3-50 Urban/Suburban Residential Zones

(a) Intent

• The R-30 (Suburban Density Residential–30,000 Square Foot Lot) zone district is intended to provide areas for suburban density, single-family and duplex residential dwelling units with customary accessory uses. Recreational and institutional uses customarily found near residential areas are also contemplated. R-30 zoning should only be applied to lands designated for this density on the Pitkin County Comprehensive Plan, or to rezone already-developed areas into conformity with actual development patterns and densities.

(b) Locational Criteria

• Lands located within this zone district should be located in proximity to the City of Aspen and the historic Redstone Townsite.

(a) Intent

• The R-15 (Moderate Density Residential – 15,000 Square Foot Lot) zone district is intended to provide areas for moderate density, single-family, residential dwelling units with customary accessory uses.

(b) Location Criteria

• This zone district is located adjacent to the City of Aspen.

(a) Intent

• The R-15A (Moderate Density Residential – 15,000 Square Foot Lot) zone district is intended to allow for moderate density residential development with customary accessory uses.

(b) Locational Criteria

• Lands appropriate for R-15A zoning are generally situated at the edge of existing urban centers and/or in areas where existing development density is in the range of three (3) units per acre.

(a) Intent

• The R-15B (Moderate Density Residential – 15,000 Square Foot Lot) zone district is intended to allow for moderate density residential development with customary accessory uses.

(b) Locational Criteria

• Lands appropriate for R-15B zoning are generally situated at the edge of existing urban centers and/or in areas where existing development density is in the range of three (3) units per acre.

(a) Intent

• The R-6 (Medium Density Residential District–6,000 Square Foot Lot) zone district is intended to allow for medium density, single-family, residential dwelling units with customary accessory uses on small lots.

(b) Locational Criteria

• Lands in the R-6 zone district are intended to be located within or in close proximity to unincorporated towns in Pitkin County.

(a) Intent

• The VR (Village Residential–6,000 Square Foot Lot) zone district is intended to preserve the historical integrity of the existing neighborhood, ensure compatibility with existing uses, and retain the village atmosphere, pedestrian scale, and unique character of Redstone.

(b) Location Criteria

• Lands in the VR zone district are located in the townsite of Redstone.

(a) Intent

• The MHP (Mobile Home Park) zone district is intended to provide areas for planned mobile home parks with customary accessory uses. This zone district is designed to provide income and price restricted affordable, detached housing. This zone district need not be located in proximity to incorporated or unincorporated towns, but should be located on mass transit routes, in areas where there will be minimal impact on surrounding areas, and in areas free of environmental hazards.

(b) Locational Criteria

• Only lands immediately adjacent to lands in the MHP zone district on the 5th of July, 2006 may be included in the MHP zone district. The establishment of new mobile home parks within Pitkin County is not anticipated.

(c) Compliance with Mobile Home Park Standards Required

• All development in the MHP zone district is required to comply with the mobile home park standards in Sec. 7-80.

(a) Intent

• The AH (Affordable Housing) zone district is intended to provide land for the production of Category affordable housing.

(b) Locational Criteria

• The AH zone district may only be applied within an urban growth boundary. Proposed development shall be located consistent with the recommendations in the Pitkin County Comprehensive Plan. Proposed development shall be located consistent with the availability of essential services, particularly mass transit.

(c) Minimum General Criteria for Development

The proposed development must satisfy the following minimum criteria:

1. Construction of dwelling units shall contribute to the annual housing production goal and unit mix established in, and shall comply with restrictions on income, occupancy, and sale price or rental rates established in the employee housing guidelines.
2. The proposed development must be consistent with the applicable Pitkin County Comprehensive Plan and the employee housing guidelines.
3. To the extent applicable, the proposed development shall substantially advance the goals, philosophies and criteria of the Pitkin County Citizen Housing Plan, the Aspen Area Citizen Housing Plan, and the goals and specific action items of the Aspen Area Community Plan and the Down Valley Comprehensive Plan.
4. The number of units proposed shall not necessitate any major infrastructure improvements, including but not limited to, improvements that would increase the capacity of the road network and extensions of public water or sanitary sewer.
5. The scale, mass and materials of the proposed development shall be visually compatible with the surrounding environment, both built and unbuilt.
6. The proposed development shall be clustered to the maximum extent possible.
7. The proposed development shall be situated so as to minimize the environmental and visual impacts of the development.
8. The proposed development shall provide community amenities for the benefit of residents and the general public, including, but not limited to: trails and other recreational opportunities, and mass transit facilities.
9. The proposed development shall utilize affordable housing programs to house low-income handicapped citizens or seniors, if possible.
10. The proposed development shall maximize construction quality and unit size within given price constraints.

(a) Intent

• The AH/PUD (Affordable Housing Planned Unit Development) zone district is intended to provide for (i) the use of land for the production of Category affordable housing and resident occupied units by permanent residents of the County, or (ii) the preservation of existing housing stock that has been historically affordable to and occupied by permanent residents of the County for continued occupancy by qualified residents of Pitkin County, when the proposed development cannot comply with the requirements of the AH zone district. In some cases, the zone district also permits a limited component of free market units/lots to offset the cost of developing affordable housing. Recreational and institutional uses customarily found in proximity to residential areas, and commercial uses that are accessory to the housing development, are also included as special review uses.

(b) Locational Criteria

• The AH/PUD zone district may only be applied within an urban growth boundary, and shall be located consistent with the recommendations of the Pitkin County Comprehensive Plan and the availability of essential services, particularly mass transit. Lands in this zone district should be located near pedestrian and bicycle trails.

(c) PUD Required

1. The AH/PUD district is a mandatory PUD district; no rezoning to the AH/PUD shall be approved without the simultaneous approval of a PUD for the entire property. The criteria for approval of a PUD are:
2. The proposed development cannot be accommodated within the AH zone district or another existing zone district.
3. Significant progress towards the achievement of current affordable housing goals established in the employee housing guidelines.
4. Consistency with the development criteria in subsection (d) below; and
5. Minimization of adverse impacts on neighboring properties.

(d) Minimum General Criteria for Development

1. All development in the AH/PUD zone district shall comply with the same general criteria for development applicable to the AH zone district set forth in Sec. 3-50-70(c).
2. At least seventy (70) percent of each development in the AH/PUD zone district shall be comprised of either Category affordable housing units, or resident occupied affordable housing units. Of this seventy (70) percent, forty (40) percent of the units/lots must be deed restricted to comply with restrictions on income, occupancy, and sale price or rental rates established in the employee housing guidelines, and resident occupied units may comprise up to thirty (30) percent of the unit mix. Free market development may comprise up to thirty (30) percent of the unit mix. However, only forty (40) percent of a project's bedrooms may be located within free market or resident occupied units. Category housing or resident occupied housing must comprise at least sixty (60) percent of the bedroom mix of the project. Despite these requirements, projects may be comprised of all Category deed restricted or resident occupied units. In the event that no free market development is proposed as part of a project, the limitation on resident occupied units and bedroom mix shall not apply. Residential units may be comprised of single-family, duplex and multi-family dwelling units.

(a) Intent

• The RMF zone district may only be applied to existing multi-family dwelling units. This zone district may not be applied to lands that do not contain legal multi family dwelling units.

(b) Location

• The RMF zone district is only intended to be located within the Aspen Urban Growth Boundary, adjacent to established ski areas, and may only be located contiguous to major roads.