Thurs, July 15: Free Geothermal Energy Colloquium at CMC.

Thurs, July 15: Trail Clean Up on Ajax Mountain.

Wed, July 28: Picnic in the Park with Local Law Enforcement . Food and drinks. 11:30 to 1 at the Aspen Recreation Center.

Wed, July 28: Aspen Modern: Historic Preservation Discussion from 6-8 p.m. at the Mountain Chalet.

 City of Aspen News

'Brown Bags' Set for Art Museum Proposal

The brown bags will be held for the public to learn more about the proposed settlement agreement involving a new art museum.The sessions will be Thursday, July 15, from 12 to 1; Wednesday, July 21, from 3:30 to 4:30; and Tuesday, July 27, from 12 to 1. All meetings will be held in Council Chambers at Aspen City Hall, 130 South Galena St. Drinks will be provided.

The Aspen City Council announced last week that a proposed settlement agreement regarding properties at 625 and 633 South Spring Street will be the subject of public feedback this summer. The settlement addresses the pending lawsuit between the City of Aspen and 633 Spring II LLC regarding their 2008 redevelopment application. Aspects of the proposed settlement include a new Aspen Art Museum, as well as a mixed-use building located on what is known as the Weinerstube property and an adjacent parking lot.

The 1st Reading of the ordinance for the proposal occurred before council on July 12. The second reading will occur on August 2, starting at 3 p.m.

The public is also invited to visit the current Aspen Art Museum, at 590 North Mill Street, to view the model and renderings and learn more about the proposed project. More details here: http://www.aspenpitkin.com/Departments/Community-Development/Planning-and-Zoning/Proposed-Art-Museum-/.

Aspen Chosen by Nat'l Trust for 'Modern Mod'

The City of Aspen has been selected as one of six communities across the country to host a “Modern Module” as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s campaign to raise awareness for preserving places from our recent past. Modern Modules have already been held in Los Angeles and Minneapolis and Boston.

The free event, dubbed Aspen Modern, will be Wednesday, July 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mountain Chalet, 333 East Durant Ave. Drinks and appetizers will be provided.

“In 1947 Aspen opened the longest ski lift in existence, forever etching its place as the nation’s first world class ski resort. The title of longest ski lift is gone, but many examples of the architecture of the era remain and are severely threatened,” said Barbara Pahl, regional director of the Mountains/Plains Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The community is divided about what, why and how to preserve Aspen’s modern and recent past resources. Preservation of the recent past has been debated in Aspen for a decade. Current land values and estate planning are demanding a resolution before the properties are lost. Aspen’s struggles, mistakes and successes can serve as a case study for other similar communities.”

The goal of Aspen Modern is to engage the local community, including design professionals, elected officials, property owners, and the general public, to draw connections between Aspen’s exciting ski history and establishment as an intellectual center with Aspen’s architecture. Mountain Mod will create new opportunities for all generations to participate and speak to the preservation of modern and recent past resources. 

Aspen Modern will open with a panel discussion including national preservation experts, as well as locals representing a wide variety of viewpoints, including developers, the business community, politicians, architects, athletes, lifetime residents and historians. 

Who Turned On the Lights?

Noticed things looking a little brighter in the Rio Grande Parking Garage? That’s because we’ve increased the lighting levels in the garage while creating an energy savings in the building.

How did we do it? We switched to more efficient fixtures and increased the “light spread,” meaning that the lights throw a broader beam. The change is estimated to save 102,946 kWh/year.

The fixture retrofit happened on all levels of the garage, so you can feel safer walking throughout the structure to and from your vehicle.

“Some of our customers felt, in the past, it was a little dark in there,” said Blake Fitch, operations manager for the garage. “While Aspen is lucky to not have safety issues like other ‘big city’ garages, we still wanted to increase lighting so people would feel safe and comfortable parking there.”

Remember, it’s cheaper to park in the garage than on the street, and you don’t have to circle town looking for a spot. You can purchase a 10 visit pass for $50. More details on the garage here.  

City/County Accepting Grant Applications

The City of Aspen and Pitkin County are now accepting grant applications from area non-profits for funding in 2011.  Non-profit organizations that are dedicated to working together to strengthen the quality of life in the Roaring Fork Valley are eligible to apply. In 2010, the City gave more than $1 million to local non-profits.  

The City of Aspen and Pitkin County provide funding support to private 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.  Grant requests for Pitkin County and the City of Aspen must be applied for separately, and the requests are reviewed by citizen grant review committees. Each committee then makes recommendations for funding to their governing body.

For more information or to receive a grant application packet, contact Sheila Babbie in the City Finance Department at 970-920-5040, or Mitzi Ledingham in the Health and Human Services Department of Pitkin County at 970-920-5766.  The deadline for completed applications is Monday, August 2, 2010 at 5 p.m. Late applications will not be considered. Grant information is also available on the Web at http://www.aspenpitkin.com/Departments/Grants/.

Harmony Park Grand Opening

City Councilmen Steve Skadron and Derek Johnson officially opened the park with a ribbon cutting and some light refreshments.  

“If you haven’t already seen it, or perhaps played with your children in it, Harmony Park is located near the Burlingame neighborhood,” said Director of Parks and Open Space Stephen Ellsperman. “The two-acre neighborhood park includes a half-acre play lawn, age-separated play areas, naturalistic water features, native landscape zones and large land forms that will certainly function as sledding hills in the wintertime.” 

The park design integrates storm water from the current and future phases of Burlingame construction into an amenity at the northern end of the park.  The park design also utilizes ditch water flows as a component of the water feature.
Harmony Park was completed this spring, on time and on budget. The park was budgeted in the 2009 City budget for approximately $300,000, with an additional $90,500 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.

Aspen's Summer Pollution Concern: Ozone

While most of Aspen’s citizens are familiar with the winter battle against particulate pollution, otherwise referred to as PM10, many do not know that ground level ozone is an emerging local concern in the summer. 

There are two types of ozone. Ozone high in the atmosphere provides protection against dangerous ultraviolet rays. Ozone down at ground level is an air pollutant that is harmful to breathe and damages crops, trees and other vegetation. It is a main ingredient of smog.

In general, the summer’s hot temperatures and intense sunlight cook the air along with chemical pollution from vehicle exhaust, oil and gas extraction, lawn equipment and household paints, stains and solvents. This creates ground-level ozone.

The City is in the early stages of assessing the risk of harmful ozone levels in Aspen. The Environmental Health Website lists a graph of the previous month’s daily ozone 8 hour average. Soon, the site will also have a real-time reporting system that will help citizens who are susceptible to respiratory illness decide whether or not to tackle outdoor activities like hiking or biking that day. Until then, look toward the horizon during daylight hours to see if there is thick, hazy smog in the air. 

Because the average adult breathes over 3,000 gallons of air a day, and one out of every three people exposed to air pollution is at a higher risk of experiencing health effects, now is the time to protect Aspen’s air. 

Here are some steps you can take right now:

• Conserve energy.
• Open windows to cool your home.
• Avoid over-filling your vehicle’s tank and refuel after 5 p.m.
• Take the bus or carpool to work; bike or walk when running errands.
• Mow lawns after 5 p.m. and use electric powered or human powered gardening equipment.

To learn more about ozone pollution you can visit the following websites:
http://www.aspenpitkin.com/Departments/Environmental-Health/Air-Quality/Ozone/
http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=goodup.page1

Emergency Electrical Service Improved

The City of Aspen was recently awarded a Department of Energy grant for improving its energy assurance plan, which makes sure critical customers like police, sheriff and fire departments, and citizens on oxygen and other medical equipment get continuous electrical service even during emergencies.

The $60,000 grant came from the Department’s Local Energy Assurance Program, which provides grants, training and support for communities so they can provide life-saving services during an energy emergency.

“Aspen is relatively isolated and has the potential to be subject to a variety of natural disasters like blizzards, mudslides, rockslides and wildfires,” said Phil Overeynder, public works director for the City of Aspen. “Aspen Electric is always looking for ways to increase the reliability and efficiency of our services, and we were in need of an updated emergency response plan that increased Aspen’s energy resiliency during potential outages and emergencies. This grant gives us the ability to take that next step.”

An Alien Invasion in Aspen???

The tanks, called clarifiers, serve as the first step in treating drinking water from Castle and Maroon Creeks. A polymer is added in the clarifiers to work as a coagulant, gathering all the debris (such as leaves) into chunks so it is easier to filter out of the water. The new covers, which are preferred by state drinking water officials, help keep additional debris and dust out of the tanks.

"The more debris that is kept out of the tanks means we need less polymer in the water, and that's always a good thing," said Phil Overeynder, director of public works.

The covers, despite looking space-age, are low-profile and are a nice alternative to building big buildings around the tanks. They are also located very close to the surface of the water, helping to keep the water from freezing as often and resulting in easier maintenance at the facility.    
Have questions on this or other water treatment projects? Call 970-920-5110.