Does the system for measuring growth and development that the city of Aspen has used for more than 40 years need to be changed to better reflect indicators not counted under the existing Growth Management Quota System (GMQS) system?
The perceived disconnect between the growth management system written in 1977 and the impacts of current development activity is an issue that has arisen during recent high-level discussions of affordable housing goals and the annual action of rolling over GMQS allotments from the prior year.
It’s one that will continue today during an Aspen City Council work session that starts at 4 p.m. and which follows an update on the Community Office for Resource Efficiency, the agenda’s first item.
“As staff and Council observe the pressures and outcomes within the current development context and compare with the trend of underutilized allotments within GMQS, it seems clear that a disconnect has emerged — the capacity for the GMQS system to manage growth as intended is limited by the types of development activity not accounted for in the system and which drive current development pressures,” according to the memo from Ben Anderson, principal long-range planner for the city and Phillip Supino, community development director.
That disconnect between the GMQS and development could have multiple roots, including the booming short-term rental market and a lag time when permits for approvals are granted and construction is initiated.
Some projects currently under construction received GMQS allotments nine years ago. And when the Lift One Lodge and Gorsuch Haus projects are built, the former’s development allotments include land-use approvals dating back to 2007 with Gorsuch Haus receiving its allotments in 2015 and 2016.
“If the projects have building permits issued in 2022/23, the duration between the first allotment issuance related to the project and first signs of construction will be 15 years or more,” it was noted in the memo for today’s meeting.
Tear-downs and refurbishments which may contribute to the impression of omnipresent cranes and dust flying, are also not adequately counted in the GMQS development allotment, another facet of the work session discussion.
Development activity that does not utilize the GMQS allotment system includes: “Scrape and replacement development of single-family and duplex residential units; addition of floor area and significant remodels to existing residential units; addition of sub grade floor area to residential units; redevelopment of existing lodge units; redevelopment of existing commercial net leasable area; renovations that do not alter number of units or floor area.”
According to the city, as of Feb. 15, 2021, there were 138 issued, open building permits with a valuation of more than $200,000. All told they comprised $455 million in total valuation. The median project was $1.62 million with the average project valuation at $3.3 million.
This nearly $500 million worth of activity in Aspen (indicated in the memo to council as dots on a map) may be viewed through different lenses as to the community’s perception of development pressures: “Evaluated one way, each of these dots represents a booming design and construction economy, well-paying jobs, and fees and taxes that support essential community functions.
“In another view, each dot represents noise, construction fencing, cranes, increased traffic, parking issues in neighborhoods, disruption of adjacent right-of-way, and impacts to the landfill,” it was noted.
“There is also the matter of ‘community character’ — a subjective term which carries a lot of weight for community members. To some, a rapidly changing built environment defines Aspen and makes way for new architecture, design and neighborhood character. To others, perceived changes translate into feelings of loss of context, loss of a sense of place, and departure from the city’s history. With the recent unprecedented activity in Aspen’s real estate market, staff anticipates a continuation, if not an acceleration of this condition.”
According to staff’s memo to council, by the current GMQS system not capturing “the vast majority of permit activity or valuation” it is driving employee generation that over time to program may not be able to “deliver needed affordable housing units or the revenue to construct and maintain them.”
The impacts of the short-term rental market create many of the same impacts as lodging like maintenance, housekeeping and landscaping but doesn’t mitigate for employee housing nor parking.
Allotment usage dwindling
Over the past six years, only about a third of the available allotments have been used, according to the city’s information.
“In the last three years utilization has diminished further, with less than 10% of allotments being utilized,” it was pointed out in the staff report, as was a question about what future tools the community could use to respond to this disconnect.
The current annual allotment is 18 units of free-market residential, 33,300 square feet of commercial and 112 pillows. Those allotments have remained unchanged since 2007.
Utilization of allotments plummeted between 2018-20 to 7% of residential, 9% of commercial and 6% of lodging, according to the city.
How the community perceives growth may have changed since the 1977 adoption of The Aspen/Pitkin County Growth Management Policy Plan.
“Since then, inclusionary zoning, affordable housing mitigation requirements, and the assessment of impact fees on development for the provisions of affordable housing have become keystones of Aspen’s approach to maintaining community character, social equity and a functional in-town economy — and regulating ‘growth,’” according to the memo.
Ordinance 14 of 2007 codified changes to the GMQS system.
Aspen’s population between 2015-19 grew about 2% a year for a total change of 10.3% over those five years. Using U.S. Census Bureau and American Community Survey information, Aspen’s population grew by 691 residents over those five years, to 7,431 in 2019.
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April 26, 2021 at 04:00PM
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Growth measures and impacts not all captured under Aspen’s current system - Aspen Daily News
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