What do you consider “smart growth”? To me, it encompasses a public-private partnership that brings our original 1946 ski lift back down to Dean Street, preserves and renovates our beloved Skiers Chalet and Steakhouse, creates a park, gives us a ski museum, restaurants and lodging, and most importantly, invigorates a dead part of the mountain and town that deserve to be renovated to become a vibrant part of our ski community.<\/p>\n
To Torre and other opponents, did you forget that we’re still a ski town? Don’t you believe in partnerships that utilize public money for public good? Don’t you like the idea that this allows us the chance to secure more World Cup races?<\/p>\n
I am so proud of the true community partnerships that these developers, the city and the community have forged. We need more of such collaboration and less fighting. What a reward to see eight or nine groups come together to forge agreement on this complex piece of property to the benefit of the entire community.<\/p>\n
To those of you who believe that the developers will just come back with a better proposal, be forewarned. There is a limit to their tolerance for risk. They have worked hard to create this plan. The Brown brothers’ vested rights expire in 2021, so they will not come back with a new and different plan that you might agree with. If you want to see a ski lift come down to Dean Street, vote “yes.” I know Michael Brown is telling it to you straight. It’s too expensive and too risky to wait and take another chance.<\/p>\n
So, to the Aspen community, this is your chance! Take the stand that our forefathers did when they had a vision to turn a downtrodden, sleepy, old mining town in the 1940s into a ski town and put it on the international map.<\/p>\n
I challenge you to think boldly into the future and vote “yes” for the Lift One corridor (and vote for Ann Mullins for mayor, who is a strong supporter of this plan).<\/p>\n