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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-12-16 Town Council Minutes• VAIL TOWN COUNCIL Evening Meeting Tuesday, December 16, 2003 The regularly scheduled Vail Town Council meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 by Mayor Rod Slifer. MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Rod Slifer Dick Cleveland, Mayor Pro -Tern Diana Donovan Ludwig Kurz Kent Logan Greg Moffet STAFF PRESENT: Stan Zemler, Town Manager Pam Brandmeyer, Assistant Town Manager Matt Mire, Town Attorney The first item on the agenda was Citizen Participation. Kent Myers, who coordinates the Fly Summer Vail program, asked Council to consider renewing a $10,000 pledge for the summer 2004 program. In all, the 2003 summer air program lost an estimated $20,600, which was covered by Eagle County. Although the Town of Vail pledged a $10,000 subsidy to help underwrite the 2003 program, it did not have to pay on its • pledge due to the success of the program. Myers explained he will be researching expansion of the program to include not only Dallas, but other destinations into and out of the Eagle County Regional Airport. Myers said Vail's continued support would be appreciated. The second item was the Consent Agenda. Greg Moffet moved to approve the November 4th, 11th and 18th meeting minutes. Diana Donovan seconded and the Council voted 7-0 to approve. Greg Moffet moved and Diana Donovan seconded to appoint four prospective appointees as judges for the January 27, 2004 special municipal election. The Council voted 7-0 to appoint Vi Brown, Holiday (Holly) Cole, Karen Morter and Summer Holm as judges. Greg Moffet moved to appoint Andrew Karow, Ken Friedman and Steve Rosenthal to the Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council. Kim Ruotolo seconded the motion and the Council approved 7-0. The third item on the agenda was Vail's New Dawn Marketing Campaign. The Council heard an overview of the Vail Resorts Development Company's (VRDC) new marketing campaign for the Front Door and Lionshead redevelopment projects. Charlie Penwill with VRDC described Vail's "New Dawn" campaign as a "soft" information campaign to provide residents and guests with details about future redevelopments in Vail. Penwill explained the campaign has been launched now as part of a 12-month effort to begin pre -sales and provide exposure for Vail. Vail Resorts will be placing informational pieces • at dining tables at on -mountain eateries, placing ads in Town of Vail buses and distributing 600,000 pamphlets throughout Vail. Penwill said the company hopes the tag • lines for Vail's Front Door, "a refined Vail Village," and the Lionshead project, "an old friend is reborn," will excite guests and residents about the projects. Councilman Kent Logan applauded Vail Resorts for the ideas, but questioned if disseminating the information a year away from scheduled construction is too far ahead. Vail Resorts COO Bill Jensen explained the pre -sales are a 12-month project and starting the campaign now will gain interest, excitement and provide knowledge to visitors and residents. Jensen said the campaign will show the community and guests that a "bright future" is coming to Vail. The fourth item on the agenda was an introduction of The 2004 Youth Ambassador Award Winners. Sybill Navas, representing the Vail Valley Youth Exchange program, introduced McClees Stephens of Battle Mountain High School and Patrick Scanlon of Vail Mountain High School as recipients of the Town of Vail Youth Ambassador award for 2004. Additionally, the 2003 ambassador award winners, Duncan Robinson and Alex Dulude of Vail Mountain School, thanked Council for providing them with the opportunity to work abroad. The fifth item on the agenda was an Agreement with The Vail Reinvestment Authority. Greg Moffet moved to sign a cooperation agreement between the Town of Vail and the Vail Reinvestment Authority. Ludwig Kurz seconded the motion and the Council voted 7-0 to authorize the agreement. The Vail Reinvestment Authority was created on November 4 following approval of a resolution by Council to create an Urban Renewal Authority, now known as the Vail Reinvestment Authority (VRA). Creation of the authority and authorization of a cooperation agreement are the first in a series of steps isthat will enable use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to fund repairs to streets and other public property in Lionshead to complement millions of dollars of private sector reinvestment by Vail Resorts. It was explained that because the VRA will not have its own staff, a cooperative agreement between the Town of Vail and VRA is needed to allow the VRA use of town staff subject to reimbursement by the VRA. The agreement also allows the VRA to borrow money from the town for routine costs and makes the reimbursement of those costs an obligation of the VRA to be funded out of future tax increment revenues. The sixth item on the agenda was a Conference Center Update. Mayor Rod Slifer, who chairs the Conference Center Oversight Committee, presented an update on the planned conference center. The committee has received draft findings prepared by HVS International, a Chicago consulting firm, which has been hired by the town to conduct a market analysis and develop a business plan. Slifer said the report contains feasibility issues related to the marketing and business plan. Additionally, initial findings by HVS have downsized the conference center ballroom from a 40,000 sq. ft. facility to a 25,000 sq. ft. facility. The recommendation for a smaller building is a result of concerns raised by professional meeting planners during focus groups held in October by HVS. Councilman Kent Logan, also a committee member, stated the Council will need to look at resolving issues with projected operating costs and possible deficits for the facility. The committee will meet on January 12 and plans to present a copy of the draft report in February to the Council. The seventh item on the agenda was a request from the Vail Recreation District to renovate the Vail Golf Course Clubhouse. This item was rescheduled to the January 6, • 2004 evening meeting. 2 • The eighth item on the agenda was an Update on the Multi -Purposed Recreational Facility. Kim Ruotolo moved to approve $30,000 in escrow funds to be transferred from the sale of the Old Town Shops to be used to fund structural and engineering studies, plus design and site plans for a proposed indoor recreational facility to be built at Red Sandstone Elementary School. Ludwig Kurz seconded the motion and the Council voted 7-0 to approve. Architect Lynn Fritzlen presented an overview of potential funding, including approval by the Eagle County School District to allocate $150,000, Vail Resorts' contribution of $250,000, the Town of Vail's allocation of $150,000 cash and $100,000 in -kind, plus $369,000 remaining from the original $400,000 escrowed by the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District. Fritzlen explained to Council the design of the building is ready to be taken before the Design Review Board and hopes to receive approval in time for start of construction in June 2004. Rick Sackbauer, chairman of the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, also informed Council that funds from the sale of the Old Town Shops must be used by August 2006. Additionally, Fritzlen said the $30,000 would be used to research operating costs and square footage needs of the building. Councilman Kent Logan questioned what would happen if the building were approved at $1.2 million and costs to build and operate the facility increased. Councilmember Kim Ruotolo inquired why the Vail Recreation District (VRD) had not offered to contribute to the facility, if in fact, they are to be the primary operator of the facility. Councilman Rod Slifer explained the Vail Recreation District currently could not contribute funds to the facility without issuing debt or approval of a bond issue by Vail voters. During the public comment session, David Ward with the local gymnastics program operated by the Vail Recreation District, explained to Council that VRD currently has 409 kids in the gymnastics program and over 200 on a waiting list. Ward • said the program supports itself, but is maxed out at its temporary leased space in Avon. The lease for the Avon space expires in August 2004. Vail Town Manager Stan Zemler requested Fritzlen present Council with potential operational costs of the building. The ninth item on the agenda was First Reading, Ordinance No. 33, series 2003, Funiculars as Conditional Use. Dick Cleveland moved to approve first reading of an ordinance to change funicular and other similar conveyances from an accessory use to a conditional use in residential zone districts. Ludwig Kurz seconded the motion and the Council voted 7-0 in favor. George Ruther with the Community Development Department reviewed the ordinance and explained the new ordinance will discourage funiculars unless access to the property is restricted for vehicles. The tenth item on the agenda was First Reading of Ordinance No. 37, Series of 2003. Greg Moffet moved and Ludwig Kurz seconded to approve first reading of an ordinance to allow for automatic reduction of points assessed for certain traffic offenses. The Council voted 7-0 to approve. Town Attorney Matt Mire informed Council the town's Municipal Court has reduced court from four days per month to two per month, resulting in heavy court days. Mire said the ordinance allows those with traffic offenses to plea bargain point reductions versus using the Municipal Court to argue their case. According to Mire, most motorists will choose a plea bargain over a court appearance. The eleventh item on the agenda was Second Reading of Ordinance No. 32, Series of 2003. Citing findings of fact, Greg Moffet moved to approve second reading of an ordinance providing for a major amendment to Special Development District No. 6, Vail Village Inn, Phase 1. Ludwig Kurz seconded the motion. The Council voted 7-0 to • approve. The ordinance allows for 2,132 sq. ft. of Gross Residential Floor Area for a new residence to be located above the existing Alpenrose Restaurant. During the public 3 • comment session, attorney Art Abplanalp, who represents the Vail Village Plaza condominium association, encouraged Council to amend the ordinance to contain two conditions: 1) the approval of the condominium association prior to issuance of a building permit; and 2) that if a building permit is not issued within two years, approval will lapse. Abplanalp explained he had received approval from 10 of the 12 in the condominium association. Project developer Ted Leach expressed concern to Council and said the project should not be held up, noting that he has followed the town's procedures and policies. Councilman Greg Moffet encouraged Councilmembers to approve the ordinance without the additional conditions to keep the Town of Vail from being the "good neighbor corporation." Town Attorney Matt Mire explained the Council could approve the ordinance with or without the conditions. In voting to approve the ordinance, the Council did not include the conditions recommended by Abplanalp. The twelfth item on the agenda was Second Reading of Ordinance No. 34, Series of 2003. Citing findings of fact, Ludwig Kurz moved and Greg Moffet seconded to rezone Eagle River Water and Sanitation District properties, located at 846 W. Forest Rd., from Outdoor Recreation and Lionshead Mixed Use 2 zone districts to the General Use zone district. The Council voted 7-0 to approve second reading of the ordinance. The rezoning includes the Old Town Shops property recently acquired from the Town of Vail. The approval is among several steps needed to facilitate expansion of the wastewater treatment plant. The thirteenth item on the agenda was Second Reading of Ordinance No. 35, Series of 2003. Citing findings of fact, Greg Moffet moved to approve second reading of an • ordinance to rezone the Lionshead tennis court site from the Agriculture Open Space zone district to the Two -Family Primary/Secondary zone district and to rezone the ski - way from the Agriculture Open Space zone district to the Outdoor Recreation zone district. Ludwig Kurz seconded the motion. The Council voted 6-0 to approve with Rod Slifer recusing himself. Jay Peterson, representing Vail Resorts, Inc., explained the approval would allow the project to move forward through the review process, but Vail Resorts would be back before Council following meetings with the Design Review Board. Councilmember Diana Donovan questioned protection of the wetlands in the area. Peterson explained the wetlands are located on Town of Vail land. Additionally, attorney Art Abplanalp, who represents adjacent property owners, complimented Vail Resorts and Peterson for working with the adjacent property owners to resolve issues and said he appreciated their continued efforts to work with the owners. Abplanalp also encouraged the Council to protect the wetlands. The fourteenth item on the agenda was Second Reading of Ordinance No. 36, Series of 2003. Citng findings of fact, Greg Moffet moved and Ludwig Kurz seconded to approve second reading of an ordinance to amend the list of conditional uses in the Lionshead Mixed Use-1 zone district to include single-family residential dwellings and two-family residential dwellings. With Rod Slifer again recusing himself, the Council voted 6-0 to approve. It was explained the approval is the first in a series of steps that will be needed to facilitate development of the Vail Resorts -owned property, known as the West Day lot. The ordinance calls for specific criteria and standards to be used in the evaluation of a conditional use permit request for residential dwellings in that zone district. The criteria is as follows: 1) developed as part of a coordinated mixed -use development; and 2) a low -density residential scale is advantageous to create • compatibility with or a transition to other low density residential development in the vicinity of the coordinated mixed use development; and 3) the single-family and two- 4 • family residential dwellings are designed to be the same general scale and character of residential dwellings in residential zone districts that allow single-family and two-family residential dwellings; and 4) the proposed coordinated mixed -use development containing single-family and/or two-family residential dwellings is consistent with the intent and objectives of the Lionshead Redevelopment Master Plan. • i The fifteenth item on the agenda was the Town Manager's Report. During his report, Stan Zemler informed Council that two automatic emergency defibrillators (AED) have been delivered to the Police Department and have been placed at Checkpoint Charlie and in the jail. Also during the report, the Council reviewed bids from the Vail Daily and Vail Trail. Greg Moffet moved and Dick Cleveland seconded to name the Vail Daily as the official newspaper to post Town of Vail public notices. The Council voted 5-2 to approve with Kim Ruotolo and Diana Donovan against. Donovan advocated use of the Vail Trail, saying that by publishing in the weekly Vail Trail, the notice can be seen for seven -days versus a one -day shelf life when published in the Vail Daily. In addition, Councilmembers were informed the Vail Transit and ECO Regional Transportation bus service will temporarily end between 11 p.m. and midnight on New Year's Eve. Jamie Wilson in the town's Community Information Office explained the town will be sending out letters to the lodging community containing information about Vail's public safety measures on New Year's Eve, as well as event information. Wilson also said she will be delivering guest information pieces Vail's public safety message, helpful phone numbers and event information. On another topic, Zemler encouraged Council to attend a meeting with the new regional supervisor of the Colorado Department of Transportation on December 30th. Zemler said topics and issues related to Vail will be discussed during the meeting. Lastly, Greg Moffet moved to approve a conservation easement agreement with a property owner in Buffehr Creek. Ludwig Kurz seconded the motion and the Council voted 7-0 to approve. As there was no further business, Greg Moffet moved to adjourn and Ludwig Kurz seconded. A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously, 7-0. Respectfully submitted, ATTEST: _l drele' Donaldson, Town Clerk Rod Slifer, M#yor er 7 0_�