Things are heating up in Dillon ahead of a referendum election scheduled for Oct. 1 that will determine the fate of a major waterfront development and help shape the future redevelopment of the town center.

With less than a month until the election, political signs have gone up in yards around town, some advocating for a “yes” vote on the referendum and others advocating for a “no” vote.

Dillon Town Clerk Adrienne Stuckey said on Monday, Sept. 9, that the town has mailed out ballots for the special election, which will be conducted entirely by mail. There will be two questions before voters who participate in the election: the referendum question and a question that would amend the town’s charter.

The referendum question asks voters whether or not they wish to approve the planned unit development application for the 626 Lake Dillon Drive project at 626 & 652 Lake Dillon Drive known as the “branded residence” project.

The project in question is a five-story, ​​485,225-square-foot structure proposed by Developer Jake Porritt. The structure would contain 200 condominium units — which would be “branded residences,” meaning they would be owned by individual owners but rented out as short-term rentals by a management company — as well as three restaurants and retail space. The structure would also include a private pool and public amenities including an observation deck and a 70-foot setback from Lake Dillon Drive for a park and view corridor.

Back in March, the Dillon Town Council approved the project for the property where the Best Western Ptarmigan Lodge and defunct-Arapahoe Cafe now stand. But Dillon residents who had raised concerns about the project gathered enough votes on a petition to force reconsideration of the project’s approval.

When the Dillon Town Council voted in June to approve the “branded residence” project for a second time, state law related to referendum petitions required the question of the project’s approval to go before town voters at a special election.

Porritt has told town voters that if the planned unit development — which allows for flexibility from the underlying zoning — for the waterfront development is overturned, he will instead move forward with a “by right” project at the site. He has said that the “by right” project to construct 240-condominiums at the site would not require the approval of the Dillon Town Council since it already subscribes to the underlying zoning.

But Porritt has also said that the “by right” project wouldn’t contain public amenities like the observation deck or the 70-foot setback for the park. He has said the “by right” project would also be “more obstructive and much less attractive” than the planned unit development structure but would be “just as large in square footage” and “spread across the entire site.”

Porritt has also noted that other redevelopment plans he has pitched to the town, such as workforce housing and a parking structure, have been based on revenues that the “branded residence” project would generate through metropolitan districts. He’s said that a “by right” project would not generate the same amount in revenues for public improvements.

A “yes” vote on the referendum question is a vote in favor of the “branded residence” project while a “no” vote is a vote to overturn the project’s approval.

The second question before voters at the special election asks Dillon town residents whether the town charter should be amended to reduce the percentage of signatures petitioners would need to bring a referendum petition.

Currently, there is a discrepancy between town code, which requires 15% of registered voters to sign a referendum petition for it to be successful, and state law, which requires only 10% of registered voters to sign a referendum petition. A “yes” vote on this question would be a vote to amend the town charter to be in line with state law.

The election is open to all Dillon voters. To qualify to vote in Dillon, a person must have been a resident of the town — not including parts of unincorporated Summit County like Dillon Valley or Summit Cove — for at least 22 days before registering. Any voter who does not receive a ballot in the mail can receive one from the Dillon Town Clerk’s Office ahead of the election.

Voters can register up to the date of the election by going to GoVoteCO.com or visiting the Summit County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, which will be open until 7 p.m. the night of the election for residents looking to register. After registering to vote, a Dillon resident can then request a ballot from the Dillon Town Clerk’s Office.

With their ballots, voters will also receive a “bluebook” with voter information, including the pros and cons of voting for or against the “branded residence” project as laid out by both the petitioners and the development group.

Voting in the special election will end at 7 p.m. Oct. 1. More information on how to vote in the election is available at DillonCO.gov/government/election-info.