Snowmass Center owners present stipulation to town in land purchase pursuit

Eastwood Snowmass Investors, the owners of the Snowmass Center, presented a stipulation regarding the town’s planned land purchase in a planning commission meeting Wednesday. 

If the town doesn’t approve Eastwood’s revised plan to redevelop the Snowmass Center by the end of the year, the sale might not go through, according to Eastwood Snowmass Investors General partner Jordan Sarick.

The town plans to spend $12.5 million on the parcel in 2025 to buy three acres behind the center for affordable housing, according to the Snowmass 2025 budget. The sale is contingent upon the approval of an amendment to Eastwood’s plan to redevelop the Snowmass Center.

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Eastwood proposed a plan to redevelop the Snowmass Center in 2020, which Snowmass approved. But now that they plan to sell three acres to the town, they must make amendments to distinguish land usage.

The land is divided into multiple parcels of land. After the meeting, Sarick said Eastwood must redesign its redevelopment plan to better distinguish usage of the different parcels, so the town can build affordable housing on the parcels they purchase.

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“The really intensive mixed use nature of the approved center had residential and commercial and affordable housing in there.” Sarick said, referring to the plan the town approved in 2020. “And so separating it, it’s just going to be commercial in the center, and affordable housing on the hillside behind.”

Though the planning commission liked much of the new design presented by Eastwood, they voiced concerns about the amendments. 

Commissioner Jim Gustafson said he worries the new design would create a choke point for the road behind the proposed building, making it difficult to manage traffic, especially if the town builds affordable housing above the Snowmass Center in the coming year. 

Commission President Brian Marshack said he thinks the proposed 200 parking spaces are excessive, and voiced concerns about the current Snowmass Center parking lot, which he said is empty 90% of the time. 

To move forward, the Planning Commision must first approve the redesign, which Eastwood would then present to Town Council for approval. The commission did not make a resolution to approve it in the Wednesday meeting, nor did they determine a condition for their approval. 

The commision suggested they revisit the redesign on Dec. 4, when Eastwood was next scheduled to discuss the Snowmass Center. In response, Sarick voiced his concerns about the ongoing process.

He said the contract the town signed to buy the land parcels was contingent on the approval of the redesigned center. It also allows for the seller, Eastwood, to terminate the contract for any reason.

“The reason for that was as a private enterprise with an already existing but expiring PUD approval,” Sarick said, referring to the approval the town had given Eastwood for the original redevelopment. “We simply cannot move at the traditional speed of government.”

The town’s approval of the original redevelopment design could eventually expire if they don’t get this redesign approved, which could make the land harder to sell, he said. 

“We had made it very clear that our intention and our hope was to be through a process this calendar year, with an expected closing of next year,” Sarick said. “And the delay that we’re contemplating right now will not allow for that.”

Sarick added that he is under significant pressure from stakeholders who are pushing for approval.

Community Development Director Dave Shinneman told the planning commission that, should they proceed with their planned timeline to further discuss the project, it would be impossible to finish the approval process by the end of the calendar year. The only way to get the redesign through to council would be for the planning commission to approve it on Nov. 20, Shinneman said.

Commissioner Doug Faurer emphasized the town’s need for the land given the lack of affordable housing.

“This is an opportunity that the town doesn’t want to miss,” Faurer said.

The commission decided to add the Snowmass Center redesign to the Nov. 20 agenda.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.