Town News

Catchup with Council, April 12, 2022 – Slopeside Hall, Marina Paid Parking, Housing Helps, Workforce Housing Projects

Slopeside Hall Plaza Design at the Frisco Adventure Park- 80% Design and Cost Estimate

Council reviewed the design of the plaza and site work that will connect the existing Frisco Adventure Park Day Lodge to the planned Slopeside Hall building at the Frisco Adventure Park, as well as the 80% design and cost estimate for the construction of Slopeside Hall this fall. Council directed staff to move forward with the design team to produce 100% construction documents for all elements of the project, which include the new building, renovations at the Day Lodge, a new tube storage structure, and the site work. However, Council asked staff to revisit the remodel of the kitchen at the Day Lodge to ensure that the new design supports the intended use and goals of the Day Lodge.

During the December 14, 2021 Council meeting, Council discussed the updated Slopeside Hall design development plans, including value engineering options for the building and site design, a review of the sustainability and energy efficiency goals for the project, and feedback from the Planning Commission’s sketch plan review. During that meeting, Council directed staff to stay with the original vision for the building, rather than reducing the footprint, in order to be able to better serve community youth programs and camps, and to pursue a net-zero energy design for the Slopeside Hall Building.

The presented 80% design features a modified fire lane design to reduce the required grading and overall cost, and takes the Slopeside Hall building above the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requirements by featuring solar panels and a Variable Refrigerant Flow HVAC system to achieve net-zero impact.

Paid Parking at the Frisco Bay Marina

Council supported a contract with the Interstate Parking Company for paid parking services at the Frisco Bay Marina and parking enforcement on Main Street to be considered for approval during the April 26, 2022 Town Council meeting. Paid parking will be implemented from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

Under the new parking policy:

  • Parking rates will remain consistent among all four Marina lots as follows:
    • First 30 minutes always free, then $.75/half hour with a $10.00 maximum on Mondays to Thursdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and $.75/ half hour for the first 3 hours, $2.50 a half hour thereafter to a maximum of $15.00 on Fridays through Sundays and holidays.
  • Overnight parking will still be available for boaters.
  • A limited number of season parking passes will be available (up to 25% of available spaces), or 80 passes, with priority given to seasonal rack, slip, and mooring customers, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Availability of parking at the Marina has been identified as a major concern due to a substantial increase in visitors over the years. To alleviate the stress on the parking areas by encouraging visitors to use alternative modes of transportation when possible, and to limit time in spent in parking spaces, Council discussed implementing a paid parking system at the December 14, 2021 Council meeting at the Marina beginning with the 2022 summer season.

The Interstate Parking Company will provide implementation of paid parking at the Marina through a revenue share agreement during the height of the Marina’s operating season, and will enforce parking time limits on Main Street for a fee of $1,149 per month during the other months.

Housing Helps- In Town Water Rates

Council supported an amendment to Town Code that would allow current out-of-Town water customers who are adding a new deed restriction to an existing property to qualify for in-Town water rates rather than pay the double rates normally charged to customers outside of Town limits. The request came from a property owner with an interest in participating in the Housing Helps program in a subdivision adjacent to the Town of Frisco. The amendment would specify that Town Council could approve such a request on a case-by-case basis, only for affordable housing projects.

Over the last several months of workforce housing discussions, Town Council has provided direction to staff to identify opportunities to facilitate and support additional workforce housing properties. Frisco’s Housing Helps program has been gaining momentum and interest since its adoption in 2019. Further amendments in June 2021 and March 2022 have increased the availability of the program to more property owners, and added the option to partner with Summit County on Housing Helps deed restriction purchases.

Changes to Unified Development Code to Facilitate Workforce Housing Projects

Based on Town Council’s direction to staff to identify opportunities to facilitate and support additional workforce housing properties, Council heard and discussed a resident’s request for a proposed amendment to the Town’s Cabin Housing regulations, which would facilitate creation of new workforce housing on their property. The proposal would allow for larger home sizes in a Cabin Housing development than the current code allows, if the properties were deed restricted as “locals’ housing”.

Cabin Housing regulations are intended to “provide an opportunity for innovative development”, allowing for a 50% increase in density over the zone district base density, for small, compact homes.

Council directed staff to prepare a Code amendment that could have a broader benefit, such as creation of a Workforce Housing Overlay District, which could incorporate a variety of development standards or incentives including a density bonus, or a reduction in parking requirements, that would be applicable to multiple types of workforce housing developments in multiple zone districts. Council also asked staff to look further into the Cabin Housing regulations to identify if potential changes to those regulations would make it a more attractive option for workforce housing developers.

Contract for Owner’s Representative Services for Granite Park and Slopeside Hall Projects

Council supported a resolution to enter into contract with Diversified Consulting Solutions to oversee management and coordination of the Town’s two major upcoming capital projects, Granite Park Housing (619 Granite) and Slopeside Hall at the Frisco Adventures Park. While the Frisco Public Works staff usually oversee capital project management, these concurrent, larger scale projects are at a scale that they will benefit from an outside firm that manages projects of this size regularly, in addition to adding another layer of knowledge and advocacy to these projects.