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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-05-21 Town Council MinutesSCANNED Vail Town Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, May 21, 2013 4:00 P.M. Vail Town Council Chambers The regular meeting of the Vail Town Council was called to order at approximately 4:00 P.M. by Mayor Andy Daly. Members present: Andy Daly, Mayor Ludwig Kurz Kerry Donovan Kevin Foley Greg Moffet Margaret Rogers Susie Tjossem Staff members: Stan Zemler, Town Manager Matt Mire, Town Attorney Pam Brandmeyer, Assistant Town Manager The first item on the agenda was Phase I Development Review of the Vail Wayfinding Project, including the Interstate, Off Ramps, Roundabouts, Frontage Roads and the Parking Structures and introduced by Public Works Director Greg Hall. He also introduced the team members for Stantec/CommArts: Janet Martin and Dave Tweed. Hall explained every sign in both parking garages had been reviewed, including all roundabouts and the Frontage Roads. Art in Public Places (AIPP) had been involved, as had Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), since anything in CDOT right-of-way (ROW) had to be approved by that agency. An extensive process with both CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) had been completed. Definitions for signage had been agreed upon: East Vail, Vail Town Center and West Vail. Hall noted the sign package was now ready to engage in the detailed engineering drawings (construction documents) for CDOT and FHWA final approval. This package is in the form necessary to distribute to sign fabricators for those signs not needing CDOT and FHWA approval. The hard-working Advisory Group is an expansion of the 13 member panel used to assist with the Lionshead Welcome Center programming and includes representation by the Lionshead, Vail Village and West Vail business and lodging community, Vail Economic Advisory Council, Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council, Vail Town Council, Vail Chamber and Business Association, Vail Homeowner's Association and Vail Info Inc. Using the project principles adopted by the Town Council, the advisory group met three times to review and comment on the initial concepts. This package is a result of the professional recommendations and experience of CommArts/Stantec, CDOT/FHWA review and concurrence, and working with the support and collaboration of the town staff and Advisory Group participants. This plan now needs to move back into the CDOT process. Questions from Council centered on food and lodging highway signs, to which Hall responded the town could actually have them at all three exists but had put a policy in place years before to . ... ...... Town Council Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2013 Page 1 restrict them to West Vail only. In the category "Highway & Exits," Council approved Parking/Visitor Information and Ski Museum signs, as an example. By way of explanation, Tweed stated the term Vail Town Center was meant to be inclusive of both Villages in Vail Village and Lionshead. Hall confirmed there was to be a cost -sharing with CDOT on this project. He also noted the town's Variable Message Signs (VMS) were compliant with CDOT guidelines. When questioned, he stated the town would continue to work with the signs for the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. Tweed introduced the recommended color scheme: blue for Vail Village and red for Lionshead. These will be consistently used in both structures. In discussing use of the VMS, both Rogers and Donovan underscored the importance of having accurate, up-to-date information, stating leaving them empty was better than forecasting incorrect information. There will be only two new signs: the overhead signs coming off the interstate into the roundabouts. Donovan expressed concern about light intensity stating the town cannot contradict it own guidelines. Questions were asked if when lit, would these signs overwhelm the villages. Tjossem said she had concern as to whether the character of these signs matched the town's villages. She said they looked too urban and should not be so severe. Daly reminded everyone their purpose was information. They are to be used as a tool. Moffet said they clearly stated, "You have arrived." Hall stated we would be replacing all existing Frontage Road signs, with the overall intent of not driving traffic to Golden Peak. Donovan recommended deleting the word "Village" on Cascade Village, although Tjossem responded this area has a lift and skier parking and was a separate base area. She also voiced a concern about whether we might be setting expectations for other hotels. Tweed said this was an attempt to create parity. Zemler questioned what could be done to further clarify the "P" Parking sign on Village Chute, stating it needed to be changed to Paid Parking. In discussing both the Village and Lionshead parking garages, Tweed reiterated this plan strengthens previous good messages with more simple graphic symbols and icons and fewer words. The plan calls for spending less money on the inside of the structures. Both structures require a certain amount of clean up, but they would hang onto the critters and make more use of numerals. Larger exterior signs will denote important information, such as Vail Village P Parking with an arrow showing direction. It will also show the current number of interior spaces still available. Concerns were voiced about the Vail Village Garage Entry. It looks like a service entrance and will require a lot of clean up. Moffet asked to have technology installed to deter cars with roof mountain bikes from entering and taking out their bikes. The image for the Village Structure appears to look a little cluttered with the banner. The town is not selling an urban experience. Tweed stated the petroglyphs would remain in the Lionshead structure but using a different color scheme. He also stated advertising would take a back seat to wayfinding. A final suggestion for a good directory at every exit was expressed. As well, Daly was disappointed no concept for pre -paid parking had been included. Daly said messaging had to be welcoming and friendly. Daly then opened the discussion for public comment. Town Council Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2013 Page 2 Jim Lamont, Vail Homeowner's Association, said he has consistently advocated for VMS messaging and that perhaps the town had been a little overzealous in regulating. It's appropriate if it is in the realm of good public taste. The intent should remain to send "real time" information. With this Council unanimously agreed to send the package forward for final review of CDOT and FHWA. Staff and consultants were commended for an informative, but concise, presentation. Council then adjourned until 6:00 p.m. for dinner, re -opening the public hearing at that time. The second item on the agenda was Town Council break. The third item on the agenda was Citizen Participation. Jonathan Levine with Hummers of Vail expressed a very positive impression of this past winter's legislated licensing for limos, taxis, etc, Working with Commander Harvey was very pleasant. He claimed enforcement had not occurred for the past four months and that the ordinance was not enforced across the board. Lamont commented on Moffet's earlier remark about community building as a Council strategic goal. He also asked Council to consider videoing all community meetings of interest with a technique allowing the viewer to add comments. He said we need to serve the broader community. The fourth item on the agenda was Vail Youth Recognition Awards. Scott O'Connell with the Vail Youth Recognition Award Committee stated he and Peter Abuisi, Headmaster at Vail Mountain School (VMS) for over thirty years, and Jan Abbott, a counselor at Battle Mountain High School (BMHS), had been integral to this selection process. He introduced both recipients, Melissa Law from BMHS, and Hunter Bailey from VMS, and highlighted the many reasons they were afforded this honor. The fifth item on the agenda was the Town Manager Report. 1. Vail Village Information Center Remodel Recap. Foley said he believed Council should consider the Ski Museum's offer to help out with a capital campaign. Daly said all facilities at the Village Structure needed to be updated. Tjossem agreed they do not seem to compliment each other. Zemler stated no money was currently budgeted beyond Phase I. Rogers was concerned the proposed bathrooms were taking too much space. Zemler said further improvements should be reviewed as a part of the overall Capital Projects budget. Moffet added he was not in favor of spending a lot of money on the structure until Council had addressed basic community needs. 2. Ford Park Parking Lot Slope Re -vegetation Memorandum. Zemler said the report show approximately $50-100,000 worth of work, mostly hand work. Crews have found good solid ground coverage. This should be reviewed again as a part of the Capital Projects budget. If work were to start now, some damage would still be evident as we approach July 4. The sixth item on the agenda was second reading of Ordinance No. 7, Series of 2013, an ordinance repealing an reenacting Ordinance No. 17, Series of 1990, amending Special Development District No. 16 Elk Meadows, to relocate and reconfigure Lot 1, 2, and 3; adjust the gross residential floor area allowance for each lot, allow for off -site employee dwelling unit mitigation, and revise the architectural guidelines, in accordance with Section 12-9A-10, Amendment Procedures, Vail Town Code, located 1624, 1626, 1628, 1630, and 1632 Buffehr Creek Road/Lots 1-5, Elk Meadows Subdivision, and setting forth details in regard thereto. Andy Daly read the title in full. George Ruther introduced the item, as Susie Tjossem recused Town Council Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2013 Page 3 herself from the discussion. Ruther noted there had been no changes from first reading. Council had no questions and there was no public comment. Rogers moved to approve, with a second from Kurz. A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously, 6-0-1 (Tjossem recused). The seventh item on the agenda was a public hearing to discuss the proposed 2013 Gerald R. Ford Park Master Plan. This public hearing is a continuation of the hearings previously held on March 19, April 2, April 16 and May 7, 2013, regarding master planning for Ford Park. Ruther introduced the item, stating this was the fifth public hearing Council had seen. He noted what the Master Plan sought to define was a flexibility for future growth and improvements; decision - making is still relevant; a stringent list of uses has been defined with subareas included to allow greater clarity; potential sites for the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens (BFAG) Education Center have been identified; historic sites which currently exist within the park are preserved to maintain their integrity and purpose; traffic and parking has been addressed; and existing park programs are defined. He then turned to the Draft Master Plan Update. More work is required on Goal #6 re: financial management of stakeholders to ensure a high quality and service level. Ruther inquired whether the potential locations for the BFAG Education Center be included. Is there a mutually agreeable location. Consultant Tom Braun said a key point to keep in mind is to continue to view this plan from a global level. The Master Plan will next go to the Planning and Environmental Commission (PEC), where much more community input will be received. The seven subareas on the upper and lower benches define how the park works, functions and is used, although they are not hard and fast boundaries. Moving to Subarea 1, Parking/Transit, the goal is to keep a separation of parking and vehicles from other areas of the park. The transit facility is a key component of the park in providing direct bus service to the town's parking structures, which provide parking for "peak" demand days at the park. Daly stated he was opposed to building structured parking, although Tjossem noted the plan should not preclude this possibility. Rogers voiced a preference for transit to address environmental concerns. Subarea 2, Active Recreation, defines active recreation, sports, tournaments and events at Ford Park. Tjossem said the plan should not preclude the use of the fields, as well, for outdoor concerts. Rogers questioned if the playground should be included and Moffet responded the playground was not structured and was for informal use. Subarea 3, Lower Commons, was called almost the epicenter of the park by Braun. This area defines sites for recreation for passive use and the quiet enjoyment of the park, buffers between uses, transitions to the natural Gore Creek corridor and contributes to maintaining the "open feeling" of the lower bench. The Children's Playground footprint remains the same. The Open Turf Area is not "programed" with organized uses and activities. This area provides valuable space for picnics, rest, "informal" games and other passive recreation use. The turf area also provides an important buffer, or transition, from the more actively developed areas of the park and the Gore Creek Corridor. Rogers felt disallowing pop up tents for weddings was too prohibitive. Donovan noted large tents allow for an explosion of vehicles. Braun said a lot of what already goes on there will remain the status quo. Foley said he did not want to see any tents in the Commons Area at all. Kurz had a concern about the interface of construction and vehicles. Moffet said the use of tents should be infrequent and should be made inconvenient to producers. There should be no cars during any event. Rogers said we should allow small tents "Town Council Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2013 Page 4 because it's already being done now. Ruther said to concentrate on what uses would negatively affect overall park users. Donovan was concerned about Action step 2.3.1 and the term installations because the term implies permanence. She said Art in Public Places (AIPP) should be putting in temporary programs which should never occur in the open turf area, such as Steel Roots and The Singing Trees. All art work should be on the south side of West Betty Ford Way. Subarea 4, Amphitheater, was introduced and Braun said the boundaries had been drawn very tight. There should be no increases to vehicular trips and sound mitigation is being addressed. Daly noted the Ford Family tribute would be in the plaza area. Foley said some attention should be given to the southwest corner between the Amphitheater and BFAG to clean it up and improve it. Subarea 5, Alpine Gardens, was discussed, along with potential sites for the Education Center: Soccer Field Subarea; the Parking/Transit Subarea; and in the northern portion of the Alpine Gardens Subarea. All three locations must be evaluated against the Master Plan's Goals and Objectives. Rogers suggested the southern -most two tennis courts would be an ideal site. Kurz noted replacing the tennis courts would be another matter entirely. Tjossem said staff should find and vet a location that meets all the goals. Zemler said this vetting would occur at the PEC level. Moffet wanted PEC involved now to help the town plan. Daly said the majority appear to want to include the three sites in the Master Plan. Ruther said if the plan goes to the PEC now, no time would be lost and that would allow progress concurrently. Tjossem noted that particular tennis court was the exhibition court. In discussion of Subarea 6, Gore Creek Preservation, Braun said the purpose was to keep it as natural as possible, with soft surface trails. Rogers said this was the highest level of preservation. Tjossem said including no new bridges was too restrictive in that we don't know what will be needed into the future to preserve it, how it can be protected and restored. Donovan agreed to no new bridges. Tjossem agreed to no new buildings. Donovan and Foley did not want to see either new bridges or buildings. Kurz said a good swath of acreage should be retained and protected. Moffet felt consideration of new bridges was OK but no buildings. Daly said to take a vote. The vote was positive to disallow new buildings, while allowing for possible bridges. By 4-3 vote (Donovan, Foley and Daly opposed), the discussion ended. In Subarea 7, Soccer Field, Moffet noted this setting had to be one of the most incredible in the world with a view of the Gore Range. Although there was little discussion, Ruther noted staff would take a look at the bus turnaround on the east end of the field. Discussion turned to future improvements with Improvement #1, Gore Creek Corridor Enhancements which will be done all along the creek. Improvement #2, Entry Monumentation at park's pedestrian entries, Braun noted the Master Plan should share common vocabulary in use with other town planning. As such, there is no sense of arrival. Improvement #3, BFAG Educational Center, Daly noted this should be a very low scale building, with perhaps one story and a lower level walk out. Tjossem asked who would vet the locations —the town or the applicant. Zemler said the staff would do an initial screening. On Improvement #5, Ford Amphitheater/Public Plaza, Foley suggested the new restrooms on the west side should be accessible by the public during non-event periods. Rogers asked that as much mature landscaping as possible be preserved, and Ruther said the maturing vegetation Town Council Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2013 Page 5 would be protected. There was minimal comment on the final improvements. Daly opened the discussion for public comment. Jim Lamont, Vail Homeowner's Association, inquired about a roundabout on the South Frontage Road and said structured parking should not be ruled out. He also questioned the tennis center, which was built for the public, but was used almost entirely for offices. He said this site could be used as both a Welcome Center and an educational center. He said BFAG does not need offices in the park itself. He favors the addition of another bridge in the Nature Center area. Gwen Scalpello, BFAG Board of Directors, said in the Gore Creek Preservation Subarea, the mission was to preserve, enhance and educate. The Nature Center has suffered because of the "no changes" policy. She also asked Council to reconsider activities already on -going in the lower bench, such as weddings and BFAG programs. Liz Campbell, BFAG employee, said she hoped the minimal impact activities down by the stream should be allowed to continue. Jack Hunn, consultant for the Vail Valley Foundation, said the Master Plan language should allow for future Councils to make good decisions. Trees should be preserved, but where possible, transplanted. He noted the primary entrance would also be widened to allow better circulation and placement of the Ford Tribute. The Foundation shares the common concern for the sound mitigation. There being no further public comment, Ruther summed up by saying Goal #6 and others not thoroughly vetted, would be brought back to the Council for review. Daly noted under the Illustrative Plan that any improvement not depicted on this plan would have to meet the Master Plan goals and objectives. The eighth item on the agenda was the second reading of Ordinance No. 21, Series of 2012, an ordinance for prescribed regulation amendments, pursuant to Section 12-3-7, Amendment, Vail Town Code, to establish an allowable building height for golf course clubhouses within the outdoor recreation district, and to allow for amendments to Section 12-2-2, Definitions, Vail Town Code, to define the terms golf course and golf course clubhouse, and setting forth details in regard thereto. Mayor Daly read the title in full. Ruther noted the only question was in regard to the definition of the Clubhouse, making it explicit enough to include both golf and the Nordic Center. The Golf Course is a defined use, while the Nordic Center is an accessory use. There were no changes from first reading. Moffet moved, with a second from Kurz, to approve as read, subject to the findings of the PEC and as included in first reading on May 7. Daly opened the meeting to public comment. Art Abplanalp, attorney for eight homeowner's on Sunburst Drive, said it was critical to note that when PEC reviewed the project, it was only dealing with building height. There was never any mention of definitions. He said the town has a problem with its public process and has not complied with its own code. The town made a commitment to the Pulis family 30 years ago. Lamont said public transparency had been abandoned. Daly said Lamont's comments were not germane to this discussion. Matt Mire, Town Attorney, stated this was not a quasi-judicial decision. Ruther said the definitions were included because in order to honor the building height and more effectively implement, definitions must be provided. It would be difficult to implement without the Town Council Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2013 Page 6 definitions. The town's zoning code does not include a definition of a golf course clubhouse. Daly suggested sending it back to the PEC. Mire said he was completely fine with George's explanation and recommendation. Rogers agreed it should be sent back to the PEC and didn't see any harm in doing so. Moffet said Council has advertised and adequately posted notice of the ordinance. There is no reason to delay it any longer. Daly agreed. Moffet said the PEC does not draft ordinances or set policy. Council does. Daly and Rogers said they would be voting against the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 4-3, Tjossem, Daly and Rogers opposed. Abplanalp was allowed to re -approach the podium. He stated no notice had been given to the public; this language was developed after the PEC made its findings; and this second reading is the public hearing and the public should respond at second reading. Debra Webster, property owner on Sunburst, made objections to the language, "customarily incidental and accessory to a golf course." Tjossem said public comment comes to the Council but she suggested as a compromise to table the item to the June 4 evening session, although she felt Council had correctly followed the procedure. The ninth item was second reading of Ordinance No. 22, Series of 2012, an ordinance for a zone district boundary amendment, pursuant to Section 12-3-7, Amendment, Vail Town Code, to allow for a rezoning of Vail Golf Course parking lot from the General Use District to the Outdoor Recreation District, located at 1775 Sunburst Drive/Lot 3, Sunburst Filing 3, and setting forth details in regard thereto. Mayor Daly read the We in full. Moffet moved to approve, subject to the findings from the May 7 memorandum, with a second from Kurz. A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously, 7-0. The tenth item on the agenda was Adjournment. There being no further business, Moffet moved, with a second from Foley, to adjourn the meeting. A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously, 7-0, at 9:50 p.m. Attest: ew P. Daly, Pam Brandmeye Town Council Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2013 Page 7