Neighbors cite parking, safety and night‑sky impacts at Aspen Hills hearing

Several Midland Park neighbors told the commission on Aug. 6 that the Aspen Hills redevelopment would concentrate traffic, worsen parking shortages and create safety hazards near a school‑bus intersection. Speakers emphasized the neighborhood’s identity as employee housing and asked the commission to require additional mitigation or design changes.

Jeff Bestick urged a completion bond and reiterated reports of parking encroachment during a private event near the site. Ann Marie McPhee, representing neighbors who authored a distributed letter, said the development would change neighborhood character, increase shading and create safety issues at a busy intersection used by children. Carrie Brooks, who lives directly across the site, noted narrow streets, frequent service vehicles, lack of sidewalks and recent moose sightings that raise wildlife‑interaction concerns. Judy Wender pointed to a proposed glass entry and rooftop decks that she said would increase light and noise and was inconsistent with the neighborhood’s night‑sky stewardship.

The Midland Park Homeowners Association letter (dated Aug. 5, 2024) was read into the record and argued the application conflicts with many goals in the Aspen Area Community Plan (AACP), including policies to protect neighborhood massing, preserve natural resources and quantify project impacts. The letter requested additional data and proposed non‑exaction conditions of approval (design and safety) to reduce off‑site burdens on neighbors.

Commissioners acknowledged the public record and said neighborhood impacts were significant, but several said the land‑use code constrained their ability to deny an application that meets the code; legal counsel also noted the AACP is aspirational. Residents urged the commission to press staff and City Council for targeted mitigation in the Midland corridor.