HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-08-02 Town Council MinutesMINUTES
VAIL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
AUGUST 2, 1994
7:30.P.M.
A regular meeting of the Vail Town Council was held on Tuesday, August 2, 1994, in the Council
Chambers of the Vail Municipal Building. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
TOWN OFFICIALS PRESENT:
Peggy Osterfoss, Mayor
Mery Lapin, Mayor Pro-Tem
Paul Johnston
Sybill Navas
Jim Shearer
Tom Steinberg (arrived 7:38 p.m.)
Jan Strauch
Bob McLaurin, Town Manager
Tom Moorhead, Town Attorney
Pam Brandmeyer, Assistant Town Manager
Holly McCutcheon, Town Clerk
The first item on the agenda was Citizen Participation. Darren Rowe of Eagle approached the Town
Council, expressing his opposition to a proposed ordinance which would ban the possession and sale
of assault weapons in the Town of Vail. Mayor Osterfoss thanked Mr. Rowe for taking time to bring
his opinion to Council and suggested he be present during first reading of the ordinance at the
evening meeting on September 6, 1994.
Second on the agenda was a Consent Agenda consisting of approval of the minutes for the meetings
of July 5 and July 19,1994. Jim Shearer moved to approve the minutes, with a second by Mery Lapin.
A vote was taken and approved unanimously, 6-0. Tom steinberg arrived following the vote.
Item No. 3 was Ordinance No.16, Series of 1994, a supplemental appropriation to purchase Trapper's
Run, Mayor Osterfoss read the title in full. Steve Thompson explained the proposed funding
appropriation in detail, stating the land would be purchased from two funds: the general fund,
$703,000; and the capital projects fund, $1.87 million. Mayor Osterfoss said the Council decided
against use of Real Estate Transfer Tax funds in order to "maintain flexibility" as to the future use
of the property and/or any land that may be traded to the Town in exchange for portions of
Trapper's Run. A motion was made by Mery Lapin to approve Ordinance No. 16, with a second from
Tom Steinberg. A vote was taken and passed unanimously, 7-0.
Item No. 4 was Resolution No. 17, Series of 1994, a Resolution Establishing Conditional Support by
the Vail Town Council for the Piney Valley Ranch Trust Land Exchange. Mayor Osterfoss read the
title in full. Russell Forrest reviewed a May, 1994, memo to the Vail Town Council from Community
Development pertaining to the Nottingham Ranch Parcel of the Lindholm Land Exchange. Russ
reviewed the background, as well as pros and cons associated with the proposed exchange, the
benefits to the Town of Vail, and presented an overhead display, detailing the location of the
Nottingham Ranch portion of the land exchange. Russ answered questions from various citizens and
reviewed particular details of the proposed land swap. Discussion included possible benefits to the
Town of Vail as a result of the trade, a Congressional vs. an Administrative exchange, and the
Council's history of opposing land trade for development.
Bill Post, attorney representing the Piney Valley Ranch Trust, presented colored maps of the parcels
included in the proposed trade and explained the proposed development. Mr. Post stated the Piney
Valley Ranch Trust had offered to commit to a development density of one unit per acre or less, as
well as donate ten (10) acres to an entity (Town of Vail, Town of Avon, or Eagle County) willing to
provide affordable/employee housing on the land.
Discussion continued with Mr. Post answering questions from Council members. Council concerns
included water storage and damning and the affect the land trade would have on the State of
Colorado. Jim Shearer was concerned if Council approved Resolution 17, it might set a precedent,
which would make gaining approval of Eagle County easier. Discussion continued regarding ways
to guarantee development density and the offer to donate ten acres for affordable/employee housing.
Tom Moorhead suggested entering into letters of intent, until zoning is established.
Prior to taking comment from the public, Mayor Osterfoss reiterated the discussion only pertained
to the Nottingham Ranch parcel of the proposed land trade.
Members of the public voicing their opposition to the proposed land trade included:
Tom Johnson, Allen Nottingham, Mike Sellon, and Dick Dixon (presented 2000 signatures of County
residents, opposing the swap), residents of Avon; Tom Mullen, and Scott whose last name was
Vail Tow, Council Evening Meeting Minutes 08702(94
inaudible, residents of Eagle -Vail, Ida Case, of Gypsum; Bruce, of Vail Community Foods; Jenny
Maxfield, and Maggie Hurley, of Wolcott; David Rickhart, Marka Moser, and Mr. Rondeau, of Vail;
Corkey Simmons, of Eagle; Ken Morgan from Interlocken; Jim Olsen of the State Bridge area; Dick
Ostowal, John Sheen, and Pete, whose last name was inaudible.*
iConcerns from the public included: Congressional vs. Administrative process; environmental impacts;
elk migration/calving; Vail Council supporting only a portion of the land trade when all parcels
involved are located outside Town of Vail Boundaries; conditional support from Vail on the
Nottingham parcel would imply Vail's support for the entire land trade. Certain individuals opposed
felt that with conditional support from the Vail Town Council, Eagle County might be more apt to
give support as well.
Council members continued to discuss their concerns. Tom Steinberg made a motion to deny
Resolution No. 17, with a second from Sybill Navas. Discussion continued with Jan Strauch, Jim
Shearer and Peggy Osterfoss explaining their being in favor of the resolution. A vote was taken to
deny Resolution No. 17 and passed, 4-3, Jan Strauch, Jim Shearer and Peggy Osterfoss opposed.
Item No. 5 was a request from East West Partners for permission to obtain a utility easement on
Town stream tract property adjacent to Russell's Restaurant. Paul Johnston moved to approve the
request, with a second from Jim Shearer. Greg Hall gave a brief overview of the request. A
representative from East West partners was available to answer questions. After brief discussion,
Mery Lapin called the question. A vote was taken and approved unanimously, 7-0.
Item No. 6 was an information update. Pam Brandmeyer presented additional requests for
contributions in 1994. Pam also informed Council there would be no meeting scheduled on August
30, 1994.
Item No. 7 was Council reports and included the following:
Discussion of August 10 and 11, 1994 meeting with officials from Park City Utah, Mountain Bell
fiberoptic cable; and discussion of the Covered Bridge replacement project. Council reports included
discussion of: a donation of certain of John Dobson's archival materials from his family; a request
from Bravo to park on the Frontage Road; an update on a managed growth workshop attended by
Tom and Sybill; question from Jan regarding fiberoptic cable placement; and a Marketing Board
update by Sybill.
Item No. 8, Other, included the following:
Tom Steinberg requested an update re: Apollo Park; discussion of excessive rollerblade, bicycle &
jogging traffic on Vail Valley Drive and the pending plan for constructing a bike path through that
area; resident complaint of bicycle speeds on the East Vail bikepath; and Vail Associates snowcat use
of Forest Road.
Item No. 9 was a night lighting tour, which was cancelled due to the lateness of the hour and will
be rescheduled.
There being no further business, a motion to adjourn the meeting was made and passed
10 unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:45 P.M.
F�
ATTEST:
6M,1q, 7-MLl &tekwu..
Holly L. McCutcheon, Town Clerk
Minutes inken by Hdy L. McCuicheon
('Names of cerlain incWWals who gave public input may be inaceurale.)
Respectfully submitted,
Mery Lapm, Mayor Pro-Tem
Vail Town Council Evening Meeting Minutes 0802194
11
1:
TOWN OF VAIL
75 South Frontage Road
ril, Colorado 81657
*3-479-21381479-2139
A",X 303-479-2452
TO: Vail Town Council
FROM: Community Development
DATE: May 19, 1994
Department of Community Development
SUBJECT Nottingham Ranch Parcel/Lindholm Land Exchange
- - - ti:r:g ..;:.;. ;r.;� _..;:,.;i ;r ;,._..;� _..:• �r:t.:ttns_:t_ r:!�:t;:p:t_:c;:_,....;,.v ;,._;,�.;..;..::=:i ,ti;:._.._,.;..;4��.:..;..;. ;.�� ::
BACKGROUND:
In October of 1993, the Town of Vail was approached by the Piney Valley Ranch Trust to
review a proposed land trade commonly known as the Lindholm Land Trade. The Trust is
proposing a congressional land trade on a number of properties in the Piney River Valley,
9 Nottingham Ranch, Sweetwater Lake, Costilla County, and along the Eagle River west of
Wolcott. Total federal lands that would go to the Trust equal 4,575 acres and the Federal
Government would receive 17, 984 acres of land (see attachment 1).
The Trust is proposing a congressional land trade as opposed to an administrative swap
since two Federal Agencies would be involved. A congressional land trade is an act of
Congress and requires a bill being passed though the legislative process. Support from the
state congressional delegation is typically required to successfully complete a congressional
trade. An administrative trade can be done within the respective Forest Service and/or
Bureau of Land Management Districts. An Administrative trade requires compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act and the completion of appropriate environmental analysis
and public input.
The stated purpose of this trade will be for the Trust to secure federally owned properties
around the Piney Valley Ranch to reduce trespassing and improve habitat for big game
ranching. The Trust also intends to develop what is commonly referred to as the Nottingham
Ranch which is located north of 1-70 and Eagle Vail.. The Trust specifically wanted to obtain
the Town's opinion on the Nottingham Ranch trade.
• The Nottingham Ranch is owned by the Trust and is under County jurisdiction. It is zoned
Resource which allows for 1 single family dwelling unit per 35 acres. It is anticipated that the
Trust would propose upzoning all or a portion of the property to accommodate a greater
development density. It would be likely that the Trust would also request annexation into the
Town of Avon.
The Nottingham Ranch exchange is, in effect, self contained since 335 acres of Forest
Service land are proposed to be traded for 335 acres of adjacent land owned by the Piney
River Ranch Trust. Staff comments are focused only on the relative merits of the revised
Nottingham proposal shown in Attachment 2. Comments do not address the overall merits of
the trade that may be proposed to Congress or the impacts of potential development that
may occur on the Nottingham Ranch. There is significant concern in the County regarding the
ability of the area to accommodate planned development that will occur with existing zoning
let alone development that may require upzoning. It is staff's understanding that the Town of.
Avon or Eagle County would require an Environmental Impact Report when subdivision plans
are submitted. Other considerations that need to be considered regardless of the land
exchange, although not necessarily by the Town of Vail, in the future include: .
1) water availability to service development at Nottingham (Le,, can minimum instream
flows be protected)
2) comprehensive analysis of environmental impacts
3) visual impact along 1-70
4) cumulative loss of open space in the Upper Eagle River Valley
Comparison of Alternatives
The map shown in attachment 2 displays the proposed exchange at the Nottingham Ranch
and attachment 3 helps provide a perspective on the distance of the eastern most parcel from
the Trappers Run site. The original exchange proposal is displayed in attachment 4. This
proposal has been modified based on input from the Department of Wildlife and other
interested parties. The Department of Wildlife is the only agency that has issued a written
opinion on the exchange (Attachment 5).
A significant change in this proposal from the previous proposal is that the Northern parcel
indicated as an acquisition from the USFS does not extend as far north into a migrational
corridor for elk and deer. The following is a list of pros and cons of the 8 parcels that under
the current proposal (Attachment 2) would be traded at the Nottingham Ranch.
Pros
Will eliminate the possibility of development on the site being directly visible from the
Town of Vail. Lighting from the development may be seen at night under the
exchange proposal. Although, lighting would be less visible than if the exchange did
not occur and devetopment occurred on the eastern most area of the site.
" By not developing on the eastern parcel the trade will prevent development along the
unnamed creek running through the Trappers Run Parcel and reduce the possibility of
increased non point source pollution of Gore Greek. •
" Will create a continuous recreation trail for hiking and biking from West Vail to the Red
and White Mountain Trail and potentially through to Wolcott.
May reduce impacts to the elk and deer corridor by not developing on the eastern most
parcel.
' Will minimize the visual impacts of the development from the 1-70 corridor. The
parcels being disposed of have more potential for visual impact than those being
acquired.
Cons
' Development on the northern parcel that would be acquired from the USFS may have .
negative impacts on elk and deer habitat.
` The Department of Wildlife stated in a March 11, 1994 memo that the proposed
exchange at the Nottingham Ranch would have a negative affect on wildlife and
recreation (See attachment 5). DOW also feels that the habitat value of what will be
given to the USFS is less than the value of the land that will be given to the Trust.
' Without an environmental assessment of the proposed action it is not possible to
determine the relative environmental impacts of the three parcels that would be
acquired from the USFS.
The Town has held a policy of opposing land trades on its border for the purpose of
private development. Although, not directly adjacent to the Town of Vail boundary,
support of this trade without a strong rational or criteria may send mixed messages to
others considering land trades in the Vail Valley.
SUMMARY
Based on the available information it does appear that the proposed exchange at the
Nottingham Ranch has tangible benefits to the Town and possible impacts that are difficult to
quantify at this time. The disposal of the eastern most parcel to the Forest Service does result
in strong positive benefits for the Town of Vail from a visual standpoint. However, there are
still many planning and environmental issues that still need to be examined regardless of the
outcome of the land exchange to fully determine the direct and cumulative impacts of any
proposed development on the site.
0
ATTACHMENT 1 `
Summary of possible public gains and fosses from revised
Piney Valley Ranches Trust land exchange
CATEGORY
GAIN
LOSS
Public acres/acres open to public access and use
-Costilla County
17,162
-Sweetwater Lake
371
-Eagle River/Red Canyon
116
-Nottingham offered
335
-Lower Piney
4000
-Nottingham
335
-BLM (lower Piney)
240
Net public acres
+ 13,409 acres
2.Open Space acres
-all offered lands (acres)
17,984
-all selected lands (acres)
575
Net open space
+17,409 acres
3. River frontage/fisberman & recreation access
-Rio Grande (access via boat ramp,dirt road)
4.5 miles
-Eagle River (easy access from paved road)
1.5 miles
-Piney River canyon (difficult access in remote canyon)
0.5 miles
Net river frontage/stream access
+5,5 miles
4. Estimated public use/enhanced use (in visitor days)
-Sweetwater Take (new)
8008 rvds
enhanced wdsting Sweetwater use
8185 rvds
-enhanced Flattops wilderness access thru Sweetwater
1766 rvds
-Eagle school visits to Sweetwater caves
unknown'
-Costilla County lands (river corridor)
5500 rvds
-Cosd a County lands (away from river)
urdmown'
-Eagle River/Red Canyon
unllaown,
accordmg to the loan' outfine, Eagle County school data regtdarly viststhe aver
- these upllands have a fairto poor potential for hunting atd would probahly support only a few hmfdred rvds
3 uoknowu, but use shoWd be m the thousands each year, and should FAR etaeedthe» se to all the Piney seceded landsthe Tmst i is
seeking to aaquve
it
CATEGORY
Estimated public use/enhanced use (eont.)
-Davos Trail (West Vail)
j
-Muddy pass
-Marma Lake
Net visitor use
5. Bicycle trails
-Nottingham offered lands
-Eagle River/Red Canyon (possible future trail)
-Piney River selected
-Nottingham selected
Net bicycle trails
6. Wetlands/riparian habitat
-Sweetwater Lake wetlands .
-Sweetwater lakeshore
- Eagle River riparian
-Rio Grande Riparian
-Piney River selected
-Nottingham selected
7. Wilderness access
-Sweetwater Lake
-Piney selected (Eagles Nest Wilderness)
S. Use by disabled
-Sweetwater Lake
GAIN
LOSS
450 reds
1000 rvds
200 reds
+ 22,709 rvds
+ Eagle River
unknown
existing
yes
0
0
1 existing
1 potential
50+ acres
1.5 miles
1.5 miles
4.5 miles
0
0
possible new
trailhead & access
into Flattops
04
strong interest in
possible future use
& special facilities
s the Piney I2ads being sought by the Ttust in no way impact or affect any adsting trails or other a=css to the Eagles Ne¢ Wdd=as
Accra into the W ildemess is by trails far rvnoved Crum the sdeaed ]ands
a
ATTACHMENT 1
Summary of possible public gains and losses from revised
Piney Valley Ranches Trust land exchange
CATEGORY
GAIN
LOSS
Public acreslacres open to public access and use
-Costilla County
17,162
-Sweetwater Lake
371
-Eagle. River/Red Canyon
116
-Nottingham offered
335
-Lower Piney
4000
-Nottingham
335
-BLM (lower Piney)
240
Net public acres
+ 13,409 acres
2.Open Space acres
-all offered lands (acres)
17,984
-all selected lands (acres)
575
Net open space +17,409 acres
3. River frontage/fisherman & recreation access
-Rio Grande (access via boat ramp,dirt road) 4.5 miles
-Eagle River (easy access from paved road) 1.5 miles
-Piney River canyon (difficult access in remote canyon) 0.5 miles
Net river frontage/stream access +5.5 miles
4. Estimated public use/enhanced use (in visitor days)
-Sweetwater Lake (new)
8008 rvds
. enhanced existing Sweetwater use
8185 rvds
-enhanced Flattops wilderness access thru Sweetwater
1766 rvds
-Eagle school visits to Sweetwater caves
unlmownl
-Costilla County lands (river corridor)
5500 rvds
-Costilla County lands (away from river)
unknown'
-Eagle River/Red Canyon
uulmown'
t aocordmg to the local mariner. Eagle Canty school classes regularly visits the caves
these upbands have a fair to poor paeaual for bumtmg and would probably sappon mly a few hundred rvds
3 unlmo%u, but use should be m the thouumds each year, and should FAR exoeed the use to all the Piney aakcted lands the Tr uri i is
seekmg to acquire
6
LJ
CATEGORY
Estimated public use/enhanced use (cant.)
-Davos Trail (West Vail)
-Muddy pass
-Marma Lake
Net visitor use
5. Bicycle trails
-Nottingham offered lands
-Eagle River/Red Canyon (possible fitture trail)
-Piney River selected
-Nottingham selected
Net bicycle trails
6. Wedands/riparian habitat
-Sweetwater Lake wetlands
-Sweetwater Lakeshore
- Eagle River riparian
-Rio Grande Riparian
-Piney River selected
-Nottingham selected
7. Wilderness access
-Sweetwater Lake
-Piney selected (Eagles Nest Wilderness)
8. Use by disabled
-Sweetwater Lake
GAIN LOSS
450 rvds
1000 rvds
200 rvds
+ 22,709 rvds
+ Eagle River
unknown
existing
yes
0
0
1 existing
1 potential
50+ acres
1.5 miles
1.5 miles
4.5 miles
possible new
trailhead & access
into Flattops
strong interest in
possible future use
& special facilities
0
0
0'
4
the Pmcy lands bemg sought by the Trust at no way impact or affect any eu4mg trails or other amesstothe Eagles Nat Wildemes&
Access mto the W ildemess a by trials far moved Elam the selected lands
41L
T'OW'V O
75 South Frontage Road
WVail, Colorado 81657
3-479-2105/FAX 479-2157
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Vail Town Council
FROM:
Robert W. McLaurin
Town Manager
DATE:
July 29, 1994
SUBJECT:
Town Manager's Report
Park Citv Meeting
Office ofthe Town Manager
As we have discussed, a delegation of elected and appointed officials from Park City, Utah, will
• be in town on August 10th and 11th. On August 10th, we will host a small picnic. This event will
be held at Big Horn Park and will begin at 6:00 p.m. The next day an informal meeting with this
delegation will be held at the Evergreen Lodge. A continental breakfast will be available at 8:30
a.m., and the meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m.
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as housing,
transportation, and managed growth. The Eagle County Commissioners and Avon Town Council
have been invited to attend this meeting. I have also invited the PEC and DRB. The agenda
consists of a series of brief presentations. Following these presentations a question and answer
period will be held. This meeting should conclude by 11:30 a.m. We have arranged a series of
tours following this meeting.
Please let me know if you will be able to attend these events.
Relocation Guide
Please find the attached relocation guide. This document was prepared through a collaborative
effort between Eagle County, the Avon Beaver Creek Resort Association, and the Town of Vail.
The cost of this publication was $21,000. Eagle County provided $15,000, ABCRA contributed
$3,000, and the TOV contributed $3,000. Vail Associates also participated by providing
•
photographs and text. Fees collected for the booklet will be used to help pay for a second
printing when needed.
This project was prepared by Suzanne Silverthorn. As usual, she did an excellent job.
RW M/aw
Q1Tawn--1
4ILL
TOWN O
75 South Frontage Road MEDIA ADVISORY
ail, Colorado 81657
303-479-2100
FAX 303-479-2157 August 4, 1994
Contact: Suzanne Silverthorn
Community Information Office
479-21 15
VAIL TOWN COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS FOR AUGUST 2
Council members present: Johnston, Lapin, Navas, Osterfoss, Shearer, Steinberg,
Strauch
Work Session Briefs
--Joint Vail Associates/Town of Vail Managed Growth Meeting
In a continuing discussion on joint planning issues, senior level officials from Vail
Associates met with the Town Council yesterday to probe the council's reaction to
VA's marketing strategy for the 1994-95 winter season. The strategy, outlined by
• VA President Andy Daly, is a multi -faceted plan intended to expand the number of
skier visits during non -peak days, while keeping the number of peak days to a
minimum. The plan includes value -priced lift tickets and accommodations; direct
mail campaigns; and a mechanism to forecast impending occupancy levels to allow
for timely marketing adjustments. A second tier could utilize lower pricing
strategies and pass restrictions, among other mechanisms, to move visits to non -
peak times. Council members reacted positively to the presentation and added a
list of their own concerns. They include:
--Increased safety mechanisms/enforcement on the mountain.
--Incentive programs for repeat customers.
-Formalization of a communications system to advise the community of occupancy
forecasts, .
--Implementation of an understanding between the Town of Vail and Vail
Associates to control the number of peak skier days (in case of a future ownership
change).
--Explore use of marketing dollars (Vail Valley Marketing Board) for winter
campaign.
• --Capacity improvements (parking, carpooling, 1-70 access & corridor)
--A centralized reservation system.
- A standardized rating system for lodges (Vail and Beaver Creek).
--Incentives to upgrade properties.
--The need to enlist cooperation of business community in addressing the issues.
(more)
TOV Highlights/Add 1
--Becoming more internationally friendly (signage, money conversions, foreign
newspapers, menus, etc.)
In probing the Town of Vail's role in the marketing effort, Council member Jim
Shearer suggested the town address what he called the two "biggest anti -
marketing problems" --lack of employee housing and the parking issue --and asked
for VA's assistance in addressing the problems. In response, Daly said he
welcomed the challenge to help with the parking problem. As for the affordable
housing issue, Daly said he was supportive and would look to the town to take the
lead.
The group also discussed circulation and infrastructure needs. The list includes
roundabouts at the Main Vail and West Vail interchanges; 1-70 corridor capacity
improvements; development of a portal at Golden Peak; an underpass at Simba
Run; creation of a regional transportation system; redevelopment of Lionshead; and
delivery system improvements.
For more information, contact Town Manager Bob McLaurin at 479-2105.
Evening Session Briefs
Council members present: Johnston, Lapin, Navas, Osterfoss, Shearer, Steinberg,
Strauch
--Citizen Participation
Darren Rowe of Eagle urged the council to vote against an ordinance banning the
sale and possession of assault weapons in the Town of Vail. Rowe called the
ordinance a "poor idea," noting that local law enforcement agencies have not
supported the concept. Rowe also said he considered the ban to be a violation of
constitutional rights. The council is scheduled to consider the ordinance for first
reading on Sept. 6.
--Supplemental Appropriation to Purchase Trappers Run
The council unanimously approved a supplemental appropriation to the town's
1994 budget to fund the purchase of Trappers Run. The funding appropriation
followed action by the council last week authorizing a purchase price of $2.5
million for the 48-acre parcel in West Vail. The land will be purchased from two
reserve funds: the general fund, $703,000; and the capital projects fund, $1.87
million. Mayor Peggy Osterfoss said the council decided against use of Real Estate
Transfer Tax (RETT) funds in order to "maintain flexibility" with regard to future
uses of the property and/or any land that may be traded to the town in exchange
for portions of Trappers Run. The council had previously indicated that any use of
RETT funds would have required the corresponding acreage to be maintained as
open space. For more information, contact Town Manager Bob McLaurin at 479-
2105.
(more)
i
E
TOV Highlights/Add 2
--Lindholm Land Exchange Resolution
On a 4 to 3 vote (with Osterfoss, Shearer and Strauch in the minority), the council
defeated a resolution which would have established conditional support for the
335-acre Nottingham Ranch portion of the proposed Lindholm land exchange.
About 50 Eagle County residents attended the meeting. Those who spoke--17 in
all --urged the council to vote against the resolution, noting 'that conditional support
of the Nottingham portion San area above Eagle -Vail) would imply Vail's support for
the entire land swap, which impacts 18,000 acres of private land (which would go
to the federal government) and 4,575 acres of federal land (which would go to
Lindholm) throughout three counties. Bill Post, an attorney representing the land
exchange proposal, had offered two concessions to the council: a willingness to
commit a density of less than one unit per acre on the Nottingham Ranch parcel,
and an offer to donate a 10-acre parcel to be used for affordable housing.
Although the council acknowledged tangible benefits to the town, a majority of the
council members said support of the exchange would set a bad precedent for the
town regarding other land exchanges. For additional background information on
this issue, contact Russell Forrest in the Community Development Department at
479-2138.
--Utility Easement
The council unanimously granted permission for East West Partners to obtain a
utility easement on town stream tract property adjacent to Russell's restaurant.
For details, contact Greg Hall in the Public Works Department at 479-2160,
--information Update
The council chose not to consider 1994 funding requests from Vail Mountain
School and the Vail Valley Restaurant Association. Instead, the council will
consider funding requests from those and other organizations this fall as part of the
1995 budget process.
A letter from the owner of the Poppyseed Bakery -Deli -Espresso Cafe in West Vail
was distributed to the council. The letter outlined concerns about trash and an
overflow of patrons from the new Taco Bell franchise in the West Vail Mall.
--Town Manager's Report
Town Manager Bob McLaurin said he had been notified by Mountain Bell that
installation of a fiber optic cable from Vail to Copper Mountain would result in
A temporary closure of the bike path later this summer. The work also will impact
the bike path in East Vail from Streamside Circle east to Bighorn Road and along
Highway 6.
Also, McLaurin said he intended to bring a resolution before the council at the next
(more)
TOV Highlights/Add 3
meeting to receive authorization to negotiate a contract for the Covered Bridge
restoration project rather than ask for bids. McLaurin said the bidding process this
season has been extremely difficult because of the overflow of construction 46
projects throughout the valley. As a result, bids have not been competitive,
according to McLaurin.
--Council Reports
Mery Lapin said he had received some items from the John Dobson family and
would turn the materials over to the Vail Public Library.
Noting a continued concern for safety, the council denied a request from Bravol
Colorado to allow tonight's concert patrons to park on one side of South Frontage
Road.
Sybill Navas reported the "fair share" funding committee of the Vail Valley
Marketing Board had met and would be finalizing its funding recommendations in
the coming weeks.
There was a brief discussion regarding safety concerns involving the mix of
pedestrians, bicycles, rollerbladers and motor vehicles along Vail Valley Drive and
West Meadow Drive. Town Manager Bob McLaurin said he was preparing to 10
address the issue through education, increased signage and the possible use of
dismount zones. McLaurin's report will be presented later in the month.
--Night Lighting Tour
The council's night lighting tour was postponed due to the length of last night's
meeting.
E