This week: AH Concept, Community Survey Results, Election Ballot
What's happening...
(ACC - Aspen City Council, BOCC - Pitkin Board of County Commissioners)
🏠 West End Affordable Housing at US Forest Service Site
Council will get an update on the conceptual partnership for affordable housing at the 2.13-acre Forest Service Administrative site. A high-density option envisions 57 individual housing units, 36 bunkhouse beds and Forest Service administrative offices. A low-density option envisions 38 individual units, 36 bunkhouse beds, Forest Service administrative offices and a maintenance/workshop.
✅ Aspen Community Survey Says...
96% of survey respondents feel safe in Aspen, which is much higher than the national or state benchmark - a high point of the survey results.
32% of respondents expressed overall confidence in the city of Aspen government, below national benchmarks but in line with state benchmarks.
30% of respondents favorably rated the overall direction the city of Aspen is taking, below national and state benchmarks.
🔢 Pitkin County Economic Update
In the most recent NWCCOG update, Pitkin County shows negative population growth (-4.1%) since 2020, the highest Average Annual Wage ($75,556) among 6 counties in the region, and an imbalance of fewer people in the labor force (11,371) than total jobs in the county (19,804) which requires workers to commute into the county to fill jobs.
🏨 Lodging Average Daily Rates Take a Hike
The Average Daily Rate for Aspen lodging in August reached $769 per night, up $45 dollars from a year ago and $70 higher than 2 years ago.
🛩 Aspen Airport Passenger Liftoff
Total passenger traffic is up 14.2% YOY, most significantly in offseason - April & May.
🍔 Food Hall Facts
A staff memo addresses questions about the Armory (Food) Hall space planning and curation, operations and financials. The separate restaurant vendors and common area will be managed by a third-party licensee, open 7 days a week from early morning to late evening. The food & beverage vendors will not be subsidized by the city, but the efficiency of the design program is expected to keep the offerings affordable.
🚴♂️ Maroon Creek Multi-Use Trail $pending
Poor subsurface conditions have resulted in a request to increase the $7,572,071.57 project budget by 13.5% to complete the new 10' wide multi-use trail from Aspen Chapel to the Rec Center tennis courts.
🎶 Belly Up + Buttermilk
The BOCC will hear a request for approval for a multi-concert series at the base of Buttermilk on 2 separate weekends - June 26th and August 16th 2025.
🗳 Ballot Sneek Peak
The BOCC will review a sample ballot for the upcoming November election. Please register to vote!
🌲 Parks Strategic Plan Survey
Please participate in the 'Explore the Future of Aspen's Parks!' survey here.