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Hut plan near Aspen rests on housing, preserving ski area |
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Thursday, November 17, 2011 06:13 |
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Photo by The Aspen Times
By JANET URQUHART, THE ASPEN TIMES
The approval of huts to provide overnight accommodations at Ashcroft Ski Touring south of Aspen appears to hinge on two issues: fulfilling prior commitments to build worker housing at the site, and ensuring that the cross-country ski operation and the huts remain accessible to the public.
“Everything kind of falls into place after that,” said Pitkin County Commissioner Rachel Richards after Wednesday's second review of a proposal from Ashcroft owner John Wilcox. The hearing was continued to Dec. 7, giving Wilcox and the county's planning staff time to address the commissioners' concerns.
For Richards, the prospect of allowing the construction of ski huts on private land at Ashcroft, only to see the property purchased and privatized at some point in the future, was troubling. “It becomes someone's private backyard, in essence,” she said.
She called on the planning staff to come up with a mechanism to ensure continued access to the huts and continuation of the ski touring operation after Wilcox steps away from the business.
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