Pitkin County P&Z approves 3,500-sq-ft GMQS allotment and site plan for Varian Mountain Properties with conservation commitments

The Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 7 approved a GMQS allotment and activity-envelope/site-plan for an application by Varian Mountain Properties LLC that allows construction of a 9,250-square-foot primary residence and a 4,060-square-foot agricultural (horse) barn at a 40.97-acre parcel on West Buttermilk Road.

The commission unanimously accepted staff scoring of the GMQS application and then voted to approve the activity envelope and site plan, subject to conditions negotiated at the hearing. The applicant requested a 3,500-square-foot GMQS allotment (the GMQS allotment is the additional floor area the county awards) and staff’s scoring found the application met the 20-point threshold used to evaluate such requests.

Why it matters: the approval allows construction above the base floor area on a rural parcel in the Owl Creek master-plan area in exchange for long-term conservation commitments, public trail access, and several mitigation measures intended to protect wetlands, wildlife habitat and emergency access.

The application included a set of GMQS commitments the county said supported the score: a 26.14-acre conservation easement over mature aspen stands; a 20-foot-wide winter Nordic trail easement to be dedicated to Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (the applicant also committed to fund construction); a 37.5-foot wetland setback (the county minimum is 25 feet); a proposed wildlife pond and wetland restoration plan; construction of a 40-by-10-foot emergency pull-off adjacent to an on-site hydrant; $100,000 to the Roaring Fork Conservancy for winter in‑stream flows in the Frying Pan River; and $45,000 to the Aspen Fire Protection District for fuel‑reduction work.

“Importantly, the proposed commitments, particularly the conservation easement, winter Nordic trail easement and fire‑hydrant pull‑off, are all commitments that are in perpetuity,” said Mike Kramer of Kramer Land Planning, representing the applicant. “We agree with staff’s recommendation on scoring.”

Staff presentation and technical findings

Tammy, planning staff for Pitkin County, summarized the project and the code review. She told commissioners the parcel is just under 41 acres and conforms to the AR‑10 zone district, and she described prior land‑use history including a 1993 lot split that created the lot, a building envelope, and…