places the Art Museum in the position of partnering with local organizations to use the new facility and the adjacent Galena Plaza for a variety of high-profile events. Such events might also use the public meeting room space – these potential uses would serve to broaden the public purpose of a new Art Museum at this site. Recognizing this strong potential the Art Museum has provided a list of existing partnerships, which are included as Exhibit B. Finally, the topography of the former Youth Center site is an important consideration. The draft site plan has calculated that more than 14,000 square feet of sub-grade space can be used at the site. For other users, such as government, this vast amount of sub-grade space would have limited uses – it would not be ideal for permanent office space, nor for affordable housing, and the long, thin nature of the site and engineering needed would not make it cost-effective to expand the adjacent garage. On the other hand, such sub-grade space is ideal for a museum that likes to control temperature and light in its gallery spaces. Therefore, it would appear that a museum use would take full advantage of this rare public space in a way that other uses would likely not pursue. In fact, when the Youth Center was planned in the late 1980s, a full gym was initially designed for this subgrade space, but the cost of engineering was prohibitive and the plan was abandoned. The Civic Master Plan recommended that if the Art Museum relinquishes its lease on its current site by the Roaring Fork River, the City “should identify a new use that allows for public interaction; that builds on the intrinsic assets of the site and the building; and that recognizes the challenges of the site.” Top: A bird’s eye view of Galena Plaza as it looks today. Above: The same view showing the proposed location for the Aspen Art Museum (at right, blue). The shape of the museum is meant only to convey that it will be a “signature” building with innovative architecture, and is not intended to show the actual architectural form for the building. 28 ZG Master Plan part II: mIxed uses = memorable places At Left: Kathy Chandler, Pitkin County Librarian. Below: The existing view of the library (at top). A 1995 agreement anticipates a 44-foot expansion into Galena Plaza. Bottom: The proposed L-shaped addition to the library, intended to help frame Galena Plaza rather than come straight out into the plaza. When the Rio Grande Garage was built in the mid-1990s, the City of Aspen and Pitkin County exchanged land at the Galena Plaza site. Part of that agreement set aside 44-feet of land to the east of the library – into Galena Plaza – for a future library expansion. The Civic Master Plan supported an expansion of the Pitkin County Library to the east, and recommended that “the design of the building be coordinated with other built edges around Galena Plaza, to the extent possible.” During the two-day charrette in March 2007, the concept of designing a “frame” around the west and south edges of the plaza emerged. Rather than building a rectangular expansion directly east into the open space area, this concept would give the library the same amount of space, but in a configuration that respects and even enhances Galena Plaza. This is a concept that is fully aligned with the desire of the Civic Master Plan to retain the open space on the plaza while placing an “edge” or a “frame” around it, making it a more intimate place. The overriding concern of the library board is to be sure that the infrastructure needed to support the library expansion is constructed when the roof of the garage is replaced in the near future. While the library does not seek to design and build the library expansion until approximately 2014-15, the board wants assurance that the infrastructure will support two stories of “book weight.” Pitkin County Library A Promise Fulfilled ZG Master Plan 29 part II: mIxed uses = memorable places Pitkin County is not only responsible for its own space needs, but is also legally responsible for providing adequate space for the 9th Judicial District Court. Serious space needs for the court were outlined in a memo from Pitkin County in October 2000, and a piece-meal approach has been taken to solving space needs problems since that time. However, the Colorado State Legislature has recently added a third judge to the 9th Judicial District Court in order to better handle caseload pressures. This is likely to mean an additional courtroom is needed as well as additional space for the District Attorneys office – all within the County Courthouse. Administrative Judge Jim Boyd has now stated that the 9th Judicial District will need to take over the entire first floor of the County Courthouse in the near future to accommodate this mandated expansion. This means the Pitkin County Assessors Office and Pitkin County Treasurer will need a new location. Pitkin County has anticipated the need to move its offices out of the Courthouse for nearly a decade, and has identified a number of other pressing space needs. In recent years, the County has focused on an extensive public process for a new consolidated campus, which would bring offices such as County Environmental Health from the Schultz Building at AVH and the County Community Development from City Hall to one County Campus. This space needs effort – conducted with Denver-based RNL Design – includes accommodating long- term space needs through 2025, so the ultimate solution is comprehensive and responsible in the future. In 2005, the Pitkin County Facility Feasibility Analysis generated options for the location of a consolidated Pitkin County Campus: One was to be located in the area of the County Courthouse and another would be located just west of the Aspen Airport Business Center, along Highway 82. In 2006, Pitkin County Commissioners voted to focus on locating the County Campus at the County Plaza and Zupancis properties. Part of the concept is to demolish and replace the County Plaza, a decision that was made after it was found that trying to retrofit the building to meet handicapped access codes, to make space more efficient and to upgrade it to responsible standards of energy efficiency would cost more than demolition and replacement. Back in 2001, well before the County began its Facility Feasibility Analysis, the Civic Master Plan adopted Core Principle #1, stating that, “Civic uses belong in heart of town.” This Core Principle continued, “Many communities develop a ‘big glass box’ on the outskirts of town surrounded by parking and a drainage feature and call it their Civic Center. Aspen has the fortune of an integrated civic core in the heart of downtown and the substantial community character that has resulted. This planning effort builds on that tradition.” Later, the Civic Master Plan found that, “Removing civic functions from the downtown will tend to reduce the kind of community character that still makes the core of Aspen a ‘traditional’ downtown, surrounded by a resort environment.” The Civic Master Plan recommended that “the City of Aspen collaborate with Pitkin County during the Facility Feasibility Analysis in order to review and evaluate the scope of potential civic uses at the Zupancis property … (and) the former Youth Center.” During the two-day charrette in March 2007, some proposals showed Pitkin County offices at the former Youth Center site and on the Rio Grande Parking lots, but the majority of the attendees ultimately preferred the Zupancis site. A Pitkin County Campus Maintaining the Elements of a Traditional Town Above: Brian Pettet, Pitkin County Public Works Director 30 ZG Master Plan part II: mIxed uses = memorable places The County also prefers the Zupancis site, partly because it can be consolidated with the County-owned County Plaza site next door, and is therefore large enough to accommodate a consolidated County Campus. Also critical is the topography, which allows for substantial underground parking. This is an important part of the County program, not only to accommodate judges and juries and County residents coming to Aspen to do County business, but also to accommodate County fleet vehicles. Finally, the sub-grade area can also accommodate public safety vehicles and badly needed public safety functions such as evidence storage, interview rooms, a forensic lab, a locker/exercise room and jail-related functions. Based on the County’s work with RNL Design regarding space needs – as well as the ZG Partnership’s examination of a responsible level of development at the Zupancis site – it appears the space needs of the County, the expanding 9th Judicial District, the Aspen Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office and the Aspen/ Pitkin County Housing Authority can be accommodated on the County Plaza and adjacent Zupancis site. A Pitkin County Campus (Continued) Top: A bird’s eye view of the existing County Plaza building and the adjacent Zupancis property. Above: The proposed layout of the Consolidated County Campus. ZG Master Plan 31 part II: mIxed uses = memorable places With regard to the City of Aspen’s office space, the Civic Master Plan recognized that “The City of Aspen’s space limitations require a long-term solution to ensure quality service.” Today, the City operates out of six different downtown sites. There is about 20,000 square feet at City Hall, and approximately 15,000 square feet spread out at the: • Building/Engineering Dept. on E. Hopkins; • Transportation Dept. & Special Events in the Yellow Brick on E. Hallam; • GIS and Asset Management Depts at the Rio Grande building; • Parking Department in a ranch house at the Zupancis property on E. Main; • The Canary Initiative at an office above Asie Restaurant on Main St. This “leakage” from City Hall is not entirely surprising, as City government has been located at City Hall since the 1950s – and much has changed since that time. The City’s situation mirrors the problem the County has faced over the years: As services expanded to meet complex community needs, government offices have been haphazardly located as space has been available. Over the years, the City of Aspen has taken on a myriad of “civic obligations” that go far beyond the more typical services of a traditional city government. Rather than simply hand out parking tickets, issue dog licenses and bill for utilities, the City has: • Bought dozens of acres of open space; • Designed and maintained public parks & pedestrian malls; • Bought and operated a golf course; • Bought and operated a world-class opera house; • Established historic preservation districts; City of Aspen A Center for ‘Messy Democracy’ Top: The existing view south from Rio Grande Park towards downtown. Above: The proposed location for the City Hall Annex, with the garage entrance at its existing location (at center), city offices on the first two floors and public meeting halls above. 32 ZG Master Plan part II: mIxed uses = memorable places • Launched an affordable housing program with 2,300 units; • Established and updated complex growth management policies; • Operated a City-bus service; • Planned for valley-wide transportation; • Designed a world-class pedestrian and bike network; • Funded and operated a day care support service; • Protected local-serving small business parks; • Defined visions for the future in its Community Plan; • Provided subsidized space for non- profit arts groups; • Provided subsidized space for a Thrift Shop; • Designed and built a world-class recreational facility; • Established the Canary Initiative to combat Global Warming; • Built green hydropower plants and purchased wind energy; • Supported the resort’s special events. And those are only some of the civic obligations the City has taken on; the City also must carry out all the tasks associated with more traditional services such as plowing and cleaning streets, building and repairing sidewalks, maintaining the water and electric system, annual budgeting, record- keeping, police services etc. Like the County, the City is looking at consolidating its operations in a more rational way for the long-term, both for greater customer service and internal efficiencies that ultimately serve the public better. Under the ZG Master Plan, a City Hall Annex would be located at the site of the current ACRA offices and Visitors Center in a reconstructed two-story building. One advantage of using this site would be to cluster together some of the City services that interface heavily with the public, such as the Planning Department, the Building Department and the Engineering Department. This would address long-held complaints about the difficulty in finding parking around City Hall, and cut down on construction vehicles circling the area. In addition, the City could easily operate the meeting rooms on the top floor of this new structure and make them available to a wide range of civic groups and local government agencies. City of Aspen (Continued) ZG Master Plan 33 part II: mIxed uses = memorable places The Rio Grande Garage A Fix for the Leaking Roof One of the central reasons for launching the Civic Master Plan in 1999 was concern about a leaking roof over the Rio Grande Garage. Because of the continued deterioration in the infrastructure of the garage, the City Asset Management Department recently determined that the roof should be replaced in 2009. Th e City is currently reviewing engineering and landscape design proposals for the roof replacement, which is required to show consistency with the Civic Master Plan. Th e Civic Master Plan recommends an interim approach to the landscape design, with the understanding that the design is likely to change in the future if proposed “built edges,” such as the library expansion and others are implemented. Th e Civic Master Plan recommends that the interim design “use materials that are easily removed in the future, especially in areas anticipated for built edges,” and recommends that the potential for tent anchors are explored “to increase vitality at the site.” Aligning with the Civic Master Plan, the ZG Master Plan recommends that the landscape design should be minimal, including grassy areas, modest shrubs and fl ower gardens. Removable landscape furnishings may be included, such as benches, tables and chairs. Tent anchors could allow for special events at the site. Th e ZG Master Plan describes the kind of landscape character that’s appropriate for the site in Part I of this application. Finally, the ZG Master Plan recommends that the engineering design of the roof replacement include design/ build options for: · Th e widened stairway concept from Galena Plaza to Rio Grande Place; · Extending the Rio Grande Garage roof over the parking bays in order to create a promontory that provides people with an expansive view of Rio Grande Park. If these options are not part of the roof replacement project for fi nancial or other reasons, both projects could be part of Phase II / Art Museum (please see Part IV of this application). Above: Blake Fitch, City of Aspen Parking Operations Manager “As part of the planning for the garage roof repair, City staff explore potential infrastructure improvements related to future uses, especially along potential built edges.” THE CIVIC MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDED: 34 ZG Master Plan part II: mIxed uses = memorable places Locally-Serving Business Pizza and Frisbees on the Park “Infi ll affordable housing is a rare and valuable commodity that decreases traffi c congestion by creating walk-to-work opportunities, and creates year- round vitality in the downtown area.” “Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zoning is a rare commercial use in the City of Aspen and is primarily intended to serve the local, year-round population. Neighborhood Commercial uses tend to be successful in areas that locals frequent, including the North Mill Street corridor. THE CIVIC MASTER PLAN FOUND THAT: Some of the fi rst fl oor space would be dedicated to locally-serving businesses that would relate to a park location, such as a pizza parlor, sporting goods or some other local business. Th e design of this site would allow for outdoor space related to such businesses, providing a place to pause and enjoy the park. Th e Neighborhood Commercial Zone District was established in 1975, specifi cally in areas of town where locals tend to go, and this zone district could be expanded from the Clark’s Market area across the street to this site. Transforming the Rio Grande Parking Lots from a 40-car parking lot to an aff ordable housing community is an opportunity to add a sense of neighborhood to the ZG Master Plan. It would complement the existing aff ordable housing next to the Community Banks building. Th is Housing-on the-Park would become some of the most desirable deed-restricted housing in the City, off ering views of the park, easy access to the trail network, the river, groceries and hardware, the post offi ce, the downtown and the transit system. Top: A view of the parking lots next to Rio Grande Park, at the intersection of N. Mill St. and Rio Grande Place. Above: A proposed layout for the buildings on this site. The Visitor Center would be located at the corner of N. Mill St. and Rio Grande Place on the fi rst fl oor, locally serving businesses would be located on the fi rst fl oor levels and affordable housing on the top two levels. Affordable Housing A Community on the Park ZG Master Plan 35 part II: mIxed uses = memorable places Although the Aspen Chamber Resort Association signed a five-year lease with the City in 2005 for its current site on Rio Grande Place, several problems remain. The Civic Master Plan found that: • The constrained office space and lack of basic amenities remain challenges at the existing Visitor Center. • The lack of visibility, lack of wayfinding and inconvenient location of the existing Visitor Center remain major obstacles to providing optimal services to visitors. In addition, the Civic Master Plan found that, “An optimal location for a Visitor Center would be close to parking and the downtown, and recommended that sites for a Visitor Center include: • The former Youth Center • The north edge of Galena Plaza More recently, the Chamber has expressed a strong interest in remainingon the same level with Rio Grande Park, partly so people are able to park and walk in to the Visitors Center for an initial contact rather than having to enter the garage in order to reach a Visitors Center at the Galena Plaza level. At the same time, the Chamber is very interested in locating at the corner of N.Mill Street and Rio Grande Place, in a new building that would house the Chamber offices and Visitor Center on the first floor and affordable housing on upper levels. This would provide for more visibility and convenience for visitors. The Visitors Center Stronger Location, Better Service Above: Debbie Braun, executive director of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association. Underground Parking The potential for expanding the Rio Grande Garage by 65 – 130 parking spaces exists underneath the Rio Grande Parking Lots. The Denver-based engineering firm of Anderson & Hastings recently concluded that two levels of underground parking could be constructed at the site, with access from the sub-grade levels of the existing garage. The ZG Master Plan recommends that at least one level of sub-grade parking be constructed to accommodate the affordable housing on the site, as well as providing space for City fleet vehicles adjacent to the new City Hall Annex. Whether the community wants a second level of parking should be determined as part of the PUD application for Phase VI (please see Part IV of this application). the zg master plan ZG Master Plan 3 The purpose of the Zupancis-Galena (ZG) Master Plan is to create a Civic Campus next to Aspen’s downtown core, complete with uses that reflect Aspen’s identity – from an expanded library to the historic County Courthouse, new open spaces, new pedestrian paths, a sig- nature art museum, protected homestead cabins, affordable housing, the police and sheriff’s office and city & county offices. For the ZG Site itself, the overall intent is to fit together a number of differing pieces to create a “big picture” that is greater than the sum of its parts. From a larger perspective, the ZG site should be a transitional place – one that naturally attracts people from the dense and compressed urban fabric of the downtown and into the wide open spaces of Rio Grande Park and the Roaring Fork River Corridor. The ZG Master Plan stands on the shoulders of the Civic Master Plan, a regulatory document adopted by the As- pen City Council in December 2006. The purpose of the Civic Master Plan was to “provide guidance for the future use of publicly-owned properties between Aspen Mountain and the Roaring Fork River.” The ZG Master Plan is an extension of the Civic Master Plan because it focuses more closely on a series of specific public properties between Main Street and Rio Grande Park. The ZG Master Plan relies on the findings and recommendations of the Civic Master Plan to paint a clearer picture of this unique site. In fact, the ZG Master Plan is legally required to show “consistency” with the findings and recommendations in the Civic Master Plan. A Civic Campus march 12, 2007 The ZG Partnership was established when the City, Pitkin County, the Aspen Art Museum, the Chamber and the Library signed An Agreement to Initiate Joint Planning. The agreement split the $25,000 cost of a two-day charrette. march 22-23, 2007 More than 30 people attended the two-day charrette, which generated four different scenarios for the ZG Site. Toward the end of the charrette, a “thumbs exercise” was conducted to evaluate the pros and cons of the different scenarios. Evolution of the Plan Above: Local citizens take part in the two-day charrette in March 2007. IntroductIon: the zg master plan 4 ZG Master Plan august 15, 2007 Approximately 55 people attended a public meeting in the Rio Grande Meeting Room, focusing on pedestrian movement, and open space and view corridors rather than massing and heights of buildings. november 15, 2007 Approximately 75 people attended a public meeting in the City Council Chambers for a meeting on “why they should be located at this site and why the space is needed,” as stated in the newspaper advertisement. The ZG Partnership acknowledges this was not a highlight of the public process. The partnership did not anticipate such a crowd – the food ran out, the quarters were very tight, there were technical problems, and the presentations ran long. There was no thumbs exercise, but several questions and comments were made, including wanting more open space and fewer buildings at Galena Plaza; an objection to the need for additional government office space; a preference for the Art Museum to remain at its current site; and two overall supportive comments. The ZG Partnership then produced a 55-minute version of the presentations made at this meeting shown on GrassRootsTV. march 12, 2008 A large public meeting with more than 120 people in attendance was held at the Jerome Hotel Ballroom to show a 3D version of the draft site plan, with about 90 people participating in a “thumbs exercise.” may 27, 2008 The City Council voted to initiate a formal Master Plan process the ZG site, pursuant to Section 26.104.030 of the Land Use Code. Since that time, the ZG Partnership has been in the process of drafting an updated ZG Master Plan document for consideration by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. IntroductIon: the zg master plan A Work In Progress … The Public is Cordially Invited To The Unveiling of a 3-D Visual Rendering Wednesday, March 12 11:30 – 1:30 pm Hotel Jerome Ballroom / Lunch Provided BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ZG PARTNERSHIP: City of Aspen, Pitkin County, Aspen Art Museum, Pitkin County Library and the Chamber. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO R.S.V.P., e-mail Ben Gagnon, Special Projects Planner at beng@ci.aspen.co.us THE ZUPANCIS-GALENA (ZG) MASTER PLAN is focused on the future use of publicly-owned prop- erties between Main Street and Rio Grande Park and between N. Mill Street and Obermeyer Place. A Work In Progress … The Public is Cordially Invited To The Unveiling of a 3-D Visual Rendering Wednesday, March 12 11:30 – 1:30 pm Hotel Jerome Ballroom / Lunch Provided A Work In Progress … The Public is Cordially Invited To The Unveiling of a 3-D Visual Rendering Wednesday, March 12 11:30 – 1:30 pm Hotel Jerome Ballroom / Lunch Provided DON’T MAKE UP YOUR MIND UNTIL YOU’VE SEEN THIS! A Work In Progress … The Public is Cordially Invited To The Unveiling of a 3-D Visual Rendering Wednesday, March 12 11:30 – 1:30 pm Hotel Jerome Ballroom / Lunch ProvidedNOW IN TECHNICOLOR! SEE THE ZG MASTER PLAN IN Top: Charrette participants go through the “thumbs” exercise, providing feedback on four different scenarios for the ZG site. Above: More work on the charrette in the library meeting room. At left: The advertisement that ran in local papers asking people to attend the 3-D presentation in March 2008 at the Hotel Jerome. ZG Master Plan 5 The ZG Site is located directly between the compressed urban core and the open space of Rio Grande Park and the Roaring Fork River Corridor. The five- acre ZG Site must be a transitional place, where the density of the urban core falls away and opens to the park and the river. The topography of the ZG Site, dropping 30 feet from Main Street to Rio Grande Park, suggests a metaphorical waterfall effect: New pathways as tributaries, new open spaces as eddies and wider stairways as waterfalls. While the waterfall effect is only a metaphor, the ZG Master Plan does call for modest irrigation ditches and other water features, such as those that bring pleasant sounds, imagery and life to the pedestrian malls. A Transitional Site: Urban Density to Openness The Waterfall Effect Top: The parking areas inside the Galena Street Extension and in the jail parking lot are two of the numerous barriers between Main Street and Galena Street Park. Above: The proposal opens up two north-south pedestrian ways in conjunction with new open spaces. part I: physIcal desIgn 6 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn Th e City of Aspen Parks Department is currently proposing a project to dramatically improve the pedestrian experience on Main Street, beginning with a pilot project on the Paepcke Park block. Th is project will come before the City Council soon, but because Planning and Zoning Commission members suggested that the ZG Master Plan should address Main Street issues at its meeting on Set. 2, 2008, staff has included the Parks Dept. proposal to include in the ZG Master Plan. Th e Parks Department proposal follows the recommendations of the Civic Master Plan, which found that Main Street is “intimidating to pedestrians and has become a barrier to north-south pedestrian movement.” Th e Civic Master Plan recommended that “the City of Aspen work with the Colorado Department of Transportation to explore design changes to Main Street to make it morepedestrian friendly, including but not limited to: · Stamped/colored concrete crosswalks; · Raised crosswalks; · Bulb-outs; · Refuge Islands.” Th e Parks Department has drawn on this menu of improvements, and has extended the concept of “refuge islands” to potential planted medians as well. Th is treatment of Main Street between Mill Stret and Spring Street would make it more pedestrian-friendly, capitalizing on other pedestrian improvements described in the ZG Master Plan. Main Street Pedestrian Project Pedestrian orientation creates connections between neighborhoods. The design, programming, and implementation of civic projects should focus on the pedestrian quality of the district. Connections to and through the district should be enhanced. CIVIC MASTER PLAN CORE PRINCIPAL #7: ZG Master Plan 7 part I: physIcal desIgn “Every fine street … is one that invites leisurely, safe walking. It sounds simple and basically it is. There have to be walkways that permit people to walk at varying paces, including most importantly a leisurely pace, with neither a sense of crowding nor of being alone, and that are safe, primarily from vehicles.” – From Great Streets, by Allan B. Jacobs 8 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn Th e ZG Master Plan proposal would establish a dramatically improved North- South pedestrian way from Main Street through Galena Plaza and down to Rio Grande Park in a number of ways: • Dramatically widening the stairway from Galena Plaza to Rio Grande Place; • Improving the visually obstructive elevator/stairwell feature in Rio Grande Plaza, while still providing elevator/stair access from the garage to the plaza; • Relocating public safety parking on Galena St. Extension to an underground garage at the Zupancis Property, thereby making Galena St. Extension a “shuttle-only” vehicle way, and using paver designs to create an inviting park setting starting at Main Street; • Designing an Art Museum building with compelling architecture to create a strong visual cue for people on Main and Galena streets to draw people to the site. North-South Pedestrian Flow Main St. to Galena Plaza to Rio Grande Park “the design of a dramatically improved pedestrian way from Main Street, through the Galena Street Extension, Galena Plaza and stairway down to and through Rio Grande Park.” THE CIVIC MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDED: Top: The existing view shows a number of barriers to pedestrian movement, both north-south and east-west. Above: The proposal shows a “green” site, where vehicles have been relocated to an underground garage beneath the Zupancis Property at right, allowing for additional open spaces and dramatically improved pedestrian routes. ZG Master Plan 9 part I: physIcal desIgn The ZG Master Plan proposal would establish a dramatically improved East- West pedestrian way from Galena Plaza, behind the Courthouse and through a new open space area: • Removing the visually and physically obstructive parking lot between the Pitkin County Jail and the Courthouse by relocating public safety parking to an underground garage at the Zupancis Property, and under the jail parking lot; • Creating a new pedestrian path through a new park on the former jail parking lot site. This not only builds on and adds value to the adjacent Veteran’s Memorial Park, but it also pays greater respect to the Courthouse by creating a “green ring: around this historic structure; • Designing a County Complex on the Zupancis Property with compelling architectural features to draw pedestrians from Galena Plaza, behind the Courthouse and to the County Complex. East-West Pedestrian Flow Galena Plaza to Courthouse Park Top: The jail parking lot, beyond the Courthouse, forms a barrier for west-east movement. Above: The proposal envisions a more inviting corridor behind the courthouse. 10 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn The ZG Master Plan proposal would establish a dramatically improved North- South pedestrian way from Veteran’s Memorial Park, next to the historic Zupancis homestead cabins and into Rio Grande Park in a number of ways: • Creating a new park on the former jail parking lot site; • Creating a new “pocket park” with interpretive materials featuring the three historic landmark Zupancis homestead cabins toward the south end of the Zupancis property; • Creating a new pedestrian path extending north from the new park at the former jail parking lot site, with a green walkway on top of what will become the covered driveway to the underground garage. This pathway will be at or close to the same grade as the historic Zupancis cabins with a spur into this new pocket park. This new pedestrian path will empty out onto Rio Grande Place. North-South Pedestrian Flow Courthouse Park to Homestead Cabins to Rio Grande Park Top: This view shows the back corner of the existing County Plaza building at right with the jail parking lot in the foreground, and the jail at left. Above: The proposal creates a north-south pedestrian route that “walks” by the historic cabins at the same grade. ZG Master Plan 11 part I: physIcal desIgn One of the central goals of the Civic Master Plan was to animate Galena Plaza. Rather than give up on this under-used open public place, the concept was to retain more than 95% of the plaza -- including the entire “center circle” -- while surrounding it with modest built edges that create a sense of intimacy that makes so many urban public parks successful. As noted on pg. 16 of the Civic Master Plan: • “Buildings are not merely placed into the outdoors, they actually shape the outdoors” • “An outdoor space is positive when the buildings around it create a distinct and defi nite shape, as defi nite as the shape of a room.” At the same time, the ZG Master Plan does not want to overwhelm the plaza with towering buildings: • Th e ZG Master Plan calls for a one-story building at the north edge, creating a public meeting hall that is far superior to any existing public meeting spaces in the City (Please see Part II: Mix of Uses for more details); • Th e ZG Master Plan calls for the signature Art Museum to be no higher than two stories along the eastern edge – not only to keep a modest built edge for the plaza, but to step down substantially in height from the County Courthouse, leaving that historic structure as the grandfather of the ZG site; • Rather than a library expansion that extends directly into the plaza, the ZG Master Plan calls for a “frame” design, so the two-story expansion forms an “L” shape around the northwest edge of the plaza. Open Space Galena Plaza: Framing a Picture “in conjunction with new uses at Galena Plaza, the open space at the center of Galena Plaza should be designed to animate the site in relation to new uses.” THE CIVIC MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDED: Top: The existing view from above shows a relatively undefi ned public space. Above: The signature art museum would be located at right (green), with the L-shaped library expansion at left (yellow) and the public meeting rooms at top (orange). 12 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn One of the most dramatic changes proposed in the ZG Master Plan is to eliminate the existing parking lot between the jail and the courthouse – replacing it with a new open space area. This new open space will be directly adjacent to Veteran’s Memorial Park, which is now somewhat hemmed in by the existing jail parking lot. Creating a new green space will not only bring a more open feeling to Veteran’s Memorial Park, but will create a “green ring” around the historic Courthouse. Open Space Courthouse Park Top: The existing view shows vehicles on two sides of the courthouse. Above: The proposal creates a “green ring” around the courthouse. ZG Master Plan 13 part I: physIcal desIgn The new Courthouse Park will be connected by a pedestrian path to another new park: An interpretive pocket park featuring three homestead structures built in the 19th century on the Zupancis property. Today, these cabins are largely unseen, as they are perched high above the driveway to the jail parking lot, at the back corner of the long and thin Zupancis property. However, when a new pedestrian path is built on top of what will be the underground driveway to the underground garage, people will be able to walk from Veteran’s Memorial Park, through Courthouse Park, and along the pedestrian path at or near the same grade as the homestead cabins. This will allow pedestrians to regularly enjoy these historic cabins in a way they are not seen or enjoyed today. A spur off the pedestrian path will lead into this historic pocket park, which will include educational materials on the 19th century lifestyle of Aspen. Open Space Courthouse Park Open Space Homestead Cabins: A Pocket Park Top: The existing view shows the three historic cabins isolated on a bench at left, with the grade dropping abruptly to the driveway at right. Above: By building a pedestrian route on top of the underground garage entrance, passersby will have a close-up experience of the cabins. 14 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn One of the over-arching goals of the ZG Master Plan is to retain the towering County Courthouse as the “grandfather” of the site. This historic structure must remain the dominant feature of the area, and should be respected. The ZG Master Plan accomplishes this in a number of ways: • Replacing the existing jail parking lot with open space; • Removing vehicles from the Galena St. Extension and making the extension a shuttle-only, pedestrian area; • Combining these two steps to create a “green ring” entirely surrounding the Courthouse; • Keeping building heights at the edges of Galena Plaza to one or two stories. The Historic County Courthouse Grandfather of the ZG Site Top: This is the existing view from the northwest corner of Galena Plaza. Above: This view shows a piece of the L-shaped library expansion at right and the new art museum at left – both stepping down substantially from the height of the courthouse. ZG Master Plan 15 part I: physIcal desIgn The Historic County Courthouse Grandfather of the ZG Site Top: The existing view shows vehicles around the courthouse, and the boxy County Plaza building at bottom right. Above: The proposal creates a green ring around the courthouse and replaces the County Plaza building with a structure that steps back on the 3rd floor tor respect the courthouse. 16 ZG Master Plan part I: physIcal desIgn It seems unlikely that Aspen residents would tolerate a 40-car parking lot right next to Wagner Park and the pedestrian malls. But today, there is a 40-car parking lot right next to Rio Grande Park – just a stone’s throw from a 350-car underground parking garage. Th e ZG Master Plan proposes a respectful frame for Rio Grande Park, one where buildings establish a more defi ned edge to the park. Th is aff ordable housing complex will bring a stronger identity to the park – and the park will bring a strong identity to this local community. At fi rst, the ZG Master Plan sought to maximize the density of this site, but encountered consistent feedback from the public that the mass proposed seemed out-of-scale with the area. Th e ZG Master Plan now calls for a set of buildings that form a respectful edge to the park, but retain a substantial amount of space in front of the existing buildings as well as a triangle of open space on the east side. With regard to the location, mass and scale of buildings on the parking lot site, the site plan was revised following the Sept. 2, 2008 meeting with the Planning and Zoning Commission. Th e current plan removes massing from the interior of the parking lot site and locates the buildings along the edge of Rio Grande Place, aligning with the recommendation of the Civic Master Plan to establish a frame for Rio Grande Park. Pulling the buildings away from the existing Community Bank building and aff ordable housing also allows for better solar orientation and a retention of more short-term parking – an issue the Civic Master Plan says should be addressed. Th is revision also retains a large area for staging events in the park. A Frame for Rio Grande Park Removing Another Parking Lot “In the downtown area south of Main Street, both urban blocks and public parks have clearly defi ned edges and are easily recognizable. In contrast, the City-owned parking lots along Rio Grande Place are an unraveled edge that do not clearly demarcate the end of an urban block and the beginning of a public park … Creating a clear edge and demarcation between urban blocks and public parks is a widely recognized and sound urban design concept.” THE CIVIC MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDED: Top: The existing view shows the parking lot next to Rio Grande Park. Above: The proposal calls for an affordable housing community that serves as a frame, creating a stronger identity for the park itself. ZG Master Plan 17 part I: physIcal desIgn While the ZG Master Plan does not include specifi c architectural styles – these will be designed and extensively reviewed by the public at later stages of review – the ZG Master Plan does call for the design of buildings to capitalize on the new pedestrian corridors and open space areas created on the site. Th e ZG Master Plan includes a palette of design concepts, providing examples of building elements that establish strong relationships between indoors and outdoors. While the ZG Master Plan does not require such design on every inch of new structures, there are certain areas where this “transparency” is strongly encouraged. In areas where the new north-south and east-west pedestrian corridors intersect, building design should illustrate a strong relationship between indoors and outdoors – to bring even more value to these new view corridors and their adjacent open spaces. Th e ZG Master Plan application includes a “palette” of photographs and renderings. Th ese are not intended as specifi c solutions for the site, but are meant to refl ect the concepts of shelter/ framing, movement and transparency. Architectural Character Creating Indoor-Outdoor Relationships “the design of buildings within the civic core should incorporate elements that are inviting and welcoming, and enhance the quality of the pedestrian experience.” THE CIVIC MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDED: -9-go-os- hoUsl "� h009i09 %1009i09 housing %loU9i09 housing hoUsin9 hOUs`n ". art use 9 00sin9 m att eum s mus n9 OUsin Um alle�� tus in a 01%3Seo seuR' art ow ��Ugi sing Use '90 seam a uR' museum s in9 h� mise art evm �seu"" mus a h pU art se`�m "O art Seam art, �r , 0, a muse art�SeOm `, Sea m art muse`�t� `Q V um art ear m art ,BR L Ili a.`PU ti 3['® Bir- Y AR .SBR Y �BRAR , a ilm%� "F ' V. • a m 1 1- 0 • I housing housing hou97109 housing housing housing 0 a� use m a museum art .,,' � � eucn a� um 005 0110 muse 5011a m05011� se11m 000 amuseum seu m " useum a u5eum m a 0050110 ' a� s00uto 0 museum a it 0115a�' 115e11Cn i seu att se11m m0 u<^ a� ee11r 0art t • - r-- 0 - - 40 via IN a Concept 4B - Round 1 Concept 4A - Round 1 Concept 4 - Round 2 Concept 3 - Round 2 Concept 2 - Round 2 Concept 2 - Round 1 Concept 1 - Round 2 Concept 1 - Final Aspen sheet 1.tif sheet 2.tif Aspen sheet 3.tif sheet 4.tif Aspen sheet 5.tif sheet 6.tif Aspen sheet 7a.tif sheet 8.tif Aspen sheet 9.tif AO \d) 4 ���� 1��1��(���� V 1 � � I �= r V r `' � � Yww� t 4�L�--�1 __ �... .� I .. .., -�--. , ! A j �. t d �x �� k _. :r""� �« e4 * �'` t §� �ex!^Z FA ' I «�� T _'r _ - . +. �� �_J i. - -�---4 —� ...; _._,.x.�,V.., .� .,_ ;. _d �� � /C'_" _tel\ ; ,� / ��~ � `� ,� ,� ovpp- ° .rz-a fatv.�\. O r�, �A �: _.� = ASSI�SSOR K* I y ` �` �,� f _.. I J SII L l s i It l Cr C lw M 0 ^»/ R y � . </ y � » s � � ,� : / \ � � � � ^ � ^ \ . �� 2 � ~» \ ? y� = �� �k 1 h� n �� Y � � � . . � � � ���� % \ ����T�, f5t�jt� �� 5 i� dF {�{��! '..!,� � ".R`" ,2 � �' _ � _��` �_ , __ �� ❑ � � I h. �odoo m 444 72t- olir .� �� _ __ � ,;�� q7; J 0 ft r