Workforce Housing

Frisco Town Council has identified affordable workforce housing as one of their top 3 priorities, and is working on a comprehensive housing plan, which incorporates multiple strategies to insure employees are able to live where they work.

What is the housing challenge?

Mountain communities, like Frisco, are great places to visit, and their popularity as vacation destinations commonly results in a shortage of affordable workforce housing because of the prevalence of vacation homes and vacation rentals and the lack of inventory inherent in a community with limited buildable land. Couple this with a tourism based economy, which primarily produces lower paying service jobs, and you have a challenge housing the local workforce. The 2016 Summit County Workforce Housing Demand Update is an excellent resource for understanding the breadth and depth of this challenge.

Frisco recognizes that our community is a better and more vibrant place when our workforce can afford to live and raise their families where they work. Workforce housing is intended to serve all areas of the workforce including first responders, medical care providers, teachers and hospitality and restaurant workers, so our residents have the services vital to preserving the quality of life for all community members.

Finding housing solutions

Summit Combined Housing Authority

The Summit Combined Housing Authority (SCHA) was formed in 2006 to serve all of the towns in Summit County and all areas of unincorporated Summit County to facilitate a long term housing solution. SCHA provides education, loan assistance and rental information and enables the sale of workforce housing.

Frisco Housing Task Force

In March 2017, Frisco Town Council made the decision to form a Housing Task Force consisting of community members with diverse backgrounds related to housing. The Housing Task Force had their first meeting on May 11, 2017 and were scheduled to meet twice a month for 6 months going forward (finished meeting in November 2017) . The goal of the task force was to assist the Frisco Town Council by creating a strategic housing plan for the short and long term workforce housing needs of the community. Areas of recommendation would include housing project priorities, code incentives and 5A fund strategies, among other issues.

Housing Task Force members were chosen by Town Council after a robust application and selection process and met together at times and in separate groups, one focusing on projects and the other focusing on policy.

In August 2017 the Projects group put together a charrette to look at 3 different Town owned parcels and presented the results to Town Council at an August worksession. The results can be found in the Housing Task Force Charrette Overview.

2018 Housing Task Force Final Report Final

The Policy focused Housing Task Force members were:

Brett Amedro, Tom Castrigno, Lina Lesmes, Elena Scott, Doug Sullivan, Doug Berg, Kasey Provorse

The Projects focused Housing Task Force members were:

Brian Blankenmeister, Dan Fallon, Joe Maglicic, Mark Sabatini, Lindsay Newman

Council and staff who assisted the Housing Task Force:

Kim Cancelosi – Now Former Frisco Town Council Member
Deborah Shaner – Current Frisco Town Council Member
Randy Ready – Former Town of Frisco Town Manager
Joyce Allgaier – Town of Frisco Community Development Director
Bill Gibson- Town of Frisco Community Development Assistant Director
Brodie Boilard – Town of Frisco Executive Assistant

Workforce Housing Funding

• In November of 2006 the voters authorized a County-wide 0.125% sales tax and a development impact fee for affordable housing purposes. This was renewed by voters in 2015. In 2015, the Town of Frisco collected $186,000 as part of this tax, and in 2016, $204,393 was collected.
• A new construction fund (5A) was approved by Summit County voters in November of 2016, and Summit County projects that Frisco will collect $897,650 per year from this .6% tax. This tax ends in 10 years.
• It is also likely that the Town of Frisco will utilize its Capital Improvement Fund for workforce housing projects as needed to augment what is collected through dedicated sales tax sources.

Frisco Workforce Housing

Incentives

• Frisco’s land use regulations provide an incentive for the development of workforce housing units. The code allows for an unlimited number of additional “bonus” units within a development as long 50% of the additional bonus units are deed restricted. It works like this. Let’s say a property can build 10 residential units based on the density allowed for the zone district in which the property is located. The Town refers to these units as being allowed “outright”. The developer proposes 20 units instead of the 10 units allowed outright, for an additional 10 bonus units. This means that 50% of the bonus units (5 in this case) must be deed restricted for qualified employees who work at least 30 hours per week in Summit County.
• Frisco has very permissive code provisions that allow accessory dwelling units in almost all zone districts. Accessory rental units allow land owners to have an extra unit of density on a property, allowing for the infusion of additional workforce units within the town and providing a source of income to land owners. Accessory dwelling units must be deed restricted to workers in the county.

Inventory Update

• Frisco has 130 affordable housing units located in various developments around Frisco. Many of these units were made available because of incentives in Frisco’s land use regulations.
• Peak One Neighborhood includes 69 homes, both single family and duplex. 61 of the units are restricted to families earning between 80-160% of the Area Median Income (AMI); 8 are market value; and all 69 of the homes are restricted to people in the local workforce. The Town of Frisco worked with Brynn Grey Partners to develop this twelve and a half acre town-owned parcel of land in the heart of Frisco. This project was completed in 2015. In 2016, Housing Colorado honored Frisco’s Peak One Neighborhood with the Eagle Award for its outstanding contribution to affordable housing in Colorado.

Town of Frisco Projects

• Mary Ruth Place Project– In late 2016, Frisco Town Council decided to move ahead with this workforce housing project on Town owned land at 306 Galena Street. This project includes the construction of 9 new units of workforce housing: one studio, five 1-bedroom units and two 2-bedroom units. Four of these new units will be rented to Town of Frisco employees, with the remaining four units being committed as rentals to employees working an average minimum of 30 hours per week in Frisco. The already existing 2-bedroom unit in the historic Mary Ruth House on this property is also being improved with better insulation and with the installation of more energy efficient windows, bringing the total amount of workforce housing on this parcel up to nine units.Funding for the units being built as rentals for Town of Frisco employees is coming out of the Town’s capital improvement fund, and funding for the units being rented to employees of Frisco businesses is coming from 5A revenues. The Town of Frisco anticipates currently manages these properties. These long term rental units will have automatic lease renewals, and pets will be allowed with permission. Construction was completed in November of 2018.
• Coyote Village Townhomes– In June 2018, the Town of Frisco purchased four 1,000 square foot newly refurbished townhomes at 821 Pitkin Street. Each unit includes a fenced in yard and a two car garage. The Town purchased each unit for $425,00 and is selling them for $332,553 (100% AMI). Two of the units were designated for sale to Town of Frisco employees, and the buy down of these units was funded through the Town’s capital improvement fund. The buy down for the two other units, which were made available to employees of Frisco or Copper Mountain businesses, were paid for with 5A revenues.

Private Development Projects

• Basecamp Project– In February 2017, Brynn Grey, the developer of the Whole Foods/Basecamp Development, proposed building 25 units of workforce housing requiring an amendment to the real covenant and agreement related to pad 5 at the Basecamp Development to allow residential units on the 2nd floor or above. Residential uses were not listed as prohibited in the original covenant agreement for the Basecamp Development, nor expressly noted as a permitted use, and hence, the owner of the property, Brynn Grey, had to ask the Town of Frisco for an amendment to pave the way for 25 units of workforce housing. Part of the agreement with the Town included the stipulation that employees in the Ten Mile Basin must be given preference for these units. Brynn Grey purchased the land for the Basecamp development from the Town of Frisco to develop retail spaces, which now house Whole Foods and the Rio Grande Restaurant, as well as other businesses. Construction was completed in February 2019.
• Foote’s Rest Project– This project at 510 Main Street consists of 70 hotel rooms, a bowling alley, a restaurant and other lodging amenities. Employee housing units are also planned as part of this project. Project completion is anticipated for 2022.

Summit County Government Projects

• Lake Hill Project– The Lake Hill property, located along Dillon Dam Road in unincorporated Summit County and adjacent to the Town of Frisco, is a workforce housing project being spearheaded by Summit County. 436 housing units of a variety of types, including single family detached, duplexes, townhouses, and large multifamily buildings are contemplated. In 2000 the Town of Frisco identified this 44.81-acre parcel as a desirable location for affordable workforce housing. In 2011, Summit County took a lead on the acquisition of this property at the request of the Town of Frisco, and in 2016, Summit County purchased this land from the United States Forest Service.
  • In March 2017, Frisco Town Council discussed the Lake Hill Master Plan in a joint meeting with Summit County Commissioners. While there is much support for the plan, Frisco Town Council members noted unresolved concerns including but not limited to the following: traffic flow at Dillon Dam and Highway 9, the amount of proposed units and availability of water. There has been no request to annex this property into the Town of Frisco, but Summit County has involved Frisco in stakeholder planning throughout the process.
  • The Lake Hill Master Plan is intended to be a flexible guide, and there is a robust entitlement process still ahead before work can begin on building housing on this site, including the installing infrastructure. Construction would be in phases over a 15-20 year period of time. Summit County approved the Lake Hill Master Plan in July 2017, and a construction timeline has not yet been determined.
  • Goals of the Lake Hill Project include:
    • Having mix of housing styles and types, with both rental and ownership opportunities.
    • Provide housing choices affordable to a variety of income levels to encourage a healthy, diverse community and address the needs identified in the 2013 Summit County Workforce Housing Needs Assessment and the 2016 Summit County Workforce Housing Demand Update.
    • Create opportunity for people to easily move within the neighborhood, to upsize or downsize their homes as life situations change.
    • Architectural design and scale shall be compatible with the local aesthetic found in the Town of Frisco and surrounding areas, and follow the guidelines included herein for site and building character
    • Respect and fit into the surrounding natural environment.
    • Build sustainable, energy-efficient homes that will offer ongoing affordability, durability and low costs of ownership and operation.

Resources

The Summit Combined Housing Authority (SCHA) is an excellent resource for residents seeking affordable housing. SCHA’s homebuyer class is a great place to start- 970-423-7040.

The Family Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC) also offers rental readiness class for perspective renters, a rental housing program and foreclosure counseling– Michel Infante, 970-455-0232 or email Micheli@SummitFIRC.org.

The Town of Frisco Community Development Department is a great resource for helping property owners figure out how to be part of the housing solution through incentives offered in the town’s land use code. – Bill Gibson, 970-668-9121 or WilliamG@TownofFrisco.com.