Contested Starlet Lane addition paused; BOCC continues hearing to Dec. 17 with fire and stream review requested

Pitkin County commissioners continued a public hearing on a land-use application from 3PK Starlet LLC for restoration and expansion of a legal nonconforming residence in Old Snowmass to give the applicant time to address fire-safety and streamside issues raised by neighbors and commissioners.

What the application seeks: Community Development staff said the project proposes about 1,011 square feet of additional floor area (a ~780 sq ft second-floor addition and ~231 sq ft first-floor changes), increasing the residence's total floor area to roughly 5,286—5,415 square feet including accessory structures. The property sits within riparian setbacks and FEMA Zone A floodplain; staff said the proposal cannot meet the current 100-foot riparian standard (code section 9-50-20) and therefore must be reviewed under the BOCC's chapter 9 nonconforming provisions (9-50-30).

Key neighborhood and safety concerns: Multiple neighbors and commissioners said recent fires in the area, narrow Starlet Lane, limited turnarounds and constrained access raise public-safety risks. Neighbor Stephanie Heineken told the board the lane is "like 15 feet wide" in places and said recent structure fires demonstrated limited water and access for suppression. Roaring Fork Fire & Rescue told staff that a 10,000-gallon tank in proximity to the dwelling could substitute for sprinklers, but staff and the applicant said on-site siting of such a tank appears infeasible given setbacks, slopes and an existing leach field.

Applicant's response and mitigation offers: The applicants and their architect said they walked the site with the fire district and the only practical mitigation the project could guarantee now was to sprinkler the proposed addition; they offered to explore full-house sprinkling and to approach neighbors about siting a shared 10,000-gallon tank. Architect Zoe noted the creek and ponds are not reliable water sources year-round and that any tank located far from the house would not meet fire-department distance requirements.

Board direction and next steps: Commissioners asked staff to invite Roaring Fork Fire & Rescue to the next hearing, and some commissioners suggested consulting a riparian or stream ecologist to review potential impacts to Capitol Creek. The applicant requested a continuance and the BOCC continued the public hearing to Dec. 17 to allow additional fire-safety and streamside materials to be prepared.

Ending: The board closed public comment for now and set a date certain for Dec. 17 to review additional materials, with staff tasked to coordinate referrals to fire authorities and (at the board's request) consider whether an ecological review is warranted.