Aspen Lumberyard Affordable Housing

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Aspen City Council approved the Lumberyard project on Sept. 19, 2023. To watch the meeting in which the Lumberyard was approved, read here. During the summer and fall of 2024, City Council will continue to meet and update the public on the next steps in the timeline.

After purchasing most of the land for the project in 2008, the city began conceptualizing the Lumberyard project in 2019 with a public outreach campaign.

The project, located just east of the Airport Business Center, will include 277 to 304 housing units with at least 467 bedrooms.

Read on for more information about the 100% electric project, including projected timelines, detailed information on the 100% affordable housing complex, and more.

What is the Lumberyard?

In response to the urgent need for affordable housing in the Aspen area, Aspen’s Lumberyard affordable housing development near the AABC will create approximately 300 new affordable housing units in three four-story buildings, along with communal landscapes, infrastructure, and transportation improvements.

Aspen City Council directed a community-based design process for the project, which included extensive community engagement. (LINK TO OLD ACV Surveys- TK) Through that process, the Aspen community favored a highly sustainable project with various unit types to serve a broad mix of demographics.

The Lumberyard is designed to provide 100% accessibility to all units on all levels of each building, with enhanced pedestrian access, tree-lined streets, and exterior access for all ground-floor units.

The project will include convenient access to multimodal transportation, including a new, dedicated, fare-free transit service to downtown Aspen at 30-minute intervals and a WeCycle bike-share. By housing 600 people closer to where they work, the project will reduce carbon emissions from commuter transportation by 500,000-600,000 pounds (about 272155.2 kg) per year.

100% Electric Project

The 100% electric project will seek sustainability certification under the Enterprise Green Communities Plus program. Its building envelope will be energy-efficient, and 75% of the energy will be offset from on-site solar photovoltaic systems.

100% Affordable Housing

The Lumberyard is planned to be 100% affordable housing intended for the local workforce, who will be required to qualify under the Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) income and asset regulations.

Half of the units will serve working households with incomes at or below 85% of Area Median Income (AMI). About a third of the units will serve working households with incomes from 85% to 130% AMI. The balance of units will serve households with incomes from 130% to 240% of AMI, and above.

Upcoming Process:

The Lumberyard project is divided into four implementation phases. The city of Aspen is expected to complete Phase 0 of the project by the end of 2026. This will consist of utility and roadway improvements to support next steps in the project.

Thereafter, there are three planned phases of affordable housing building development -Phases 1, 2 and 3 - each of which is a four-story building with approximately 100 units. The city plans to contract out the construction and operation of the housing buildings to private developers, which the city will select in 2024 and 2025.

Building phases being planned

The timing of the development of the three building phases is still being worked on as it is subject to private developer agreements and available funding. However, the city of Aspen expects that initial occupancy may occur in 2028 or 2029.

The outline below provides additional detail on the short-term project implementation process:

See the community outreach and design history for information about input received from the community from 2019 through 2022 and how the design process evolved over that time into the images and plans shown below.

Photosimulation of Lumberyard proposed building. Final schematic design for building 2 west facade at entry.Final schematic design site plan of buildings 1, 2 and three and the surrounding communal landscapes, trails, sidewalks and streets.Final schematic design building program. Unit Mic and Count graph with Rental and Ownership information. One-bedroom unit type: 129 count, building one 52 count, building two 43 count and building three, 34 count. Two-bedroom unit type: 106 count, building one 36, building two 36, building three 34. Three-bedroom unit type: 42 count, building one 16 count, building two 12 count, building three 14 count. Total Unit Count: 277, building one 104 count, building two 91 count, building three 82 count. Bedroom Count: 467 count, building one 172 count, building two 151 count, building three 144 count. Checklist includes: Increase bedroom count, units sized per APCHA guidelines, Aligns with recommended Mix from Demographic Study, Ownership Units Accomdated on Southside of site.Overall development timeline: 2005: City of Aspen reserves ability to develop housing at 3+ acre "Triangle Parcel" North of BMC West. 2007: Use of Housing funds to purchase BMC West Property 4+ acres, 2011: Annexation of BMC West Property into Aspen City Limits. 2016: Lease assumed by probuild/BFS, extended through 7/31/2025. 2019: Community outreach and conceptual design process begins. 2020: community outreach and conceptual design process begins. 2020: Community Outreach, Conceptual Design Traget of 310 Units, Purchase of 3-acre Mimi Storage Property. 2021: Parking Alternatives Analysis, Schematic Design Community Outrecah, Mini Storage Annexation Application. YOU ARE HERE 2022: Complete Schematic Design, Submit Development Application for Approval Process. 2023: PD Recording, Construction Documents, Building Permit Application Process. 2024: Target for access and infrastructure construction start. 2025: Traget for first phase of Housing Construction to Start. 2027: traget for occupancy of first phase of affordable housing. 2028: Remaining phases of phasing construction and occupancy TBD. Near-term Timeline: July 2022 - Council presentation Sept 26, Development Application Submitted Late October 2022, Round 5 Community Engagement Early November 2022. Development application Completeness Review. December 2022: Submit Final Development Application. Planning and Zoning Public hearing, 1st Council Reading, Second Council Reading. June 2022: council Approves, Development Agreement Approval, October 2023.The 100% schematic design set can be downloaded in the links below.

Development Application Plans, October 2022:

Existing Conditions and Draft Subdivision Plat

Landscape Character Plans

Public Infrastructure Plans

Architectural Character Plans

Schematic Design Plans, June 2022:

100% Schematic Design

Vision a stable, thriving affordable neighborhoof. Pedestrian friendly, envirnmentally sustainable, connected, and welcoming. Looks, lives and feels authentically Aspen!

SITE PLAN, MASSING AND OVERHEAD PERSPECTIVE

Final schematic design first floor patio perspective rendering. Rendering shows: tiered planting to soften base of building and provide seperation and privacy between patio and sidewalk, informal pathways to patio using pavers and gravel signals that this is no longer public domain. Low lying concrete walls to provide privacy but not shield views from the interior out. privacy panels above helping to seperate neigboring patios. Boulevard swale provides stormwater treatment and snow storage while also softening the road edge.

Final Schematic Design: Building One Amenity Space, Plaza & Courtyard. The plaza is the gateway upon arrival to the site. The amenity space sitting within becomes the living room for the site; welcoming and gathering the community. The common amenity spaces are easily accessed by building two residents. Building is connected to site with roff drainage becoming a feature, draining into the rain garden below. Transparency in the building common spaces is meant to create a connection inside to put as to invite community members to interact. With large overhangs, the green roof of the amenity space provides shelter from the snow as well as a pleasant sight for adjacent upper-floor residents. The circular landscape areas provide for a variety of settings both for residents and the function of the site. Pathways seemingly meandering through the site provide flexibility in creating functional connections between buildings or areas of the site.

Design updates. Site scheme progress: overhead site perspective shows building arrangement on site and relative scale to existing mountain rescue building.

SECTION

Design Updates: site section design displays site section showing HWY 82, property line, 10' wide mixed use trail, carport with storage, greenroof and solar panels, 26' street, 8.5' parallel parking, 5' tree island, 5' sidewalk, underground parking, interior communal landscape.

UNIT PLANS

Building design: 1-bed unit plan. Private balconies or terraces, sized to allow a variety of functions. open floor plans to give residents flexibility in furniture layout. Galley style kitchen to allow residents to use a dining table, a furniture island, or both! In-unit storage. living and bedroom spaces push to the exterior walls to best take advantage of daylight and views. All bedrooms ized to allow for king beds and flexibility with furniture. Walk-in closet in primary bedrooms. Stacked washer/dryer to create more usable space in linen closet. Bathtubs in every unit for families with children. 667 SF.

Building design: 2-bed unit plan. open floor plans to give residents flexiblity in furniture layout. Galley style kitchen to allow residents to use a dining table, furniture island, or both! Mud-room with cubbies to store all your outdoor gear and a washer/dryer. Private balconies or terraces, sized to allow a variety of functions. All bedrooms sized to allow for king beds and flexibility with furniture. Primary bedroom suite. Additional storage. Walk-in shower and tub to suit a variety of needs. 1068 SF.

Building design: 3-bed unit plan. Private balconies or terraces, sized to allow a variety of functions. Large continguous living and ining space for flexibility of furniture. Built-in desk nook to help with EFH! Extra-in unit storage to suit whateve your need. mud-room with cubbies and a washer/dryer. All bedrooms sized to allow for king beds and flexibility with furniture. Primary bedroom suite. Additional storage. Walk-in shower and tub to suit a variety of needs. 1467 SF.Project location image showing ASpen Airport Business Center, Highway 82, Mountain Rescue, and Aspen/Pitkin COunty Airport with the ASpen Lumberyard Property located next to mountain rescue across from the airport


WATCH THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSIONS:

Click to watch the September 26, 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the May 16th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the April 4th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the March 21st 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the February 14th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the January 10th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the November 1st 2021 City Council Work Session Recording


NOTES ON LAND USE PROCESS:

The development application for the Lumberyard affordable housing development is planned to be submitted late October or early November 2022.

Look for community outreach effort #5 related to the development application in early November 2022.

Note: There will be public hearings with Aspen City Council on a related land use action October 25, 2022 and November 15, 2022. This is a limited action which proposes to subdivide the southern-most portion of the project site from the larger, adjacent fathering parcel - an action that has been anticipated since the Bar-X Pre-Annexation Agreement nearly 20 years ago. Much like the annexation of the Lumberyard and the annexation of the Aspen Mini Storage property, both which have previously been completed, this action will approve no development and is intended only to prepare the southern-most portion of the Lumberyard project site for the Lumberyard development application, which is being handled as a separate action of its own.

Aspen City Council approved the Lumberyard project on Sept. 19, 2023. To watch the meeting in which the Lumberyard was approved, read here. During the summer and fall of 2024, City Council will continue to meet and update the public on the next steps in the timeline.

After purchasing most of the land for the project in 2008, the city began conceptualizing the Lumberyard project in 2019 with a public outreach campaign.

The project, located just east of the Airport Business Center, will include 277 to 304 housing units with at least 467 bedrooms.

Read on for more information about the 100% electric project, including projected timelines, detailed information on the 100% affordable housing complex, and more.

What is the Lumberyard?

In response to the urgent need for affordable housing in the Aspen area, Aspen’s Lumberyard affordable housing development near the AABC will create approximately 300 new affordable housing units in three four-story buildings, along with communal landscapes, infrastructure, and transportation improvements.

Aspen City Council directed a community-based design process for the project, which included extensive community engagement. (LINK TO OLD ACV Surveys- TK) Through that process, the Aspen community favored a highly sustainable project with various unit types to serve a broad mix of demographics.

The Lumberyard is designed to provide 100% accessibility to all units on all levels of each building, with enhanced pedestrian access, tree-lined streets, and exterior access for all ground-floor units.

The project will include convenient access to multimodal transportation, including a new, dedicated, fare-free transit service to downtown Aspen at 30-minute intervals and a WeCycle bike-share. By housing 600 people closer to where they work, the project will reduce carbon emissions from commuter transportation by 500,000-600,000 pounds (about 272155.2 kg) per year.

100% Electric Project

The 100% electric project will seek sustainability certification under the Enterprise Green Communities Plus program. Its building envelope will be energy-efficient, and 75% of the energy will be offset from on-site solar photovoltaic systems.

100% Affordable Housing

The Lumberyard is planned to be 100% affordable housing intended for the local workforce, who will be required to qualify under the Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) income and asset regulations.

Half of the units will serve working households with incomes at or below 85% of Area Median Income (AMI). About a third of the units will serve working households with incomes from 85% to 130% AMI. The balance of units will serve households with incomes from 130% to 240% of AMI, and above.

Upcoming Process:

The Lumberyard project is divided into four implementation phases. The city of Aspen is expected to complete Phase 0 of the project by the end of 2026. This will consist of utility and roadway improvements to support next steps in the project.

Thereafter, there are three planned phases of affordable housing building development -Phases 1, 2 and 3 - each of which is a four-story building with approximately 100 units. The city plans to contract out the construction and operation of the housing buildings to private developers, which the city will select in 2024 and 2025.

Building phases being planned

The timing of the development of the three building phases is still being worked on as it is subject to private developer agreements and available funding. However, the city of Aspen expects that initial occupancy may occur in 2028 or 2029.

The outline below provides additional detail on the short-term project implementation process:

See the community outreach and design history for information about input received from the community from 2019 through 2022 and how the design process evolved over that time into the images and plans shown below.

Photosimulation of Lumberyard proposed building. Final schematic design for building 2 west facade at entry.Final schematic design site plan of buildings 1, 2 and three and the surrounding communal landscapes, trails, sidewalks and streets.Final schematic design building program. Unit Mic and Count graph with Rental and Ownership information. One-bedroom unit type: 129 count, building one 52 count, building two 43 count and building three, 34 count. Two-bedroom unit type: 106 count, building one 36, building two 36, building three 34. Three-bedroom unit type: 42 count, building one 16 count, building two 12 count, building three 14 count. Total Unit Count: 277, building one 104 count, building two 91 count, building three 82 count. Bedroom Count: 467 count, building one 172 count, building two 151 count, building three 144 count. Checklist includes: Increase bedroom count, units sized per APCHA guidelines, Aligns with recommended Mix from Demographic Study, Ownership Units Accomdated on Southside of site.Overall development timeline: 2005: City of Aspen reserves ability to develop housing at 3+ acre "Triangle Parcel" North of BMC West. 2007: Use of Housing funds to purchase BMC West Property 4+ acres, 2011: Annexation of BMC West Property into Aspen City Limits. 2016: Lease assumed by probuild/BFS, extended through 7/31/2025. 2019: Community outreach and conceptual design process begins. 2020: community outreach and conceptual design process begins. 2020: Community Outreach, Conceptual Design Traget of 310 Units, Purchase of 3-acre Mimi Storage Property. 2021: Parking Alternatives Analysis, Schematic Design Community Outrecah, Mini Storage Annexation Application. YOU ARE HERE 2022: Complete Schematic Design, Submit Development Application for Approval Process. 2023: PD Recording, Construction Documents, Building Permit Application Process. 2024: Target for access and infrastructure construction start. 2025: Traget for first phase of Housing Construction to Start. 2027: traget for occupancy of first phase of affordable housing. 2028: Remaining phases of phasing construction and occupancy TBD. Near-term Timeline: July 2022 - Council presentation Sept 26, Development Application Submitted Late October 2022, Round 5 Community Engagement Early November 2022. Development application Completeness Review. December 2022: Submit Final Development Application. Planning and Zoning Public hearing, 1st Council Reading, Second Council Reading. June 2022: council Approves, Development Agreement Approval, October 2023.The 100% schematic design set can be downloaded in the links below.

Development Application Plans, October 2022:

Existing Conditions and Draft Subdivision Plat

Landscape Character Plans

Public Infrastructure Plans

Architectural Character Plans

Schematic Design Plans, June 2022:

100% Schematic Design

Vision a stable, thriving affordable neighborhoof. Pedestrian friendly, envirnmentally sustainable, connected, and welcoming. Looks, lives and feels authentically Aspen!

SITE PLAN, MASSING AND OVERHEAD PERSPECTIVE

Final schematic design first floor patio perspective rendering. Rendering shows: tiered planting to soften base of building and provide seperation and privacy between patio and sidewalk, informal pathways to patio using pavers and gravel signals that this is no longer public domain. Low lying concrete walls to provide privacy but not shield views from the interior out. privacy panels above helping to seperate neigboring patios. Boulevard swale provides stormwater treatment and snow storage while also softening the road edge.

Final Schematic Design: Building One Amenity Space, Plaza & Courtyard. The plaza is the gateway upon arrival to the site. The amenity space sitting within becomes the living room for the site; welcoming and gathering the community. The common amenity spaces are easily accessed by building two residents. Building is connected to site with roff drainage becoming a feature, draining into the rain garden below. Transparency in the building common spaces is meant to create a connection inside to put as to invite community members to interact. With large overhangs, the green roof of the amenity space provides shelter from the snow as well as a pleasant sight for adjacent upper-floor residents. The circular landscape areas provide for a variety of settings both for residents and the function of the site. Pathways seemingly meandering through the site provide flexibility in creating functional connections between buildings or areas of the site.

Design updates. Site scheme progress: overhead site perspective shows building arrangement on site and relative scale to existing mountain rescue building.

SECTION

Design Updates: site section design displays site section showing HWY 82, property line, 10' wide mixed use trail, carport with storage, greenroof and solar panels, 26' street, 8.5' parallel parking, 5' tree island, 5' sidewalk, underground parking, interior communal landscape.

UNIT PLANS

Building design: 1-bed unit plan. Private balconies or terraces, sized to allow a variety of functions. open floor plans to give residents flexibility in furniture layout. Galley style kitchen to allow residents to use a dining table, a furniture island, or both! In-unit storage. living and bedroom spaces push to the exterior walls to best take advantage of daylight and views. All bedrooms ized to allow for king beds and flexibility with furniture. Walk-in closet in primary bedrooms. Stacked washer/dryer to create more usable space in linen closet. Bathtubs in every unit for families with children. 667 SF.

Building design: 2-bed unit plan. open floor plans to give residents flexiblity in furniture layout. Galley style kitchen to allow residents to use a dining table, furniture island, or both! Mud-room with cubbies to store all your outdoor gear and a washer/dryer. Private balconies or terraces, sized to allow a variety of functions. All bedrooms sized to allow for king beds and flexibility with furniture. Primary bedroom suite. Additional storage. Walk-in shower and tub to suit a variety of needs. 1068 SF.

Building design: 3-bed unit plan. Private balconies or terraces, sized to allow a variety of functions. Large continguous living and ining space for flexibility of furniture. Built-in desk nook to help with EFH! Extra-in unit storage to suit whateve your need. mud-room with cubbies and a washer/dryer. All bedrooms sized to allow for king beds and flexibility with furniture. Primary bedroom suite. Additional storage. Walk-in shower and tub to suit a variety of needs. 1467 SF.Project location image showing ASpen Airport Business Center, Highway 82, Mountain Rescue, and Aspen/Pitkin COunty Airport with the ASpen Lumberyard Property located next to mountain rescue across from the airport


WATCH THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSIONS:

Click to watch the September 26, 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the May 16th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the April 4th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the March 21st 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the February 14th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the January 10th 2022 City Council Work Session Recording

Click to watch the November 1st 2021 City Council Work Session Recording


NOTES ON LAND USE PROCESS:

The development application for the Lumberyard affordable housing development is planned to be submitted late October or early November 2022.

Look for community outreach effort #5 related to the development application in early November 2022.

Note: There will be public hearings with Aspen City Council on a related land use action October 25, 2022 and November 15, 2022. This is a limited action which proposes to subdivide the southern-most portion of the project site from the larger, adjacent fathering parcel - an action that has been anticipated since the Bar-X Pre-Annexation Agreement nearly 20 years ago. Much like the annexation of the Lumberyard and the annexation of the Aspen Mini Storage property, both which have previously been completed, this action will approve no development and is intended only to prepare the southern-most portion of the Lumberyard project site for the Lumberyard development application, which is being handled as a separate action of its own.

Page last updated: 19 Jun 2024, 09:42 AM