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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.19810702 ~pecial Meeting Aspen City Council July 2, 1981 Mayor Edel called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. with Councilmembers Collins, Knecht and Parry present. THRIFT SHOP - Gift of House Assistant City Manager Butterbaugh explained Council has asked staff to investigate sites available on which to move a Victorian house for the Thrift Shop to use. The staff has narrowed these to the east of city hall and next to the fire station. There are no restrictions that cannot be handled; however, either parcel would have to be rezoned. They are both zoned P, park. The Thrift Shop ladies have several buildings available to them; some are not suitable. The Thrift Shop ladies hope to be able to determine if any of these are feasiable. There is a Victorian house that is available to the ladies, and it will be moved to this site. The person donating the house needs a letter from Council stating that a si~e is available to use. The person needs to get this deal firmed up so that he knows he can get a'tax deduction. Ms. But~erbaugh told Council she has measured the building and it appear it would fit on the site. Ms. Butterbaugh has asked the fire chief to come to show Council the plans of the fire department future build out to see how the donated building might fit there. Also, the engineer and buildiDg inspector are present to answer question on the problems of renovating the building and moving it from a residential zone to a commercial zone, Mayor Edel said it is nice to haw~ the hous¢~ moved ~nd ~on~te~ to ~he Thrfft Shop, but d~ they w~nt .~o straddle themselves w~th $100,000 to fi:.~ it up. · Kar~n Kashfns~i said ~he~'~ have n~ ch~ic,~. Mayo~ Ed~l .s~id ~e tbou?~h the TPrift Shop should have some leverage from the man donating this house to see if they can get money towards renovation. The man donating the house is getting a large tax write-off. Herb Paddock, building inspection, told Council the basic problem of moving the house from fire zone 3 to fire zone 1 is it changes the occupancy and use of the building; theCode requirements are far more stringent Paddock told Council he has done a sit~ inspection of the house. The roof is inadequate and will have to be replaced with a one-hour roof. Depending on the setbacks, the house will have to have 1 or 2 hour fire walls throughout. ,., L Special Meeting Aspen ul~y uounc~± ~u~ ~, Dan McArthur, city engineer, told Council the building will have to be gutted inside and out; it will have to be torn down to the bare studs; it will have to be insulated. The interior walls have to come out. Paddock reiterated the problem is taking an R-1 occupan¢ and turning it into B-2 and the codes are more stringent. CoUncilman Parry said it seems one cannot survive with a Victorian in town. Ms. Butterbaugh said there is an exception for older buildings, there is discretion up to the building inspector on what must be don~ Mayor Edel asked where the money for this building would come from. Ms. Kashinski said in the event of a sale of the Wheeler Opera.House, since the Thrift Shop is losing their space, perhaps the new owners would Underwrite the costs for them. Ms. Butterbaugh told Council if Andy Hecht, representing the Victorian owner, knows there is interest on the part of Council but that they are hung up with approvals, they do not have any problems holding. Ms. Butterbaugh said today the Council should address the problems of this Victorian building. Ms. Kashinski said it did not seem feasible to tear out the entire building and repair and renovate it. Willard Clapper, fire chief, showed Council the proposed expansion for the fire departmen~ which is approximately a ten year project. This year the fire department is putting an extension on the top of this; probably not for the apartments, just the lower, the exten- sion out to the property line. The fire department has gotten a ten year lease with the city so that they can build out. The main reason for this is the fire deparment will have paid people within a few years. To do that, the fire department Will have to have available spate. The fire department will have to have a little area over here where the parking area is shown this year to build, for staging and for packing equipment, etc. Thc fire department will need part of this area this year. Presently, the fire department has three bays; they want to add a fourth bay so they will have four bays opening onto Hyman Avenue. This expansion will give them a shop area in the rear and total frontage on to town. Clapper explained with the future of paid fire marshal and fire chief, there will be an office there for the person responsible for fire inspections and living quarters above. Councilman Parry asked why not go total second story above the fire station. Clapper answered the main reason is the view plane. Mayor Edel said he thought the Council has the right to void that. CoUncilman Parry said he felt it would be much better to go with a second story. Clapper told Council when they designed their expansion plans, there were not aware of the Thrift Shop ladies wishes for this property. The fire department was looking to improve the park. MaYor Edel said in order to help the fire department with their plans, the Council could address the view plane. Clapper showed Council the back area slants and they designed it to cut the height. Mayo Edel asked staff to investigate the view plane problem to see if more space on top could be utilized. City attorney Taddune told Council if they void the view plane for this, it can apply to other buildings. Councilman Parry said the new Epicure building will be much higher. Lou Buettner, engineering department, told Council that building is out~ide the view plane. Mayor Edel requested staff to look at this. Clapper said they tried to put a plan together which is appealing and fits in with the whole area and also to haVe a fireman's park. Councilman Parry suggested the fire depart. ment could incorporate a new building for the Thrift Shop and the fire department's needs Mayor Edel asked Clapper if he had any problems working with the Thrift Shop; Clapper said he had no problems. Ms. Butterbaugh showed cut outs of how buildings would fit on the lot. They. could have a basement and fit within the FAR in that zone. The planning department has some concerns about moving into an historic district. The HPC will have to a~prove b~th ~he bui3.di~g a~d~its placement on th~ lot. Planning fe~ls this Victorian would be incompatible with the surrounding buildings. Bot~ staff' and the Thrift ?ho~ have put the lot east of city ~all as low priority. Too many trees would have to be re~'~oved. Clapper told Council the fire de~ar'~mei~t is tr~in? to ~et 5 foot ii~ th~ doer, -~ho~^in~' wh~t they ~ilt ne~d in the future. They hav~ lo~ke~ at ~:th,~r areas; a~ a distric~ it is d~ff~cult tc fur:d l~nd. CL'~pp?r s?id the? do not ~ant to ~et .~us~.ed cut. Ma?or Edel ~ai~ the ci'%y is not tr~ing to push them o.,~t. City Attorney Taddune told Council they wo~ld have to .~ezc. ne ..h~ prope.~ty to commerce%al Th~y m~y do thais w'th, ut coi~!g t~'~ th~ vo~er~. Councilman Parry suggested the Thrift Shop ladies go back to the owner to see if he will put in' a basement for them; he will get 5 tax write off and their should see if he will be willing tO put some money into the renovation. Councilman Parry also 'suggested trying to find someone to design a new building for the Thrift Shop. Councilman Knecht said he felt it was up to Council to preserve a Victorian like this at all Costs. Sunny Vann, planning director, told Council there are some guidelines for the downtown core and buildings. Xf Council is considerin,~ acceptin? this b~lilding, the building and site will have to be acce~te~, by ~PC. This particular building may have some problems with HPD; scale will be one of their primary concerns within the guidelines for that district. Vann told Council the planning office does not encourage duplicating Victorians. Mayor Edel s~id in order to maximize land ~sage a~.d solve problems, it is fine with the fire department to put a second ~tory in for their needs over the next 10 years, which free~ up lan~ to accommodate p~rk~ng, a p~rk ~nd ~ spot for the Thrift Shop. That i~ Council's i' ~' ~ · ob]ec~.lv~.. Council,~an Xnecht said th~s Victorian is an important buildiog. Mayor E~.el ~aid this V~ctori~n mey eohaDce the whole block; however, with the eMpense r ~ of renovation, it ~s p_obabl~ not. feasible. Councilman Parry said the first step is for the Thrift Shop ladies to find~ out what the~ caD. get from the owner of the building, Then thoy should go to MPC and see ~hat they would like. Taddune asked" ..... "~ .. Councilman Parry s.~id it woul~ be ~ ~ ¢.~uncl.. was gi~in~ th~s l~nd away. .he..e i~ a q~estioD about .~ loog-ter~v le~se and ~he'ther this con- le~]se Taddune said ~ "- stitutes a s~le Th~'.s m~y requ.~.re -~ot~r a]~proval if the lease is so long it does in fact tie up the property. Mayor Edel asked to instruct the staff that this is the intent of Council; they want to work this out whatever the mechanism is. Ms. Butterbaugh sai~ staff will have to return asking for specific permission. Councilman Collins questioned putting a house on that site, and looking at the needs of a volunteer fire department plus the fact there are little amount of parks in this area. Councilman Collins said he would like to hear back from HPC. Councilman Collins said he would like to see more planning for this area, and until Council sees that, they should not take any action. 3121 Special Meeting Aspen City Council July 2, 1981 Councilman Collins said he likes the idea of a park where it is. Ms. Kashinski said in regards to leaving it a park, the Thrift Shop could work with the fire department for a new building. They need a basement and a first floor. It is conceivable they could build this building where it sits in the fire department plans; then when needed, the fire department could build a second story. They would still have a parking lot and a park in the front. Mayor Edel said there are a lot of problems, zoning, ~he building, working with the fire department. Today Council should say they are willing to realize that the Thrift Shop must go somewhere and this is an appropriate spot. Councilman Collins asked about the traffic and parking problems. Ms. Kashinski said they Could unload in the alley where the parking is. The Thrift Shop does not prefer the park east of city ahll; there would be public outcry if the huge spruce is moved. There is no parking with all the police Next to the fire station, people can go through the alley and drop off their items; there would be parking for the Thrift Shop. H Councilman Knecht moved to instruct staff to proceed with the Thrift Shop proposal,- seconde~ by Councilman Parry. All in favor, motion carried. Taddune asked if Council was going to do anything with respect to Hecht. Ms. Butterbaugh said this is now up to the Thrift Shop ladies. ORDINANCE #35, SERIES OF 1981 - Issuance of general obligation water bonds Ms. Butterbaugh told Council this has been passed on first reading. The city needs the second reading to obtain money by next Monday to make initial payout on the contract. Mayor Edel opened the public hearing. There were no con~ments. Mayor Edel closed the public hearing. Councilman Parry moved to adopt Ordinance ~35, Series of 1981, on second reading; seconded by Councilman Collins. Roll call vote; Cou ncilmembers Parry, aye; Knecht, aye; Collins, aye; Mayor Edel, aye. Motion carried. Councilman Parry moved to adjourn at 5:15; seconded by Councilman Collins. All in favor, motion carried.