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Aspen council declines to carry forward unused growth-management allotments
Summary
The council voted Jan. 13 to follow staff recommendation and not carry forward unused 2025 allotments in the Growth Management Quota System into 2026, and directed staff to consider targeted code changes rather than an immediate full community-plan update.
The Aspen City Council voted unanimously Jan. 13 to approve Resolution 006, accepting staff’s recommendation not to carry forward unused 2025 allotments from the city’s Growth Management Quota System (GMQS) into 2026.
Ben, the community development director, told council members that the GMQS numbers (commercial net leasable square feet, ‘lodge pillows’ for lodging capacity, demolition allotments and other categories) are set in the land-use code and are designed to reflect a 2% growth rate. Staff examined utilization rates and infrastructure capacity, and recommended against rolling unused allotments forward because annual allotments were sufficient for observed development rates.
Why it matters: The GMQS governs how much commercial and lodging development can occur in a given year. Not carrying forward unused allotments keeps 2026’s available capacity at the levels already set in the code and signals council caution about accelerating growth without joined-up infrastructure planning.
Council debate: Members questioned whether the GMQS and the broader Aspen Area Community Plan need modernization — some urged limited, targeted code updates to the allotment process while others urged holding off on a full community-plan rewrite because staff capacity is limited. Several members noted the rise of new lodging types (short-term rentals) that the current system does not fully capture.
Vote: Council adopted Resolution 006 by roll call with all present voting to approve staff’s recommendation.
Quote: “I don’t want to roll anything forward. This is my position,” the mayor said, emphasizing a cautious approach to growth in light of infrastructure needs.
Ending: Council asked staff to return with targeted code amendments aimed at streamlining demolition/allotment procedures and to report on any recommended next steps for community planning.
