Lake Hill

Lake Hill is a 45-acre parcel of land just northeast of Frisco. Summit County acquired the property for the purpose of workforce housing development in 2016.

The Town of Frisco and Summit County began exploring the purchase of the Lake Hill property from the U.S. Forest Service more than 10 years ago for the purpose of workforce housing. The Forest Service received Congressional direction to sell the property to Summit County through the Lake Hill Administrative Site Affordable Housing Act, signed by President Barack Obama in July 2014. The County purchased the property, located immediately northeast of Frisco, in February 2016.

Lake Hill and Affordable Workforce Housing Needs

Development of affordable workforce housing has been identified as one of the County’s greatest needs, and the Lake Hill property is a key opportunity to address this challenge. The 2020 Summit County Workforce Housing Needs Assessment identified a need for up to 1,035 affordable workforce housing units under 120% AMI in the Tenmile Basin by 2023, including approximately 846 affordable rentals (81%) and 190 affordable ownership units (18%). In Summit County overall a need for up to 3,066 affordable workforce housing units under 120% AMI were identified to be needed by 2023. The study shows that the greatest unmet housing needs in the Tenmile Basin are affordable rental housing and lower-priced, entry-level owner-occupied housing. The Lake Hill property cannot solve all of the identified housing needs, but the County’s goal is to maximize the number of homes on the property while creating a livable neighborhood that is compatible with its surroundings.

Lake Hill Neighborhood Master Plan

The Lake Hill Master Plan was completed in 2017. The Master Plan is a concept plan prepared based on the workforce housing needs documented in the 2016 Summit County Housing Demand Update; however, the 2020 Housing Needs Assessment continues to show a need for both ownership and rental housing in the Tenmile Basin.  The master plan guidance for Phase 1 identifies a suggested mix of for-sale and for-rent homes based on the most immediate Tenmile Basin workforce housing needs. Master plan guidance for future phases is intentionally more flexible, to allow future decisions on unit types and ownership-rental mixes to be based upon market demand and workforce housing needs over time.

Lake Hill Master Plan (pdf)

Lake Hill Impact Study

The Lake Hill Impact Study was completed in September 2021. The Impact Study is a code required step in the rezoning process for large development projects.

Lake Hill Workforce Housing Development Impact Study (pdf)

Appendix A - Lake Hill Property: Water and Wastewater Due Diligence Review (pdf)

Appendix B - Lake Hill Traffic Impact Study (pdf)

Appendix C - Lake Hill Fiscal Impact and Cost of Services (pdf)

Lake Hill Rezoning

The Housing Department submitted a Class 3 application for a Work Session to discuss a Rezoning from NR-2 to PUD to accommodate up to 436 deed restricted affordable housing units, on November 24, 2021.  On February 10, 2022 the Class 3 application was heard by the Ten Mile Planning Commission who unanimously supported the rezoning application with the understanding that the project would be back before the Commission for further considering at the preliminary rezoning stage. On March 8, 2022 the Board of County Commissioners reviewed the work session rezoning application and while they were generally supportive of the rezoning application, they requested for the Housing Department to evaluate whether more than 436 units could be accommodated on the Lake Hill site.     

Future Stages of the Planning & Development Process

Using the feedback from the Class 3 work session process the Housing Department will submit Class 5 and Class 6 Rezoning applications at a future date to be determined.  Key details that will be included in these future submittals will include:

  • Future PUD Development Standards: Using the guidance provided in the Master Plan, more detailed zoning regulations and development standards will be established in a future PUD zoning document, to specify zoning requirements such as permitted building height, setbacks, road standards, etc. The County will work collaboratively with the Town of Frisco when developing the proposed PUD development standards, to ensure the zoning requirements are well thought out and compatible with Town of Frisco standards.
  • Unit Pricing and Deed Restrictions: Affordable sales prices and rental rates, and the accompanying deed restrictions for the housing units will be prepared during future development phases, in conjunction with the site plan approval for each individual development parcel.  
  • Future Property Ownership and Management: The ownership/management structure will be determined in conjunction with future planning reviews and public/private partnership contract agreements to develop individual properties within the neighborhood.

Illustration of the greater Frisco area. The Lake Hill parcel is between Dillon Dam Road and I-70, a


Lake Hill Rendering


Lake Hill Photos 1