Blog - Lakewood Informer

Navigation Center Emergency Deal Closes

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on January 14, 2026Posted in Homeless, TransparencyTagged emergency, Homeless, lease, navigation center, REcoveryWorks, shelter, volunteers of americaNo Comments

Lakewood passed another “emergency” ordinance, December 8, 2025, once again showing an inability – or purposeful unwillingness – to properly plan for the Navigation Center. The latest “emergency” was a lease that was months in the making. Lakewood used “emergency” and non-profit non-city meetings to skirt public input. The new lease and the property sale both rely on new zoning to keep the public in the dark and do spot zoning for favored projects. No one has addressed how the Center will be affected by the potential repeal of the new zoning nor has the declining neighborhood been addressed. During the January 8 meeting, a resident publicly complained about how the Navigation Center was negatively impacting his business.

Affordable Housing in Colorado Covers Developer Greed

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on January 12, 2026Posted in DevelopmentTagged developer, greed, Hopkins, long-term planning, westwordNo Comments

By Regina Hopkins, in the Westword

There is a glaring lack of long-term thinking when it comes to neighborhood continuity and planning in Lakewood.

City council’s radical rezoning is a blueprint for rushed, cheap, builder-grade development over thoughtful planning. Mature trees? Bulldozed for convenience. Infrastructure for fire, water, traffic, parks? Afterthoughts, already failing to keep up with current demands.

Petitioners Win in Zoning Referendum Hearing

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on January 12, 2026Posted in Development, TransparencyTagged ballot, city clerk, decision, hearing, hearing officer, kolkmeier, protest, referendum, signature, verification, zoningNo Comments

LLakewood has ruled AGAINST PROTESTS challenging zoning referendum petitions – meaning Lakewood ruled IN FAVOR OF THE REFERENDUM. The protesters said they represented the “rule of law” and stood for democracy. Then they argued against the democratic right to referendum. Lakewood and the petitioners cited Colorado Supreme Court case law to uphold the Constitutional right to referendum. Lakewood’s decision means the petitions are sufficient, and City Council must now respond. The first reading of a repeal ordinance is scheduled for 12 January, 2026 Council meeting.

A Bit Too Late for Concerns, Innit?

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on January 12, 2026Posted in Development, SustainabilityTagged alameda, Colorado, common clay, evacuation, Lakewood, Morrison, Red Rocks, somebody should do somethingNo Comments

From Somebody Should Do Something

JeffCo’s Common Clay of the New West prides themselves on yapping about “equity, diversity and affordable housing.’’ Seeing how they are so well versed in the cultures of the world, they should be able to translate the Russian saying of “Когда жареный петух клюнет” – for the rest of us, mere mortals, it says, “When a fried rooster pecks you” or, for those in JeffCo, “once your house (almost, maybe) burns down, then you’ll care.”

In early September of 2025, yet another community in JeffCo got to experience an evacuation notice, in part, due to the development they live in being placed in an area with known fire risk. To add some spice to the situation, in a manner too common to most of Colorado, the roads in and out of the neighborhood are not sufficient to provide viable evacuation routes.

Colorado economy driving into 2026 with the fog lights on

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on December 18, 2025Posted in Uncategorized

Jeffco and Colorado are now net emigration but Lakewood is still concerned about growth.

By Aldo Svaldi, asvaldi@denverpost.com

Colorado’s economy will continue to crawl along next year, with GDP growth strengthening but job gains remaining sluggish as some of the state’s highest-paying sectors shed jobs, according to the 2026 Colorado Business Economic Outlook from the University of Colorado.

Legal Support and Views of a Petitioner

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on December 18, 2025Posted in Development, TransparencyTagged legal defense, referendum, Regina Hopkins, Taheri, Travis Parker, zoning

Defending the referendum requires legal counsel. Regular residents cannot navigate full legal proceedings alone. Although there can be no issue committee at this time, and therefore no campaign donations, an attorney is stepping forward to assist.

If you wish to support the effort, donations can be sent directly to:

Johnson: To Zone or Not to Zone? YOU answer the question

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on December 18, 2025Posted in Uncategorized

From Ramey Johnson’s newsletter

When I served on the Lakewood City Council (2010–2020, Ward 1), we voted on changes to the zoning ordinance in 2012. That process required months of resident input and several citizen committee meetings before it ever reached the council for a final vote. It ultimately passed 8–3. I voted no.

Under normal procedure, city staff—typically the Director of Planning or Public Works—presents updated versions of ordinances to the council for consideration.

However, council is not made aware when new language is inserted into ordinance drafts that shifts additional authority to the Director of Planning (currently Travis Parker).

City Writes New Procedures for Referendum Hearing

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on December 18, 2025Posted in Development, TransparencyTagged hearing procedure, kolkmeier, outside the box, referendum, zoning

Former Lakewood resident Kip Kolkmeier has filed complaints about the referendum signatures on behalf of Joshua Comden and Reverend Ben Hensley. The complaint alleges very technical violations about the referendum petitions while also complaining about the hearing itself. Without documented procedures, the hearing officer is free to use their experience to guide a successful, neutral process. Kolkmeier disagrees and dictated how the complaint process should be handled, including the hearing and even who is allowed to talk to the City Clerk.

The eight bullet points listed in Kolkmeier’s hearing complaint are not suggestions for future hearings. They are demands to be implemented immediately. He uses words such as “shall”, “is” and “must.” This is a complete departure from suggested advice and does not acknowledge various alternatives of holding public hearings.

Decision on Campaign Finance Violation

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on December 16, 2025Posted in Development, Elections, TransparencyTagged campaign finance, determination, hearing decision, petition, referendum, zoning

The independent hearing officer made a determination absolving Lakewood and the referendum petitioners in the campaign finance complaint. The complaint was registered by Kip Kolkmeier against the zoning referendum petitioners. The findings say that there is room for interpretation how to safeguard a democratic government.

All the information on this is included at this link to the independent hearing officer’s decision. The document is 197 pages in length but includes the original complaint, the City Clerk’s response to the Complaint, the 8 page hearing officer decision and the full transcript of the hearing.

NextDoor Banned These 13 Posts!

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on December 16, 2025Posted in Development, TransparencyTagged banned, class action, housing, moderation, nextdoor, respect, savebelmarpark, supply

Struggling social media site Nextdoor published and raved about these 13 recent posts on their site. They described the author as a ‘trusted neighbor’ who was ‘making a difference in the neighborhood’! They also repeatedly encouraged the author to keep posting and asked ‘What will you share next?’ and displayed a large button to create a new post.

Then suddenly, the exact same posts that neighbors were ‘really interested in’ were banned with no notice and no warning as being SPAM even though Nextdoor had repeatedly encouraged the author to post such content on their site.

Navigation Center Emergency Deal Closes

Affordable Housing in Colorado Covers Developer Greed

Petitioners Win in Zoning Referendum Hearing

A Bit Too Late for Concerns, Innit?

Colorado economy driving into 2026 with the fog lights on

Legal Support and Views of a Petitioner

Johnson: To Zone or Not to Zone? YOU answer the question

City Writes New Procedures for Referendum Hearing

Decision on Campaign Finance Violation

NextDoor Banned These 13 Posts!

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