Plans to develop the largest workforce housing site in Summit County history continue to chug along after years of discussion and negotiation among local officials. 

During a Feb. 27 Summit Board of County Commissioners meeting, officials heard the latest on a proposal to turn Lake Hill, a nearly 45-acre space along the Dillon Dam Road, into 825 affordable housing units for county workers, residents and seniors. 

The idea to use the property for housing dates back to 2000, when the town of Frisco began looking into acquiring the space from the U.S. Forest Service. According to a timeline presented in a Feb. 27 Summit County staff memo, the county government was later asked by the town to take the lead on the acquisition effort and, in 2016, purchased the property from the Forest Service for $1.75 million.

The years of studies and community outreach that followed resulted in a proposal that would allow up to 436 housing units to be built on the site, which was submitted to commissioners in March 2022. While generally supportive of the plan, commissioners wanted to expand the initial proposal to add over 800 units, a child care facility, a community center and reserved housing for seniors. 

As it stands currently, the Lake Hill development would consist of up to 825 housing units including 60 units for senior housing, a 10,000-square-foot child care center and a community center building. Development would be split into two phases. 

“There’s obviously been a lot of conversation about the density for this project, and, as was originally conceived, we had lower density,” said Commissioner Tamara Pogue during the Feb. 27 meeting. 

But given “the level of our housing crisis, that maybe was not a prudent use of the parcel as the last (board of commissioners) wanted to contemplate,” Pogue added. 

Officials pointed to the most recent housing needs assessment that recommended the county add 2,528 more housing units targeted at a range of incomes within the next five years. The scale of demand for affordable housing was further underscored this month after more than 1,000 applications were received for dozens of units at the Larkspur, a brand-new workforce housing development near Breckenridge.

While Larkspur consists of 52 rental units, some are reserved for county and town of Breckenridge staff, leaving even less available to the general public. 

“We have 1,000 people looking for 40 units,” said Housing Director Jason Dietz, adding that even if Lake Hill were developed tomorrow “it wouldn’t even solve the demand.”

“And so that’s the reality of the housing needs (that) our current economy is at,” he continued. 

While Dietz said he was prepared for potential pushback from community members over the increased density, he and other county staff are hoping to alleviate concerns by comparing the Lake Hill proposal to other existing nearby developments. 

Officials presented cases of eight other housing sites that have similar density in terms of units per acre to Lake Hill — which would be 19 units per acre. For example, Lake Forest, which sits directly next to the site, has 15 units per acre. Further south in Frisco, the Peak One neighborhood has 72 units per acre. 

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Commissioner Eric Mamula said community members will be more focused on total units rather than units per acre. 

“Units per acre, I’m going to tell you, is irrelevant,” Mamula said. “It’s a talking point, but I don’t think that’s going to resonate with anybody that doesn’t like the total unit number.”

Dietz said while the number of units is different, the comparison of units per acre can show the similarities between developments in terms of look and feel, such as the ratio of open space to homes. 

He added that what is currently being discussed is a rezoning, which essentially outlines the rules for development while still allowing for changes. Actual construction could take years, with Dietz likening the project to the deed-restricted Wellington neighborhood in Breckenridge.

“Wellington was 20-plus years or so. This will probably be similar for full build-out,” Dietz said. “And during that time the needs will probably change from time to time. So all we’re trying to do is put the zoning in place. To create the zoning, create the blueprint that allows for flexibility for the needs to change and adapt and for it to adapt over time.”

If and when the site is rezoned currently hinges on decisions by the town of Frisco and the Frisco Sanitation District. Last July, county officials submitted an application asking the town to provide enough water to serve up to 825 units. 

However, town officials are waiting on sewer infrastructure for the project to be approved first before committing to providing water. In November, the county resumed talks with the Frisco Sanitation District about providing sewage services — discussions that took place in 2021 and early 2022 but later stalled. 

The Lake Hill rezoning plans are currently on hold until those provisions are agreed upon. 

Tuesday’s updates came ahead of two open house meetings the county is planning to hold on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The first will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Summit School District Training Center, located at 152 School Road, Frisco. The second will be from 5-7 p.m. at the Summit Community & Senior Center, located at 83 Nancy’s Place, Frisco.