Lift One project goes to detailed review Thursday

The Lift One project, which includes 320,000 square feet of commercial space at the base of Aspen Mountain’s west side that voters approved in 2019, begins its final review for detailed plans Thursday with a presentation in front of the city’s open space and trails board.

The stakeholders behind the project, including two private development groups, Aspen Skiing Co., the Aspen Historical Society and the city, are looking for a recommendation from the OSTB board on the Dolinsek Gardens park area.

The parcel is a key component of the overall plan, which will be used as a ski corridor for return skiing to a new Lift One telemix chairlift at Dean Street in the winter and a garden area in the summer.

The city purchased the half-acre from the Dolinsek family in 2014 for $2.5 million. Brother and sister John and Josephine Dolinsek had a life estate built into the deal, allowing them to live their lives out on the land before the city takes it over.

John died in 2016 and Josephine died earlier this year.

Ben Anderson, the city’s long range planner, said Wednesday that once the OSTB board makes a recommendation on a park design, the project goes to final detail review in front of the city’s Historic Preservation and Planning and Zoning commissions.

But those reviews will be focused on minor details like materials and fenestration, landscaping, engineering design, preservation and design of historic resources and lighting.

What will be key for the reviewing bodies is to make sure the project remains in compliance with the conceptual approval granted by voters in March of 2019.

Voters approved Lift One Lodge, a 107,000-square-foot timeshare project that includes 34 fractional interests and six full-interest condominiums.

They also approved the Gorsuch Haus, an 81-room, 64,000-square-foot luxury hotel.

In between and surrounding those developments are a refurbished Skiers Chalet building that will house ski ticketing services and a museum honoring the historic Lift One lift, the first in North America.

The city is kicking $4.36 million into the project to pay for that building, along with improvements to Dean Street and the park area.

The OSTB board will make decisions on details like landscaping, and materials on the hardscapes around the street.

Both developers have submitted final land-use applications with the city and they also have received clearance from the Colorado Tramway Safety Board.

Anderson stressed that the detailed review in the coming weeks does not include any site planning or programming of development.

“It’s really about details and is it consistent with what voters approved,” he said.

The OSTB board meets virtually at 5 p.m. via Web Ex, the details of which are found on the agenda on the city’s website.

csackariason@aspentimes.com