Littleton council approves rezoning at 5850 S. Broadway to allow CarMax vehicle staging
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Summary
The Littleton City Council voted 5–1 on Dec. 2 to rezone the eastern portion of 5850 S. Broadway from Neighborhood Commercial to Corridor Mixed, a move staff said aligns the parcel with the comprehensive plan and allows CarMax to add a work‑in‑progress vehicle staging area.
The Littleton City Council on Dec. 2 approved an ordinance rezoning the eastern portion of 5850 South Broadway from Neighborhood Commercial to Corridor Mixed to allow vehicle staging related to CarMax’s operations.
Senior planner Andrea Vaughn told the council staff recommends approval, saying the application “meets all 5” rezoning criteria, including consistency with the comprehensive plan and negligible traffic impacts. Vaughn told the council the parcel is about 9.47 acres overall and the portion before the council tonight is roughly 2.8 acres; she noted a corrected legal description would be required in Exhibit A before county recording.
Taylor Raines, a representative for the applicant, said the change would permit a roughly 0.75‑acre expansion of CarMax’s work‑in‑progress (WIP) area to add approximately 125–128 additional vehicle spaces for staging and storage. “This expansion area would only be WIP, in that undeveloped parts of the parcel,” Raines said, adding the area will be paved and include a lighting plan designed to shield neighbors.
Council members questioned long‑term uses that the Corridor Mixed zoning could allow if CarMax later sold the property and sought redevelopment. Vaughn said conditional‑use approvals tied to existing operations would need to be dissolved before other uses could proceed and that buffer yard, bulk and mass standards would apply to transitions to higher‑intensity development.
Council debate centered on whether the rezoning met the five decision criteria required in a quasi‑judicial rezoning. Council member Zink said she found the proposal compatible with surrounding uses and supported the measure: “I find that this meets the five criteria,” she said. Council member Reichardt and others said the request aligns with current use and the character of the corridor but urged continued attention to transition and buffering for adjacent single‑family areas.
A public hearing drew mixed comment. Jose Briones of District 3 supported uniform zoning for consistency but asked the city to plan for future traffic and safety improvements. Resident Pam Chadbourne urged the council to reject the rezoning, saying zoning “needs to be designed for function and over decades” and warned of adverse effects on adjacent homeowners. Corey Palmero (District 4) urged approval, arguing corridor‑mixed zoning is the right fit for Broadway.
Council member Grove voted no; the presiding officer announced the final tally as five in favor, one opposed, and the motion carried. After the vote the council asked staff to inventory other parcels with split zoning and to consider outreach to adjacent property owners when split‑zoning situations are discovered.
The ordinance was approved on second reading. The mayor closed the hearing and adjourned the meeting.
