Author : Lakewood News from Karen

From SaveBelmarPark.com Attorneys for Kairoi have now filed a lawsuit regarding the recent ordinance adopted by Lakewood City Council that eliminated the option to pay a fee to avoid providing open space with land development projects. You can read the court filing HERE. Kairoi’s own attorneys have made it crystal clear that the project scope is NOT reflected by any of the four Major SIte Plan submittals Kairoi has filed with Lakewood. We are pointing out that this fact arguably means Kairoi has never filed a ‘substantially complete application’ for their project because over half of the project’s units have not yet been included in their Major SIte Plan submittals! This means Kairoi has no basis to claim that previous city ordinances or other commitments written or oral made by the city should be binding on the city until a full and substantially complete application is brought forward. After all, even for just the 777 S Yarrow site, Kairoi has made no effort in their MSPs to date to even comply with the basic utility easement requirements for water, sewer, natural gas, transformers and electrical service!   So even those MSPs are not ‘substantially complete’ because the developer may have to make significant revisions including modify building setbacks and footprint in order to comply with the basic utility easements! Their own attorneys go into detail about Kairoi’s development process including their contractual provisions for land acquisition of the two parcels from the same seller. They state two 12-story buildings are also planned for the 777 S Wadsworth location directly across the street from 777 S Yarrow Street! Read more here…

Lakewood resident Suzanne Gould is supporting Denver’s Black Santa Project by providing a porch drop-off for unwrapped toys and gifts for infants through teens for the west metro area. This annual event is all-inclusive and serves children of all races. Donations are also accepted on the Black Santa website. Checks can be made payable to The Center For Advancing Black Excellence in Education. Unwrapped toys can be dropped off at 2397 S Eldridge Ct, 80228 through December 16.

From Geek Nexus As election season approaches, neighborhoods across America are transforming in more ways than just the changing colors of fall. Yards are blossoming with red, blue, and everything in between, as homeowners proudly display campaign signs, turning their lawns into political statements. This colorful display, however, isn’t just a form of expression – it’s sparking debates and, in some cases, irritation among neighbors… The upcoming elections will shape the political landscape for years to come, so it’s no surprise that some Americans want to make their views visible. But while political yard signs are an essential part of the democratic process for many, not everyone appreciates them. To find out where these signs are causing the most contention, Geek Nexus surveyed 3,000 homeowners, ranking 175 cities based on the level of irritation sparked by neighborhood yard signs. In a ranking of the top 10 cities most aggravated by political signs, Fort Lauderdale, FL, topped the list, followed by Little Rock, AR, and Pasadena, CA. When it comes to Colorado, residents of five cities emerged among the most irritated when their neighbors decide to erect political yard signs in their front yards: Arvada (which ranked in #91st place nationally), Aurora (#118), Lakewood (#140), Thornton (#142), and Denver (#151). While Colorado may not be a battleground state, it seems residents of these cities would prefer if their neighbors kept their political views a bit more private – at least when it comes to yard signs. Whether it’s a disagreement over political beliefs or simply the cluttered look of campaign slogans across the neighborhood, many locals would likely agree that a little less lawn politics could go a long way in maintaining good neighborly relations. Interestingly, the list also includes two cities in ‘swing’ states: Surprise, AZ, and Ann Arbor, MI. Here are the top 10 cities most frustrated by political yard signs: 1. Fort Lauderdale, FL2. Little Rock, AR3. Pasadena, CA4. West Palm Beach, FL5. Portland, ME6. Omaha, NE7. Surprise, AZ8. El Paso, TX9. Ann Arbor, MI10. Salt Lake City, UT Infographic showing complete city ranking Beyond the rankings, Geek Nexus’s survey revealed some interesting insights into Coloradans’ attitudes toward political yard signs. For example, 60% of respondents said they knew their neighbors’ political leanings, while 40% weren’t sure or preferred not to know. As for the actual influence of yard signs, opinion was split: 46% of people think these signs can sway voters, while 54% believe they’re just lawn ornaments with no real effect on election results. Most respondents agreed that political yard signs should have their season, with 76% supporting the idea that signs should only be displayed during specific times of the year, like the lead-up to an election. And while only a small group (24%) admitted they’d consider removing a neighbor’s sign if they disagreed with it, the majority (76%) were clear that they’d rather not cross that line. Then there’s the matter of legality: 58% of people were unaware of laws regulating the display of political yard signs. And it’s not just the signs that cause tension – yard aesthetics, in general, can be a source of neighborly friction. In fact, 34% of homeowners admitted to having clashed with a neighbor over property appearance in the past. “Yard signs are a way for people to express their beliefs, but they can also create tension, especially during an election,” says Jake Valentine of Geek Nexus. “What we’re seeing is that something as small as a lawn sign can have a big impact on neighborhood dynamics. It speaks to the importance of balancing personal expression with community harmony, especially in a time as charged as election season.”