We continue our series profiling the candidates running for Aspen City Council. Seven people are vying for two open seats. Candidate Marcia Goshorn is frustrated with city council. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen explains why.
Goshorn has lived in Aspen for nearly four decades. She first visited in 1960. Now she runs a property management company and keeps a close eye on city hall. She says council isn’t listening to citizens.
"That’s one of the things that bothers me. We have had so many things in the past that citizens commissions or citizens groups studied for months, sometimes years, and brought forward recommendations to council. Past councils have accepted those recommendations. This council isn’t accepting many recommendations."
She points to a lodge incentive program council considered last year. The idea was to get aging Aspen lodges to renovate and expand.
"The lodge incentive program they had included some good intentions. But, the things that they had in it could have easily turned very dark very early. You could have had a situation where you would have walked up Durant Street and not be able to see anything because a building’s too tall," she says.
She signed a citizen petition that sought to overturn the ordinance. Elected officials canceled their vote on it instead. If council would have listened to citizens during their meetings, she feels the petition could have been avoided.
"The comments that were made in the public comment (period) brought up the issues that were going to cause a problem and they weren’t taken into account."
She’s in favor of the ballot question that asks voters if they want a say on developments with variances that go outside the city’s land use code. When it comes to growth, she says she’s neither pro nor anti growth. She favors “smart” growth.
"Most of the projects that are coming in now are tearing down an existing building to build something newer, bigger, better. It has to be appropriate for what the community has a need for."
Goshorn serves on the housing authority board and the senior council. She has unsuccessfully run twice for council. She’s hoping third time’s a charm.