Author : Lakewood News from Karen

Lakewood City Council will vote to purchase the closed school, Emory Elementary on Monday, April 28, 2025. Lakewood intends to keep the soccer fields and transfer the building to the Action Center, a non-governmental organization that provides food and homeless services. That intent to transfer was included as one sentence in the staff memo for the property purchase. However, the reason why the transfer is necessary was not disclosed. Lakewood has planned for years to purchase the school as part of the city’s strategy to increase the number of homeless shelters in Lakewood. The first reading of this purchase occurred on April 14, 2025 The problem is that the building is not going to Lakewood as the end-user. Lakewood is buying the school and fields with the intention to immediately sell or transfer the building to the Action Center, for an undisclosed amount of money while keeping the soccer fields for city use. Lakewood then intends to somehow take possession of the existing Action Center to operate a second homeless shelter, completing their navigation center concept, according to an explanation to City Council by City Manager Hodgson (see Lakewood Informer news for more details here and here). The Action Center does not have to go through the public bid process, and surrounding residents have not been made aware of the end goal that will have this service center in the middle of their neighborhood. Also of concern is that Lakewood will sell or exchange this building at a loss, since they argued that the school board should do just that – Lakewood argued Jeffco should give Emory Elementary to the city at a loss as a public service for the homeless initiative. Jeffco is not honoring its public process to first subdivide the property and then publicly go through the full disposition disclosure process for the non-city property. The subdivision and separate property sale precedent was set for Vivian Elementary, another closed school located in Lakewood, the purchase of which will also be approved April 28, 2025.   For Vivian Elementary, the developer was forced to buy their own parcel after the school subdivided the property for Lakewood. That guaranteed a public process to disclose the end-user of the property while also ensuring the best price for the sale. In contrast, for Emory Elementary, the property will remain intact until it is too late for the public to know the whole plan or for other parties to be able to bid a higher price for any parcel the city does not intend to keep. Lakewood operating million-dollar property deals to benefit the Action Center, well-meaning as they are, is reaching outside of the city mandate, even if the city was being transparent, which they are not. And the school board is so far not demanding that the property be subdivided and sold to the end-users in a transparent process either. Lakewood’s existing shelter, operating through RecoveryWorks, is not a proven success. It was started as a “free money” initiative, and now state and federal funds are being reduced.  Other cities are reducing their shelter capabilities. Yet Lakewood is increasing their shelter commitments. A drastic increase to funding Lakewood homeless is not what the city promised when they said they needed to deTABOR. A public discussion of how Lakewood will continue to fund these initiatives is long overdue and it looks like Lakewood would like to keep it that way. Jimmy Sengenberger reported in February that Jeffco changed their school process to make it easier for Lakewood to buy closed schools in what was called the “municipal option.” That option, designed for cities, is now being abused for property swaps via an opaque process. Lakewood will argue that the swap will ultimately benefit Lakewood’s general goals, so no specifics need to be disclosed or approved. This questionable process leaves Lakewood residents feeling like decisions are being made without due consideration of all impacts. Therefore, the most important decision is not whether to buy this school property. It is whether Lakewood residents want more government-sponsored homeless services. If residents do not want to expand homeless services, then Lakewood would not need to buy the current Action Center. If Lakewood does not need to buy the current Action Center, then Lakewood would not need to buy Emory Elementary as a new Action Center facility. Simple. But that whole process has not been disclosed or discussed prior to the vote on April 28, 2025.

CRISP & GREEN are thrilled to be the Featured Vegetarian Sponsor at this year’s Denver Colfax Marathon on May 18th. We’ll be serving up our signature fresh, healthy salads to over 4,000 runners post-race, and that’s just the beginning. Visitors to our booth can also: Want to support early? Donations can be made here: https://www.coloradogives.org/story/8vtnef This is a high-energy, feel-good story highlighting local business, community wellness, youth empowerment, and giving back

By Eve S, also posted on LakewoodSpeaks Many residents chose to live in Lakewood because we appreciate the native wildlife and plants that we have found in this area. The Envision Lakewood 2040 plan emphasizes “Sustainability” without seriously considering our natural environment. It does not present a plan to preserve habitats for our native species and for the species that rely on our resources when they are migrating. I believe that “Sustainability” should include a written emphasis – a promise – to prioritize wildlife conservation for us and for future generations. If we lose pollinators, birds and mammals that have sought refuge in the remaining pockets of natural habitat, we have not created a sustainable city. The outcry over the construction of a large apartment building next to Kountze Lake at Belmar Park points out the need for more protection of our wildlife. A few concessions have been made. The City’s website statement says that the “park, however, doesn’t have any official designation as a bird sanctuary.” Vision 2040 omits any plans to designate ecologically important, but vulnerable areas, as “Preserves”, “refuges” or “sanctuaries”.  Some land should be set aside, or zoned, as “Natural Areas”, to remain as they are. These areas will be distinct from “parks” that are stripped of trees, and then are paved over for playgrounds. If we do not zone for Preserves now, the land and habitats will be gone forever. It is notable that the City predicts the developer will replace the 69 large trees at 777 S. Yarrow St. with lots of small, new trees, or they will pay a fee in lieu. We all know that replacing older trees with new trees does not preserve the habitat needed by many animals from insects to birds to mammals. Removing all the undergrowth, shrubs and bushes sterilizes the land. Lawns are not good substitutes for natural flora. The City will accept a small buffer next to the Kaori development. However, we should require professional environmental studies, especially water and air quality studies, to determine the size and placement of buffers which adjoin designated Preserves. Vision 2040 should require environmental impact analyses. Modern developments create a great deal of pollution, including toxic construction waste, trash, pet waste, light, noise and automobile pollution. Pesticides, herbicides and insecticides are applied to the soil and air and, unless restricted, will spread with through the air and through run-off to nearby ponds and creeks. The City’s proposed zoning ordinances seek to expand the limit on the heights of buildings that are adjacent to parks, as well as residential areas. This change is welcome, especially if Preserves are included in this application and if the height limits are sufficient and not exempted for affordable housing.  A tall building with clear windows that reflect the sky and clouds that is constructed next to a nesting area is sure to result in many bird strikes which happen when birds unwittingly fly into the windows and are killed. Some cities now require new constructions to use windows that deter birds because they have been designed to appear opaque to birds without decreasing the desirability of the windows. Planning requirements could prevent many unintended deaths. Vision 2040 zones and funds Arts Districts designed to enhance our communities. Similarly, wildlife lifts our spirits and enhances our lives, and there should be little expense in retaining habitats as they are. Preserves should be recognized as special districts, just as Historic and Art Districts are. We should not have to fight the City to protect the remaining retreats of our wildlife. Along the Front Range, as well as in most of the world, native species face more potent stress every year due to habitat loss, pollution, climate change, etc. A decade ago, I observed bird species and small animals that are now rarely seen in our city. By protecting small natural pocket parks and larger Preserves, perhaps we will be able to show our children a flock of yellow-headed blackbirds again or a pair of foxes playing at dawn. For more info, see  Lakewood Speaks – Item 3: PL25-0002 – Envision Lakewood 2040 ; Lakewood Speaks – Item 4: OA25-0001 – Zoning Ordinance Amendments