Westminster planning staff outline Unified Development Code changes to speed review, preserve negotiation tools

City of Westminster planning staff and consultants presented a proposed framework for a new Unified Development Code (UDC) and related procedural changes at the June 8, 2025, Westminster Planning Commission meeting, emphasizing preserved negotiation tools, added administrative adjustments and clearer pathways for redevelopment and infill projects.

The presentation, led by Andrew Spurgeon with consultant Elizabeth Garvin (Clarion) and City planners John McConnell (Planning Manager) and Jacob Casa (Principal Planner), described a multi-layered approach: keep negotiated outcomes available while creating clearer “bumpers” for administrative adjustments (about 20% of measurable standards), a project-specific sliding-scale adjustment for redevelopment tied to building permit valuation, and an alternative-compliance route for site-unique proposals. “You always have to start with the comp plan,” Spurgeon said, noting Westminster’s comprehensive plan is mandatory and only changeable by city council.

Why it matters: Westminster is largely built out and increasingly handling infill, redevelopment and adaptive reuse rather than greenfield development. Staff told commissioners that clearer, predictable processes could reduce delay for small and mid-sized projects while preserving staff and commission discretion for more consequential proposals. The changes are intended both to give applicants a clearer baseline and to keep the negotiated tools that staff and consultants say have delivered context-sensitive outcomes.

Most of the presentation focused on how the city proposes…