Art museum opponent downplays likelihood of recall

The threat of a potential recall of Aspen City Council may be over as quickly as it began.

Longtime local Richie Cohen told Real Aspen on Friday “there is no recall effort and there hasn't been one,” just days after telling Aspen Public Radio that he was considering a recall and that “it could happen.”

Cohen, who is part of a group opposed to the process that approved a new 30,000-square-foot art museum at the site of the current Wienerstube, said he phoned the city clerk this week and inquired about the recall process. But, he said, the conversation with the clerk was “purely informative.” Cohen said the city clerk then sent him a copy of the statute pertaining to the recall process and a petition.

“I called and asked about the procedure for a recall. I didn't say we were considering one,” he said. “I said it's a possibility, but nothing has been done. A recall is very, very time consuming. Frankly it takes more energy than I'm willing to spend on it. Conversely, it does remain an action that could be taken.”

Aspen City Council approved a lawsuit settlement with 633 Spring Street II LLC after the developer sued the city for denying a near 50,000-square-foot proposal for the Wienerstube site in 2008. As part of a settlement with the plaintiff, the city council approved a smaller project that features a new art museum.

Cohen and other critics of the lawsuit settlement say the public should vote on whether a new art museum building should be built in the downtown core, or the project should be put through the same developmental reviews required of most other projects.

City Council, which approved the lawsuit settlement 4-1 with only Steve Skadron opposing, hasn't backed down on its approval with the exception of Torre who endorsed a public vote.

Proponents of the project, including the Aspen Skiing Co., say the museum, designed by accomplished Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, will be an extraordinary community asset.

Cohen said he participated in the recall of a particularly “autocratic” city council in Aspen in the early 1990s. Only one councilman, Steve Crocket, was ousted while the others were retained. Cohen said “it was very effective because the entire tone on the council changed after that.” But he said he isn't pursuing the same course of action against this council. He just wants council to rethink its decision.

Correcting comments Mayor Mick Ireland made to Real Aspen, Cohen said his office is across the street from the Wienerstube, but not in Marty Flug's building. He is in the L'Hostaria building. He also said the mayor mischaracterized their prior conversations. “The meeting where he invited several opponents was really an attempt to get us to agree with the museum and the mayor. And it wound up with them telling us there is an approval and if we're unhappy about it, then we should sue them.”

Cohen said he and other opponents to the project met with an attorney but they decided not to file a lawsuit. Instead, he said, they have turned in about 1,400 signatures asking city council to reconsider its decision.

But he isn't optimistic that will happen.

“I expect a demolition permit will be pulled very quickly,” Cohen said.

River Name / Location	Stream flow, ft3/s	Gage height ft
Gore Creek
At Upper Station, Near I-70 Twin Bridges	n/a	4 ft
Booth Creek	n/a	4 ft
Abv Red Sandstone Creek At Vail	182	6 ft
At Mouth Near Minturn	217	7 ft
Beaver Creek
At Avon	21	2 ft
Lake Creek
Near Edwards	80	1 ft
Cross Creek
Near Minturn	104	4 ft
Homestake Creek
At Gold Park	121	5 ft
Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River Near Climax	n/a	2 ft
At Red Cliff	30	3 ft
Near Minturn	237	4 ft
Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon	675	5 ft
Below Gypsum	853	5 ft
Colorado River
Near Kremmling	407	4 ft
Near Dotsero	1,630	3 ft
Below Glenwood Springs	3,180	5 ft
Near Cameo	3,760	6 ft
Below Grand Valley Div Nr Palisade	2,080	5 ft
Near Colorado-utah State Line	4,120	4 ft
Near Cisco, Ut	4,020	3 ft
At Lees Ferry, Az	12,000	9 ft
Near Grand Canyon, Az	12,300	9 ft
Yuma Main Canal Ww At Yuma, Az	1,010	10 ft
Roaring Fork River
Abv Lost Man Cr Near Aspen	n/a	n/a ft
Ab Difficult C Nr Aspen	52	1 ft
Near Aspen	78	1 ft
Near Emma	480	6 ft
At Glenwood Springs	1,180	3 ft
Hunter Creek
Near Aspen	56	2 ft
At Aspen	48	4 ft
Frying Pan River
Near Ruedi	113	2 ft
Crystal River
Abv Avalanche Crk, Near Redstone	540	2 ft
Arkansas River
Ef Arkansas R At Us Highway 24, Nr Leadville	47	3 ft
Near Leadville	86	5 ft
Below Empire Gulch Near Malta	159	4 ft
Below Granite	429	4 ft
Near Nathrop	451	4 ft
At Parkdale	464	3 ft