The actual facts of Aspen Skiing Co.’s proposed housing in Willits Town Center demonstrate that the largest employer in the valley is simply looking for a place to stash workers, at the lowest possible cost, with no concern for the surrounding community or businesses. Here are the distilled facts regarding the proposal:
Proposal
• 36 units — 36 units with 148 bedrooms
• 296 occupants — Skico assumes one person per bedroom (148), but it is more reasonable to assume there will be two per bedroom, to account for boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives and guests — bringing the occupancy to 296.
• Three-month leases — leases will be available for a term as brief as three months.
• 34 spaces — Skico has only agreed to provide 34 off-street parking spaces. Skico has asked the town for a waiver to provide 33 more on-street parking spaces.
IMPACT
• The proposal is for a maximum of 67 spots, with a potential of 296 occupants.
• The majority of the residents are seasonal (three- to six-month leases).
• The local population that the merchants rely on to conduct business will not be able to find parking.
• The neighborhood will be congested and lose its character.
Query
Why would the town not require Skico to provide adequate parking, either underground or otherwise, as it has for all other developers? Surely, the most profitable business in town should be asked to share in the burden if it intends to develop in the center of our town.
We urge Basalt Town Council to reject the Skico proposal.
Kent Whinnery and Wendy Hahn
Basalt