GLASSIER SITE VISIT – PARKING DISCUSSION
May 29, 2015
BOCC members present: Steve Child, George Newman
OSTB members present: Howie Mallory, Graeme Means
OST staff present: Dale Will, Gary Tennenbaum, Janet Urquhart
Also present: Jason James, landscape architect with DHM Design, on behalf of OST; Brett Meredith, RFTA trail manager
Rory Cerise, Alec Parker, Jimmy Dula, Laura Lucero, Jason Smith and Michael Thompson, representing agricultural lease interests at Glassier Open Space
Holly McLain, Terry Murray, Leslie Thomas and Carol Dopkin, representing equestrian interests
Laura Smith and Amy French representing neighborhood interests
Rheta Strong, Tom Detweiler and Glenda Knight representing neighborhood/equestrian interests
Gary Tennenbaum explained the site visit was the start of a public process, spelled out by the Glassier Open Space Management Plan, to explore the feasibility of horse trailer parking at the Glassier house site. Jason James, he said, was hired to draft a conceptual plan that would accommodate horse trailers and the parking needs of agricultural lessees around the house. If this option is not feasible, other options will be explored for trailer parking. The management plan can be amended, Tennenbaum said, but a public process will be required. The goal of the site visit was to gather feedback on the feasibility of horse trailer parking at the house site.
Laura Smith said she wasn’t sure it was appropriate to relook at parking after the management plan process established a site for Glassier recreational parking at the corner of Hooks Lane and Hooks Spur Road (the Carricarte parcel).
Steve Child said the site visit was his first look at the property and explained the ultimate decisions regarding parking will rest with the Board of County Commissioners.
Jason James said the conceptual parking plan calls for creating a loop driveway around the Glassier House. The goal was to approach the historic character of the site, including buildings and trees, with sensitivity. Gary Tennenbaum noted OST has contracted with Aspen Tree Service to test trees on the property and determine which ones must be trimmed or felled, regardless of the whatever parking plan might move forward. The conceptual parking plan identifies places for six 6‐horse trailers around the Glassier house, Tennenbaum said. They would not all be stacked together. The length of the parking spots is 55 feet, James said. Holly McLain said her vehicle and 3‐horse trailer take up 44 feet.
Two potential parking places along the driveway south of the house were pointed out. A pear tree next to the driveway is in good shape, said Michael Thompson. Several other old fruit trees are unhealthy. Grafts of those trees would be used to start new trees elsewhere. That should be done in March or April and that effort will be made next year, he said. Some of the trees would be removed to accommodate the parking of two horse trailers, Tennenbaum said.
Two more trailer parking spots, as well as parking for agricultural lessees, is envisioned to the rear of the house. More tree removal and the removal of part of a non‐historic, garage structure would be necessary to create the loop driveway, Tennenbaum said. The entire three‐sided, metal structure could also be relocated, he said. Rheta Strong suggested the entire structure be moved out of the way. A metal grainery behind the house would also be relocated. Jimmy Dula and Jason Smith agreed moving the grainery would not affect their ability to use it.
Looping toward the north side of the house, other trees and an outhouse would be removed, Tennenbaum said. Steve Child asked agricultural lessees to point out where they intend to install a fence and asked Tennenbaum if their lease price would be adjusted to accommodate two trailer parking spots on the north side of the house. The price reduction is a possibility, Tennenbaum said. The trailer spots would fall within the lease area, but not within the area to be fenced, Thompson said.
Carol Dopkin said she appreciated the work that went into the conceptual plan, but said she doesn’t feel the actions that would be taken to accommodate horse trailers are appropriate at the historic homesite. In addition, she said the area would be tight for horse trailer use and create an inconvenience for agricultural lessees. She suggested horse trailer parking be located across the road, on the agricultural Lease C parcel. Thompson said the conceptual plan shows trailer parking around the house is possible, but the ag lessees he is working with would prefer the trailers park on Lease C. There are eventual plans for an orchard there, but lessees will also use Lease C for delivery vehicles, he said.
Opening Lease C to trailer parking will require an expanded public process, Tennenbaum said. McLain said the Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council would help purchase trees to screen parking on Lease C. Graeme Means said he shared the concerns about crowding and impacts to the historic resources with trailers at the house site; he asked to look at Lease C as an option for parking for horse trailer parking only, in limited size and quantity.
Laura reiterated that Lease C was previously rejected for parking during development of the management plan and that the Carricarte property was the compromise. Jason Smith asked if the Carricarte property could accommodate horse trailers. A conceptual plan for that parcel included two trailer spaces, Tennenbaum said. A final plan will be developed this year.
Howie Mallory asked Brett Meredith if a bridal path could be developed along the Rio Grande Trail to connect parking at Carricarte to Glassier Open Space so that equestrians would not have to ride on the road or the Rio Grande Trail. That could be done, Meredith said.
Parking for horse trailers at Carricarte would require the least amount of work, said Alec Parker. There will be difficulties with crossing the Rio Grande Trail to access Lease C, he said. People currently ride horses on the road, he added. Equestrians who plan to ride on the Crown should be able to ride a half‐mile down the road to reach the open space, he said. The Carricarte lot doesn’t have enough space, McLain responded.
The group walked over to Lease C. Tennenbaum pointed out the boundaries, the existing route to the Crown and the envisioned route of a trail that will be built to reach the Crown. Traffic on the road and visual impacts were concerns about using Lease C for parking when the management plan was drafted, he said. Jason Smith said putting horse trailers at Lease C will lead to questions about why equestrians have privileges over other recreational users of the property. Horses in proximity with other users pose a safety issue, McLain said. Laura Smith suggested using fencing to segregate trailer parking on the Carricarte parcel. If there is room there for trailers, and a soft track to ride to Glassier, that could work, McLain said.
The group moved to the Carricarte parcel, where Amy French and Leslie Thomas joined the discussion. McLain said she wasn’t sure the Carricarte parcel would be suitable for horses and trailers; she asked that Lease C be opened to trailers in the interim.
The Open Space and Trails Board and county commissioners will use a public process to determine the parking, said Steve Child. George Newman said he’d like to see a new conceptual plan drafted for Carricarte that accommodates the six trailers that were in the house site parking plan, along with parking for other users. Child said he would like to see how Carricarte works for all of the recreational parking needs before putting parking elsewhere. Howie Mallory also voiced support for a new conceptual plan for the Carricarte property.
The planning process for the Carricarte lot will be public and those who are interested will be notified so they can participate, Tennenbaum said. Dopkin asked Meredith what it would take to get started on a separated soft track for horses along the Rio Grande Trail. A single‐track would not be difficult, he said. A wider path is possible in the wider areas between the trail and the road, he said. McLain suggested the path make use of the edge of Lease C. There could be room there, Thompson said. Tennenbaum said a partnership of Open Space and Trails, RFTA and the house council could work on getting the path built.
Leslie Thomas asked if there would be no temporary parking elsewhere for horse trailers. There will not, Tennenbaum confirmed. Child asked if trailers could be parked at Carricarte once it’s purchased. Yes, Tennenbaum said, but the transaction will not be complete until October as the parcel must go through Eagle County’s subdivision process.
May 29, 2015
BOCC members present: Steve Child, George Newman
OSTB members present: Howie Mallory, Graeme Means
OST staff present: Dale Will, Gary Tennenbaum, Janet Urquhart
Also present: Jason James, landscape architect with DHM Design, on behalf of OST; Brett Meredith, RFTA trail manager
Rory Cerise, Alec Parker, Jimmy Dula, Laura Lucero, Jason Smith and Michael Thompson, representing agricultural lease interests at Glassier Open Space
Holly McLain, Terry Murray, Leslie Thomas and Carol Dopkin, representing equestrian interests
Laura Smith and Amy French representing neighborhood interests
Rheta Strong, Tom Detweiler and Glenda Knight representing neighborhood/equestrian interests
Gary Tennenbaum explained the site visit was the start of a public process, spelled out by the Glassier Open Space Management Plan, to explore the feasibility of horse trailer parking at the Glassier house site. Jason James, he said, was hired to draft a conceptual plan that would accommodate horse trailers and the parking needs of agricultural lessees around the house. If this option is not feasible, other options will be explored for trailer parking. The management plan can be amended, Tennenbaum said, but a public process will be required. The goal of the site visit was to gather feedback on the feasibility of horse trailer parking at the house site.
Laura Smith said she wasn’t sure it was appropriate to relook at parking after the management plan process established a site for Glassier recreational parking at the corner of Hooks Lane and Hooks Spur Road (the Carricarte parcel).
Steve Child said the site visit was his first look at the property and explained the ultimate decisions regarding parking will rest with the Board of County Commissioners.
Jason James said the conceptual parking plan calls for creating a loop driveway around the Glassier House. The goal was to approach the historic character of the site, including buildings and trees, with sensitivity. Gary Tennenbaum noted OST has contracted with Aspen Tree Service to test trees on the property and determine which ones must be trimmed or felled, regardless of the whatever parking plan might move forward. The conceptual parking plan identifies places for six 6‐horse trailers around the Glassier house, Tennenbaum said. They would not all be stacked together. The length of the parking spots is 55 feet, James said. Holly McLain said her vehicle and 3‐horse trailer take up 44 feet.
Two potential parking places along the driveway south of the house were pointed out. A pear tree next to the driveway is in good shape, said Michael Thompson. Several other old fruit trees are unhealthy. Grafts of those trees would be used to start new trees elsewhere. That should be done in March or April and that effort will be made next year, he said. Some of the trees would be removed to accommodate the parking of two horse trailers, Tennenbaum said.
Two more trailer parking spots, as well as parking for agricultural lessees, is envisioned to the rear of the house. More tree removal and the removal of part of a non‐historic, garage structure would be necessary to create the loop driveway, Tennenbaum said. The entire three‐sided, metal structure could also be relocated, he said. Rheta Strong suggested the entire structure be moved out of the way. A metal grainery behind the house would also be relocated. Jimmy Dula and Jason Smith agreed moving the grainery would not affect their ability to use it.
Looping toward the north side of the house, other trees and an outhouse would be removed, Tennenbaum said. Steve Child asked agricultural lessees to point out where they intend to install a fence and asked Tennenbaum if their lease price would be adjusted to accommodate two trailer parking spots on the north side of the house. The price reduction is a possibility, Tennenbaum said. The trailer spots would fall within the lease area, but not within the area to be fenced, Thompson said.
Carol Dopkin said she appreciated the work that went into the conceptual plan, but said she doesn’t feel the actions that would be taken to accommodate horse trailers are appropriate at the historic homesite. In addition, she said the area would be tight for horse trailer use and create an inconvenience for agricultural lessees. She suggested horse trailer parking be located across the road, on the agricultural Lease C parcel. Thompson said the conceptual plan shows trailer parking around the house is possible, but the ag lessees he is working with would prefer the trailers park on Lease C. There are eventual plans for an orchard there, but lessees will also use Lease C for delivery vehicles, he said.
Opening Lease C to trailer parking will require an expanded public process, Tennenbaum said. McLain said the Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council would help purchase trees to screen parking on Lease C. Graeme Means said he shared the concerns about crowding and impacts to the historic resources with trailers at the house site; he asked to look at Lease C as an option for parking for horse trailer parking only, in limited size and quantity.
Laura reiterated that Lease C was previously rejected for parking during development of the management plan and that the Carricarte property was the compromise. Jason Smith asked if the Carricarte property could accommodate horse trailers. A conceptual plan for that parcel included two trailer spaces, Tennenbaum said. A final plan will be developed this year.
Howie Mallory asked Brett Meredith if a bridal path could be developed along the Rio Grande Trail to connect parking at Carricarte to Glassier Open Space so that equestrians would not have to ride on the road or the Rio Grande Trail. That could be done, Meredith said.
Parking for horse trailers at Carricarte would require the least amount of work, said Alec Parker. There will be difficulties with crossing the Rio Grande Trail to access Lease C, he said. People currently ride horses on the road, he added. Equestrians who plan to ride on the Crown should be able to ride a half‐mile down the road to reach the open space, he said. The Carricarte lot doesn’t have enough space, McLain responded.
The group walked over to Lease C. Tennenbaum pointed out the boundaries, the existing route to the Crown and the envisioned route of a trail that will be built to reach the Crown. Traffic on the road and visual impacts were concerns about using Lease C for parking when the management plan was drafted, he said. Jason Smith said putting horse trailers at Lease C will lead to questions about why equestrians have privileges over other recreational users of the property. Horses in proximity with other users pose a safety issue, McLain said. Laura Smith suggested using fencing to segregate trailer parking on the Carricarte parcel. If there is room there for trailers, and a soft track to ride to Glassier, that could work, McLain said.
The group moved to the Carricarte parcel, where Amy French and Leslie Thomas joined the discussion. McLain said she wasn’t sure the Carricarte parcel would be suitable for horses and trailers; she asked that Lease C be opened to trailers in the interim.
The Open Space and Trails Board and county commissioners will use a public process to determine the parking, said Steve Child. George Newman said he’d like to see a new conceptual plan drafted for Carricarte that accommodates the six trailers that were in the house site parking plan, along with parking for other users. Child said he would like to see how Carricarte works for all of the recreational parking needs before putting parking elsewhere. Howie Mallory also voiced support for a new conceptual plan for the Carricarte property.
The planning process for the Carricarte lot will be public and those who are interested will be notified so they can participate, Tennenbaum said. Dopkin asked Meredith what it would take to get started on a separated soft track for horses along the Rio Grande Trail. A single‐track would not be difficult, he said. A wider path is possible in the wider areas between the trail and the road, he said. McLain suggested the path make use of the edge of Lease C. There could be room there, Thompson said. Tennenbaum said a partnership of Open Space and Trails, RFTA and the house council could work on getting the path built.
Leslie Thomas asked if there would be no temporary parking elsewhere for horse trailers. There will not, Tennenbaum confirmed. Child asked if trailers could be parked at Carricarte once it’s purchased. Yes, Tennenbaum said, but the transaction will not be complete until October as the parcel must go through Eagle County’s subdivision process.