Letter: Shame on those who surrender to the big box

I am astonished that anyone who professes to love Aspen would want to sabotage the charm of Victorian Main Street by creating a big box such as the Base2 project in the midst of charming Victorian houses. Big boxes belong in Denver, not in Aspen.

Furthermore, we cannot begin to fathom how much more congested Main Street will become without parking for the guests of the Base2 project. It is insanity to create development without providing parking. I contend that it is a clear disincentive to come to Aspen if there’s no place to park. People won’t leave their cars home; they’ll leave themselves home!

Is the Aspen City Council determined to ignore the city’s rules and willingly allow variances for developers who promote big boxes until Aspen has no charm left? How did we manage to elect representatives who are willing to discard Aspen’s charm?

The Base2 project is more than twice the size allowed by zoning and it provides no parking, which undoubtedly will destroy the small but important retail businesses on Monarch Street.

Shame on those who surrender to the demands of big-box developers instead of preserving any remaining small-town charm. Please vote “no” on Base2 — vote “no” on 2A.

Susan O’Neal

Aspen