Here’s a look at the country’s first-ever workforce housing complex set to be built on U.S. Forest Service land
Summit County officials are planning to build 162 income-based rental units on a Dillon Ranger District administrative site in a first-in-the-nation approach
Summit County government/Courtesy illustration
Summit County officials recently unveiled the first look at a new workforce housing complex set to become the first-ever development in the nation between local government and the U.S. Forest Service.
During a May 21 Summit Board of County Commissioners meeting, officials presented plans for a 162-unit income-based rental complex slated to be built on Dillon Ranger District land — part of the White River National Forest — outside the town of Dillon. It marks the first time in the U.S. that a national forest has leased land to a local government to build workforce housing.
The project has been in the works for more than a year amid negotiations between the county and Dillon, with both groups reaching a deal in April that will see the town provide water access in exchange for the county’s support to build a roundabout to mitigate increased traffic.
The current plans call for six buildings each approximately 47 feet — or three stories — high to be built on an 11-acre ranger district administrative site just northeast of the U.S. Highway 6 and Lake Dillon Drive intersection.
The units will include studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with rent ranging from around $1,550 to just over $3,450, according to housing project manager Lina Lesmes. The targeted area median income range, Lesmes added, is 80% and 120%.
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According to 2024 figures from the Summit Combined Housing Authority, that represents an annual income of between $68,240 and $102,360 for an individual.
Officials are also planning to include just over 300 parking spots for the complex, a decrease of about 30 spots from what was originally planned.
“This site is very constrained in terms of utilities and topography,” Lesmes said. “And so we had to lose some parking to accommodate some landscaping because, otherwise, we were running out of space.”
The plans also include two additional buildings, one for storage and another for Forest Service administration, as well as a bus stop.
As part of the project’s requirements for receiving state grant funding, the complex must be energy efficient, according to Lesmes, who said the units will be electric-powered in addition to parking spots that can support electric vehicles.
In terms of appearance, the buildings are planned to feature pitched roofs and balconies for residences, as well as materials that include fiber cement paneling, corrugated metal and stone veneer. The buildings’ color palette is browns and grays designed to fit in with the surrounding mountain aesthetic, Lesmes said.
Because of the site’s grade, construction is planned to be phased, with the units built from west to east to ensure stormwater runoff from construction does not impact residents who are able to move into the units as each is built.
Commissioner Tamara Pogue asked if the development would be “pet friendly” by offering dedicated pet areas.
“There’s a lot of green (space), but there’s not a specific pet area and, presumably, there’s going to be a lot of kids in this development,” Pogue said, adding she would like to see some separation between the spaces pets and kids use.
Officials said they would look into the proposal, but added that land use for the already tight space is largely dictated by parking and topography.
Pogue also asked if it was possible to include larger units on the lower floors to better accommodate families given that the buildings will not have elevators. Officials said the current design, which features a mix of unit types on each floor, is the most cost-effective way to build.
“If there’s anything that can be done that is not going to impact the cost, it may just be something for you to consider,” Pogue said.
Commissioner Nina Waters said she had concern over a lack of parking to support trailers, adding, “Summit County residents have trailers, and I could see that being a miss.”
Once plans are finalized, site work can begin later this year with construction expected to start in 2025 and lasting through late 2026.
This story is from SummitDaily.com
