Affordable Commercial In Aspen

1
Affordable Commercial In Aspen

• OR
• Good Intentions Gone Awry

2
Infill Codes enacted 2004-2005Development
Moratorium 2006, 17 months laterWhy?

• Too much change with no real mechanism to assure
  Affordable Commercial
• Too Much MASS
• Too Blunt a Tool
• Conflicting Community Interest Not Well Balanced

Credit Winter and Co.
3
Making Affordable Commercial Work

• Know what you want your affordable commercial to
  do.

4
Aspens Goals for Affordable Commercial

• Bring people downtown
• Be fun, visible, vital, avoid sterile
  mono-culture of high-end retail
• Serve local needs
• Sustain local tax base
• Keep year-round businesses, non-chain shops

5
Community Survey
6
We just had to ask, regarding underwear in
Aspen...

• It is not a problem to find here
• I have to drive down valley to buy my underwear
• I buy my underwear on the internet
• I buy beaded thongs in Aspen but how many pairs
  do I need?
• Who cares, I don't wear underwear

7
Community Constraints
Credit City of Aspen
8
Conflicting Goals
Economic Viability of Restoration?
Historic Preservation?
Credit City of Aspen
9
Addition to Additions to Historic Structure
Appropriate Height, Scale, and Integrity
Credit City of Aspen Poss Architecture
10
Multiple Goals

• Affordable Housing to support
• Affordable Commercial and
• Business Community
• Real Community Successful Tourism

Credit City of Aspen Aspen Ski Co
11
Multiple Interests Conflict
Full Time Residents Development Community 2nd
Homeowners Business Community
12
Community Buy-In Grassroots Outreach
Credit Aspen Daily News
13
Preparation Community Support
Modeling Tools
Enhanced Design Guidelines
Credit City of Aspen Winter and Co.
14
Pent up Demand and Pacing
STEPPED UP Construction Impact Management
Credit City of Aspen
15
Zone Districts to Save Locally Serving Businesses
Credit City of Aspen
16
Regulatory Solutions
Banning Offices on the First Floor in Commercial
Core
Credit City of Aspen
17
Exploring Solutions

• Aspen City Council is exploring requiring a of
  all NEW Commercial FAR to be designated
  Affordable
• Affordable Commercial will not be rent
  controlled but will be protected via zoning to
  disallow certain uses
• Easier to say what we dont want in Affordable
  Commercial than what we do
• - STAY TUNED -

18
Potential Affordable Commercial Infill Site
Credit BBC Research and Consulting
19
Making it Work

• Balancing Developer and Community Interests
• ROI, process, uncertainty
• Creativity vs. Control Dynamic
• Cannot make, can encourage and allow
• What You Write is What You Get
• Affordable Housing sub-grade, appropriately sized
  penthouses, what does up to mean?

20
Existing
Credit BBC Research and Consulting
21
Proposed
Credit BBC Research and Consulting
22
Community Goals and The Market
Credit City of Aspen
23
Credits

• City of Aspen, Jessica Garrow
• Aspen Daily News
• Aspen Ski Co.
• BBC Research and Consulting
• Nore Winter and Company
• Poss Architecture