Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

New Community-Focused Church Launches in Lakewood Despite Single-Digit Temperatures

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in CommunityTagged , , ,

In single-digit temperatures Sunday morning, more than 300 residents gathered at Alameda International Junior/Senior High School to launch CBC Denver, a new community-focused church committed to serving the Lakewood and greater Denver area through connection, service, and long-term neighborhood involvement.

Located near the Belmar area of downtown Lakewood, CBC Denver meets at 1255 South Wadsworth Blvd. and holds weekly services Sundays at 10:00 a.m. The church is led by Pastor Casey Whithers and his wife, Hannah, and was planted to create a welcoming environment where people can build relationships, explore faith, and engage in meaningful service within the community.

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Additional Federal Supremacy on 5G

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in Entrenched BureaucracyTagged , , , , ,

Lakewood residents mounted fierce opposition against the spread of 5G towers in Lakewood in July 2020. City Council at the time debated possibilities for hours. 5G remained an issue in the 2021 city election because of the high level of resident dissatisfaction. Residents cited concerns over health effects but Lakewood city officials said the law prohibits cell phone towers to be blocked on that basis. Now, residents who were involved in 2020 may be interested in new federal regulations that seek to expand prohibition powers.

It turns out those residents may be right to be concerned about health risks. According to the Wall Street Journal, Federal health officials quietly removed longstanding U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) webpages asserting that cellphone radiation poses no health risk.

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Lakewood Violates TABOR Promises to Voters

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in Budget, Elections, TransparencyTagged , , , , ,

There is no dispute that the City of Lakewood must comply with a recent Colorado Supreme Court ruling requiring repayment of illegally collected Business and Occupation taxes. However, the way Lakewood is paying that refund has raised concerns that voters were misled about how their TABOR money would be used.

City staff and Council presented the TABOR Fund as the only option available. However, the TABOR Fund is a Lakewood-created accounting mechanism, not a requirement of state law or the court decision. Lakewood could have paid the refund from the General Fund. Instead, on January 26, 2026, City Council voted to take money from the TABOR Fund that had been explicitly promised to voter-approved purposes.

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Dark money donations allowed in Lakewood

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in Elections, TransparencyTagged , , , , ,

New campaign finance rules for Lakewood define non-profits and corporations as people. The change allows large donations without individual disclosures. This is commonly referred to as dark money. The rule change follows 2010 changes at the federal level known as the  Citizens United v FEC decision.

Shahrezaei and Councilor Bill Furman were beneficiaries of this change during the 2025 election. Each received $400 from the Metro Housing Coalition through the Metro Housing Coalition Political Action Committee.

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Lakewood Student’s Award-Winning Art Showcased at Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in CommunityTagged , , , , , , , ,

Gabrielle Van Allen won an award from ARTEFFECT in 2018, while attending Green Mountain High School. Now her artwork has once again been chosen for a new display at Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington D.C. – a Best New Museum by USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards.

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Lakewood Withheld Financial Information While Spending on Controversial Projects

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in Budget, Entrenched Bureaucracy, TransparencyTagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

On September 8, 2025, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled against Lakewood in an important court case against Metro PCS. As a result, Lakewood now owes around $42 million in tax refunds to Metro PCS and other cell phone carriers.  That was big news, but what happened after the court decision is just as important.

Lakewood withheld the financial ramifications of the Metro PCS court decision during crucial budget planning. Although Lakewood didn’t know the total amount involved, the staff was aware that they would have to refund millions of dollars to the cell phone companies. Yet there was no public presentation of possible impacts during the crucial September and October budgeting months.  Instead, Lakewood spent millions on controversial projects as soon as they could. Millions that could have gone toward the mandated refund. 

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Special Election Set for April 7

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in Elections, TransparencyTagged , , , , , , , ,

Lakewood City Council unanimously decided to put the zoning code up for a vote on a special election on April 7, 2026. Both pro-zoning and anti-zoning advocates requested the special election. Both sides believe they have the support of the people.

The decision to put the zoning code on the ballot was not about the zoning code. The issue was whether City Council would listen to the people. City Council rushed to approve a new zoning code without a public discussion of the underlying densification decision. The actual changes were a different discussion than the broader Comprehensive Plan or “affordable housing” discussion. Once people started to understand zoning densification impacts, there was a rising number of complaints. City Council Members discounted these voices as a “small minority.”

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Lakewood Citizens Demand City Overturn Ordinances Benefiting Wealthy Individuals and Corporations

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in Development, ElectionsTagged , , , , , , ,

From Save Belmar Park, Inc and People Before Profits
On Monday January 26, Lakewood City Council will again vote on a controversial new zoning scheme enacted by a council majority that was led by dark-money, developer-funded Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.
This vote—triggered by four historic citizen referendum petitions—will determine whether the Council repeals its radical zoning rewrite or sends it to Lakewood voters for a citywide vote.

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