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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-08-11 Town Council MinutesTOWN OF VAILjy 05 South Frontage Road Vail, Colorado 81657 970-479-2100 FAX 970-479-2157 MEDIA ADVISORY August 11, 1999 Contact: Suzanne Silverthorn, 479-2115 Community Information Office Media Note: We are unable to provide Council Highlights for the Aug. 3 meetings, due to a miscommunication. The minutes of the August 3 evening meeting will be available on our website (ci. vail. co. us) following Council approval on Sept. 7. if you have questions about the Aug. 3 work session, please contact Pam Brandmeyer, Assistant Town Manager, at 479-2113. VAIL TOWN COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS FOR AUGUST 10 Work Session Briefs Council members present: Armour', Arnett, Foley, Navas 'Presided --PECIDRB Report During a review of the most recent meetings of the Planning and Environmental Commission and the Design Review Board, Councilmembers inquired about approval of the Arosa-Garmisch Park plan, which will be reviewed by the Town Council at its Aug. 17 work session. --Discussion of Newly Formed Vail Chamber of Commerce Representing the new Vail Community Chamber, Joe Staufer provided the Council with a brief overview of the group. He said the goal of the new Chamber is to refocus Vail's promotional efforts to serve the Vail business community and thereby stimulate the growth of sales tax for the Town. Staufer distributed an information sheet containing six objectives: 1) overhaul management of the Vail Visitors' Centers to eliminate favoritism; 2) create a website for online reservations; 3) use Town -of Vail marketing funds for Vail -specific programs; 4) expand Vail marketing efforts to year-round effort; 5) educate the local consumer of the importance of supporting locally owned businesses; 6) create a long range business development plan. During questioning by the Councilmembers, Staufer said he couldn't speak for his membership yet regarding support for a potential lodging tax on the November ballot. Staufer said the organization currently represents nearly 100 businesses. Only those who pay business license fees to the Town of Vail are eligible for full membership in the organization. Others, he said, can join as associate members. Staufer said the group will hold its first annual meeting in the fail. Councilman Kevin Foley asked Staufer to keep the Council posted on the efforts, while Councilman Michael Arnett thanked Staufer for taking the initiative. --Employee Generation Public Discussion Format After reviewing a format for upcoming community discussions on Council's pursuit of an employee generation policy, the Council gave its authorization to move forward. Employee generation requires developments to provide a percentage of employee housing units based on . (more) �,y_ RECYCLED PAPER Add 11TOV Council Highlightsl8-10-99 the number of new employees generated by the development. Meetings will be held in . September with representatives from the major business sectors in Vail, including general retail, bars and restaurants, hotels, and property management and real estate offices. The discussions will explain the concept of employee generation, as well as implementation examples from other resort communities. Participants also will be asked to offer ideas on the following questions: 1) What types of businesses should generation rates be based upon; 2) What are the differences in the number of employees needed to operate each business type (retail, hotels, restaurants and bars, property management offices, real estate offices); 3) What percentage of newly generated employees should housing be required for; and 4) What , constitutes an employee housing unit. Once compiled, the information will be forwarded to the. Town Council as it contemplates the specifics of an employee generation requirement for Vail. In addition, the information will also be made available to the Eagle County Commissioners, who have expressed interest in pursuing a countywide initiative. During discussion yesterday, Chuck Ogilby, a member of the Vail Tomorrow Affordable Housing Task Force, urged the Council to avoid burdening small business owners with employee generation. Instead, he said, it should be aimed at larger scale developments and redevelopments. For more information, contact Nina Timm, Town of Vail housing coordinator, at 479-2444. --Development Review Process Improvements for Commercial and Multi -Family Due to time considerations in retaining a quorum, this item was tabled to a future work session. --Public Accommodation Zone District Text Amendments The Council continued its review of a proposal to amend the town's Public Accommodation Zone District which is,intended to codify development standards that were approved through recent Special Development Districts. Proposed by Johannes Faessler of the Sonnanalp, the amendment would impact 17 lodge properties, mostly in the Vail Village area. The updated development standards would clarify future development potential, thereby reducing the uncertainty of 11th hour negotiations which currently occur during the Special Development District process, according to the applicant. During Council's review yesterday, several scenarios were presented by the applicant's consultant, Tom Braun, showing the degree to which buildings could attain proposed ratio increases in the areas of square footage, setbacks and other development standards. In addition, the Council reviewed the relationship between the proposed development standards and the Vail Village Urban Design Guide Plan which, when applied together, would reduce excessive bulk and mass, according to Braun. Councilmembers continued to express some uneasiness about the proposal. Michael Arnett suggested the need for more specific design standards, similar to the new standards contained in the Lionshead Master Plan, while Bob Armour repeated concerns about the potential for more condominiums to be added rather than the Council's goal of more lodging units. Kevin Foley inquired about the impact to the new Vail Village Inn redevelopment proposal, while Sybill Navas offered a reminder about the need to address parking requirements. The discussion will continue at the Aug. 24 work session when Braun will return with proposed modifications to address Council's concerns. The ordinance will be considered for first reading at the Sept. 21 evening meeting. --Information Update Assistant Town Manager Pam Brandmeyer presented a logistics update on the WestFest event to be held over Labor Day weekend at Ford Park. Rather than a full street closure, organizers have agreed to a request by the town to allow one-way eastbound residential traffic on Vail Valley Drive from Golden Peak to the Soccer Field during the event. Motorists will be (more) 0 Add 21TOV Council Highlights/8-10-99 . encouraged to use the Pulis Bridge entrance to Vail Valley Drive. In addition, WestFest will relocate two refrigerated trucks from the soccer field area to the Public Works shops to reduce noise impacts in the residential neighborhood. A third refrigerated truck will be located at the soccer field, but will be turned off overnight so as to minimize disturbances. Due to the modifications, a special event ordinance (similar to legislation used for the World Alpine Ski Championships} that addresses signs, temporary improvements and other items associated with the event, will not be needed, according to Brandmeyer, since all. other requests will be handled under existing regulations. The ordinance received first reading approval at the Aug. 3 meeting. Brandmeyer says she'll recommend denial of the ordinance at the Aug. 17 second reading. For details, contact Brandmeyer at 479-2113. Also yesterday, Councilmembers received word that a petition to request placement of a Vail lodging tax on the Nov. 2 election ballot is proceeding. According to state legislation that will authorize such a vote, the petition must be signed by property owners representing more than 50 percent of the commercial property holdings within the Town of Vail. For details, contact Assistant Town Manager Pam Brandmeyer at 479-2113. --Council Reports Sybill Navas, who represents the Council on the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, noted that a GIS informational seminar will be held in Vail from 10 am to 3 pm Aug. 18 for elected officials and others interested in the technology. Navas said the agency has received a grant for a regional GIS system that will be useful to Vail and other local governments. --Other . At the request of Councilman Michael Arnett, who shared concerns from a constituent, the Council agreed to discontinue use of magnesium chloride as a dust abatement on summer construction projects in the Town of Vail. The decision is effective immediately. A decision on the use of magnesium chloride as a winter snowmelt is still awaiting completion of a comprehensive study by the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado Association of Ski Towns and other agencies. Kaye Ferry, representing the Vail Village Merchants Association and the Vail Restaurant -Association, urged the Council to join those organizations in sending a letter of support for the Vail campus of Johnson & Wales culinary school. The future of the Vail campus is in jeopardy, she said, because of plans to open a campus in Denver. The Council agreed to send a letter offering its support for continuation of the Vail campus. Kevin Foley noted parking problems at Ford Park this past Sunday during the soccer tournament, while Michael Arnett said he noticed that additional trash removal efforts were in order following completion of the event. UPCOMING DISCUSSION TOPICS August 17 Work Session Pine Beetle Update VVMB Presentation on Summer Marketing 2000 Discussion of Newspaper Box Codification Ordinance Arosa/Garmisch Park Plan Ford Park Playground Plan 0 (more) Add 3/TOV Council Highlights/8-10-99 August 17 Evening Meeting First Reading, Newspaper Box Codification Ordinance August 24 Work Session PEC/DRB Report Bike Path Tour PEC/DRB ,Joint Site Visit & Work Session re: Vail Plaza Hotel Capital Projects & RETT Budgets for 2000 Second Quarter Financial Report PA Text Amendments • L.] 0