Developers propose 181-unit Highland Village project; council presses on height and affordability

The Biggar Companies presented a concept plan Nov. 17 for Highland Village 2, a mixed-use project on a 3.3-acre parcel along Sheridan Boulevard between 97th and 96th avenues. Lane Gearhart, the developer’s project manager, said the plan includes two buildings with a total of 181 multifamily units, podium parking, a pool and clubhouse, and roughly 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

Reb Bateslaw, a planner with the Department of Community Services, told councilors the site is designated as a mixed-use neighborhood in Westminster’s 2040 comprehensive plan but that the proposal would require preliminary development plan and official development plan amendments to proceed.

Gearhart said the project is proposed as five stories to make the retail component financially viable and noted market dynamics: the site has remained vacant for nearly two decades and retailers have been reluctant to anchor the envisioned village-style retail without sufficient residential density. He also said the developer typically sees base rents in the 80–90% area median income (AMI) range in comparable Front Range projects but confirmed this proposal would not include income or rent restrictions tied to tax credits.

Several councilors pressed the applicant on affordability and neighborhood fit. Councilor Rosati said affordability is “really, really important” and asked whether the project would remain accessible to workforce households; councilors generally questioned whether market pressures would push rents above the developer’s stated expectations. Multiple councilors said five stories is taller than the prevailing neighborhood scale and encouraged consideration of stepped-down massing or reducing height on the north side where the grade is higher.

Parking was a central mitigation the applicant offered: Gearhart said the plan provides roughly a quarter-space-per-unit more than required by zoning and that the developer plans to include parking in rent to encourage tenants to use garages rather than street parking. Councilors said that offering parking bundled with rent could help reduce curb parking pressures but asked staff and the applicant to verify whether the proposal would unduly impact adjacent neighborhoods.

Councilors and staff recommended further, targeted neighborhood outreach before any formal application advances. The staff presentation and developer remarks made clear that the concept review provides nonbinding feedback: any technical review, public hearings before the planning commission, and subsequent council consideration will occur only if the applicant files the official development applications.

What happens next: Staff and the developer will continue outreach and, if the applicant proceeds, must submit PDP and ODP amendment applications. Planning staff signaled they will require the standard neighborhood meeting and subsequent public hearings as part of that process.