Westminster planning commission reviews draft Unified Development Code updates to zoning districts and uses

Westminster Planning Commission — At an informational workshop on May 13, 2025, City of Westminster planning staff and consultant Elizabeth Garvin of Clarion Associates presented a draft Unified Development Code (UDC) that would consolidate several residential zoning districts, create three scales of mixed‑use districts, modernize the city’s use table and incorporate design and use‑specific standards into one regulatory document. The commission did not take votes at the workshop.

The UDC is intended to translate the city’s policy documents — including the comprehensive plan, housing needs assessment, sustainability plan and transportation plan — into technical zoning, subdivision and site‑design regulations. "I'm trying to get this code in a place that is really reflective of Westminster," said Elizabeth Garvin, director at Clarion Associates. City staff noted the last code of this scale dates to 1997 and that about 2% of Westminster’s land (roughly 475 acres) remains vacant and is the primary focus of the update.

The UDC draft proposes consolidating several low‑density residential districts into a single suburban residential district, retaining multiple multifamily categories and adding a new higher‑density residential district aimed at providing “missing middle” housing types such as triplexes and fourplexes. The code would also introduce three mixed‑use scales — neighborhood, commercial and regional — to align base zoning districts more directly with the comprehensive plan’s place types. Garvin said the revisions aim "to make the existing zoning workable" for infill and redevelopment and to reduce reliance on Planned Unit Development (PUD) for most changes, although PUDs would remain an option.

Staff explained how the new districts would be applied: existing approved PUDs (including Downtown Westminster and Westminster Station) would remain unchanged; most non‑PUD parcels would be converted to the most similar new district; and the UDC would not be retroactive to force immediate changes on existing properties. "The UDC is not retroactive," staff said, noting that property owners would generally be subject to the new rules only when they pursue new development or major changes.

The presentation also covered an updated use table that consolidates outdated, rarely used categories and adds modern commercial and employment uses (for example, research and development, coworking and microbreweries). Garvin said the draft incorporates recent city standards for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), family care homes, group homes, outdoor dining and solar systems; the presentation illustrated how the code will flag uses that require additional, use‑specific standards.

Commissioners and members of the public raised several substantive concerns during the discussion. Commissioner Carpenter warned that changes to base zoning could create many nonconforming situations, telling staff "I think this is opening a huge can of worms" if the code is not carefully calibrated. Commissioner Tomachek and others pressed for clarity on how PUDs and PUD amendments would interact with the new base districts; staff said some PUD amendments would continue to be administrative while others would return to the commission and council depending on scale.

The commission and public commenters discussed manufactured homes and tiny homes. Staff said the draft currently treats manufactured home parks as "PUD required" for new parks and acknowledged debate remains over whether to convert existing conventional manufactured home districts, noting potential consequences for tenants if a conventional district became nonconforming.

Public comment included remarks from Rich Chamberlain of the Inclusivity Board, who said his "main concern is really about issues of inclusivity," and expressed support for housing diversity and smaller‑scale, incremental development. A resident identified as Karen emphasized preserving wetlands, trees and view corridors in new development and urged incentives for net‑zero energy building methods and design that prioritizes “beauty” over uniform boxy architecture.

Staff estimated the UDC draft was about 70% complete, described project testing performed against previously approved applications, and outlined next steps: additional workshops (including a July session on development standards and a later workshop on procedures), outreach and an expected public draft for review this summer, followed by public hearings with adoption targeted later in 2025 if the schedule holds. Staff also noted some state legislative deadlines affecting local planning fall in 2026 and 2027 and that the city will coordinate with council to incorporate statutory changes as needed.

The meeting was a workshop for input; no formal motions or votes were taken. Staff invited commissioners and attendees to complete a questionnaire provided at the meeting and to continue the conversation in upcoming sessions.

The Planning Commission adjourned at 8:02 p.m.

Ending — The UDC presentation framed the update as a technical, not a policy, rewrite intended to implement existing policy documents and to make Westminster’s zoning more usable for infill and redevelopment. Staff and the consultant said they will return with additional drafts and outreach opportunities; commissioners requested clearer guidance on how the new base districts will interact with existing PUDs and nonconforming situations, and members of the public urged stronger protections for open space, energy performance and neighborhood character.