Westminster’s claim as home to the metro area’s largest off-leash dog park — 440 acres of prairie nudged against the edge of the Rocky Mountain foothills where dogs can blaze a trail untethered — got a big boost Monday night. City elected officials gave initial approval Monday, by a vote of 5-2, to an ordinance designed to establish the Westminster Hills Open Space Dog Off-Leash and Natural Area, a designation that officially provides a generous slice of land upon which canines can continue to run, frolic and play — loose and fancy-free. A second vote to finalize the new designation, which is expected to cost approximately $1.3 million to activate in 2025, is scheduled for later this month.