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Aspen looks to mobility, not parking, as way of the future

Aspen’s “most progressive ordinance” was passed by City Council Tuesday night, as part of the many changes to the land use code coming out of a year-long moratorium on downtown development.

Aspen Mayor Steve Skadron praised the work of the community development department for creating an ordinance that considers alternative transportation alongside parking requirements for new developments. Previously, parking rules and “mobility” rules were separated. Ordinance 32 combines them. Now, instead of providing new on-site parking, a developer could choose to provide a form of shared parking, bicycle parking, or put money into public transportation.

“It indirectly addresses Entrance to Aspen in a way that nothing, if few things have,” Skadron said.

Council believes that reducing parking availability, while simultaneously increasing support for ride shares, bikes, hotel shuttles and public transportation, will reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles in Aspen. Bert Myrin was the dissenting vote, worried that decreasing parking requirements will stress an already overtaxed parking environment.

“I guess one of the most controversial ones that came up not long ago was Base One, which then submitted a parking plan,” Myrin said. “And if this was there, that garage would not be there and those cars then would be … where?”  

Last night, Council also unanimously approved an extension of the moratorium through mid-March – a technicality that will allow the 30 days required for the ordinances to become law before land use applications are accepted again.

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