What is a Planned Development?

A Planned Development (PD) is a zoning category in the City of Aspen Land Use Code.  The PD designation enables and encourages flexibility and innovation in the development process. PDs present advantages to the community-at-large because they facilitate a higher quality design and site planning and offer a greater variety of solutions to building challenges.  PDs also seek to preserve natural, historic, cultural, and scenic features on the land being proposed for development while also promoting safe and convenient multi-modal transportation options and circulation.  By encouraging innovation, PDs allow variations to standard permitted zone district land uses and dimensional requirements. 

Because PDs require Aspen City Council approval, they are voted on at public meetings with public hearings and community input as integral aspects of the process.

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Why a Planned Development?

In 1992, a Specially Planned Area (SPA) was approved for the Aspen Meadows Campus to enable development of building for the Aspen Institute, Aspen Music Festival and School, Aspen Center for Physics, as well as private single family homes.  

There have been amendments to the SPA over time as the needs and capacity of each organization has changed. In 2014, the City of Aspen converted all SPAs to Planned Developments (PD), including the Aspen Meadows. The PD designation of the Aspen Meadows means that any change to development on the campus requires a PD Amendment. For this reason, the nonprofit partners are pursuing a PD Amendment for our affordable housing project. 

What are the benefits for the community?

By partnering on the development application, the three nonprofits can create a more cohesive overall project.  The power of a shared vision and plan limits redundancies where possible and creates opportunities for the preservation of land, natural resources,  and neighborhood character.  The partners are working together to address key infrastructure needs, such as stormwater management and utilities, as well as transportation and parking impacts that may come from new housing in the area. 

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All three organizations have a deep respect for the character of the 40-acre Aspen Meadows Campus and understand its history and significance to the community.  We are committed to overall sustainability and to preserving the viewsheds, cultural significance, unexpected finds, openness, walkability, and unique features of the campus and neighborhood.  We will also share our housing stock with one another if the need and availability ever arises.

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