dt.common.streams.StreamServer.clsThe Sky Hotel’s redevelopment application, which is absent any land-use variance requests or free-market residences, won unanimous Aspen City Council approval Monday during a meeting that ran just past midnight.
The 90-room Sky Hotel, located at 709 E. Durant Ave., is currently 34 feet tall and 43,605-square-feet in floor area. On Monday, owner Northridge Capital won approval to scrape and replace it with a 91,000-square-foot, partially four-story hotel. The new lodge, which the owners lowered in height in response to neighbors, will boost the number of rooms to 104, including 11 fractional-ownership units. The project also includes two affordable-housing units and a rooftop deck.
Councilman Adam Frisch praised the approval process Monday, saying he hopes it leads to cleaner development proposals. Councilman Dwayne Romero said he found sufficient evidence to support the project, to which Councilwoman Ann Mullins agreed. Mayor Steve Skadron also concurred, saying an application can’t be decided based on tastes.
“It satisfies the appropriate criteria,” Skadron said.
Councilman Art Daily recused himself from the application because of a potential conflict of interest with the law firm he represents.
Earlier in the meeting, the council approved a code amendment that alters how the city calculates previously vacated rights of way in terms of floor area and density, a change the Sky Hotel had requested. The lodge owners are now able to include a vacated right of way in its total lot size.
Staff Report
The Aspen Times