Town Council debates, but aims to make no decisions

Town Council debates, but aims to make no decisions
By Lara Kirkner Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Mammoth Times Staff Writer

"Why would we give up our quality of life to get things we can get anyway? Why bend over to developers, if you will?" -Gordon Alper The voters of June 2006 seem to have done a good job in picking a diverse collection of people for Mammoth Lakes' Town Council. The different insights they bring to the dais at every Town Council meeting make nights like last Wednesday bearable.
A lively discussion took place about what else-the General Plan Update. The council began a workshop discussion that ended up spilling over into an additional meeting the following night. The purpose of the discussion was to review the Town's vision statement as well as the policy items that have been brought forward by the Advocates for Mammoth, Mammoth Stakeholders as well as other groups in the community. The Town Council felt it was time to put their thoughts on the table in order to supply the Planning Commission with further ideas as they go through the General Plan Update. At the onset of the discussion Mayor Kirk Stapp and Councilwoman Wendy Sugimura stated that they had been working together to try and decide which policies should be removed from discussion in order to simplify the decision-making process, and to use the vision statement to provide a framework for discussing unresolved policies. The workshop was not, however, a place for council to make decisions on policy matters.
Sugimura stated that she and Stapp had worked on these items together, but both had come from a completely different viewpoint. It was interesting to work with such differing opinions. And the different views didn't end between Stapp and Sugimura.While Councilman Skip Harvey felt pieces of the vision statement should be recrafted, (for example instead of saying, "Mammoth Lakes is a year-round destination resort community based on diverse outdoor recreation and tourism," he felt the word tourism should be taken out and replaced with "multi-day events, use of alternate forms of energy and ambiance that attracts visitors,") Councilman John Eastman, and members of the audience, felt that use of alternate energy would work better in an earlier segment of the vision statement that talks about a high quality of life.
When discussion came around to density, it was clear that the diverse views of the Council leaked over into the audience as well. Some felt that density should not be given in order to get needed amenities out of developers. "Why would we give up our quality of life to get things we can get anyway," asked Mammoth local Gordon Alper. "Why bend over to developers, if you will?" Developer Chuck Lande surprised some with his views on density. "If a developer is allowed 48 units and they are asking for 72, it doesn't mean that you have to give it to them. It just means that leaders need to lead and say the rules are the rules." Harvey seconded that by saying, "We can't use amenities as negotiating tools; rules are rules and we can't bend them." As the conversation rolled around to the next obvious point-People at One Time (PAOT)- Stapp stated that they needed to decide whether or not a number should be picked or the town should just wait for development and planning to dictate how many people could fit into town at one time. Again, the workshop was not a time for decision-making, but the Council did want to get through all the policy items before their Peer Resort Tour, which they are attending this week, so that they would have questions to ask other resorts when they visit them. Other TC news Updates were presented for progress on Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access (MLTPA), the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department's Strategic Plan, and the Town's air quality monitoring from the Great Basin Air Pollution Control District. Most noteworthy was the Great Basin Air Pollution Control District's request for financial assistance from the Town for the PM10 monitoring the District does for the Town at no cost at this time. Mammoth Lakes continues to exceed state standards for air quality but is meeting national standards, according to Ted Schade of the District. Council approved, 5-0, to authorize the Town Manager to execute a consulting agreement with PCR (a consulting group) to enable Town staff and PCR to complete the response to comments and final EIR for the General Plan Update by mid-December. Lastly, Council appointed Sugimura to represent them at MLTPA's Summit Conference the first weekend of November. Sugimura will be the official representative even though other members of the Council plan to attend.

Mammoth Lakes' Vision Statement as it reads today (remember, this is what the Town aims to be)
"Surrounded by uniquely spectacular scenery and diverse four-season recreation opportunities, the community of Mammoth Lakes is committed to providing the very highest quality of life for its residents and the highest quality of experience for its visitors.

I. The Mammoth Lakes community places a high value on the sustainability and continuity of our unique relationship with the natural environment. As stewards, we support that relationship with visitors as one way of maintaining our high quality of life.

II. Mammoth Lakes is a great place to live and work because it is a strong, diverse yet cohesive, small-town community that supports families and individuals by providing a stable economy, high quality educational facilities and programs, and a broad range of community services including a participatory Town government.

III. Mammoth Lakes has adequate and appropriate housing that its residents and workers can afford.

IV. Mammoth Lakes is a year-round destination resort community based on diverse outdoor recreation and tourism.V. Mammoth Lakes has limited its urbanized area to protect its environment and to support its small-town atmosphere.

VI. Mammoth Lakes has maintained high standards for development and design while allowing for a variety of styles that are complementary and appropriate to the Sierra Nevada alpine setting.

VII. Mammoth Lakes has a variety of transportation options that emphasize connectivity, convenience, and alternatives to personal vehicle use with a strong pedestrian emphasis.

Are the Powers In Mammoth Listening To What They Do Not Want To Hear?

John Bisnar a long time Visitor to Mammoth Wrote

You can share what I wrote with whom you want. You can use my name, just do not give them my email address. I get enough junk as it is. You can share and post the following:

Our family tradition for the last 23 years is to have two, 7-8 day trips, some mid-week trips and a few weekend trips to Mammoth each year. Before the children I skied Mammoth thirty to sixty days a year. My wife and I will usually enjoy a ski trip each month during the season. Our children started skiing and then snowboarding from the time they could walk. Over the years, friends, relatives, children's friends and then spouses have joined us.

It has become much to expensive for the family even when we are paying for accommodations and feeding them. They do not want their parents to have to pay for everything so that they can come along and have fun. Mammoth, at least for our family, is no longer a family friendly place to enjoy winter sports. It is just to expensive. During the high season, a good number of the Mammoth lodge keepers, service providers and eating establishments seem to have developed an attitude about us "flat landers" coming to "their mountain". Notice I said, "good number", some of the establishments are great no matter how busy they are.

For my wife and I, the increase is not as impactful. However, for the rest of the family it is a killer. It use to be that we all had season tickets. However, once we skipped a year of the season ticket, we could no longer purchase them in the Spring. What does it cost for a family of eight adults to ski for the day?

When you count the grueling and dangerous drive (is anyone aware of how many accidents and deaths occur to and from Mammoth each ski season), the outrageous accommodation prices (most of which are old, tired and seriously outdated), the price of lift tickets and food, the fun is seriously dissipated.

The last two seasons we have been mixing up where we ski. We found that it was less expensive and easier to get to Utah and Tahoe. We flew. We had our deposit down to purchase a half-million dollar time share in Mammoth when we seriously started investigating other resorts. We pulled our deposit and bought in Tahoe.

Especially now that some of our children are no longer in Southern California, it is much easier to fly into Reno than to try to get to them to Mammoth. With season ticket prices in Tahoe so reasonable compared to Mammoth, day tickets being less expensive, with accommodations more reasonable, with more entertainment, we have moved on. We will always love Mammoth Mountain for its varied terrain and our wonderful memories.

We have heard that the powers in Mammoth want to model Mammoth after Vail with its price exclusionary unspoken policy which caters only to the very wealthy. If it is true, they are doing a good job of it. Not everyone who can pay, will play that game however. The town's accommodations on a whole do not support the prices being charged for lodging and lift tickets.

Price gougers are the first to be hurt during weak economic times.

John Bisnar

Developer Spin or Story Poles... who’s telling stories about proposed Mammoth Developments?

This evening the Mammoth Town Council will be discussing instituting a policy of requiring developers to erect Story Poles on the site of a proposed development so the height, mass, density and sets backs of buildings can be evaluated and the impact be sorted out on a more real and accurate scale. Second home owners and residents want Town Council to know what they think of Story Poles so they sent the members of the Mammoth Town Council these letters prior to tonight’s meeting.

Click on Comments and let us know what you think about Story Poles?

October 3, 2006

Sent by Facsimile and U.S. First Class Mail

The Honorable Mayor Kirk A. Stapp
Members of the City Council
City of Mammoth Lakes, California
P.O. Box 1609
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

Re: Story Pole Policy

Dear Mayor Stapp and City Council Members:

I urge the City to adopt a requirement that story poles be erected to show the outline and heights for any property for which any variation from permitted heights is requested, whether by variance, specific plan, or otherwise. Story poles play an important role in making a determination of the actual impact a project will have on the surrounding properties and public streets.

My attention has been drawn to this for Mammoth Lakes in that I am a part time resident of Mammoth Creek. The Cardinal Investments project under discussion next door has been suggested to be in excess of the thirty-five foot limit. Heights that have been suggested running from forty-three feet to fifty-five feet to sixty-three feet and now discussions of an eight story building. However, height is only a part of the issue inasmuch as this project is proposed to be condensed with all of its density in a small area closest to the surrounding properties. Thus, the combination of mass and height is difficult to picture without the help of story poles.

Also, I recommend that the City employ a policy that requires such a project to include accurate digital photos taken from strategic points on the surrounding properties as well as from the public streets with the project superimposed so that this massing impact of both height and breadth can be visualized.

I have been involved in land use work for 25 years in Southern California. I can tell you that story poles were reluctantly accepted in some cities but now have become the norm in those cities relied upon by planners, developers and the community. This is a logical step for Mammoth to take given the type of developments that seem to be in process or under review.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

William L. Fischbeck


Dear Mammoth Lakes Town Council Members and Mammoth Lakes Planning Commissioners:

I am the Vice President of the Board for the Snowflower Homeowners Association of Mammoth ("Snowflower"), in addition to being the lead participant on behalf of Snowflower in the collective discussions amongst our Association and those of Mammoth Creek and Sunrise relative to the proposed development of the "Mammoth Creek site" by Cardinal Investments ("Cardinal").

It has come to our attention that at your October 4, 2006 Town Council Meeting, an agenda item slated for discussion is the possible suggestion/recommendation that Cardinal place story poles on the Mammoth Creek site delineating the scale and scope of their intended development. We would strongly encourage such a request to be made of Cardinal at this time. Should I be mistaken and the agenda item relative to story poles is generic, then I apologize for the misunderstanding and would therefore strongly encourage that story poles be used on all development sites throughout Mammoth seeking a change in the height allowance; including and starting with the Mammoth Creek site.

Given the various development schemes contemplated by Cardinal, we would promulgate that multiple color coded story poles be used at the Mammoth Creek site and placed there for a period of not less than 120 days.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of the herein contained request.

Tom Cherry


Skip Harvey Mayor Pro Tem & Town Council

I see your name on the Story Pole Policy agenda item. I am writing to ask the Town Council to adopt a story pole policy that requires developers to install story poles on proposed development properties starting with the ADP process running through the public hearing process. It is my opinion the planning staff and planning commission should not take on the review of any proposed developments that do not meet current general plan zoning height limits, setbacks and density requirements. It is an ineffective use of time and town resources. The council should instruct town staff to hand back to Developers any plans submitted that do not meet current general plan zoning height limits, set backs and densities.

If the town staff and planning commission takes on the review of projects that do not fit in the zoning, I believe the council should require developers to put up Story Polls if the proposed development exceeds current general plan height, setback and density zoning. I feel Story Poles should remain up a minimum of 120 days allowing residents, visitors and second home owners the opportunity to evaluate whether or not the proposed height, building mass and setbacks meet the current zoning that states “Only those uses are permitted that are complementary to and can exist in harmony with such residential developments.” (Ord. 93-10 1 (part), 1993).

Story Poles will tell the true story about the scale of proposed development and whether or not it is “complementary to and can exist in harmony with such residential developments.” Developer artistic renderings are more spin than substance and do not adequately show the impact their proposed project will have on town and neighborhoods in town. The Village and 8050 are perfect examples. They looked good on paper but now that they are built, I hear things like “how could they let them build something like that.” Keep Resort Corridor Village type projects in the Village.

As you know I have been a reservation business owner in Mammoth since 1981 and a thread that has been running through conversations I have had with my rental guests the past few years has been “I do not like what has been happening in Mammoth and I do not like coming to Mammoth as much as I once did.” I want residents, second home owners and visitors to our community to see what is being planned and encouraged to comment on the story the poles will tell. I urge the council to implement requiring developers to install story poles so we can more accurately see what is proposed and truly hear what people think about the proposed developments. I am on the front lines of helping our visitors enjoy all Mammoth has to offer and they are commenting on the direction of Mammoth and they do not like where we are headed. I believe I am hearing our Visitors correctly, what the town is doing is beginning to have a negative effect on the quality of our visitor’s experience when they are in Mammoth. There is a problem starting to develop out there we can not ignore please put up story poles and tell the whole story. I ask the council to require developers to erect Story Poles so you too can start hearing the complete story.

Steve Schwind
Mammoth Resort & Recreation Real Estate Since 1981