Sustainability Archives - Lakewood Informer

Screenshot of 2025-2024 rents showing decrease

20,000 New Apartments Lowers Rent by (only) $56

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on June 3, 2025.

Many of you are aware of the ongoing attack on Front Range habitats including Belmar Park, Chatfield State Park and Bear Creek Lake Park. Unfortunately, habitats are under pressure globally which threatens the web of life for everyone on the planet.

This trend is often justified locally by proclaiming the need to ignore the value of habitats because there is a ‘housing shortage’ and building more housing is necessary above all else.

While statistics are not supportive of that argument for the Lakewood area, proponents continue to repeat it for lack of anything better to spout.

Some even claim that regardless of whether there is an actual shortage of housing, it is necessary to build more housing in order to reduce the cost of rent. In other words, if there are enough vacant, unused rental units, THAT will cause rent to come down significantly.

Yet that 20,000 units was actually a much larger than average inventory increase.

“This growth far exceeds Denver’s average annual construction of 11,400 units over the past five years” according to JP Morgan.

Because adding 20,000 units was such an outsized increase, it should have reduced rents significantly but for many local residents the $56 was not enough relief.

Yes, rents declined but according to the FOX31 report, developers also reduced apartments under construction by over 36% which will exert upward pressure on rents.

Proponents of continuously building more and more rental units might say the minimal rent reduction was due to the upward pressure on rents caused by the population increase!

They claim we need to keep building rental units to accommodate the population increase in Lakewood which is causing the so-called ‘housing shortage’.

What population increase are they talking about?

Developers don’t seem to agree with the growth argument since they reduced the amount of units under construction by 36%.

The US Census Bureau shows Lakewood has experienced a population increase of less than 1,000 people from April 1, 2020 through July 1, 2024. That is almost zero growth over 4 years!

Even Denver has increased only 13,500 which is less than 2% total growth in that extended 4-year time period. Compare that to the 20,000 units added plus the 11,000 units per year average for earlier years. It would seem a lot more units are getting built than are needed.

Jefferson County has actually lost 4,000 population in that same time period.

Neither Lakewood nor Jeffco are in a population growth mode.

As you probably know, because the secret is finally out – Jefferson County is closing schools! Even selling off school buildings. That is not exactly an indication of population growth. Just the opposite.

So let me ask, if I can find this data and you can click and easily verify it, why can’t the Planning Commission or the City Council find these relevant facts to inform their planning horizon and policies? What is that different drum they are dancing to?

Why do we have to sacrifice the habitat quality of Belmar Park to accommodate population growth that does not exist?

And as far as the use-by-right argument for private property? We have previously exposed the fact use-by-right is irrelevant since the developer has to do earth moving in Belmar Park itself and they needed Lakewood to surrender valuable easements to enable their project.

Instead of use-by-right, we should call it use-by-deception.

So the question still stands. What is that different drum?

For more info, click here.

UPDATE: Disappointing but Not Surprising – We Need Your Help Now More Than Ever!

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on May 10, 2025.

From Save Belmar Park, Inc., – a Colorado non-profit

What happened at the May 7th Lakewood Planning Commission hearing was deeply disappointing—though sadly, not unexpected. After several speakers delivered well-researched, thoughtful, and heartfelt presentations, the audience erupted in applause. The public’s support for protecting Belmar Park was undeniable.

So how does a small group of City officials override the will of the residents?

Despite an overwhelming outpouring of public opposition—including emails, social media comments, and a nearly 10-to-1 ratio of anti-this-development comments on Lakewood Speaks—the Commission still voted 5–0 in favor of the 411-unit Kairoi apartment building. And they did so even after being presented with a powerful, evidence-based case showing that the proposed development directly contradicts Lakewood’s own zoning code, comprehensive plan, and parks master plan.

This vote was a slap in the face to the community. It disregarded common sense, environmental preservation, and the very planning documents the city is supposed to uphold. The proposed zero-lot-line, six-story building is incompatible with the surrounding two-story Belmar Commons townhomes, overwhelms local infrastructure, and threatens the ecological balance of Belmar Park.

The city has rolled out the red carpet for billionaire developers—again—ignoring the public and prioritizing profit over people, parks, and trees. Dozens of mature, century-old trees will be clearcut. Wildlife will be displaced. Belmar Park’s peace and beauty will be irreversibly damaged (if we don’t stop them).

But, we have NOT given up—and we’re not stopping now!

Our next step is filing a lawsuit under a 106A appeal, which will go before a Jefferson County district court rather than more city insiders. We believe we still have a strong chance at a different outcome—despite the city’s push to bulldoze trees—because the proposed development blatantly contradicts Lakewood’s own zoning laws, comprehensive plan, and parks master plan, giving us solid legal ground to challenge it in court.

This is our last real chance to stop this destructive project, and we’re counting on supporters like you to help us make it happen. Legal fees are significant, and this is a fight the community should not have to fund—but we must because the City of Lakewood refuses to listen.

Please stand with us—again. If this park means something to you, dig deep—and give as generously as possible (then smile knowing you’re helping to save something irreplaceable). Every dollar helps us hold the line against this destructive plan. Then share our campaign and spread the word. We’re fighting for what’s right: environmental integrity, community character, and the future of Belmar Park.

👉 Donate now: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-belmar-park

Directors

Save Belmar Park, Inc.

CITY OF LAKEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION FOR A SITE PLAN AND WAIVER APPLICATION The Lakewood Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 7, 2025, to consider the major site plan (SP22-0010) and minor waiver (WI24-0003) applications for a new multifamily development proposal at 777 S Yarrow St. The development applications have been referred to the Planning Commission by the Planning Director for a decision. For information, please contact Brea Pafford, Project Planner at 303-987-7534 or Tyler Sibley, applicant, at 210-817-0024.

Public Hearing for Massive Belmar Park West Housing Project Announced

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on April 28, 2025.

From savebelmarpark.com

May 7th at 7:00 PM at 480 S Alison Parkway, Lakewood, CO

You may now enter public comments online at: https://lakewoodspeaks.org/meetings/869. You may have to click on item 3.

If you submit a comment online or in-person, we suggest you specify to which specific section in Lakewood’s Zoning Code or Comprehensive Plan your comment is relevant.

Simply submitting a general comment without linking it to the Zoning Code or Comprehensive Plan may result in your comment being disregarded or misinterpreted.

If you can afford to hire an attorney to help formulate your concerns and possibly submit your concerns on your behalf, that would be excellent.

This is a quasi-judicial hearing which closely resembles a court proceeding rather than a city council meeting.

You may also view the hearing online at LakewoodSpeaks.Org

Please feel free to attend and comment in-person. However, since Lakewood is not consistent with transferring oral comments into the public record (other than archived videos), you may want to also submit your comment online which allows you to verify the comment was accepted.

If you attend in-person, keep in mind a quasi-judicial proceeding is similar to a courtroom so applauding comments or cheering comments could get you removed from the chamber or other negative consequences could accrue.

The hearing concerns whether the large housing project at 777 S Yarrow Street adjacent to Belmar Park in Lakewood, Colorado should be approved.

If the commission approves the major site plan, there could be a legal challenge to that decision raised in a court of law because some citizens have funded a charity that has retained an attorney and stated its intention to raise such a challenge if necessary.

Having comments submitted from informed citizens who explain how the major site plan fails to comply with the zoning ordinance and/or comprehensive plan could possibly be utilized in such an appeal, especially if such comments are researched in advance by your attorney in order to improve the legal impact and clarity of your citizen comments.

Assuming there is a future appeal in a court of law, any comments you submit to the Planning Commission could eventually be rebutted by the developer’s lawyers so comments that have been legally vetted by your attorney may be more effective.

Because any attempt to introduce additional evidence will likely be rejected at the appeal level, it is important to get all relevant documents and comments into the hearing record on May 7. You may upload one document per comment.

You can rely on the fact that the developer will have top notch legal representation at the hearing. It is up to the public to debunk the rosy presentation those attorneys may make on behalf of the developer.

Some developers find advocates that can make almost any type of project sound like a dream come true. That could be the type of presentation the public will be up against on May 7th.

Therefore, especially if you have a legal background or can afford to enlist legal support, please step up now and prepare to make your best argument to the Lakewood Planning Commission.

Swarm Season for Bees – Protect Them

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on April 20, 2025.

The president of a local beekeepers club reminds us all that it is swarm season for honeybees.

From the Colorado Beekeepers Association: “Bees swarm in the spring. In Colorado, bees swarm from approximately April 1st until the end of the summer with May and June being the busiest months. A swarm occurs when a hive, wild or managed, becomes overcrowded and the old queen and approximately half of the original hive leaves to find a new home. Swarms are generally quite docile but they can be disconcerting due to the sheer numbers of bees within the swarm. It is still a good idea to keep your distance so as to not make the bees feel threatened.

Swarms will eventually leave on their own, once the scout bees have returned to inform the group that they have found a suitable new home. Where it may have taken an hour or more for the swarm to collect, they can be gone in less than a minute once they get word it is time to go. However, beekeepers prefer to catch the bees as a swarm in case their new home–is yours!”

Call Doug Rush at (303)-910-3137 to protect these treasures, as seen on Nextdoor.com

Toxic Legacy: Uncovering the Chemical Contamination at the Denver Federal Center – Part 1: Beneath the Surface of War, Waste, and What Remains

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on April 18, 2025.

By Karen Gordey

Tucked between Lakewood’s bustling shopping centers and its picturesque parks lies the Denver Federal Center (DFC), a 670-acre campus home to over 25 federal agencies. To most passersby, it’s a secure and efficient government hub. But beneath its streets, buildings, and manicured lawns lies a chemical past that many residents have never been told.

What Is a Superfund Site?

A Superfund site is a polluted location in the United States that requires a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. These sites are designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a federal law enacted in 1980. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for identifying these sites and overseeing cleanup efforts to protect public health and the environment. The designation of a Superfund site is reserved for the most severely contaminated properties

The DFC earned its Superfund designation in the 1980s due to decades of industrial and military use that left behind a toxic stew of solvents, petroleum products, heavy metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These contaminants infiltrated the soil and groundwater, some migrating offsite and threatening surrounding communities.

What is a Brownfield Site?

Brownfield sites are often used for urban renewal projects around the country. The Denver Federal Center is NOT a brownfield site. A brownfield site are often industrial or commercial properties (for example, gas stations, dry cleaners, warehouses) where low to moderate contamination from a hazardous substance pollutant or contaminant may exist.

A Wartime Footprint with Lasting Impact

Originally established as the Denver Ordnance Plant during World War II, the DFC was a key player in America’s wartime production. The facility once employed over 22,000 workers and churned out more than 6,000 cartridges per day. But the speed and scale of production came with environmental consequences.

Manufacturing and testing munitions involved a host of hazardous chemicals. Following the war, the General Services Administration (GSA) took over the site, transitioning it into a campus for multiple federal agencies. Unfortunately, waste disposal practices of the era were primitive by today’s standards. Wastes—including solvents, heavy metals, and PCBs—were buried in landfills scattered across the campus. One particularly damaging leak occurred near Building 52, where an underground storage tank released 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), a solvent used in asphalt testing. The resulting groundwater plume migrated beyond the property’s boundaries, contaminating nearby wells.

Cleanup Efforts: Too Little, Too Late?

The scope of contamination eventually triggered federal intervention. By the late 1980s, extensive remediation was underway. Crews removed over 775,000 tons of waste and more than 340,000 tons of contaminated soil, particularly from heavily affected areas like Downing Reservoir. While these efforts were substantial, the contamination’s reach and the complexity of groundwater remediation pose lingering concerns.

The Denver Federal Center was removed from the Superfund list in 2012 due to clean up measures being concluded. However, if development is going to be done more testing may be needed.

A water permit issued September 1,2022 and expires August 31, 2027. This allows the DFC to discharge into the McIntyre Gulch entering Lakewood Gulch, which is a tributary to the South Platte River. There are 8 outflow monitoring points between the DFC and the South Platte River. The permit does transfer with a sale of the property. A condition of this permit is to notify the EPA in writing as soon as possible of any planned physical alterations or additions to the permitted facility. Has this been done? What happens when the ground is disturbed? Are these chemicals going to go into the water? What about the wind? How much is this going to cost the Lakewood citizens?

Per the chemistry case study from 1/23/2001, the DFC has a permeable reactive barrier that is a funnel-and-gate system with 4 reactive gates. Performance of 2 of the gates has been difficult to assess due to trichloroethylene (TCE) and dichloroethylene (DCE) contamination. In fact there were originally 26 different chemicals found at the DFC of which 12 are known carcinogens (cancer causing). Has the developer, city, water board tested for these 26 chemicals?

(This link has a list of the 26 chemicals: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O0eNIOLdCo833C0xGKrvvRAeH9sUeVez )

In the next installment, we’ll shift our attention to the City of Lakewood’s role—specifically the Planning Commission and the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority (LRA)—to explore how land use decisions and redevelopment incentives intersect with environmental concerns at the Denver Federal Center. As public agencies move forward with projects like “The Bend,” it’s critical to examine the transparency, accountability, and long-term implications of these planning processes. Because when contamination meets redevelopment, what you don’t know can hurt you—and the cost of looking the other way may be too high.

Please Note, the author did send an email on April 7^th to the Mayor and City Council requesting to talk about this project. No one has yet to respond.

Important Upcoming dates:

April 21^st at 7pm – Virtual Study Session with City Council and the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority (LRA)

May 8^th at 6:30 pm – Screening of the movie “Half Life of Memory, Rockleys Event Center 8555 W Colfax Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215

May 12^th at 7 pm – City Council Meeting, 400 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO, 80226. 7pm Public Hearing for the 1.) Creation of Urban Renewal District 2.) Creation of Metro District 3.) Approval of parkland dedication packing including improvements in-lieu of a site greater than 15 acres.

Flight for Life helicopter from CommonSpirit Health website

Enstrom: Pink helicopters coming to Flight For Life

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on March 30, 2025.

As of August 2024, St. Anthony’s Hospital is managed by CommonSpirit Health instead of Centura Health. Rick Enstrom, Lakewood resident and Board Trustee for St. Anthony’s, was on the Jeff and Bill Show, to talk about one major change Lakewood residents will notice. The color of the Flight for Life helicopters will be changed from the iconic orange to pink.

The color change is an expensive proposition for the health care industry. Enstrom says, “Right now, hospitals in Colorado, across the board, to a fault, are in financial difficulty. … If that’s a priority for this health care system, to spend a couple million bucks to repaint six helicopters, when we have all these needs and all of this growth in Colorado, is a travesty.”

Listen to the whole show on 710 KNUS on 3/21/25, 9 am, starting around 12 minute mark.

See the original story on 9news.com

Photo credit from CommonSpirit

Picture of master site plan for The Bend

Site Plan for the Ex-Superfund Landfill

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on March 24, 2025.

Thanks to a Lakewood Informer reader and local resident, the site plan for The Bend has been revealed! Contrary to previous reporting, plans have indeed been laid but when discussed in public meetings, those plans were “punted” till later. The north half was not a focus for the City because the planning department granted the developer a phased development status since remediation plans have not been set.

Our reader supplied a full list of instructions to access this information online, which were not provided with Lakewood’s CORA response. To view the plans, the public must register with the eTRAKiT site and login.

The address associated with the project is 11601 W 2^nd Pl. In eTRAKiT, search for the following project numbers:

FI24-0012 (final plat)
SP24-0006 (site plan)
ZP24-0005 (preplanning letter)
MD24-0001(metro district)

The master plan reveals the area north of 4^th Ave that is currently labeled “do not disturb” will eventually have more residential housing than the south end, totaling about 2000, rather than 2000 only on the south end.

There is currently no public plan for remediation or start times while the developer, Lincoln Properties, works to secure the pieces necessary to get a metropolitan district approved. The metro district will be used as a funding mechanism, rather than a service mechanism, and nothing can proceed without funding.

The difference between a funding mechanism and service mechanism is important because metropolitan districts are granted government privileges based on providing public services.

To get any kind of infrastructure built on the landfill, the site will need remediation. The safety of the future residents would dictate that full site remediation be completed before building. It’s possible the profits from the south side will be used to fund the north side, or be used to repay developer investment before moving on to the more costly north side.

A bank or private investors might demand remediation first since the success and cost of remediation will dictate overall project success. Federal grants are available to assist, which in this case is only right since the federal government caused the contamination. State grants are also available, many of which are pass-through for federal funds.

Much of the rest of the funding will come through Lakewood’s Urban Renewal financing and metro district bonds. With Lakewood-approved, government-backed guarantees through metro districts, the developer can privatize the benefits while socializing the risks. The benefit to the public will be the ability to live on this revitalized land.

In this case, there is no public living there and asking for a democratic vote on public services. Those future residents are depending on the city to represent their interests. There is no direct representation for taxation.

Lakewood City Council approved a new land use scheme that overturns citizen initiative

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on March 7, 2025.

From Save Open Space – Lakewood

2/24 Lakewood Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, backed by dark money, continue City’s long history of choosing development over environment

Council’s action threw out the wishes of over 8,000 community members who signed the Save Open Space Lakewood Green Initiative petition

2/24 Lakewood Council approved a new land use scheme reinstating a loophole that allows developers to pay a fee in lieu of land donation

On February 24, 2025, Lakewood City Council voted to repeal and replace the citizens’ initiated Save Open Space Lakewood (SOS Lakewood) Green Initiative with City Hall’s anti-environmental, no-transparency, developer-friendly ordinance.

“The City’s vote reinstates the practice of back-door deals where fees are prioritized over parks and open spaces. It is also a slap in the face to petitioners whose pleas not only went unheard, but who also faced personal attacks by a well-orchestrated campaign against the initiative,” said Cathy Kentner, petition representative.

At the heart of the initiative was eliminating the provision that allowed large developments to pay a fee-in-lieu of creating a one third acre or larger “pocket park.” By wrongfully withholding building permits from projects that had already paid a fee and by wrongfully requiring land dedication for smaller projects, City Hall was successful in fabricating a “crisis” that they “heroically” solved. They used the “unintended consequences” suffered by the smaller projects to put back in place all of the problems that led to the initiative – back-door deal making and a scheme where paying a fee is always more of an incentive than providing the open space. And there is no oversight for even the largest of development projects.

The irony is that the majority of city councilors boast their support for sustainability and parks but their actions enable corporate greed to rule. Or perhaps they are making good on unspoken promises to campaign donors.

More than half of the money spent to elect Mayor Pro-Tem Jeslin Shahrezaei to Council, or tens of thousands of dollars, came from the Metro Housing Coalition and the National Association of Realtors which, in 2020, apologized for its long-standing racist policies. In addition to being heavily funded by those same organizations, Mayor Wendi Strom was also supported by One Main Street Colorado, recently described in The Denver Post as a “dark money” group.

Former Lakewood City Councilor, now State Representative Rebekah Stewart, received money from these same developer dark money groups. She has already sponsored two bills that favor developers and propose to make citizen initiatives more difficult.

Speaking on behalf of Save Belmar Park, attorney Patricia Mellen said, “This ordinance experience has raised more questions than it has answered. What happened to the great oversight ideas from the study session a month ago? What happened to the ideas from last March? Why does the discretion and power always return to the staff? Why was the staff’s moratorium on building permits allowed when the City had months to create contingency plans about what would happen if the ordinance gathered enough votes? Why did the City staff not use waivers for affordable housing and single family homeowners? Why was a self-inflicted crisis the strategy? Save Belmar Park’s frustration is with the same issues in this ordinance that exist in the zoning ordinance where there is a lack of transparency, a lack of accountability, a lack of elected official oversight, a lack of public input, a lack of appeal options about decisions.”

A Denver Post editorial (2/16) proclaimed “Lakewood’s Messy Fight Can Be Solved.” But instead of finding a simple solution, as suggested by the Post, and instead of keeping their word to make amendments without changing the overall intent of the initiative, City Hall pulled a bait and switch, revealing a developer friendly ordinance that incentivises a fee in lieu in every case.

Kentner said, “Instead of accepting responsibility for the chaos they had created, City Hall launched a campaign of misinformation to scapegoat the initiative for problems that they labeled ‘unintended consequences.’ The petition was falsely labeled ‘anti-growth,’ yet it was the City that withheld building permits, causing numerous people to suffer needlessly. The ordinance passed this week does not honor the wishes of many thousands of constituents who signed a petition asking the City Council to eliminate the option for developers to pay a fee instead of providing parkland and to apply it to all projects that haven’t already met the requirement. The default should be land dedication for parks and open spaces; not a fee that is many years old and is never commensurate with the price of the land. Oversight is not a ‘barrier’ to development. It is a ‘guardrail’ to big money corporations buying out of our land use requirements.”

This week’s vote overturned the initiative, keeping none of the citizen requested provisions.

Citizen Initiative Repealed

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on February 25, 2025.

A quick update from Cathy Kentner

Dear Friends of Lakewood,

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, City Council repealed our citizen initiative last night. They kept none of the requests from the petitioners.

Thank you to everyone who made comments! Please stay involved and keep letting your voice be heard. The fact that the developer-funded establishment didn’t even let us vote on this issue is evidence that we are making good, valid points.

The next thing coming up for the City as a whole is the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance amendments. The next thing for the Belmar Park project is the Planning Commission hearing to approve the site plan, not yet scheduled but likely to be in April or May.

Thank you,

Cathy

Lakewood Demands Fee for Impossible Sustainability Goals

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on February 9, 2025.

Lakewood requires such high sustainability standards that they are almost impossible for large developments to meet. The standards are meant to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. For those developments, Lakewood accepts a fee in lieu of sustainability amenities. Lakewood is currently arguing that parkland dedication is illegal or amoral because it asks too much from developers. But Lakewood makes the same sort of demands to further its sustainability agenda. In both cases, the desire is to have development offset the environmental cost of development. The question is at what point is there so much development that the city says money is an acceptable substitute for direct environmental offsets.

Note that these city mandates will continue despite any possible changes to federal funding for climate change initiatives.

Achievable Goals or Ideology

Lowering emissions is expensive so most people have not done it or have only done it by using rebates and subsidies. Achieving net zero emissions is even more expensive and is sometimes not achievable. For example, the city of Lakewood admits its new maintenance facility will not meet LEED standards let alone be net zero. Lakewood has set its own standards and requires that new buildings meet those standards by earning sustainability points.

“net zero standards require reducing emissions to more than 90% and then only offsetting [with purchased carbon credits] the remaining 10% or less to fall in line with 1.5 °C targets.” –Wikipedia

For large developments, the city admits it is almost impossible to achieve enough points. Therefore, developers are forced to pay a fee so that Lakewood can fund other sustainability projects. This is similar to other carbon credit purchasing schemes but in this case, it is authorized, administered, and required by Lakewood. There is currently no discussion that Lakewood will require credits or fees from existing residents. Lakewood City Council was scheduled to discuss new ways to generate revenue, as well as how to spend the revenue generated from existing fees, at the February planning retreat. The planning retreat has historically been an in-person only meeting where staff takes direction from Council on items that do not require an official vote. No recording is available online for review.

“For some [developments] that the [sustainability] targets are just too high to meet, they pitch in so that the city can spend that money to further achieve our goals.” Travis Parker, Director of Sustainability and Community Development during staff sustainability update (min 1:17:52).

Increasing UNAFFORDABLE Housing

Since 2019 Lakewood has demanded buildings meet climate sustainability goals. This was estimated to add 2-3% to building costs but actual costs have not been collected or analyzed. Building costs are passed on to the consumer, which makes Lakewood even more expensive to live and work in than in the surrounding areas.

The additional sustainability measures will add 1-10% to building costs for things like EV charging stations. Would you like all new apartments to have a few charging stations at an increased overall cost for everyone or would you like some buildings to not have those amenities at a lower cost?

Lakewood’s demands have resulted in a reduction in emissions to meet a target of 20% less than 2007 levels. With the new demands of 2022, some large construction projects cannot meet Lakewood’s demands, resulting in the project paying a fee to Lakewood that will be used for other climate goals. Lakewood city staff acknowledged that it was almost impossible for large projects to meet demands, making the fee-in-lieu necessary.

Money Making Machine

Lakewood has already generated $221,000 from various sustainability fees. They anticipate generating over $250,000 per year on these fees. Lakewood made over $600,000 on the statewide plastic bag mandate. One could say Lakewood is getting into the business of selling emission offsets.

For more information on what Lakewood’s sustainability measures have achieved so far, watch the full video update at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYbpkr1Gm24&t=150s

Greenhouse Gas Emissions over Time — https://lakewoodspeaks.org/items/3959

Consequences

The extra expense of building in Lakewood limits the possibility of new businesses coming into Lakewood. Even sustainability businesses, whose goals align with Lakewood’s, find it difficult to make a profit when required to meet high sustainability standards. Councilor Rein specifically remarked that he would like Lakewood to attract new businesses that would develop sustainability technologies. At the same time, businesses nationwide are rethinking their sustainability goals amidst high demands such as Lakewood’s.

The enhanced development fee was first approved in 2019. Now the city is asking for more and some projects are not even possible to achieve what Lakewood wants. All projects must meet a base emission efficiency level. After meeting that base level, projects are eligible to pay a fee because even Lakewood staff admit it is not possible to achieve what they are asking for.

“Fee-in-lieu is for those super large projects that have really large point totals that may not even be able to find enough points in the [standards] list to meet their point total, they still have to achieve at least 50 [base level efficiency] and they can achieve the rest as well or they can pay a fee in lieu for some of those higher points.” – Travis Parker, sustainability update (min 1:34), emphasis added

What do the fees go towards? They could go towards every basic city service besides police. Per Councilor Sophia Mayott-Guerrero, these fees could be used for sidewalks, bike lanes, lighting, park maintenance, road maintenance, climate impact and water impact. Councilors asked about tree preservation and housing. Public art was part of the original goal. Tree canopy health. Food access. Household wages. Even subscriptions to city communications and trips to the rec center count towards “sustainability goals”. Other people have to fight to earn business advantages like that.

The dates below are from the staff presentation, detailing future meetings where Lakewood will be implementing more robust sustainability measures for Lakewood.