{"id":2456914,"date":"2020-04-08T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=323979"},"modified":"2020-04-08T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T11:00:00","slug":"council-recap-continued-design-okd-for-option-5-of-transit-center-land-use-code-changes-tabled-grant-awards-approved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/council-recap-continued-design-okd-for-option-5-of-transit-center-land-use-code-changes-tabled-grant-awards-approved\/","title":{"rendered":"Council recap: Continued design OK\u2019d for Option 5 of transit center; land-use code changes tabled; grant awards approved"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/council-svs-030420-1024x662.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/council-svs-030420-1024x662.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/council-svs-030420-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/council-svs-030420-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/council-svs-030420-1536x994.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/council-svs-030420-2048x1325.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>A rendering of what the proposed mall transit center would look like from Daly Lane, as presented to Town Council on March 2.<\/strong><br \/><em>Courtesy photo\/Town of Snowmass Village<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Town Council had a heavy agenda on April 6 at its first virtual meeting during the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Although talk of the coronavirus pandemic impacts creeped into most every discussion during the more than three hour meeting, council members focused on 2020 budget amendments, proposed amendments to the town\u2019s land use code, Option 5 of the proposed mall transit center, and the Snowmass Center redevelopment project. Here\u2019s the recap:<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">COUNCIL OKS CONTINUED DESIGN OF MALL TRANSIT CENTER OPTION 5<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After months of discussion, Town Council decided to move forward with further design work on Option 5 of the proposed Village Mall transit center.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/at-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">With the council decision to formally adopt and approve the Option 5 design, town staff will begin using its funds allocated for the project by the Elected Officials Transportation Committee (EOTC) and through a state transportation grant to move forward from the conceptual design phase of the proposed transit center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s a major commitment and we want to make sure that if we\u2019re going to move forward with this that the sort of general concepts are well in place,\u201d said David Peckler, town transportation director. \u201cIf we\u2019re going to commit these funds to this project, we want to move forward with a design that has council\u2019s support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After Town Council expressed reservations about the mass and scale of the Option 4 transit center design in fall 2019, which included a bus platform at the mall level with a parking garage and roadway below that would replace Lot 6, town staff began to pursue Option 5.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Option 5 is similar to Option 4, but includes a smaller bus platform (reduced by 10 feet), pulls the connecting road from Upper Brush Creek Road to Lower Carriage Way out from beneath the platform deck and is estimated to cost $9.8 million, about $1 million more than the projected cost of Option 4, as previously reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The town has $650,000 from the EOTC and $300,000 of state grant funds allocated for continued design of Option 5, which Peckler and Kinney believe will cover most of the project\u2019s total architectural and engineering design costs before construction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Peckler and Kinney also emphasized to Town Council that approving Option 5 for continued design will allow the town to pursue further state and federal funding for the project, and that the transit center is still a long ways away from becoming reality as construction isn\u2019t anticipated to begin until spring 2022 at the earliest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But while council expressed general approval and confidence in the Option 5 design for the proposed transit center, some members questioned if now amid the COVID-19 crisis is the best time to move forward with the project.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After some discussion, council members decided that because most of the design work fees will be covered without using town funds and considering these outside funds may be unavailable or eroded over time, it made sense to move forward with continued design of Option 5.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cMy position is that if we have these monies available from outside of the general fund or any of the town funds, it reduces the risk of spending money and not having anything happen,\u201d said Councilman Bob Sirkus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Town staff also committed to updating council on the design work progress at every major stage to ensure the project is moving in the right direction. The decision passed 4 to 1, with Councilman Tom Goode voting no.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">ORDINANCE TO AMEND LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT CODE TABLED<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Council members tabled the ordinance that would change the way basement and mechanical space exemptions are measured and determined on second reading, April 6.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After lengthy discussion and presentations from both town community development department staff and longtime local architect T. Michael Manchester, Town Council felt more time needed to be devoted to proposed changes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis is not ready for prime time tonight,\u201d said Mayor Markey Butler.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to the town\u2019s land-use code, which was last amended in 2013, homeowners and developers can pursue exemptions that allow them to exceed the floor area allowance of the lot they\u2019re building or renovating on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">These exemptions include a basement exemption, which homes qualify for if at least 50% of the outside walls of the home\u2019s basement level are subgrade. If a project qualifies for a basement exemption, developers can also add as much as 15% of the allowable floor area to the upper or lower levels of the homes as exempt space and have unlimited mechanical space are in the basement, as previously reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But over the years, town officials have seen the unlimited mechanical space not used as intended, often being converted to finished rooms for various living purposes after the fact, and even see fill added around a home so it does qualify for the basement exemption.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Community development officials said they feel this misuse could lead to potential public safety issues, negatively impact the residential character of the village with the potential for more mass and scale on the upper levels of homes, and allow homeowners to potentially circumvent the town\u2019s floor area excise tax system, which benefits affordable housing in the community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">However, although Town Council generally agreed that the mechanical space exemption should not be unlimited and misuse should be addressed through a land-use code amendment, councilmembers felt there needed to be more discussion and research done on the best way for changes to be made.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Council also wants to hear more from the local developer and design community on the proposed land-use code changes, along with more from the town\u2019s building officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Continued public discussion on the proposed land-use code amendments will take place at the May 4 regular meeting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">ANNUAL GRANT MONEY FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS APPROVED<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Town Council approved the $125,000 budgeted for the Citizens Grant Review Board to award its 2020 health and human service organization town grant winners with.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The board met before the COVID-19 crisis to review and discuss the 24 applications it received for the 2020 town grants, which go to health and human service agencies that provide a continuum of health care services or nonprofits seeking to enrich and promote the health and well-being of Snowmass Village residents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">While councilmembers questioned if the selected awardees should be re-evaluated in light of the COVID-19 crisis, town staff encouraged council to approve the grant selections and look at appropriating more funds to help with the pandemic if needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The $125,000 (up $25,000 from 2019) in grant awards fully or partially funded all applicant requests, including Challenge Aspen, Aspen Hope Center, Little Red School House, Snowmass Chapel, The Farm Collaborative and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">OTHER COVID-19 RESPONSE UPDATES<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Beyond its April 6 agenda items, Town Council also discussed a few other local responses and initiatives in place due to the COVID-19 crisis:<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">-After receiving complaints of improper social distancing at the skate park behind the town\u2019s recreation center, town staff said increased signage will be put in place at all town parks this week. The parks were not closed to the public as of April 6, but staff urged village locals to follow social distancing and public health guidelines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">-Councilwoman Alyssa Shenk reminded village locals that free food pick up for Pitkin County residents is available every Wednesday at Aspen Middle School from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. If you are ill and\/or cannot be there in person, call 970-205-7025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Locals can also drop off food to be distributed to people in need every Friday at the same location from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Shenk said. Gift cards are also accepted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">-The Village Shuttle will continue to operate on a \u201cbare bones\u201d schedule, town staff said. As of April 6, the town shuttle system was moving about 90 people a day, mainly to and from the Snowmass Center, which is too high a volume to move to \u201cdial for ride\u201d service. For the schedule, visit snowmasstransit.com or use the TransitApp.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/council-recap-continued-design-okd-for-option-5-of-transit-center-land-use-code-changes-tabled-grant-awards-approved\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A rendering of what the proposed mall transit center would look like from Daly Lane, as presented to Town Council on March 2.Courtesy photo\/Town of Snowmass Village Town Council had a heavy agenda on April 6 at its first virtual meeting during the COVID-19 crisis. Although talk of the coronavirus pandemic impacts creeped into most [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2456914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 05:25:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2456914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456914\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2456914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2456914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2456914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}