Residents urge Westminster to follow state transit‑oriented housing law; council stresses water and local control concerns

Several Westminster residents and a planning commission alternate used the Feb. 10 public‑comment period to urge the City Council to comply with recent state legislation that encourages multifamily housing and reduced parking requirements near frequent transit.

Tim Pegg, an alternate on the Westminster Planning Commission, told the council he believed the city had been “somewhat misinformed” during a recent study session and urged officials not to “choose to break the law.” Pegg said misconceptions included the false idea that the law would require municipalities to build housing or to find non‑existent water supplies for development. “This really is a free market oriented reform,” he said, and noted that tap fees exist to charge new development for utility impacts.

Kate Fuller, a Westminster resident, described the law’s potential benefits for seniors and transit‑reliant households. “If his apartment complex had been required to provide an unwanted parking space for him, not only would he have to pay for the spot, but fewer units would have been built,” she said, urging the council to “do the report, point out any real shortfalls in specific areas, and keep in mind that this law doesn't force the government to build housing.”

Vivek Senderaj, a 25‑year Westminster resident, asked the council to comply with House Bill 13 13 (referred to in public comment) and noted that the law allows water‑supply exemptions where appropriate.

Not all public commenters supported the state approach. Karen Calabity told councilors she did not believe the law (referred to in public remarks as "13 13") would solve Westminster’s housing affordability problems, and said the type of higher‑density development it could encourage posed traffic, environmental and planning concerns in some parts of the city.

Council response: Mayor Pro Tem Nirmala and several council members said the city has long planned for transit‑adjacent development in station areas and that water, sewer and drainage are important constraints. Nirmala said Westminster has engaged in strategic planning around transit for decades and that planning is “context based.” Councilor Carmelia said she had asked staff for additional briefings and planned to meet with planning staff to understand the city’s options and to protect home‑rule authority.

Why it matters: The debate touches on housing affordability, municipal zoning authority, infrastructure capacity and whether local governments should align with or resist recent state housing and parking reforms. In Westminster the issues are tightly linked to the city’s water supply, stormwater and sewer capacity and to questions about local land availability.

What the record shows: Speakers urged the council to study the law’s practical impacts and complete technical analyses of water supply and tap‑fee adequacy before deciding whether to adopt zoning changes required or encouraged by the state statute.