Beware — the snow globe effect

Dear Editor:

Before writers and gossips go after the Beidlemans, I would add a couple more facts to the recent article about their application (“Troubled history for Beidleman’s house,” Sept. 9).

1973 was a different time when talking building permits. Even when a permit was issued records of those permits were often not kept. The panabode houses of Ardmore were cheap, factory-built, delivered-to-site homes. Insulation and R-factors were not important design elements.

I am sure the concerned neighbors are lovely people. What did upset me is the neighbors have an out-of-town address. I appreciate a second-home owner’s desire to find things unchanged when they are in town — but full-time residents shouldn’t have to make do with a cute, barely insulated cabin all winter.

And though the Beildlemans’ children are young, a growing trend is adult children trying to return to Aspen end up living with parents because it is too expensive to rent even 40 miles away. It would be better for the community if this growing need carried weight when people fuss about modest square footage increases. Especially when the square footage being requested on the Beidleman’s 24,000-square-foot lot is half of what is allowed.

Sometimes when I listen to our talk I wonder if we’ll turn Aspen into a snow globe … a make-believe village, captured forever under glass — shaken back to life briefly when the summer (or winter) people will it.

Shellie Roy

Aspen