Published on Aspen Daily News Online (aspendailynews) No variance petition hits the streets Writer: Curtis Wackerle Byline: Aspen Daily News Staff Writer Proponents have 12 days to collect 304 signatures to place amendment on ballot Today begins the signature gathering effort for a petition that could change the city’s charter to require voter approval of developments that exceed underlying zoning limits or request waivers on affordable housing and parking. Bert Myrin, Cavanaugh O’Leary, Michael Behrendt, Catalina Cruz and Kallen von Renkl initiated the petition spelling out the proposed change to the home rule charter. Affiliates of the group will be at City Market every day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Feb. 1 in an effort to gather the 304 signatures needed to place the charter amendment on the May ballot, according to an email from Myrin. The petition would become law if it gets on the ballot and a majority of Aspen voters approve the language in the May 5 election. The amendment, if passed, would come into play if city council approves a development that seeks exceptions from certain zoning limits. Under the petition’s language, voter approval would be required for proposals that “exceed the zoning limitations for allowable floor area, exceed the maximum height, or reduce the amount of off-street parking or affordable housing.” “This would apply to the Commercial Core (CC), Commercial (C-1), Service/Commercial/Industrial (S/C/I), Neighborhood Commercial (NC), Mixed Use (MU), Lodge (L), Commercial Lodge (CL), Lodge Overlay (LO) and Lodge Preservation (LP) zone districts. Some exclusions apply,” the proposal says. Those exclusions include duplexes or single family homes seeking variances, variances required for compatibility with the Americans with Disabilities Act or other federal laws, or the replacement of non-conforming structures. The proposal also wouldn’t affect properties located in the city of Aspen but west of Castle Creek. The voter-approval requirement would also apply to an “amendment to a previous land use approval, including those granted as a result of litigation” if zoning limits are exceeded. City Clerk Linda Manning said the deadline to turn in the signatures is Feb. 4, after which there is a 15-day cure period where incomplete or illegible signatures could be corrected. While the petition language is set, if the signature threshold is met, city council will be able to set the title of charter amendment that would appear on the ballot and could call it whatever council members felt was appropriate. Myrin said that anyone who can’t make it to City Market to sign the petition can call or text him at 970-925-8645 and he will get a petition over to them. He said he’s happy to be through the “agonizing over the language” phase of the petition process and now doing what he really likes, which is gathering signatures and talking to voters. curtis@aspendailynews
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 12:57:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015