The Town Council of Snowmass Village has embarked on a transformative journey for the Draw Site project, shifting from a monolithic structure to a more community-centric design featuring multiple buildings. This change aims to create a more harmonious relationship with the surrounding environment and neighborhood character while maintaining project feasibility.
At the heart of this evolution is a desire to break up the massing of the original design, creating a more inviting and alpine-contextual aesthetic. The project has undergone significant refinements following a peer review process and feedback from the Town Council.
Exploring the new design options
The project team presented three distinct options to the Town Council, each addressing key feedback areas such as improving daylightairflow and livability through balconies, shifting to warmer materials, moving away from flat roofs, and breaking up the building mass.
Option 1: Evolutionary approach
Option 1 represents a more conservative evolution from the current design. It maintains a single building structure but incorporates the requested improvements in materials, roofing, and balconies. This option would provide 66 units at an estimated cost of $70,038,130.
Options 2 and 3: Revolutionary concepts
Options 2 and 3 take a more radical approach by introducing an ancillary building concept that breaks up the mass of the single building. These options differ primarily in the number of units provided. Option 2 would offer 63-64 units at a total project cost of $71,198,130, while Option 3 would provide 73-74 units at a cost of $77,086,130. However, Option 3 currently falls short by three to seven parking spots.
The Town Council members expressed a mix of support and concern for the new designs. Council Member Tom Fridstein voiced strong support for Option 2, appreciating its reduced mass and neighborhood feel. Council Member Susan Marolt also favored Options 2 and 3 for their smaller building fronts.
However, Council Member Britta Gustafson expressed frustration that the designs weren’t yet meeting community needs. She emphasized the difficulty some community members were having in digesting the changes. Council Member Cecily DeAngelo suggested continuing to work with the peer reviewer, Jim Kehoe of Keo Studio Works, to further refine the project.
Mayor Alyssa Shenk acknowledged the concerns but emphasized that the major needs previously discussed—balconies, roofing, colors, and massing—had been addressed. She advocated for selecting an option to explore further, with the understanding that refinements would continue. Shenk, Fridstein, and Marolt voted in favor of moving forward with either Option 2 or 3, while DeAngelo abstained and Gustafson voted against the motion.
The Council directed staff to schedule an immediate meeting with the architects to continue discussions and expedite the process. This decision marks an important step in the evolution of the Draw Site project, with the potential to significantly enhance the community’s relationship with this important development.
