Planning Director’s Decision is “Arbitrary and Capricious”

Information provided by Jonna Helm

Updated July 28: Public Hearing set for 8/21 at 7pm

Lakewood residents have filed an appeal to approval of the subdivision for 1515 Whippoorwill Dr under the following basis: 

• This is not a subdivision of land but rather a merger of two parcels of land at the location of 1515 Whippoorwill. In which, Jefferson County has jurisdiction to perform that function, not the City of Lakewood  
• The proposed development is estimating 300+ car trips per day with the entrance on the blind curve on Youngfield St at W. 15th Place. The intersection at W. 15th Place and Youngfield Dr has no traffic controls and is already hazardous based on the sightlines of blind curve on Youngfield St, in which there was a near dead-on collision in Lakewood news a few weeks ago at this intersection, and the steep slope of W 15th Place, particularly in snow and ice. Adding 300+ trips per day through this intersection is unsafe and will impact traffic flow on Youngfield St.

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The Planning Department will now turn this over to the Planning Commission for a public hearing. Despite this not being a subdivision but a merger, the City is using the subdivision standards to evaluate the approval of the merger. In review of the subdivision standards, there are numerous other violations to the subdivision criteria and the bullets above are just a broad stroke of the issues that we will be addressed during public hearing. 

See the formal appeal here, which alleges several improper processes and decisions.

Residents anticipate that the hearing date will be sometime mid to late August or early September and ask for support by sharing concerns as with regards to safety of the street access, lack of public transportation, traffic control patterns and street connectivity in the subdivision ordinance: 

• Part 2: Applicable Criteria—Article 3: Subdivision Design Standards
  • 16-3-1 General Standards
  • 16-3-2 Residential Subdivision Standards
  • 16-3-5 Common space, tracts, or buildings
  • 16-3-6 Easements
  • 16-3-7 Utilities
  • 16-3-8 Street and transportation patterns and connectivity standards
  • 16-3-9 Streets, access and transportation

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Sign the petition: Change.org

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Here are just a couple of photo examples to illustrate the traffic problems on the blind curve. Unfortunately, there are no plans to mitigate these issues.   

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Video of one of many vehicles that get stuck or can’t up W. 15th Place in winter conditions. 

This car tried for over 2 minutes to get up W. 15th Place and never made it. Today only a few cars access W. 15th Place but what happens when there are 300 trips per day with a single entrance and exit to the apartments through this intersection? The City and Developers have no answers. 

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