Aspen preservation panel votes to recommend denial of Armory Hall redesign, sets conditions for reconsideration

The Aspen Historic Preservation Commission voted to recommend that City Council deny the land‑use application for the redevelopment of Armory Hall and Connor Memorial Park as presented, after hours of testimony from the applicant, staff, members of the public and a lengthy commissioner debate.

The motion to deny, moved by a preservation‑oriented commissioner and amended on the floor, passed with a majority and one abstention. The commission said the applicant must address a set of conditions before HPC will reconsider an approval, including restudying and simplifying the proposed Connor Park vestibule, removing a large proposed fenestration adjacent to that vestibule, retaining the historically significant southern eave where feasible, avoiding integrated gutters on the historic roof, and providing a minimum one‑foot nonplanting border between new landscape material and historic brick.

Julian White, the city’s Historic Preservation Officer, laid out staff concerns in a presentation before the vote, saying the proposed removal of the southern eave “is not consistent with guideline 10.1” and that the proposed fenestration changes would “confuse what is historic” under guidelines 3.5 and 3.7. White urged the commission to use conditions if it did not choose a straight approval or denial.

The applicant team — led by Jessica Garrow of Design Workshop and joined by Todd Kennedy of CCY — emphasized that council resolutions issued over multiple years directed key design choices and that the design seeks a balance between preservation and commercial viability. Garrow asked HPC for clear conditions to take to City Council: “We would really request tonight to get some very clear direction and recommendation of conditions… so that we can share that with council as part of that conversation,” she said.

During deliberations several commissioners took a strict preservation stance, arguing the commission’s mandate is to prevent removal of historic material. One commissioner stated in strong terms: “You do not remove historic brick from the building, period.” Other commissioners argued the building must also be usable and financially viable, urging flexibility on a few elements if historic fabric can be protected elsewhere.

The amended set of conditions the commission adopted asks the applicant to: retain and justify key historic elements; restudy the vestibule to be minimized and simplified (including how the entry is detailed); maintain or restudy the proposed bay/window details to better align with the historic preservation guidelines; avoid an integrated gutter on the historic roof; and provide a minimum gravel/grit border around the historic structure. The motion directs staff to assemble the recommended conditions into a resolution for Council review.

Next steps: the item will proceed to City Council for formal land‑use decisions; HPC’s recommendation and its conditions will accompany that review. The applicant may revise designs and return to HPC if the design is materially changed.