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Aspen directs staff to draft electrification land-use code updates, seeks clarity on flexibility and transformers
Summary
Council passed a policy resolution directing staff to draft Title 26 amendments to support electrification, asking staff to clarify dimensional flexibility for existing vs. new development and to bring case studies on floor‑area impacts and transformer needs.
Council adopted Policy Resolution 51 on May 12 to direct staff to draft land-use code amendments (Title 26) related to electrification, including questions about dimensional flexibility, height and setback allowances, and whether floor-area rules should be adjusted to accommodate larger mechanical equipment.
Haley Hart, long-range planner, and Sophie Varga, zoning administrator, told the council that the policy resolution is the first step under Code Section 26-3-10 and that staff would return with redlines and case studies. "This policy resolution began with council's direction in 2023 to form an electrification task force," Hart said, explaining the staff's approach and the rationale for updated dimensional standards.
Council members agreed the city should treat existing development differently from new construction where site constraints make equipment placement difficult. Several members also raised transformer capacity and shared-cost questions; one councilor requested a subgroup dedicated to transformer issues. The council voted to pass the policy resolution, directing staff to prepare draft code amendments and case studies to inform future work sessions and first readings.
