Alliance Residential and its design team presented plans to neighbors in Westminster for a multifamily project that would place up to 276 apartment homes on about 8.5 acres along Federal Boulevard.

"My name is Bill Maher. I'm an urban designer and planner with Morris Design," said Bill Maher, who led the applicant presentation and described the site plan, pedestrian connections and required technical reports for an official development plan (ODP) application. He said the site is designated "urban multifamily" in the city comprehensive plan and that the preliminary development plan (PDP) and ODP processes give the applicant and the city a framework for negotiating site design and standards.

The proposal, as presented, places buildings close to Federal Boulevard to create an activated street edge, concentrates parking interior to the site with a mix of garages and surface parking, and provides an east–west pedestrian connection to a centrally located park and amenity core. The amenity area shown includes a clubhouse, pool, a lawn, a playground, bench seating and a pickleball court. The team said benches will be located along the walk that encircles the central lawn, and that bicycle parking, EV-ready stalls and cast-down directional lighting are part of the design.

Project scope and technical requirements

Maher said the project site is about 8.5 acres and the applicant is proposing up to 276 units. He listed standard submittal materials that the City of Westminster requires for an ODP, including a grading plan, drainage report, traffic analysis, environmental assessment and geological report. The team told the meeting that the applicant began the process with a pre-application meeting in June 2025, presented an early concept to city council for feedback, and has received PDP review comments that the team intends to address before resubmitting the ODP.

Access, circulation and parking

The applicant said vehicular access will be directed to Federal Boulevard to the north and south and that there is no proposed direct access to Decatur Street. Pedestrian circulation is shown both along the site edges and through the interior, with a committed east–west connector to the central park. Parking is intended to be internalized and partially screened by buildings and landscaping, the team said.

Design and sustainability elements

Architect Sean (last name not provided in the meeting) described the concept as a relaxed, farmhouse-influenced character with muted colors and varied textures in preliminary elevations. The team also said the project will include infrastructure to support future rooftop solar if feasible and will provide EV parking stalls consistent with city requirements.

Public access and amenities

The design packet presented characterizes the central park and clubhouse as privately developed features that, in many cases, would be open for public use. The team emphasized the benefit of placing buildings near the street to create a safer, more comfortable pedestrian environment and said street trees and drought-tolerant landscaping would be provided along the Federal Boulevard frontage.

Next steps and public process

A city staff member explained the formal review and noticing process: the applicant will resubmit based on city and neighborhood comments, technical departments will review, and if there are no outstanding technical issues the project will be scheduled for public hearings before the planning commission and city council. "So there will be two more opportunities for public participation and input in the [public hearing] process," the staff member said, noting that notices will be mailed to property owners and tenants within 1,000 feet, signs will be posted on the property, and an online QR code will link to project materials.

Neighbor feedback

Several attendees voiced preferences and concerns about design quality and neighborhood fit. Resident Richard said he supports thoughtful development but criticized recent projects elsewhere for lack of imagination: "Everything looks identical, insane. Like, there was no imagination, no thought process," he said, and told the applicant he was glad to see Westminster asking for higher standards. Other comments at the meeting focused on noise concerns near active amenities and on ensuring landscaping and circulation provide a comfortable, walkable frontage on Federal Boulevard.

What the meeting did not decide

This neighborhood meeting was an informational and feedback-focused step in the ODP process; no formal approvals or council actions were taken. The applicant said it will revise its drawings and technical materials, return to staff for a second review, and seek noticed public hearings in 2026 if the technical review is completed.

Proposed clarifications and follow-up items noted at the meeting included the timing of future submissions, refinement of architectural elevations, final locations and counts of EV stalls, and detailed noise- and lighting-mitigation strategies to address adjacency to existing homes.

Ending

The applicant team thanked attendees and encouraged continued participation at future review meetings and the noticed hearings. City staff reiterated how residents will be notified and that the public will have two formal hearing opportunities before planning commission and city council.