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Restaurateur urges Aspen to plan now for airport closure, proposes year-round patios
Summary
A local restaurateur told the Aspen City Council that businesses should take proactive steps ahead of the airport closure, estimating patio build and operating costs and urging a city-supported task force to coordinate planning with the Chamber of Commerce and other partners.
Sam Hayes, a restaurateur who said he is building the Golden Horn on Mill and Cooper, urged the Aspen City Council on March 10 to plan proactively for the upcoming Aspen airport closure rather than react later.
"If we were able to keep [patios] up year round, then we would lose the storage and the setup and breakdown," Hayes said, describing patio costs of about $75,000 to construct and roughly $20,000 a year to set up, break down and store. He also cited liquor-license fees in the range of $16,000 to $20,000. "If we can prepare ourselves beforehand...let's be on top of it and come out super happy after this airport closure," he said.
Council members responded with interest in a coordinated approach. One council member proposed forming a community task force that would liaise with the Chamber of Commerce and city staff; Mayor Mary Richards warned that permanent patio structures could trigger affordable-housing mitigation fees and reduce summer parking. The council asked staff to return with more information and suggested an information memo about streamlining al fresco-dining approvals for restaurants that repeatedly submit identical applications.
Background: Council and staff noted the Chamber is already surveying businesses and working on alternate ground-transportation routes. The council invited Hayes and other business stakeholders to submit written proposals for staff review and recommended exploring options that balance economic support with parking and land-use requirements.
