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Residents urge managed Brush Creek parking for workers living in vehicles; commissioners hear tribute to attorney Gideon Kaufman
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Summary
Public commenters at the Pitkin County BOCC meeting on Nov. 5 urged the county to consider a managed overnight parking program at Brush Creek Park-and-Ride for workers living in vehicles, while another public commenter delivered a lengthy tribute to the late land-use attorney Gideon Kaufman.
Public comment at the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners' Nov. 5 meeting focused on two community matters: a multi-decade tribute to the late attorney Gideon Kaufman and pleas from residents who live in vehicles for a managed overnight parking program at the Brush Creek Park-and-Ride.
Glenn Horn delivered a detailed tribute to Gideon Kaufman, describing decades of collaboration on Aspen and county projects, including the Castle Creek Valley Ranch plan, the Moore (Five Tree) subdivision and the affordable housing overlay at Aspen Highlands Village. Horn said Kaufman 'used his outstanding skills to meld the interests of his clients with the public interest,' and credited Kaufman with drafting legislation and negotiating transfers of development rights that enabled affordable housing at ski-area bases.
Later in the public-comment period, Justin Voytis described living in a van while working in Aspen-area jobs and urged the board to identify a safe, managed place to park overnight. Voytis said the Brush Creek Park-and-Ride is a convenient location that avoids long drives to BLM lands and other remote spots and argued the county should explore a managed 'unsheltered' program similar to Summit County's approach: 'If there was a way that we could create a program or find a piece of property ... where it's close enough for those of us who do work in the area can park overnight, but also somewhere where it won't be abused,' he said.
Toni Kronberg, who said she had worked at the airport and previously for Gideon Kaufman, endorsed the public comment and stressed the county lacks workforce housing that addresses vehicle-dwelling workers. She said Brush Creek's proximity to services makes it valuable and urged the board to consider workforce-focused overnight options so employers do not lose employees because of housing and cost pressures.
The board did not take immediate action on the request at the Nov. 5 meeting but heard it during public comment and later discussed related workforce- and parking-policy questions in commissioner remarks and scheduled work-session follow-ups.
What next: Staff or commissioners may bring Brush Creek management and workforce-housing options to a work session or future hearing for policy direction; the speakers asked the board to consider site-specific solutions, temporary permitting, or a limited managed-parking program tied to employment verification.
