The City worked with Harris Park community members to produce a grass-roots, implementation-oriented plan that created a vision for the future of the neighborhood. The Plan will directly inform the ongoing major update to the city’s comprehensive land use plan and development code re-write, and will influence the design and implementation of future development projects and city-led improvements.
A great deal of community input was gathered to identify specific infrastructure and development needs. A focus group, consisting of local business and resident stakeholders, were tasked with helping to identify the community’s unique assets and challenges. The focus group ensured that the final product lays out a practical, neighborhood-supported approach that builds upon the vitality of the Harris Park Area community.
In addition to the three focus group sessions, three community workshops were held, allowing the greater Westminster community to provide input to the Plan. Community members also participated in an online survey that provided the project team with feedback on the draft plan document.
The Harris Park Community Vision Plan was formally received by City Council on October 25, 2021. You may view the final plan by clicking the link below:
00_HarrisParkCommunityVisionPlan_book_Aug2021_high (002)
Two public hearings were held where members of the public were given the opportunity to provide additional input on the plan.
• September 28, 2021 – Planning Commission Meeting – Plan Presentation and Discussion
• October 25, 2021 – City Council Hearing – Plan Presentation, followed by a vote by City Council to receive the Plan.
Parking has been a standing concern from Harris Park business owners and residents for some time. To best address these concerns, the City hired a third-party consultant to analyze current parking conditions, potential future conditions and if needed, possible solutions.
You may view the final parking study by clicking on the link below
The Comprehensive Plan (both current and in the draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan) provides only broad guidance for development across the city. For example, the existing Comprehensive Plan contains one policy statement related to the fabric of Harris Park: “Allow the Harris Park neighborhood between Lowell and Bradburn boulevards and 72nd Avenue to just north of 73rd Avenue to become a mixed‐use, traditional, small‐scaled neighborhood that retains the historic and cultural identity and allows for greater flexibility for property owners to create a rich and vital district with a range of commercial and residential uses (LU-P-38).”
The Harris Park Community Vision Plan is intended to greatly expand on this general guidance by incorporating context-specific provisions for the future planning and design of private and public investments in the neighborhood. Knowing that there will be future demand for development due to proximity to Westminster Station, as well as a high level of access to other locations in the Denver Metro area, advance planning is needed at the neighborhood scale to ensure uses and scales are appropriately transitioned to the unique character of Harris Park.
The feedback gathered from the online survey HarrisParkArea_Workshop4_Summary provided the opportunity to further refine the draft Vision Plan to ensure it accurately reflects the community’s vision for the future—one that balances future development with sensitivities to neighborhood scale, identifies desired uses and activities, and establishes design patterns specific to this cherished neighborhood and complements other city initiatives for Historic Westminster.
Located roughly between 72nd Ave. and 80th Ave., from Lowell Blvd. to the BNSF rail line, the Harris Park neighborhood forms the very origin of the City of Westminster. Following the construction of the railway in 1881, the area soon became covered by apple and cherry orchards, creating a green oasis on the dry plains.
In 1911, the town of Harris voted to incorporate as the town of Westminster and continued to grow into one of the largest orchard centers in the country. With the housing boomed following World War II and the construction of the Denver-Boulder Turnpike, the Harris Park neighborhood continued to thrive.
Although Westminster is now a major suburban center in the Denver area, Harris Park serves as a reminder of the city’s historic origins along the railway line.
An online survey was held spanning the month of April 2021 and featured a series of survey questions designed to guide participants through critical portions of the draft plan.
The focus group consisted of local business and resident stakeholders tasked with helping to identify the community’s unique assets and challenges. The focus group met several times throughout the project to ensure that the final product lays out a practical, neighborhood-supported approach that builds upon the vitality of the Harris Park community.
Focus Group #1 Summary Focus Group #2 Summary
For development/redevelopment opportunities:
Stephanie Troller
Economic Development Department
stroller@westminsterco.gov or 303-658-2318
For Harris Park Area Plan inquiries:
Nathan Lawrence
Community Development Department
nlawrence@westminsterco.gov or 303-658-2099
