“No interest from the community” in the redesign of the Snowmass Club

A new proposal to add affordable housing, free housing units and other amenities to the private Snowmass Club fell short at a joint meeting with the Snowmass Village Council and Planning Commission.

Snowmass Club owner Eric Witmondt presented a preliminary proposal for the redevelopment of the Snowmass Club that would create 60 affordable housing units, five “free market” single-family homes, new tennis and pickleball courts and more. Although the 60 affordable housing units were received positively, the council members, commissioners and citizens who filled the council chambers on Monday did not see any greater benefit to the community in the development of the private club.

“The only reason the city should consider developing here is if there really is a public good coming out of it, and the only public good I see is maybe 25,000 square feet of employee housing,” said Council Member Tom Fridstein. “But it’s not really the best place for employee housing, we would much rather have it in the center of the West Village where they have access to services and transportation. I appreciate your efforts in that regard, but I don’t quite understand what benefit the city gets from it.”

Council members and commissioners argued that the Snowmass Club development was not included in the city’s 2018 comprehensive plan – a 200-page document which was decided after a community-driven planning process – and therefore was not a priority for the city’s development goals. The Comprehensive Plan specifies that most growth should occur in one of three already established comprehensively planned areas to keep the city “just big enough.” These three areas are West Village (including the Snowmass Mall), Faraway Ranch North (including the Snowmass Center), and Town Park.

With other housing developments and construction projects in the pipeline, there is simply no public interest in a project that would essentially only affect Snowmass Club members, said Councilwoman Susan Marolt.

“I’m not sure the net effect in our current crisis would be as great as what we have for affordable housing. So to me, that doesn’t provide enough benefit to the community to justify all the other expansions and developments,” she said. “At a time when I think our community is very concerned about community character and ‘just big enough,’ and developments continue to be part of our lives, I don’t really see much need for that.”

Witmondt presented the plans remotely during Monday evening’s meeting. Members of the design team were unable to attend the meeting due to scheduling conflicts, he said.

The pre-sketch joint meeting should be an informal meeting to allow for free discussion of the proposal. If the Snowmass Club chooses to proceed with the formal planned housing development (PUD) process, the City Council would assume its quasi-judicial role, meaning that council members and commissioners cannot discuss the project outside of formal meetings.

But Brian Marshack, chairman of the planning commission, said it was difficult to have a conversation when no one from the team was in the same room.

“I don’t even know how to address this proposal today. If you expect us to give the green light, I can’t do that, I have many more questions,” he said.

The proposed affordable housing building would be located adjacent to the club’s grounds. It would be up to four stories high to provide as much housing as possible for the area’s working residents, according to the preliminary sketch. It would be a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments on the club’s current maintenance site.

The plan also calls for five single-family home developments near the old pro shop building along Snowmass Club Circle and across from Two Creeks along Owl Creek Road. They are expected to be 370-550 square feet in size and would require the construction of a new cul-de-sac off Owl Creek Road along the golf course.

More than 15 homeowners in the Snowmass Club neighborhood have submitted or signed a public statement opposing the development, particularly the proposed single-family homes. Homeowners also filled the City Council chambers Monday night to voice their opposition to the plan.

Several argued that the single-family homes would block views and disrupt the current cross-country skiing trail system and that the required new road infrastructure would not be sustainable.

Witmondt said the Snowmass Club is seeking an environmentally sustainable plan and approach that maintains and improves recreational infrastructure. The plan also aims to improve the connection between summer and winter trails and preserve open space while “focusing on development in the areas where improvements already exist.”

“We will use the land available to us and group the developments in such a way that the need for extensive grading, blasting and earthmoving is minimised. We will also try to preserve as many of the natural features and views as possible,” he said. “The new housing will all be located close to existing infrastructure, which in turn will keep cars and buses off the road.”

Council members and commissioners were both concerned about the density of the proposal, frequently saying it would change the “community character” of Snowmass. Many of them also said that since it was a private club, most of the community would not benefit from the development anyway.

“This is a huge development and not only is this not recognized as a development in the master plan, but there has been extensive discussion about whether it should or could be a development and the answer was no,” said Commissioner Jim Gustafson.

Witmondt said the proposal is not an all-or-nothing plan. The joint meeting before the sketch was intended to be a way to talk to the city council and planning commission about the future of the development.

“We’re by no means saying take everything or leave everything, but we’re trying to have a discussion about where you think there are some viable aspects of this plan and where, like Owl Creek Road, you’re very clear that it’s not even a discussion,” he said. “We understand that and we’re here for that feedback.”

The Snowmass Club could adjust its proposal and submit a PUD application. This would begin with a draft proposal submitted to the Planning Commission. It could also revise the proposal and hold another joint work session to get more feedback before moving forward with the PUD application.
In 2022, the Planning Commission unanimously rejected a request from the Snowmass Club to rezone the area to a “comprehensively planned area” so that it would not have to go through the extensive PUD review process for new development.

Lucy Peterson covers education and Snowmass for the Aspen Times. Reach her at 970-429-9152 or [email protected].