Article by Madeline Osberger:
The Aspen Skiing Co.’s Limelight Hotel planned for Snowmass Village probably won’t break ground in 2016, and the future of the 102-room project appeared uncertain following Monday night’s meeting of the Snowmass Village Town Council.
Despite the unanimous passage on first reading of the final Base Village ordinance, the mood among council was dour after doubt was cast on East West Partners’ prospective purchase of the remaining Base Village assets from owner Related Co.
East West’s chief financial officer, Andy Gunion, said 9-foot, 6-inch ceiling heights were critical to the project’s profitability, calling them one of two potential “deal killers.” Council was willing to allow the increase on the two faux front buildings along Wood Road (known as buildings 7 and 8). But officials wouldn’t sign off on the rest of the project without seeing view planes and taking community input on the height variances, which could add close to 6 feet to the second Viceroy building.
Gunion, offering an inference that was clear to elected officials, said “just addressing [buildings] 7 and 8 right now is probably a discussion that’s not worth having.”
And without more guarantees about what will happen with the rest of Base Village, SkiCo is again indicating there’s doubt about its future plans for a Limelight in Snowmass Village.
“When we came back in with this application, we said we wanted to make sure the entire Base Village was going to happen, which is still our concern,” said Don Schuster, SkiCo’s vice president of hospitality. “As we said in 2014 [after it first pulled the Limelight application from consideration], we need surety that Lot 3 is going to be built.”
With first reading of the amended Base Village development application now complete, it’s possible that the project review could be wrapped up by year’s end. A decision on whether the prospective sale between East West and Related will move forward is expected even sooner.
The final application now includes modifications to the parking agreements, including Related’s consent to provide a second level of parking beneath a future phase of buildings, something it had fought hard last week. Final approval could be given by next Monday or by month’s end, or postponed to 2016, depending on what SkiCo decides about the Limelight.
If a deal is consummated by year’s end, that would ostensibly allow the original milestone deadlines tied to the vesting agreement to remain intact and construction to commence by next spring on two roundabout traffic circles. Complex details involving operational agreements to the entire project will be left to be crafted later, possibly in April.
Elected officials may also opt to slow down the review if SkiCo makes a definitive decision about the Limelight Snowmass.
“I’m not sure what our response will be to the entire approval process,” Schuster said after the meeting. Mike Kaplan, SkiCo’s CEO, couldn’t be reached for comment.
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Tough night
Mayor Markey Butler was clearly upset by the evening’s proceedings, which began with her former colleague, Fred Kucker, saying the “fairly substantial changes” proposed within the application may not be in the town’s best interests. He suggested council consider voting down the planned unit development application.
Butler appeared further frustrated by discussions about building heights when she expected more focus on “the podium,” nomenclature for the unfinished plot in the resort’s heart that’s identifiable by its exposed rebar.
Resident Burt Follman, speaking during a public comment period, further chastised the developer.
“Related has put this community in a very difficult position,” he said, adding that deciding about the entitlement process “when you don’t even know who the developer is [really puts] you in a very strong bind.
“We need closure. These guys need to get into a locked room [to negotiate the sale], so we know who we’re dealing with,” Follman added.
Proposed changes at this late date to buildings 10 and 11 further angered the mayor, who said final review wasn’t the time to propose height alterations.
“Now we’re back negotiating variances without community input,” Butler said.
Gunion was upfront in his response: “Unless we know for certainty on these heights, we’re not prepared to move forward.”
Tom Goode, the newest member of council, said, “If it’s gotta be now, it’s gotta be no.”
Butler stood firm in her refusal to not cave in to 11th-hour demands.
“From my perspective I’d rather do it right and make sure the community weighs in, or not do it at all,” she said.
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