Council reviews concept plan for Uplands multifamily proposal; parking and design exceptions draw questions

Developers seeking to build a 276‑unit multifamily community in the Uplands development presented a concept plan to the Westminster City Council on July 21 that would add “missing middle” rental housing near Federal Boulevard but requires several design exceptions and a parking adjustment.

John McConnell, planning manager, described the site—two parcels totaling about 8.49 acres at the southeast corner of W. 80th Avenue and Federal Boulevard—zoned PUD and designated urban multifamily in the city’s 2040 plan. The applicants, Alliance Residential and Santalan (Santelon in transcript) Architecture, proposed 10 three‑story buildings containing a mix of studios, one‑ and two‑bedroom rental units, a clubhouse, pool and site amenities.

Why it matters: The project would increase housing variety in Uplands and place new residential density on a major boulevard served by bus rapid transit. Councilors pressed the applicant on parking counts, exterior materials and the absence of deed‑restricted affordable units.

Key numbers and design requests: Staff said the code requires 396 off‑street spaces for the planned unit mix. The applicant initially proposed 320 on‑site spaces and asked the council to count 69 on‑street spaces toward the requirement, leaving an approximate deficit. During the presentation Alliance told council it reduced an earlier 288‑unit layout to 276 units after adding 24 connected garages to meet structured‑parking objectives. Project team representatives later said they would add seven on‑site spaces to eliminate the shortfall if staff would not support counting on‑street spaces. The applicant said the plan would provide about 8% common open space (double the code minimum) and a roughly 6,000‑square‑foot clubhouse (the application package elective listed a 2,000‑square‑foot clubhouse as a baseline elective).

Design exceptions and sustainability: The team requested limited exceptions to multifamily residential standards—reduced setbacks consistent with other Uplands approvals, a reduced percentage of balconies (about 33% proposed vs. 50% required), and a lower masonry percentage in favor of a mix of siding types. Alliance proposed sustainability electives including rooftop photovoltaic arrays and designing a portion of the buildings to Department of Energy zero‑energy‑ready standards; the applicant said it prefers a holistic, solar‑ready approach for the whole project so benefits are shared across residents.

Affordability and use: Applicants described the product as “missing middle” market‑rate rental housing intended to be lower‑cost than nearby class‑A product and to serve first responders, teachers and service‑industry workers. The applicant confirmed the units would be rentals only and that there are no deed‑restricted affordable units or subsidy‑based affordability guarantees in the concept plan.

Council questions and comments: Councilor Ireland expressed concern that on‑street spillover parking could affect nearby neighborhoods and pressed staff on whether the comprehensive plan’s water assumptions accommodate the project; staff said the urban multifamily designation accounted for the water estimates. Mayor Pro Tem and other councilors asked the developer to consider a bus shelter at one of the proposed transit stops adjacent to the site and questioned whether reduced balcony counts and lower masonry use would erode long‑term design quality along Federal Boulevard. Applicants defended the approach as a cost/efficiency tradeoff that reduces construction cost and thus rents, and said the larger shared amenities create usable community space rather than many small balconies.

Process and next steps: City staff reminded council that a concept plan review is a nonbinding, early feedback stage. If the applicant advances the project, they will need to submit a PDP amendment and an Official Development Plan; the city will hold a required neighborhood meeting and subsequent public hearings at the planning commission and city council. Staff and the applicant will refine parking counts and code exceptions in later technical reviews.

Context: The Uplands PDP had previously been revised to allow multifamily on these parcels; the proposal would add a moderate‑density rental product in an area with multimodal connections but raises typical tradeoffs between design standards, parking, and affordability.