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Council approves Uplands Filing 1 Block 3 ODP over neighborhood objections; vote 6-1
Summary
Westminster City Council approved the official development plan (ODP) for Uplands Filing 1 Block 3 (PA‑A3) on March 17 by a 6‑1 vote. The plan authorizes 127 for‑sale homes of mixed types, publicly accessible private parks and exceptions to lot/depth/setback standards; neighbors raised concerns about a raised berm, shading and lot sizes.
The Westminster City Council approved the Official Development Plan (ODP) for Uplands Filing 1, Block 3 (PA‑A3) at its March 17 meeting by a 6‑1 vote, with Councilor Ireland casting the lone dissent.
Planning Manager Don McConnell presented the staff recommendation and said the ODP meets the review criteria in Section 11‑5‑15 of the Westminster Municipal Code and the previously approved PDP and MODP. Staff noted the planning commission had unanimously recommended approval (7‑0).
The approved plan contains 127 single‑family dwellings across multiple typologies: 19 tuck‑under single‑family detached homes, 22 three‑story single‑family detached homes, 52 two‑story townhomes and 36 two‑story paired homes. The neighborhood includes nearly one acre of publicly accessible private parks, landscaping, bike amenities and pet stations. A 5.01‑acre detention pond is under construction and is central to grading and drainage for the parcel. The developer said the overall Uplands PDP originally allocated 778 acre‑feet of water for the site and that the current plan demonstrates about 105 acre‑feet of water savings compared with earlier assumptions.
Developer representatives led by Marcus and designer Kaylee Gillespie of Norris Design described the site layout, connectivity to existing streets and a 10‑foot multi‑use trail along Lowell Boulevard. The presenters said the proposal provides 444 parking spaces in total—exceeding the code requirement of 365 spaces—and an additional 30 guest spaces along Lowell. The applicant requested several exceptions from the MODP and lot standards (see clarifying details below) and said the tradeoff allowed creation of more publicly accessible park space.
Two neighbors spoke in opposition during public hearing comments. John Palmer, who lives across Lowell from the site, said a 12–14‑foot berm placed along the parcel’s edge, combined with two‑ to three‑story homes, would create a near‑42‑foot perceived wall and cause shading and sightline issues for existing homes. Palmer asked why the grade had been raised so substantially at that location. Karen Calabity argued the proposal did not respect the surrounding neighborhood’s topography and said the plan felt "two‑dimensional" and not sensitive to existing neighbors.
The applicant and staff responded that the site grading and detention configuration were set by the overall infrastructure and drainage plan for the Uplands development; Don McConnell said the detention and drainage work was designed to serve the broader area. The developer noted some units were reduced from earlier plans (roughly 90 fewer units across the broader PDP than originally planned) and emphasized the added public park space and pedestrian connectivity.
Council discussion focused on neighborhood context, water conservation, open‑space tradeoffs and the exceptions requested for lot depths, setbacks, private outdoor space and parking configuration. When asked about price points, the developer said comparable products from the builder Dream Finders typically start in the mid‑$400,000s to low‑$500,000s.
Councilor DeMott moved approval; Mayor Pro Tem Nirmala seconded. The motion passed 6‑1. Staff will proceed with final plan processing and permits per standard procedures.
Votes and formal action: the council motion to approve the ODP (moved by Councilor DeMott, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Nirmala) passed on a 6‑1 vote; Councilor Ireland voted no.
