Land Use Code on Affordable Housing

At a work session on August 10^th at 4pm, City Council and Community Development staff will continue to discuss the Land Use Code’s (LUC) relationship to Council’s affordable housing goals. Building on previous direction from Council, staff will recommend evaluating several sections of the LUC with the goal of further encouraging the development of affordable housing. Included in this study will be policies related to:

The affordable housing credits program
The affordable housing fee-in-lieu mitigation calculation
Multi-family replacement requirements
Existing incentives and credits that impact affordable housing mitigation

It is important to note that no specific policy changes will be made during this meeting – the purpose is for Council to provide more refined direction to shape staff’s work in studying these aspects of the LUC in the coming months. The work session is broadcast live on the City’s Facebook page or streaming at this link.

If you have questions, please contact Ben Anderson, Principal Long-Range Planner at 970.429.2765 or ben.anderson@cityofaspen.com

Aerial Photos!

Check out this gorgeous aerial picture of Aspen, called an oblique, taken from a plane this spring. Great for presentations, marketing, or hanging in your wall. There are many more from different angles and perspectives that you can access and download for free. But, these are not just pretty pictures, some of these aerial photos are georeferenced and scaled for map creations, measurements and analysis and can be used by planners, architects and surveyors. Both types can be viewed in the MapAspen Web Application and downloaded from the Aerial Photo and Oblique Categories at https://mapaspen-cityofaspen.opendata.arcgis.com/”

Aspen City Council Enacts Stage 1 Water Shortage

Aspen City Council voted unanimously at its meeting Tuesday, July 14 to enact a Stage 1 Water Shortage due to drought conditions in the Aspen area and 70% of the State in drought conditions including Pitkin County, according to a July 14 US Drought Monitor report.

The goal of enacting a Stage 1 Water Shortage is to decrease communitywide water use. The City of Aspen government will take mandatory conservation measures while Aspen water customers are asked to take voluntary conservation measures. Examples include less frequent outside irrigation, watering outdoors during morning and evening times only, and installing a rain sensor on irrigation controllers.

Stage 1 also includes a temporary rate increase for City of Aspen water customers with high water use, which amounts to a 25% surcharge on Tier 3 users and a 50% surcharge on Tier 4 users.

“Aspen is lucky to have an environmentally aware community that we can count on to reduce water use during this dry year,” said Steve Hunter, Utilities Portfolio Manager for City of Aspen. “The City will do its part by efficiently irrigating public spaces and being vigilant to avoid water waste. Due to minimal water storage and no back-up supply, it is crucial that the City responds quickly to drought conditions and that together we use our resource wisely.”

The City’s voluntary community efforts associated with Stage 1 are intended to conserve water and prepare the community for the potential of mandatory water restrictions if drought conditions worsen. In addition, on July 28 Council is poised to pass a new City of Aspen Drought Mitigation and Response Plan, which proposes that Stage 1 would have required rather than mandatory water use restrictions.

Irrigation represents the most intensive use of water for all Aspen customers and there are opportunities for Aspen water customers to participate in a free irrigation efficiency program. “During Stage 1 we want to help homeowners and landscapers understand that you can water the right amount so that your yard is beautiful without being wasteful of water and saving money,” said Chris Menges, Sustainability Programs Administrator.

More on the Stage 1 Water Storage can be found in the Water Shortage Ordinance Section 25.28.010.
More on water saving tips and water saving programs at www.cityofaspen.com/drought.

City of Aspen Citizen Academy Now Accepting Applications

The City of Aspen’s annual Citizen Academy program is now accepting applications for the class of 2020. The Citizen Academy program offers Aspen and Roaring Fork Valley residents an opportunity to learn how their government works. Participants are offered a look inside the City of Aspen organization and gain greater insight into how their government is structured, how decisions are made, how budgeting works, and how each department functions. A series of five sessions with optional field trips allow participants to explore City facilities, infrastructure, and projects and learn more about prioritization, goals, and daily operations.

The class curriculum is flexible to meet the public health orders of Pitkin County and sessions will meet in-person or online or a combination of both.

The first class is on September 17 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The Academy runs through November 12 with classes scheduled every other week. Aspen residents will be offered participation first, but you do not have to be a City resident to participate. To apply and learn more go to: https://www.cityofaspen.com/337/Citizens-Academy. Deadline to apply is Friday, July 31.