Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood City Council Members gave themselves the right to use the city resources as a personal platform, while at the same time further limiting the voice of the residents. New City Council Policies and Procedures were adopted April 24, 2026.
By Lenore Herskovitz On April 28, 2026 a neighborhood meeting was held at the Navigation Center at 8000 W. Colfax to explain and discuss the Special Use Permit required for the facility to operate as an overnight shelter. Presently the Navigation Center is performing this service for individuals under a Temporary Permit. The meeting was well-attended by a diverse group. Some had been notified because of their proximity to the facility, others through social media or word of mouth. Young and old residents were present to ask questions and voice their concerns to the City’s representatives Chris Conner, Manager of Lakewood’s Housing and Thriving Communities Division and Paul Rice, the Director of the Planning Department. Chris had been more directly involved with the project so he led the presentation and discussion. There were handouts that provided information about the Navigation Center and the Special Use Process. Initially many of the comments came from angry residents who felt they should have been notified much sooner. The Navigation Center was already opened and had people living there before there was community outreach. Prior to that, engagement regarding who would operate the shelter consisted of City Staff, representatives from the West Colfax Community Association, non-competing area nonprofits, Jefferson County and command-level staff from Lakewood Police. So basically by the time this neighborhood meeting was being held the Navigation Center was operational.
The high turnout April 7, 2026 was a surprise for a special election, especially since the election was about a normally boring topic like zoning. In most ways, the special election turnout and demographics mirrored the last two city elections, which is only surprising because so many people thought there would be something “special” about the vote. Key takeaways include: Lakewood is not as progressive as its Council People vote more when they think it matters Unopposed Council Members are vulnerable Voter turnout was higher than expected Generation voting rates followed historic patterns
City leaders are expressing surprise over the zoning election results and showing how completely out of touch they are with their constituents. Instead of acknowledging this fact, or even stepping down in favor of someone who is more grounded, leaders renewed their commitment to zoning changes. Meanwhile, several trends are emerging as residents acknowledge they will have to find better leaders:
by Somebody Should Do Something Having lost the special election on the 7th of April, by an almost 2 to 1 margin (despite having enormous financial backing from the real estate interests – more on that elsewhere), Lakewood’s Eye of Sauron now turns to economic development. Not that Lakewood has been doing anything of the sort. In case you missed the memo, “In Colorado, an annual salary for a single adult needs to be at least $105,955, using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. For a family of four, $273,728 is needed annually to live comfortably in Colorado.” Of course, if you look at the economic statistics for Lakewood – not even close an average resident is.
By Bob Adams. The Lakewood special election is now over with an overwhelming mandate to reject the new zoning and return to the previous ordinance. This warning is that all the politicians, activists and money defending the new zoning, are still in place. Are they just going to give up? In their own words, No. One way or another, they’ll keep trying to push higher density through…. Whether Lakewood likes it or not! The battle has just begun.
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