Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

Lakewood Still Dodging Hearing on Shelter Permit

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

In another example of Lakewood manipulating the rules, there appears to be no intention to get a special use permit to operate the newly renovated Navigation Center.

Under 2025 zoning rules, a homeless shelter requires a special use permit. Such permit requires a public hearing. The Navigation Center “extreme weather” shelter bypassed this requirement through the “emergency” ordinance, even though there was plenty of time to anticipate winter.

Winter comes every year after all.

In the 2026 zoning ordinance, Lakewood removed the requirement for a special use permit.

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Aguilar: City reckons with ruling, faces $42M fiscal hole

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

Repost from John Aguilar, Denver Post
Lakewood is about face a costly reckoning with the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — to the tune of more than $42 million.

That’s the amount the state’s fifth-largest city has calculated it owes to dozens of cell phone carriers and telecommunications companies it wrongfully taxed for years. The bill is now coming due after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled last year that the city had violated TABOR, a state constitutional amendment, by levying a business and occupation tax without first obtaining voter approval.

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2026 Resolution – Get Involved

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

“Many hands make light work” is true for holding government accountability. And it’s easier to get involved than you might think – there are a lot of new people getting involved in Lakewood politics now. In 2026, don’t pound your fists in frustration; do one little thing to contribute to the solution.

Make a friend – you would be surprised at how fast you can be plugged into a whole new community and will have friends to talk to about issues that matter

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Resident Voices: Keep Lakewood Special

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

Guest post from Joan Poston
Hello Neighbors, on January 26 there will be a meeting of the city council of Lakewood. They are having a vote about the referendum petitions that were successfully presented to the city. Now the city is faced with a choice. They can repeal all of the ordinances about zoning that they passed this past August and September. Or they can hold a special election. I have been hearing rumors that they want the special election and I have been contemplating why? Why would you choose the more expensive route using taxpayer money when you can remedy the situation for free? This seems to be a kitchen table issue. Money is tight right now for both taxpayers and city government. Why would you want a special Election costing at least $300,000? I have a couple of theories. Maybe some of the city council will use this election to raise war chest money. It is always easier to raise money when you show that you’re fighting for an issue. The real question is who are they fighting for? I believe that some members of City Council are fighting for the developers.  And developers have deep pockets.  

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Decision Appears Made – It’s Going to Ballot

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

Even though Lakewood City Council hasn’t made any official decisions, it appears Council has unofficially decided they will send the zoning referendum to the ballot. Issue committees have been made and official campaigns started. Former City Councilor Sophia Mayott-Guerrero is leading the campaign against the citizens’ referendum and is already collecting donations. That committee has announced the referendum is on the ballot. A special election would be scheduled for March.

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Navigation Center Emergency Deal Closes

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

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.

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Affordable Housing in Colorado Covers Developer Greed

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

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.

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Petitioners Win in Zoning Referendum Hearing

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

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.

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A Bit Too Late for Concerns, Innit?

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

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.

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Colorado economy driving into 2026 with the fog lights on

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted 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.

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