Stop this luxury-hotel dance in Aspen

Dear Editor:

Roger Marolt’s Nov. 30 column is right on (“A bad day for all of us – yahoo!” The Aspen Times).

We do not need another luxury hotel in a poor location just so developers can make a profit off our town.

First, a developer pays too much for a site than is economically feasible with existing zoning.

Then the game begins.

City Council says “give us more employee housing (but never enough for the employees generated by the project) and we will give you more height.”

The developer says “it won’t work unless we also get more density.”

After much hand wringing on both sides, a deal is struck.

What do we get?

A mostly vacant timeshare on a street so steep (look at Snowmass) that tourists can’t climb it and shuttles have to be provided for World Cup.

And, another bonus to the developer, we lose all parking on South Aspen Street.

It’s time for the game to stop.

To the developer I say, “Fare the well.”

To City Council, I say, “Stick to existing zoning and the Aspen master plan and stop playing games.”

Charles Hopton

Aspen