Pitkin County commissioners approved a preservation deal with Meredith Loring and Sami Inkinen, owners of Aspen’s historic Highland Bavarian Lodge and bunkhouse. The conservation easement includes 49 of the property’s total 82 acres of ranchland located east of Castle Creek Road. Loring and Inkinen have 10-year vested rights, and the deal grants them 7,500 square feet of additional floor area for a home on the ranch’s Mesa Lot — allowing up to a total of 13,250 square feet — along with a density bonus for a second home of 5,750 square feet on the main ranch parcel. The deal also grants the lodge historic designation and restorative remodeling of its historical significance. To highlight the lodge’s historical significance, Loring and Inkinen funded a documentary and have plans for a historical brochure and plaque. They will open the property for public tours one day per year.