Aspen Pitkin Animal Shelter

The Aspen/Pitkin Animal Shelter is a project designed to replace an existing 32 year old public facility that had deteriorated past the point of service. Recognizing the need for an improved facility, the City of Aspen and Pitkin County joined forces with a non-profit Aspen/Pitkin Animal Shelter Capital Campaign to build and maintain a new facility combining an animal shelter with commercial boarding kennels. Clauson Rawley Associates was hired to facilitate the permitting process for the joint effort of the city, county, and non-profit fundraising group. The overall design of the new shelter creates a space that is user friendly, environmentally healthy, and aesthetically pleasing. CRA facilitated land use permitting included rezoning the site area to allow for public facilities, resolving plat issues, and creating view corridor studies from a variety of perspectives. In addition, CRA provided an innovative landscape design to accommodate animal use while ensuring easy maintenance. This included research and design of outdoor animal exercise areas utilizing innovative pavement and fencing concepts. CRA also provided the design for an access roadway that needed to be integrated with adjacent public uses, including a bus barn and snow dump facility. The grading and landscape plan also screened the site from views along Colorado State Hwy 82 in response to the County's scenic view criteria. Construction of the Aspen/Pitkin Animal Shelter and Boarding Kennel was completed in late 2005, and the new facility started operations in 2006.

Context

• Community Facilities

• Landscape Design & Permitting