HomeMy WebLinkAboutbocc.res.038.2016 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF PITKIN
COUNTY, COLORADO APPROVING THE REMODEL AND ADDITION TO THE
COURTHOUSE PLAZA BUILDING AT 530 E.MAIN STREET ASPEN; AND
RESPECTFULLY OVERRULING CERTAIN CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN CITY OF
ASPEN ORDINANCE NO. 10,SERIES OF 2016.
RESOLUTION NO. -2016
WHEREAS,Pitkin County, under Article XIV of the Colorado Constitution and Title 30 of
Colorado Revised Statute, is a subdivision of State Government charged with providing essential
public services; and
WHEREAS,in order to discharge its responsibilities to provide essential public services the
County must have adequate facilities to house the various departments and offices of the County
and Ninth Judicial District; and
WHEREAS,Title 30 of Colorado Revised Statute establishes Aspen as the County Seat for
Pitkin County; and
WHEREAS,Title 30 of Colorado Revised Statute requires certain County offices to be located
in the County Seat; and
WHEREAS, in 2006 the County completed a Facilities Master Plan that identified significant
deficiencies in County Facilities to support the provision of quality public services to ensure the
safety, wellbeing and health of Pitkin County residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS,Pitkin County partnered with the City of Aspen and other non-profit entities to
complete the Aspen Civic Master Plan, which found in part that: "Removing civic functions
from the downtown will tend to reduce the kind of community character that still makes the core
of Aspen a vital and traditional downtown..."; and
WHEREAS,in 2006 the Board directed staff to explore alternatives to meet the County's
facility needs in Aspen's Core consistent with the County Facility Master Plan, and Aspen Civic
Master Plan; and
WHEREAS,in 2007 the County, along with the State and Nation experienced a significant
economic recession commonly known as the `Great Recession' that led the County to defer all
major capital projects, including all facilities improvements; and
WHEREAS, in 2014 the local economy had recovered sufficiently for the County to address its
facility needs; and
WHEREAS, County staff and elected officials did extensive public outreach and collected
public input to develop a proposed building design, including,but not limited to open houses,
discussing the project at over 30 publicly noticed meetings, and informed the public through
television, Internet, radio and newspaper ads; and
WHEREAS, County Staff and Elected Officials have worked very hard to minimize the size and
massing of the building, reducing the proposed square footage by 52% from the 2006 Facilities
Master Plan, and keeping floor to ceiling heights modest while still meeting the facility needs of
essential public services; and
WHEREAS,the proposed addition to the Courthouse Plaza building meets all the Dimensional
Requirements approved in Exhibit A of Aspen City Council Ordinance No. 10 (Series 2016); and
WHEREAS,the Board of Commissioners has determined that proposed facilities are necessary
to provide essential public services to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of Pitkin County
residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, on March 18, 2016 Pitkin County submitted an application for remodel and
construction of an addition to the Courthouse Plaza Building located at 530 East Main Street
Aspen to house departments providing essential public services for location, character, and
extent of compliance with adopted relevant master plan; and
WHEREAS,the proposed remodel and addition was reviewed under City of Aspen's Land use
Code Chapter 26.500 as a major public project; and
WHEREAS, Colorado Revised Statute 31-23-209 allows the Board of Commissioners by a
recorded vote of 2/3 of the commissioners to overrule a denial or condition placed by the City on
the submitted plan for public building or structure; and
WHEREAS, on May 9th, 2016 the Aspen City Council unanimously approved Ordinance No.10
(Series of 2016) granting major public project review approval for the Courthouse Plaza with
certain conditions that the Board finds are not in the best interest of providing essential public
services.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of
Pitkin County, Colorado that:
The Board does hereby approve the Courthouse Plaza remodel and addition as submitted to the
City of Aspen, and heard at Public Hearing on May 9, 2016. Specifically this resolution
respectfully overrules the disapproval of the submitted plan for public building or structure and
particularly the following portions of ORDINANCE NO. 10 (SERIES OF 2016): AN
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ASPEN CITY COUNCIL GRANTING MAJOR PUBLIC
PROJECT REVIEW APPROVAL FOR THE COURTHOUSE PLAZA LOCATED AT 530 E
MAIN STREET, LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS LOT 1, PITKIN COUNTY CENTER
SUBDIVISION, CITY OF ASPEN, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO:
1. Section 1:Approvals, recommended conditions to:
a. Reduce the mass and scale of the north side of the building.
b. Prior to the renovation of the Pitkin County Courthouse, the applicant shall return to
HPC to evaluate the removal of the northeast exterior stair to create a larger
separation between the Courthouse and proposed Plaza building addition.
c. Create a stronger architectural relationship to the adjacent buildings.
d. Reduce the amount of glazing on the curtain wall portion of the Main Street
façade to be compatible with design guidelines.
2. Section 3: Engineering Department:
a. A condition requiring a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) at building permit submission
acceptable to the Engineering and Transportation Departments.
b. If greater than 25% of the site is disturbed, water quality capture volume (WQCV) will
be required for the whole site.
3. Section 4: Parks Department the County reserves the right to remove trees in the area
known as Veteran's Park as necessary to implement the landscaping plan developed with
Veteran's and to construct necessary public facilities.
INTRODUCED, READ AND ADOPTED ON THE /3 DAY OF CUx`<---
2016.
<-'2016.
ATTEST: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
By0
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Jean ite Jones / Rache E. Richards, Chair \
Dep y County Clerk
Date: C9 � rTOl6
APPROVED AS TO FORM: MANAGER APPROVAL
Laura C. . .1 , • ssistant County Attorney on Peacock, County Manager