Westerly to Total Nearly 800 Acres with Approximately 3,400 Homes, More Than 150,000 Square Feet of Commercial Space, and Abundant Open Space
Southern Land Company (SLC), a Nashville-based national real estate developer of award-winning master-planned and mixed-use communities, received approval to rezone a 391-acre parcel of land it owns in Erie, Colorado, at an Erie Town Council meeting on July 22. The rezone approval marks a significant milestone in the expansion of the Westerly master-planned community, heralding a new wave of residential offerings and commercial space in the Town of Erie.
SLC acquired the parcel, currently referred to as North Westerly, from the Colorado State Land Board in 2023. It is bound by Erie Parkway to the south, County Road 10 to the north, County Road 5 to the west, and County Road 7 to the east, and is part of SLC’s nearly 800-acre master-planned community Westerly. The approval allows for a reduction in density, from a maximum of 4,266 residential units to a maximum of 2,146 residential units.
“This rezone approval allows us to bring our full vision for Westerly to life,” said Brian Sewell, President and COO, Southern Land Company. “We look forward to introducing more housing options, including single-family homes, rental, and age-qualified residences, as well as new commercial offerings, all of which will be thoughtfully designed to complement and support the Town of Erie, one of the fastest growing towns in the nation. Our approach to thoughtful community design prioritizes walkability and open spaces, elevated architecture, and a curated lifestyle, ensuring homeowners and residents truly feel at home and connected to their community.”
The rezone’s reduction in density—a rarity in development and sought by SLC—speaks to the company’s intentional planning and community-building standards, which prioritize housing diversity, integration of uses, opportunities for events and programming, celebration of neighborhood identity, walkability, and abundant open space. While detailed plans for North Westerly are underway, SLC intends to introduce the following to North Westerly:
- Single-family homes, townhomes, live-work townhomes, multifamily, and active adult paired villas, all featuring unique architectural designs;
- More than 50 acres of dedicated parks and open spaces;
- Over 7 miles of trails that will connect to those in the existing Westerly community;
- Up to 150,000 square feet of commercial space within a designated village; and
- Infrastructure improvements around the community.
Upon completion, the nearly 800-acre Westerly community will consist of a diverse collection of approximately 3,400 homes within a traditional neighborhood setting.
The original 400-acre Westerly community, which welcomed first homeowners in 2023, will consist of approximately 1,200 homes built by Brightland Homes, McStain Neighborhoods, and SLC Homes, SLC’s in-house homebuilding division, when fully completed. More than 100 acres of the original parcel will be undeveloped open spaces.
Westerly homeowners enjoy sweeping views of the Front Range and proximity to abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. The Westerly lifestyle is currently amplified by the Waypoint, a state-of-the-art wellness-focused amenity center. Designed as a central community hub, the Waypoint is outfitted with a resort-style pool, 17-seat hot tub, and fire pits, as well as more than 6,100 square feet of indoor space with a fitness studio, remote workspaces, and community room. Homeowners also enjoy access to regular and special programming coordinated by a dedicated community lifestyle manager. The Waypoint will be complemented with a planned, adjacent neighborhood retail offering. A second, larger amenity center is planned for North Westerly, which will provide Westerly residents with additional opportunities for fitness, lifestyle programming, and special events, and will be integrated with a larger town center retail village offering a mixture of restaurants, shops, and services.
In addition to creating a comprehensive residential community at Westerly, SLC will make significant investments to benefit the entire Erie community. SLC has plans to improve County Road 5 and Erie Parkway and to fund improvements to County Road 7. Additionally, SLC will provide 22 acres and $7.7 million to the Town of Erie for the creation of two neighborhood parks and will donate 12.5 acres within Westerly to St. Vrain Valley School District for a planned middle school, which will be highly walkable for students.
Find images of Westerly linked here: Westerly Images
In addition to Westerly, SLC’s portfolio of active Colorado communities includes Arden Karl’s Farm, an expansive garden-style rental community in Northglenn. SLC previously developed, owned, managed, and sold Centric LoHi and Bespoke Uptown in Denver and REVE Boulder in Boulder.
SLC’s portfolio of master-planned communities beyond Colorado includes:
- Westhaven, a 1,500-acre, 3,500-home, award-winning master-planned community in Franklin, Tennessee;
- Fairington, a 373-acre, 735-home master-planned community in Nolensville, Tennessee;
- Lunaroya, an intimate luxury home community in Dripping Springs, Texas;
- Tucker Hill, a master-planned community in McKinney, Texas; and
- Mare Island, a large-scale revitalized mixed-use community with housing, entertainment, hospitality, and business opportunities on a historic peninsula in Vallejo, California.
A full list of SLC’s communities is available at https://southernland.com/portfolio/.
