Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Reaction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors tell Aspen preservation board proposed addition would overwhelm West End house
Summary
Several neighbors told the Aspen Historic Preservation Commission the planned addition at 212 North Monarch is out of scale, risks tree loss and would erode the West Ends historic fabric; speakers urged exploring the platted alley as an alternative for access.
Neighbors and longtime residents urged the commission to withhold approval of the project as designed, saying the rear additions footprint and roof mass would overshadow the historic house and harm neighborhood character.
Bert Myron, a next-door neighbor, focused on trees and slope stability and urged the commission to avoid construction inside important drip lines and to study the possibility of using the existing platted alley for vehicle access. He warned of root impacts and said, "If anything is damaged, I for the roots or, it wouldn't surprise me if that hill that tree goes tumbling down." Walt Madden and other neighbors described the West Ends history of small-scale houses and said opening the alley could reduce driveway impacts.
Lisa Marcolotis, an Aspen native who previously served on the citys HBC, told the panel the West Ends historic fabric "is being gutted" and argued that the applications restoration activities (porch and some trim work) did not justify the scale of the new addition or a 250-square-foot bonus. John Mercolinis, another longtime resident, said the proposal "reminds me of the Trump Ballroom" and called the addition out of scale with the historic resource. Speakers asked the commission to weigh whether the deed restriction and prior TDRs should limit the degree of new above-grade floor area.
