Downtown Aspen developer Mark Hunt will go before City Council tonight to take one of his affordable lodge proposals off the table for at least a month. Hunt will also ask for approval to build the other. Aspen Public Radio's Carolyn Sackariason has more.
Last week, Hunt held a question-and-answer session and was met with a fairly warm reception on his lodge plans. Tonight, it may be a bit cooler. Some council members are critical of the exceptions Hunt is asking for in order to build the lodge on Cooper Avenue. He is seeking relief from the city of Aspen’s land use code to take parking off site.
At an event held last Thursday at BB’s Kitchen, Aspen resident Basil Falcone asked Hunt about his plans for the 15 buildings he has purchased in downtown Aspen. He was concerned that redevelopment could change the character of town. Afterwards, Falcone suggested that Hunt faces an uphill battle.
“This could be a long put.”
But many attendees came away excited about the lodge proposals. Twenty-something Reuben Sadowsky said he liked Hunt’s plans.
“As like they youngest people at this meeting, we’re really excited about what he’s bringing to the community. We’re excited about a place where we can actually go hang out, when we invite our friends from across the country and globe and the state to come hang out in Aspen they will actually have a place where we can say “you can here instead of my couch.”
Alice Pendelton said she was glad she attended the community meeting.
“From some of the things you read about in the paper, you know, he comes across as a development monster and what not, but he’s really got great intentions, absolutely. And I might even go to city council … to stand behind him because I think what he’s doing is, you know, great.”
Todd Shaver hosted the meeting with Hunt. He said almost 100 people showed up — about twice the amount of attendees he originally expected. Shaver says it shows a strong interest in Hunt’s intentions for Aspen.
“I think it was an opportunity for the public to actually see him and who he is a real person and I think he came across quite well.”
Hunt goes before the Aspen City Council this evening. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the basement of City Hall.
