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HomeMy WebLinkAboutcoa.cclc.min.04192006 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF APRIL 19.2006 Chairperson, Bill Dinsmoor called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Commissioners in attendance were: Stan Hajenga, Shae Singer, Mark Goodman, John Starr. Terry Butler and Don Sheeley were excused. Staff in attendance: Kathleen Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk Saturday Market John asked Peter how he deals with vendors coming in. Peter said their membership is approved by the existing farmers in the market. We do try to eliminate competition. In the past members tried to maintain a monopoly. Since I am president we no longer agree on monopolies. We would have to displace craft people if new farmers are admitted and it will affect our budget because the farmers essentially pay less. People were approved if space is available. Sustainable Settings was accepted in permanently and Stinky flowers was accepted. Bill said almost all of the products are already existing in the market. There is nothing profoundly new that was presented to the farmers. Peter brought up the Cooking demonstrations and if they could be optional if we found we didn't have the space. We would loose twenty feet out of the market that a farmer needs just so the demonstrations can occur. The demonstrations are good for the market but not as important as having space. In the past we have not done them for the first five weeks anyway. John said he would be sorely disappointed if we didn't have the cooking demonstrations. It is part of the fabric of the market. Bill said the Cooking School has taken on the cooking demonstrations. Bill said the first week is Food and Wine so there wouldn't be any cooking demonstrations. Shae said there wouldn't be one during the Taste of Aspen. Peter said the farmers have codified rules, non-controversial rules and general rules. He will supply those for the CCLC to review. Kathy relayed that she and the City Clerk, KathTYn Koch are working on the resolution and farmers agreement. Hopefully the revisions will be ready for the 1 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF APRIL 19.2006 next CCLC meeting to hand out and review. Both groups should approve the agreement and then it will go to City Council for approval. Mall Leases Pacifica Stanley Hoffberger, owner relayed that he is requesting approval of the same space as last year, 19 x 32 feet. He is also requesting that the CCLC support a retractable awing that would extend 14 feet from the fayade ofthe building. Stanley pointed out that parents and kids take the tables and move them to the children's area of Wagner Park. Ifwe could get two tops on the south side of the building they could occupy that side. Bill pointed out that awnings are not a purview of the CCLC but he is in favor of the proposal. Stanley said it would be a retractable awning. Bill pointed out that setbacks and encroachments cannot be approved by the CCLC either. He also said he would be surprised ifthe powers to be would allow the use of that space. Bill said the Fire Department is concerned about obstructing that alleyway. Shae suggested a table be placed in between the two window boxes. Stanley said he would check with the city on the approval process. Bill said he doesn't think it is a good idea. Tables and chairs will creep into the alley. John said an awning is safer than umbrellas and it provides for a good environment. John asked why the awning couldn't come out on the north side. Stanley eXplained that a tree exists in that area and the Parks Dept. isn't going to cut it down. Shae also said the awning is a good idea. She suggested that Stanley pursue the encroachment. MOTION: John moved to approve the mall lease for Pacifica. The CCLC supports the awning concept. Motion second by Shae. All in favor, motion carried. 2 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF APRIL 19. 2006 Red Onion Staff relayed that David Walbert, owner of the Red Onion left for vacation and couldn't be present at the meeting. He provided a drawing. The dimensions would be the same as last year, 210 square feet. MOTION: Mark moved to approve the mall lease for the Red Onion; second by Stan. All in favor, motion carried. Takah Sushi Casey Kaufman, owner stated that she is requesting the same dimensions that she had last year for her mall lease. Mickie Alper, lessee next door to Takah Sushi said his concern is the amplified music and he doesn't feel the seating should go out as far as requested. John explained to Mickie that two years council decided that Aspen needed more energy in the malls. Some of the patio seating was extended to add vibrancy. Mickie said amplified music comes out of the speakers and diners then have to raise their voices to be heard. The Classical musicians had to leave. Bill pointed out that amplified music is handled through the Environmental Health Department. Mickie said the music is on all day long even when the restaurant is closed. Takah Sushi's is out too far and it alters the pedestrian traffic pattern. When pedestrians come around the corner you don't go along the front. There is a lot of noise generated by the dining. If you sit in the park you don't hear "quiet". Shae said dining has been here for years. Shae asked Mickie what his hours of operation were. Mickie said 11 to 8 or 9 some days and other days five or six o'clock. Shae said you being a new tenant will see that your traffic will increases because of all the activity in the park and with Takah Sushi, Pacifica and D-19 being nearby. Regarding the noise, those buildings are old and that is something you need to take up with your landlord. Mickie said noise from speakers diminishes the tourist experience. The size of the patio is too large. 3 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF APRIL 19.2006 Stan said the music has been a problem. Regarding the patio he get comments that some people think the space is too large and some have no problem with it. That area is noisy in general with Wagner Park and the fountain. It is a noisy gathering space. Mark Goodman said as far as the noise issues goes that is something that can be worked out. Mickie brought up the issue of traffic flow. Mark said he analyzed Takah Sushi last season. His first response was that he couldn't walk by the tree anymore. The outside seating greatly enhances the vitality and draws so much traffic. The way it was last year is fine. He would support it. It added so much to the environment etc. on the mall. As far as foot pattern the fur store would get more foot traffic. Shae said she likes the seating as is. Casey can address the music. Maybe there needs to be better communication with neighbors. Musicians play on the mall. They move throughout the malls and very rarely are classical students on that corner. Life in Aspen should be mobile and cop esthetic. Shae told Mickie that she finds him confrontational. The size of the mall is good and she encourages Casey to string up more lights and make it funkier. John said he liked the old size and it worked for him. The other problem with the case is that it is only dinner and dead space during the day. Having said that we had that conversation two years ago. He can support reducing the size but could also support it as is. John said he hears what Mickie is saying, and he is probably right but the other people are right also. We have no basis that this mall lease be denied. It is consistent. Casey said she didn't speak with the neighbors because communication would be difficult. She will be happy to turn the music down. She engaged people to play in front of her patio last year. Last summer was a fantastic time. The chairs and tables were wonderful. Evening was like a party every night with all the kids etc. The vitality is back. In terms of noise it is noisy out there. There was a concert during jazz that blew us back into our building. Space is a question of volume and if smaller it would make a serious inroad into my business. 4 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF APRIL 19. 2006 John said possibly in the future, you might think about taking down part of the fencing because that is dead space during the day. Casey said one of the major reasons for not using it during the day is finding a sushi chefto run it. Bill said one role is to take a large view of the downtown and keep that in mind as we help the city do more alfresco. There are trade offs. We are convinced that more life and vitality during the day and night is a good thing for the community. Mickie might see that it impacts but he hasn't been here through the summer. These things are good for our community and guests. Mickey said it kills the traffic pattern during the day. MOTION: Mark made the motion to approve Takah Sushi mall lease; second by Shae. All in favor. Motion carried 5-0. Mark said CCLC meets twice a month and anyone can come to our meetings to discuss core issues. D-19 Craig Cordts-Pearce said he is working with Stanley and they intend to go out the same distance as Pacifica. He would like to go further north toward the end of the Popcorn Wagon. It is a tough job at 2 a.m. in the morning cleaning up cigarette butts etc. at that corner. He would like to extend the fence to keep some kind of control. John said he has a problem with the new space. The tables the city put out have helped immensely. It is ground central for any parent in the summer. He doesn't like the continuing encroachment into that area. John said people hanging around comes with the territory. It is a very tight space and he doesn't want any restrictions in that area. Craig said he is trying to make that area physically easier for kids and people that us it. Parents come and sit in the flowerbed. 5 COMMERCIAL CORE & LODGING COMMISSION MINUTES OF APRIL 19.2006 Mark said there is a clothing rack outside the door of the fur store next to Takah Sushi on the mall. Mark said he thought merchandise was not allowed to be hung outside your store. Mark said the rack is ridiculous. Staff pointed out that vending on the mall or having merchandise for sale on the mall is prohibited. Bill requested that staff get an update on enforcement for the next meeting. We need to know what the enforcement philosophy is. Catalyst: Shae pointed out if we had a catalyst that person would have gone to Mickie Elper to discuss his issues. Shae said the City would provide a person. That person would be the vehicle to listen to complaints. They would be a mediator to resolve Issues. Shae asked staff to follow up with the Parks Dept. that tables and chairs are needed at the Rio Grand Park for people it sit on and shade is also needed. A bathroom sign is needed at the Rio Grande indicating that bathrooms are available inside the parking garage. The park benches or painted tables at the Rio Grande could be purchased as memorials if the Parks Dept. has no funding. Shae said we also need to rethink the fountain for the summer. Maybe it should be the Nick DeWolf memorial fountain. MOTION: John moved to adjourn; second by Shae. All infavor, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m. Kathleen J. Strickland, Chief Deputy Clerk 6