Littleton council approves rezoning for CarMax lot at 5850 S. Broadway, 5–1
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Summary
The Littleton City Council voted 5–1 to rezone the eastern portion of the split-zoned parcel at 5850 S. Broadway from Neighborhood Commercial to Corridor Mixed, allowing CarMax to formalize a work‑in‑progress vehicle storage area and add pavement, lighting and about 125 vehicle spaces. Council discussion focused on compatibility and long‑term redevelopment risks.
The Littleton City Council on Dec. 2 approved, on second reading, an ordinance to rezone the eastern portion of 5850 South Broadway from Neighborhood Commercial to Corridor Mixed, a change the city said will make zoning consistent across a parcel currently split between two zones.
Andrea Vaughn, senior planner for Littleton’s Community Development Department, told the council that the parcel is about 9.47 acres in total and that the portion at issue is roughly 2.8 acres. Staff recommended approval, finding the proposal consistent with the comprehensive plan’s corridor‑mixed designation and noting negligible immediate traffic and no expected impacts to public facilities or natural features. Vaughn also flagged a technical issue: the legal description in Exhibit A must be corrected before county recording.
Taylor Raines of CenterPoint Integrated Solutions, representing CarMax, said the rezoning is intended to allow a small expansion of the site’s work‑in‑progress (WIP) area — roughly 0.75 acres — to provide about 125–128 additional vehicle storage spaces. Raines said the WIP area would be enclosed, have no public access, and include paving and a lighting plan designed to minimize impacts on neighboring properties.
During deliberations, council members pressed staff and the applicant on transitional protections for adjacent single‑family areas. Councilor Reichardt and others sought assurance that buffer yards, bulk and massing standards, and conditions tied to the existing conditional‑use approval would limit negative impacts. Vaughn said the conditional use granted by the Planning Commission runs with the land and that buffer yard requirements (about 17 feet in this case) and other development standards apply.
Several residents spoke during the public hearing. Jose Briones (District 3) urged the council to plan for long‑term traffic and safety effects, and resident Pam Chadbourne opposed the rezoning, saying it is incompatible with adjacent housing and could harm property values and the environment. Supporters, including Corey Palmero (District 4), argued the change corrects an odd split zoning on a major corridor and preserves flexibility for future mixed‑use redevelopment.
Councilors who voted in favor cited consistency with the comprehensive plan and compatibility with existing uses along the corridor. Council member Grove voted no, expressing concern about long‑term character and future development implications.
The ordinance passed by a 5–1 vote. City staff said they will correct the legal description exhibit prior to recording and the city manager agreed to investigate other parcels that may have split zoning as a follow‑up task.
What’s next: the council-approved rezoning will be recorded after staff corrects the legal description. The conditional‑use conditions remain relevant to how the property is used in the near term.
