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Planning Commission recommends approval of Uplands Filing 1, Block 3 official development plan
Summary
The commission voted unanimously to recommend City Council approve the Official Development Plan for Uplands Filing 1, Block 3, a 127-home alley-loaded neighborhood with nearly one acre of publicly accessible private parks and a 5.01-acre detention basin under construction.
The Westminster Planning Commission on Jan. 14 recommended that City Council approve the Official Development Plan (ODP) for Uplands Filing 1, Block 3, a residential neighborhood within the larger Uplands development. The commission’s recommendation was unanimous.
Jacob Casa, principal planner for the City of Westminster, said the staff report found the ODP “generally meets” the 17 criteria in Section 11-5-15 of the Westminster Municipal Code and recommended approval subject to the condition listed in the staff agenda memo.
Marcus Pockner, land-use consultant for Uplands, and Kaylee Gillespie of Norris Design presented the Block 3 plan. The proposal shows 127 alley-loaded homes across four housing types (2‑story townhomes, 2‑story paired homes, 3‑story single‑family detached, and 2‑story tuck-under detached), two publicly accessible private parks totaling nearly 1 acre, and a 5.01-acre detention basin in the neighborhood’s southwest corner that is under construction.
Gillespie described setbacks and several requested exceptions to the MODP standards: reduced lot depths (example: townhome lot depth from 80 feet to 69 feet; single-family detached from 90 feet to 67 feet), reduced front setbacks to the living area (in one case from 14 feet to 12 feet), reduced interior side setbacks and corner setbacks (examples shown in the ODP), and a combined approach to private outdoor space (porches, decks and yards counted together). The applicant also requested parking exceptions tied to the development’s alley-loaded design; staff reported a total of 444 parking spaces are proposed where 365 are required, plus 30 additional guest spaces along Lowell Boulevard.
Commissioners asked about infrastructure and safety. Resident John Palmer testified in opposition during public comment, raising traffic, view and stormwater concerns; the applicant and city staff responded that the detention basin is currently acting as a construction sediment basin and will be an extended dry detention basin when complete, and staff described waterline work and redundancy built into the utility design.
Commissioner David Carpenter moved that the Planning Commission recommend City Council approve the ODP for Uplands Filing 1, Block 3 subject to the condition in the staff memo; Commissioner Kinnear seconded. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote.
The recommendation will move to City Council for final action, per Westminster’s review process; staff indicated the developer has reduced projected water use across the broader PDP compared with earlier estimates and that homes are planned to be sprinklered; the builder is evaluating optional higher-fire‑resistance exterior materials.
Votes at a glance: Motion to recommend City Council approve the ODP for Uplands Filing 1, Block 3 — Mover: Commissioner David Carpenter; Second: Commissioner Kinnear; Outcome: unanimous recommendation to City Council.
The ODP sets subdivision layout, building types, exceptions to MODP standards and park and open-space locations for the block and will be incorporated into the developer’s subsequent permit and construction process if City Council grants final approval.
