Aspen City Council Discuss Limits on Downtown Bldg Scale and Mass, ADN

Mayor Mick Ireland’s solution is to limit structures containing free market residential to 28 feet. Buildings could go higher if they contained some combination of commercial, service businesses, affordable housing and tourist lodging, under the mayor’s proposal. Councilman Torre joined Skadron and Ireland in calling for lower building height limits. Councilmen Derek Johnson and Adam Frisch also said they would like to see lower height limits but did not specifically identify what they wanted.

ASPEN REAL ESTATE - City Council was in consensus that there needs to be stricter regulations on the size and mass of new buildings in the downtown core at a work session on Tuesday, but getting down to the details will take more time...The mass and scale discussions come in light of a recent deal council made with Aspen Core Ventures and managing partner Nikos Hecht to save two Aspen landmarks in exchange for an approval to build a 6,900-square-foot penthouse condo on the third floor of a new mixed-use building. The city’s land-use code currently caps downtown residential units at 2,500 square feet.The parcel of land in question houses the popular bar and restaurant Little Annie’s and the Benton building, which Aspen artist Tom Benton built in phases to be his studio and residence. Hecht originally planned to tear down the structures.
By Dorothy Atkins, Feb. 22, 12 ADN

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