(See related story and public comments here)
Pam Boyd:
"It doesn't take much more than a quick trip through Eagle to figure out something's brewing in the community — with dozens and dozens of colorful yard signs popping up all over private property and public rights of way.
Eagle River Station is again before the voters.
On Tuesday, May 22, Eagle residents will decide the future of the commercial/residential project proposed on the eastern end of town. Eagle currently has 3,977 registered voters and of that number, 1,720 citizens already have their ballots in hand because they have elected to receive them by mail. For those who opt to vote in person, the polls will be open at Eagle Town Hall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 22.
This marks the second time voters will decide the project's fate.
Eagle River Station is a commercial/residential project proposed by Trinity RED Development. The 88-acre site is located south of Interstate 70 and north of U.S. Highway 6. The ERS proposal would include 582,000 square feet of commercial space and 250 rental units in the first phase. The second phase calls for up to 150,000 square feet of additional commercial space and another 300 rental units...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Showing posts with label development codes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label development codes. Show all posts
May 10, 2012
April 9, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "A scar upon Graceland"
Johnny Boyd:
"The purchase of a downtown building doesn’t automatically carry a guarantee that a profit will be turned. Something should be returned to the community in exchange for the ability to cash in. If you want to play, you have to pay. Want to subsidize the rents so that businesses that are not national corporations can open? Now you’re talking. How about including an equal amount of employee housing with your penthouse party pad? If a 5,000-square-foot penthouse is the driving force to finance the operation, could you construct five 1,000-square-foot lodge rooms under it?
It’s not that difficult to come up with ways to benefit the community that gives you a chance to profit. It might not be the huge profit that was expected, but making a comfortable living should be more than enough. People don’t have to make an obscene profit....." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"The purchase of a downtown building doesn’t automatically carry a guarantee that a profit will be turned. Something should be returned to the community in exchange for the ability to cash in. If you want to play, you have to pay. Want to subsidize the rents so that businesses that are not national corporations can open? Now you’re talking. How about including an equal amount of employee housing with your penthouse party pad? If a 5,000-square-foot penthouse is the driving force to finance the operation, could you construct five 1,000-square-foot lodge rooms under it?
It’s not that difficult to come up with ways to benefit the community that gives you a chance to profit. It might not be the huge profit that was expected, but making a comfortable living should be more than enough. People don’t have to make an obscene profit....." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 2, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "Hardly an emergency"
From the City of Aspen on a number of issues, Garfield County BOCC and the City of Glenwood Springs on the Glenwood Adventure Park expansion and related tourism marketing; there are a number of valley-wide residents who feel similar to Mike Maple.
Mike Maple, Aspen:
"While I might not agree with some of the city's policies and decisions, I expect the city to comply with the letter and spirit of the law. Time and again, that seems to be too high a standard..."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Mike Maple, Aspen:
"While I might not agree with some of the city's policies and decisions, I expect the city to comply with the letter and spirit of the law. Time and again, that seems to be too high a standard..."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 17, 2012
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Roll back the code"
But Bert, that would be way, way too easy and besides, it makes sense! They'll never do it, something like this is way, way too confusing for Aspen's city council.
Bert Myrin:
"(This letter was originally addressed to Aspen City Council)
Editor:
Your recent laments about having a weak starting position when negotiating with developers does not resonate since you alone, as our elected officials, hold the power to change the starting point from which you negotiate simply by rolling back the land-use code to pre-infill requirements prior to receiving the next application.
The Klanderud administration weakened your starting position by voting for the infill code. The infill code promotes development. The infill code reduced open space requirements, reduced parking requirements, increased height, and increased the FAR, among other development incentives.
Certainly your goal should be to write code that will establish a clear baseline to avoid making every development a “shoot the puppy” or “get our butts kicked” negotiation. Before you begin the lengthy process of writing concise code, I urge you to simply roll back the land-use code to pre-infill requirements in all the areas identified above. In the interim this will provide you (and the community) a stronger starting position from which to negotiate and avoid irreversible “monstrous” and “humongous” mistakes.
Roll the code back to pre-infill requirements ASAP and promise the community you will work quickly to write code with a happy middle ground if you find the pre-infill numbers too restrictive...."
(Read the orig. letter? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Bert Myrin:
"(This letter was originally addressed to Aspen City Council)
Editor:
Your recent laments about having a weak starting position when negotiating with developers does not resonate since you alone, as our elected officials, hold the power to change the starting point from which you negotiate simply by rolling back the land-use code to pre-infill requirements prior to receiving the next application.
The Klanderud administration weakened your starting position by voting for the infill code. The infill code promotes development. The infill code reduced open space requirements, reduced parking requirements, increased height, and increased the FAR, among other development incentives.
Certainly your goal should be to write code that will establish a clear baseline to avoid making every development a “shoot the puppy” or “get our butts kicked” negotiation. Before you begin the lengthy process of writing concise code, I urge you to simply roll back the land-use code to pre-infill requirements in all the areas identified above. In the interim this will provide you (and the community) a stronger starting position from which to negotiate and avoid irreversible “monstrous” and “humongous” mistakes.
Roll the code back to pre-infill requirements ASAP and promise the community you will work quickly to write code with a happy middle ground if you find the pre-infill numbers too restrictive...."
(Read the orig. letter? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
January 25, 2012
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Aspen sign discussion sparks criticism on government red tape"
No doubt, sign codes are necessary. But when the code takes days to wade through that is a bit much.
Wouldn't it be great for the Glenwood Meadows tenants (and likely the upcoming VCR tenants if the development passes by voters) if our local municipalities would sit down and revise it all down into a simple, appropriate and acceptable couple pages tops?
Dorothy Atkins:
"...The conversation was side-tracked however when local businesswoman Shirley Tipton, owner of The Aspen Emporium and Flying Circus, criticized the city for not only making the sign code application difficult for a new business owner, but for generally making the process of opening a new business in the a commercial core a bureaucratic nightmare.
“Going through the sign application process is way less fun than a root canal,” Tipton said. “It has been confusing and onerous and certainly not clear.”
Tipton suggested that there be an adequate appeal process for signs not following protocol and she questioned the reasoning behind allowing for window advertisements, but restricting the size of sign letter cutouts.
Tipton’s business was one of the first new stores to open since City Council directed staff to crack down on signage-related clutter about a year ago, she noted.
“It might be interesting to test your own process,” Tipton said. “And it’s not incredibly friendly.”
Community Development Director Chris Bendon echoed Tipton’s concerns about how difficult the city makes it for small business owners to open and suggested that the city either create a kind of starter kit for new entrepreneurs that would outline the ins-and-outs of Aspen policies and taxes or have a staff position dedicated to assisting new business owners.
“At this point, it’s sort of learn the hard way,” said Bendon on how most new owners figure out local laws and policies.
Council agreed and noted that the issue deserves its own work session. The sign code is just the tip of the iceberg, Councilman Derek Johnson said.
“It would be good,” Mayor Mick Ireland said on creating a guide for new business owners. “The experience you had should not be replicated Shirley.”
City staff’s request on sign protocol came after police officers — at the direction of city planners — cited and fined La Crêperie du Village, a new restaurant at the corner of Mill Street and Hopkins Avenue, for having a sign that was several feet to large by the city’s standards.
“I apologize for the discomfort that that causes, really for anyone in the community that hears about an enforcement action that is less than pleasant,” said Bendon of the confrontation between the police and the business owner..."
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
Wouldn't it be great for the Glenwood Meadows tenants (and likely the upcoming VCR tenants if the development passes by voters) if our local municipalities would sit down and revise it all down into a simple, appropriate and acceptable couple pages tops?
Dorothy Atkins:
"...The conversation was side-tracked however when local businesswoman Shirley Tipton, owner of The Aspen Emporium and Flying Circus, criticized the city for not only making the sign code application difficult for a new business owner, but for generally making the process of opening a new business in the a commercial core a bureaucratic nightmare.
“Going through the sign application process is way less fun than a root canal,” Tipton said. “It has been confusing and onerous and certainly not clear.”
Tipton suggested that there be an adequate appeal process for signs not following protocol and she questioned the reasoning behind allowing for window advertisements, but restricting the size of sign letter cutouts.
Tipton’s business was one of the first new stores to open since City Council directed staff to crack down on signage-related clutter about a year ago, she noted.
“It might be interesting to test your own process,” Tipton said. “And it’s not incredibly friendly.”
Community Development Director Chris Bendon echoed Tipton’s concerns about how difficult the city makes it for small business owners to open and suggested that the city either create a kind of starter kit for new entrepreneurs that would outline the ins-and-outs of Aspen policies and taxes or have a staff position dedicated to assisting new business owners.
“At this point, it’s sort of learn the hard way,” said Bendon on how most new owners figure out local laws and policies.
Council agreed and noted that the issue deserves its own work session. The sign code is just the tip of the iceberg, Councilman Derek Johnson said.
“It would be good,” Mayor Mick Ireland said on creating a guide for new business owners. “The experience you had should not be replicated Shirley.”
City staff’s request on sign protocol came after police officers — at the direction of city planners — cited and fined La Crêperie du Village, a new restaurant at the corner of Mill Street and Hopkins Avenue, for having a sign that was several feet to large by the city’s standards.
“I apologize for the discomfort that that causes, really for anyone in the community that hears about an enforcement action that is less than pleasant,” said Bendon of the confrontation between the police and the business owner..."
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
December 8, 2011
SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "County development code revisions suggested"
After all these years of (insert word here) retentive liberal commissioners, councilmen, Mayors of small towns it sure is great to see Republicans stepping up and not only diving right in to the biggest block to small business growth Garfield County, City of Glenwood Springs and Town of Silt have; they're getting the job done.
Land use, development and building codes throughout Garfield and Pitkin County have been needing a thorough housecleaning for decades.
(Learn more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
Land use, development and building codes throughout Garfield and Pitkin County have been needing a thorough housecleaning for decades.
(Learn more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)