HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.19960903Aspen City Council Special Meeting September 3, 1996
Mayor Bennett called the meeting to order at 4:15 with Councilmembers Paulson,
Marolt, Waggaman and Richards present.
Amy Margerum, city manager, told Council the Aspen Mother Pucker hockey team
has an opportunity to go to China. In the past the City has helped teams represent
Aspen when they go abroad. The Mother Puckers is asking for a $500 donation
from Council contingency.
Councilwoman Richards moved to appropriate $500 from contingency to help the
Mother Puckers go to China; seconded by Mayor Bennett. All in favor, motion
carried.
RESOLUTION #51, SERIES OF 1996
- Ballot Language
Councilwoman Waggaman presented some proposed generic ballot language with
alternatives in order to find out where the support for which transit alternative is in
the county. Councilwoman Waggaman said she is afraid if the only question is rail
with 2 lanes, the city will lose too many voters.
Councilwoman Richards said she supports asking only one question, that presented
by the citizens alternative H group. Councilwoman Richards said this represents the
best compromise for the entrance to Aspen and addresses everyone’s concerns.
Councilwoman Richards said voters will not vote to give open space away yet leave
open what the use of that land will be. Councilwoman Richards said the Council
has been focusing on the Marolt open space rather than focusing on the best design
solution for this entrance to town. Councilwoman Richards said the timing is
critical to have a vote where the voters say they believe in a rail future, they are
willing to make some sacrifices on this key parcel on the entrance to the town and
then take that vision to the rest of the valley. Councilwoman Richards said she
wants to take the single question supported by various groups to the voters in
November.
Councilman Marolt said there is a group in Aspen that does not want anything,
highway or rail. Councilman Marolt said there is momentum for the entrance to
town. Councilman Marolt said he feels the question should be whether voters
approve a corridor or not and leave it to highway or rail decision later with specific
design.
1
Aspen City Council Special Meeting September 3, 1996
Councilman Paulson said he supports rail but questions whether the highway needs
to be moved. Councilman Paulson said the issue is what Aspen is all about. There
is a traffic problem. Councilman Paulson said he does not want to wait another 12
years for an alternative transit solution. Councilman Paulson said he does support a
vote. Councilman Paulson said he does not see how a new highway will help with
the traffic problems.
Councilwoman Richards said there are traffic and intersection problems. CDOT is
not going to spend any money engineering these until there is a preferred alternative.
Councilwoman Richards said she does not support a generic question because it
would appear there has been no work done in the last 5 years. Councilwoman
Richards said Council has an opportunity to stand together and say this alternative
solves the problem most completely. This question is for approval of a plan with
specifics designed to carry the capacity in a smoother way and which will expand to
rail. Councilwoman Richards said this is a step in making this valley different than
everywhere else in the country. A lot of work has been done by citizens putting in
hundreds of volunteer hours and working with some of the best engineers in the
country. Councilwoman Richards said she would hate to lose the vision of a valley-
wide rail system.
Mayor Bennett said he wants to put the right question on the ballot so that the
transportation solution can go forward. This would allow Council to go to
Washington to ask for funding, it frees the CDOT to finish the EIS. Mayor Bennett
said there will be a funding question that will need to be put to the electorate,
perhaps in May 1997. This funding question could have alternative ways to finance
rail, like save and build; build now but only go to the airport; or build to Brush
Creek with additional revenue sources.
Mayor Bennett said the realignment will help the traffic flow. More cars can travel
on a two-lane highway that is straight versus one that has two 90 degree curves in it.
Mayor Bennett said Council can put on a generic question; a generic question with
specific choices as separate questions; a split S-curve question (rail and 2-lane on
Marolt or rail on Marolt and 2-lane on the S-curves); or a question approving a
transportation plan. Mayor Bennett supports the latter choice which would answer
whether this is a transit plan that the voters want the city to go forward with. Mayor
Bennett said the pure generic question will not answer any questions for Council.
Mayor Bennett said if the voters say no to a transit question, it will be a message
that a new process needs to be started all over.
2
Aspen City Council Special Meeting September 3, 1996
Councilwoman Waggaman said she supports rail plus two lanes. It makes no sense
for the city to build their own bridges and spend money on the rail system.
Councilwoman Waggaman said she feels a 4-lane will be a waste of money.
Councilwoman Waggaman said 2-lanes across Marolt will have less impact on the
neighbors. Councilwoman Waggaman said she will support this ballot language
with the caveat that if this fails, CDOT will give the city a chance to craft another
ballot question for the May election. Councilwoman Waggaman said she supports
whatever will get Aspen the rail as quickly as possible.
Councilman Marolt said the objective is to have a ballot question that will get a yes
answer. In order to get a yes answer, the question will have to be very simple.
Councilman Paulson said he feels using up open space is putting the community 20
years backwards. Councilman Paulson said he is not interested in new concrete and
new highways. Mayor Bennett said he feels this alternative is the fastest way to
build rail and lessen the congestion, and noise pollution. Mayor Bennett said rail
across Marolt and traffic on the S-curve will doom the rail. The rail will never get
built. The only reason rail is affordable is that it will be paired with the highway
which will give CDOT and federal highway funding. The basic principles in this are
reducing the number of automobiles in Aspen, and enhancing the quality of life.
Mayor Bennett stated this is the best approach and the one that will solve the
problem.
Councilwoman Richards passed out a suggested election question drafted from the
last two Council meetings. Councilwoman Richards said any citizens should limit
their comments to specific ballot language suggestions. Council agreed with that
approach. Councilwoman Richards said she feels this proposal will greatly enhance
the open space. Councilwoman Richards said the ballot question should state this
land can only be used for rail with 2 lane, cut and cover configuration with
mitigations. This will give a clear message on what Aspen will support for a
transportation solution. Councilwoman Richards said people are not interested in a
phased 4 lane; however, with an inability to reach a decision on an alignment,
Aspen may get a phased 4-lane. Councilwoman Richards said she is not interested
in keeping traffic on the S-curves. Councilwoman Richards said the city should not
spend another cent on rail until the Aspen voters have had their say.
Councilwoman Waggaman said she has heard no objection on going all the way to
Brush Creek. Councilwoman Waggaman agreed going back to the S-curve ballot
language is like stepping back 10 years. Councilman Paulson said the common
denominator is people want to deal with the traffic problems in town. The ultimate
3
Aspen City Council Special Meeting September 3, 1996
solution is to find a mass transit that works and to get people out of their cars.
Mayor Bennett said there will be more open space after this alternative is completed
than there is now.
Richie Cohen said he likes the ballot language prepared by the city attorney. It is
specific and will answer most of the questions of the electorate. Cohen suggested
amending the question to extend the rail to Brush Creek and to tell CDOT they
consider the recommendations from the majority of the citizen’s task force. Mayor
Bennett said the question cannot refer to any group by name in the election question.
Mayor Bennett said in the formal resolution to CDOT on the draft EIS, Council will
talk about extension to Brush Creek.
Paul Murray said there is more enthusiasm among the voters for rail than there was
5 years ago. Bonnie Murray said she would like to have the ballot questions have
several choices laid out rather than just one question. Ms. Murray said she likes the
ballot question referring to obtaining adequate financing and also taking this to the
voters. Ms. Murray said she would like to see some protection for people living
along the corridor be added, to mitigate environmental and neighborhood concerns.
Herb Klein said he, too, would like to see the sentence regarding environmental
concerns include a larger neighborhood area than just along 7th street. Klein said
noise, air and visual impacts are the prime environmental concerns east of Castle
Creek. This language will make sure these aspects are properly investigated and
mitigated. Klein said he does not see any harm in adding a simple “rail only”
question in addition to this question.
Denny Vaughn asked if there is a definition for parkway. Mayor Bennett said it is a
divided-lane highway with landscaping in the center. Mayor Bennett said the
landscaping in the center is important. Vaughn encouraged Council to put a width
limitation on this corridor so that it does not use up more space than required.
Vaughn said people may want to make this wide enough so that it can be a 4-lane
highway in the future. Vaughn asked if this is insured to be far enough away from
the museum on the Marolt property. Vaughn urged Council to increase the distance
from the museum to 200 to 225 feet. The proposed alignment is very close to the
museum and he can see no reason for it to be that close. Mayor Bennett suggested
to add that this right-of-way shall be accompanied by environmental and historic
resource mitigation measures including but not limited to . . . Councilwoman
Waggaman said Council has to weight in the comments to the SDEIS whether they
want the trees, the view, the speed or the museum. Worcester suggested any
4
Aspen City Council Special Meeting September 3, 1996
reference to distance from the museum in feet be eliminated as they will have to do
a historic and environmental impact.
Coleman said the citizens are being asked to champion a visionary cause based on
potential for future light rail. The citizens are also being asked to convey in
perpetuity the right to build two lanes of highway on Marolt contingent on future
actions. Coleman said there are no assurances from CDOT that they will transfer
land back to the city when the corridor is built. Mayor Bennett agreed that the
question should reference a light rail transit system to be built when financing is
feasible.
Jasmine dePagter said if Council wants to see what light rail can do for the
community, the question should be simple, do you support light rail? Drew Dolan,
citizens task force, told Council it took months and meetings to educate the task
force and there will be a lot of work educating the electorate. Dolan asked if the
state will abandon their right-of-way through the S curves. Amy Margerum, city
manager, said they would like to. This will be a negotiation point. The city will
have to take up maintenance of this portion of the road. Councilwoman Richards
said that is a condition of them being able to use the Marolt property.
Bob D’Alessio, citizen task force, said he feels this question captures the essence of
the task forces work. Hans Gramiger said he is against putting this on the ballot.
Gramiger said he feels rail may not be the answer for the upper valley.
Council discussed adding a map to the question and decided not to include a map.
Council went over the ballot language. Councilwoman Richards suggested there
might be greater public support if the voters knew the highway realignment will not
occur across Marolt until the rail system is ready to go. Mayor Bennett said this
may eliminate the county’s save and build plan. There are issues with construction
funding, money from the state.
Mayor Bennett read the changed initial paragraph, “Shall the City Council be
authorized to use or to convey to the State of Colorado, department of
transportation, necessary rights-of-way across city owned property including the
Marolt property acquired for open space purposes and the Thomas property,
acquired for transportation purposes, for a two-lane parkway and a corridor for a
light rail system (to be built when the financing is available); subject to the
following:
5
Aspen City Council Special Meeting September 3, 1996
·
the light rail transit system shall be built only after adequate financing
mechanisms are identified and approved by a public vote.
·
the use of the corridor shall be contingent upon environmental and historic
resource mitigation measures including, but not limited to:
Council went through the 7 mitigation conditions and with suggestions from citizens
finalized the ballot. Mayor Bennett reiterated there will be other elections on the
final design and on funding. Councilwoman Richards said the alignment of Main
street is as important to the voters as the financing of this project. Council changed
the first bullet to include “final design details” to cover the rail on Main street.
Councilwoman Richards moved to adopt Resolution #51, Series of 1996, as
amended; seconded by Councilwoman Waggaman. All in favor, motion carried.
Councilwoman Richards moved to adjourn at 7 p.m.; seconded by Councilman
Paulson. All in favor, motion carried.
Kathryn S. Koch, City Clerk
6