Repercussions of ‘Klanderization’

Dear Editor:Last spring, Helen Klanderud led the charge to pass the Klanderization of Aspen (the largest upzoning in the history of Aspen). The Aspen Times annual “Year in Review” noted one of the top three newsmakers for 2005 was that the Klanderud administration said “yes” on final review to every construction proposal throughout the year.This week Mick Ireland, speaking as an individual “for a significant part of the community that has concerns,” expressed that he did not believe the Limelight redevelopment was worth the sacrifices. In the same meeting J.E. DeVilbiss complained of “runaway development” allowed by the new upzoning and he characterized the new codes as “a snake in our garden.” DeVilbiss continued, “However, we can kill the snake – right now, tonight – we can chop its head off,” and then he asked the council to join him in passing a moratorium on construction to reconsider the upzoning codes.The 51 percent of the voters that re-elected Helen in May 2005 are well served by the impacts (traffic, parking and closing of local businesses) of blistering construction. However, the construction and related impacts fueled by the Klanderization of Aspen (the largest upzoning in the history of Aspen) is a legacy that the remaining 49 percent of us could happily live without.Bert MyrinAspen