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Westminster planning commission approves ARC Thrift expansion under special use permit
Summary
The commission unanimously approved a special use permit allowing ARC Thrift (Rocky Mountain Properties) to expand interior employee/back-of-house space at Labels Plaza; staff found minimal visual and operational impact and confirmed notices were mailed to more than 900 nearby owners and tenants.
The Westminster Planning Commission voted unanimously Jan. 13 to grant a special use permit allowing ARC Thrift, operated at this site by Rocky Mountain Properties, to expand interior employee and back-of-house space at its Labels Plaza location.
Senior planner Trevor Harlow told commissioners the hearing was properly noticed, the agenda packet and attachments were entered into the public record and notices were mailed to more than 900 property owners, tenants and homeowners associations within 1,000 feet of the site. Harlow said the proposed expansion is interior to the existing shopping center, would not add retail floor area, and would not change the exterior appearance.
Staff reviewed the city’s nine SUP criteria and the five standards that apply to this type of use. Harlow said staff found the expansion would have “minimal impact on the operations in the surrounding location,” that donation drop-offs and circulation were already accounted for in the property's amended official development plan (ODP from 1978), and that parking and traffic considerations had previously been reviewed. Based on those findings, staff recommended approval.
Commissioner Tomachek asked why the code sets a 5,000-square-foot threshold for thrift stores. Senior planning staff responded that the code specifically cites 5,000 square feet and that the threshold is intended to address intensity and potential impacts such as donation drop-off activity and higher customer and traffic volumes. The staff and a commissioner noted the applicant has been a good steward of the site.
Commissioner Kinnear moved to approve the special use permit, and Commissioner Tomachek seconded. A roll-call vote recorded all voting commissioners in favor and the motion passed unanimously.
The permit grants the land-use allowance to the business owner at this specific location and, per staff, does not run with the land (it does not automatically transfer to a different owner and can be abandoned if unused for a year or more). The approval allows the interior expansion for employee operations; exterior renovation was not proposed and is not authorized by this action.
The commission took no further action on related code amendments or additional design changes. The project will proceed under the terms noted in the agenda memo and applicable sections of the Westminster Municipal Code.
