New telecommunications plans for Mount Aspen, Highlands and Butterflies are designed to reduce visual impact, a major topic of discussion by the Planning and Zoning Commission at its last meeting.
Aspen Ski Company and Pitkin County Planning and Zoning reached an agreement this week to build telecommunications infrastructure at three ski areas.
SkiCo plans to build 10 towers at nine locations — plus new lift equipment for the existing gondola tower — at Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk Ski Area, which company officials say will improve safety, emergency access and mobile service in more populated parts of the mountains.
Snowmass Ski Area is likely to get new telecommunications towers, although those plans are not part of P&Z’s scope.
Most of the towers are between 48 and 66 feet tall, with a 100-foot tower planned for the Aspen Highlands Automobile Maintenance Facility. Each tower will feature panels and cabinets to house electrical and telecommunications equipment, as well as underground power and fiber optic cables.
Its height is intended to blend into the tree canopy, but the visual impact on the ridge has been a major issue for some P&Z commissioners at past hearings.
SkiCo estimates the construction will disrupt about 303,700 square meters of land, though that figure is about 70,000 square meters less than the original proposal for 13 towers on 11 sites.
One of the biggest changes from the previous proposal was to convert the two 54-foot towers behind the Silver Queen Gondola building into a single 66-foot monopole at the Aspen Mountain Auto Service Shop to reduce the visual impact.
Another is that the tower of the Silver Queen No. 28 gondola will connect to that new transmission equipment instead of the 60-foot monopoles near the top of the Bell Mountain lift.
“Every tree branch, every line, every piece of dirt on this part of the mountain is skiable,” said Mac Keeling, SkiCo’s vice president of mountain planning. “Out of respect for the process and the feedback we’ve received, we’re going to take this route and try to remove something we didn’t believe in.”
Senior planner Leslie Lamont said SkiCo has sent informational messages to all property owners within 300 feet of the ski areas and has received no comments on the plans.
From May 15 to June 30 of this year, for the protection of large sheep, excavation work is prohibited in the Cloud 9 site.
SkiCo must also include up-to-date firefighting equipment, FAA authorizations for cabin or monopole lights, and site plans for decommissioned towers in case they are ever dismantled.
The Pitkin County Board of Commissioners will consider the request at its next meeting. SkiCo also needs approval from the U.S. Forest Service because all five proposed monopolies abut White River National Forest land.
The Forest Service is collecting public comments on ground-based public towers. Its website estimates a decision will be made in February.
