Silverthorne Town Council started work on Phase 5 of the Smith Ranch workforce housing neighborhood at its meeting Wednesday, May 12, when it unanimously passed an ordinance on first reading that would lead the town into the next steps of the project.

Town Manager Ryan Hyland said the phase represents the next step in completing what’s become “a great success story” in Silverthorne. He said work has already started to get infrastructure in the ground.

Hyland said enthusiasm from locals looking to live at Smith Ranch is a double-edged sword since there’s a limited supply of available units.

“The lotteries are a little too successful, and we have a lot of folks that are unfortunately not able to secure those units, so that’s why we’re continuing forward,” Hyland said. “Council’s interested in just making sure we can continue to deliver those units as quickly as we can.”

Planning manager Lina Lesmes said via email that all 60 Phase 1 homes and 37 Phase 2 homes are fully occupied. She added that the 28 Phase 3 homes are close to being complete and have had 19 closings, while the 22 Phase 4 homes are all under contract.

For Phase 5, Lesmes said applications will likely open at the end of June and will stay open for at least three weeks into July. The lottery is tentatively scheduled for mid-August, according to Lesmes. The phase will have 10 single-family homes, 10 duplex units and 20 townhome units.

Hyland said Phase 6 is the final phase planned for the project, though more homes could be built. The town is looking into obtaining a small piece of land adjacent to Smith Ranch, currently owned by Xcel Energy, for a possible extension. He said he anticipates the town will be able to acquire the land, though the process is not yet finalized.

Hyland also noted the close proximity of Smith Ranch to Trent Park, which is directly north of the development across Willow Creek. He said the town has an expansion plan for Trent Park, which will include a direct connection for vehicles and pedestrians between the park and Smith Ranch.

“It’s kind of hard to believe we’re actually getting more toward the tail end of the development, just a few phases to go,” Hyland said. “It seems like we just started, but a lot of folks (are) living in the neighborhood now, and it’s Silverthorne’s newest workforce neighborhood.”