Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Pictured below is a call to support migrant and homeless assistance. Homeless is homeless. Lakewood will vote on spending $9.3 million for homeless services on Monday, Feb 12, 2024. Agenda item 13 already has public comments. Possible migrant actions will be discussed during the executive report, which has been moved up to agenda item 8 and is not accepting public comment.
Recent park land dedication discussions show that the policy is used for more than just adding parks for new residents. The policy could be used to extract fees from developers for other park services. The policy could also be used as a tool for preferential development. Or the policy can determine whether the city increases the number of parks or level of services. The review for this policy is overdue, but thanks to a motion from Council Member David Rein, it may be discussed soon. The new development at 777 S Yarrow St did not require any land dedicated for parks for the new residents. The land dedication would have been of particular public interest since it is near Belmar Park. Instead of land, the city accepted a fee that will be used for undisclosed park services. The fee was set in 2018 so it may seem low in todays market. This so-called “fee-in-lieu” of park land dedication is the policy under discussion. See more at savebelmarpark.com, including how this property does not pay taxes on full acreage Paying a fee in lieu of dedicating land was made possible in a time of slow growth for Lakewood, when Lakewood officials decided there was enough park land. That is no longer the case but developers are accustomed to being able to pay a fee in order to maximize their land development. This pushes new residents into existing parks, putting strain on those resources. Ironically, fees collected today are supposedly going to buy parkland. During periods of slow-growth, cities try to incentivize growth by setting fees that are more palatable to developers who want to maximize the small, in-fill projects that occur after the initial urban sprawl. The next phase, the one that Lakewood is currently in, is where the city returns to high-growth, except this time the growth is high-density. Dense growth still requires the same amount of park land, including parks close to home. This is especially true of dog parks for apartment residents. Does the city repeal fee-in-lieu of land that was meant for slow-growth times of incentivizing development? Not usually, as shown in this article of park policy over time. Discussions have not evolved to making land dedication easier for high-density developments. The fear is that returning to land dedication would slow development. However, land dedication may be the only way to serve neighborhoods. As Council Member Mayott-Guerrero points out, the city has had problems purchasing land in high-density areas. Neighborhood Parks versus Other Parks The problem is partially of public perception. Providing open-space for a new development has historically included a neighborhood park within the development. That way of thinking also aligns with the modern-day vision of a 15-minute city, with everything in walking distance. Clearly neighborhood parks are still highly desired but that is no longer being considered for high-density growth, as the public would define park space. High-density growth packs more people into less space, meaning there is less space for parks as well. “Open space” does mean green space or park space. In fact, “open space” requirements can be fulfilled by garbage dumpster areas, or in a pinch, access to the roof. And when was the last time parking was expanded for regional parks like Hayden Park on Green Mountain? Taking Park land dedication is intended to provide park services to the new residents of the development. Courts have upheld passing these costs through developers to new residents. This is different than if a city would demand land or fees to pay for unrelated costs or services, which would constitute a “taking”. A taking is “is when the government seizes private property for public use.” For example, when former Mayor Paul stated that he wanted to use the fee in lieu of land for equity, to look at parks in other neighborhoods, there is no longer a direct link to services for the new residents and could constitute a taking. (see more about the Westword article at savebelmarpark.com) “Realizing that there’s a lot of other parts of our city that don’t have a lot of parkland, especially in some of our lower-income areas, it was really an equity thing for me,” Paul says. Excerpt from the Westword However, it gets tricky. It is only taking if the city admits they are using the fee for other residents or the developer can prove intent. It is not taking if the city says the policy is to use fees to increase parks in some other space for new residents to drive to. Lakewood’s official policy is that dedications “shall be reasonably related to the needs of the residents of the proposed development.” Development Tool Council Member Jacob LeBure pointed out that past park dedication policies involved leveraging the policy to control or incentivize development. For example, if Lakewood enforced the policy of neighborhood parks, the Yarrow Street project would have required 3 acres of land dedicated to parks. Enforcing land dedication might cause this development to stop. Councilor Mayott-Guerrero says these fees are “barriers and leverages for how to better encourage affordable housing.” For that reason, she encourages the park discussion to be part of the Strategic Housing Plan. Is the Government Providing Parks or Controlling Housing? The question is, is this policy about providing parks for new residents or affordable housing. History shows that when government officials try to leverage their power for outside purposes, they may be outclassed. As pointed out by parks expert Dr. John L Crompton, “Developers frequently are represented by specialist lawyers and consultants whose expertise typically far exceeds that of local city planners, so taxpayers are disadvantaged.” As LeBure says, evaluating different developments is a cumbersome process and you don’t always get the outcome you want. If City Council’s priority is to enable housing development, they would necessarily have to sacrifice some neighborhood open space and endure the fall out of the new residents asking for more parks. Council Member Rein explains his motion is actually simpler than all
Correction: The Denver7 article said that migrants were causing enrollment to go up and enrollment at Slater went up by 50 students. The two statements were apparently unrelated to migrant enrollment. 12 February, 2024 Several new migrant families have started attending Foothills Elementary school in Lakewood. This information comes after the Denver7 report that 50 migrant students were attending Slater Elementary in Lakewood, indicating that the migrant influx continues. Jefferson County Schools have not yet replied to official requests for information (made only late on 2/9/24). An accurate head count may not be possible as the number of migrants attending school continues to change. A large, sudden influx of students this late in the year will present challenges for the entire school community. Denver is currently dealing with the issues inherent with a large influx of non-english speaking students this late in the year. According to the Denver Post: “DPS, which has a $1.3 billion budget, also has drawn from reserves to help make up the difference, district spokesman Bill Good said. The district is now working to hire more Spanish-speaking teachers and other support staff.” “Our system was never built to handle this kind of challenge,” said Rob Gould, President of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association. “You’re taking an already stressed system and applying more stress to it.” From Migrant influx leaves Denver Public Schools short $17.5 million in funding as students keep enrolling According to the article, Denver has needed more bus routes, more furniture, more teachers, and more classrooms. New York schools ran special classes for processing and assimilation. There is no indication that Jefferson County Schools have enough licensed teachers or had public assimilation workshops. However, teachers are generally dedicated professionals who do their best in challenging situations. The children are in good hands. Jefferson County is listed on some sites as being an official sanctuary county. Records show that Jefferson County has not detained a single person for ICE in over a year. Migrants find access to Lakewood resources through the non-profit network set up to help homeless. This at a time when Lakewood is set to approve the largest homeless assistance appropriation in it’s history, on Feb 12, 2024. Almost all homeless resources are available without an ID required.
Guest Post by Joan Poston So this morning 2/8/24, I went to the Lakewood City Council Building to attend the Lakewood City Council legislative meeting. I made an error as to the time so I showed up at 8:30 and the meeting had started at 8:00 am. I am not my best at early hours. The legislative committee is made up of one member of each ward and they look at bills from the 2024 legislature that is considering issues/consequences that would impact the city of Lakewood. 2024 Committee MembersCouncil member Glenda Sinks – Ward 1Council member Isabel Cruz – Ward 2Council member Rebekah Stewart – Ward 3Council member David Rein – Ward 4 Council member Jacob LaBure – Ward 5 Rebekah Stewart (Ward 3) is the chair of the legislative committee. When I walked in there was a discussion about a bill about occupancy. I believe it was HB24-1007. But could not confirm that was the bill they were discussing. They decided not to put it on the list because the target city was Ft. Collins and college towns and did not apply to Lakewood so they would just watch it and add it to the list later. There was a little discussion lead by Councilman LaBure as to the need to define the role of the legislative committee. And then Councilwoman Stewart asked if there was any other business and Adjourned the meeting. I arrived at 8:30 and the meeting was adjourned at 8:36. I went to speak to the Deputy City Manager about how they had not stated when the next meeting would be and he said “in two weeks if it was not canceled.” So stay tuned. Meanwhile ColoradoTaxpayer.org is a great resource for what is happening at the Legislature
Two weeks ago, Lakewood Informer opened a survey to find out what residents were thinking about supporting the homeless and migrants. Lakewood doesn’t ask IF or HOW you want to support these communities. Residents are generally presented with fully implementable plans. See the Navigation Center for an example. This survey was an attempt to bridge the gap in asking the residents what they thought. It had as much turnout as many city surveys (100-200 respondents). Thank you for your feedback! Key Findings Perhaps the most interesting finding was the strong correlation between free-money advocates and their personal spending. In simple terms, a person who would use free money, would also pay the most themselves (over $500). And exactly the opposite was also true, a person who wouldn’t use free money also wouldn’t pay it for themselves (0-$100). So some people would take any amount of money or pay any price for homeless or migrant assistance. Does this indicate that there are big spenders out there who could finance this project through their own philanthropy? Or does it suggest that the people who support the use of free money think it’s WORTH that much but really don’t expect to pay for it? Does it suggest that one group understands that free money isn’t free while the other does? There is an apparent disconnect between the need for free money and the availability of funds. Results: Note: This survey was closed before the emergency citizens’ meeting which includes about 100 respondents. Reader Recommended Business: Karen M Sweat, Certified Public Accountant
Cross post from SaveBelmarPark.com Westword pushed the DO-OVER button regarding their reporting of former Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul’s involvement in the non-purchase of 777 S Yarrow St. by the City of Lakewood. Attorney and former City Councilor Anita Springsteen has provided updated comments on the revised Westword article. See the Updated Article
Cross Post from The Gazette, Jimmy Sengenberger In the face of Denver’s daunting $45 million migrant crisis, Lakewood’s city council recently embraced the role of a “good neighbor,” pledging support for a regional response to Denver’s migrant overflow at their Jan. 8 meeting. Speculation has swirled that Lakewood hopes to exploit Jefferson County’s status as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction for illegal immigrants and acquire closed JeffCo schools to shelter migrants and homeless Coloradans. … … … Yet, as the city distances itself from these reports, questions linger. If there’s nothing to them, why does Jefferson County Schools appear poised to offload its shuttered schools to local municipalities at a discount — especially after renovating the buildings at a cost of millions of dollars just before closures due to declining enrollment? Read the full story here. It’s worth it….
When Lakewood voted to take the first step in helping with Denver’s migrant crisis, residents interpreted that as Lakewood becoming a sanctuary city. Lakewood immediately cried misinformation. At the emergency citizens’ townhall of February 6, 2024, several speakers addressed concerns over Lakewood’s sanctuary status, saying that Lakewood is not using the word “sanctuary” and is not discussing that issue. However, by a show of hands at the meeting, attendees thought the current role of Lakewood Police and Lakewood’s offer to support migrants would match both the proposed support and the definition of a sanctuary city. Both set of words applied to the same actions. Yet Lakewood still spent tax dollars and energy on a campaign to cry “misinformation.” Resident comments show that the meeting was useful to talk to each other, as much as it was useful for gathering information. Lakewood has a taxpayer funded PR department that can respond instantly to crises. In this case, the crisis was the residents’ concern over the possible “sanctuary” status of our city. Within a couple days, Lakewood had a new website that included a public statement which was also widely circulated (see below). (above) Lakewood also had a flyer circulating on social media sites that most residents would not even know existed so would have a hard time advertising on. At the same time, residents had difficulty on Nextdoor.com, which kept stripping posts of the meeting and discussion on the matter. Despite the problems, residents came by the hundreds to learn about Lakewood’s plans to support migrants. Speaker Karen Morgan (disclosure: this author is Karen Morgan) said, “We all operate with different ears. I might say one thing and you hear another. For example, it’s absolutely true that Council is not discussing anything using the word “sanctuary”. They use words like good neighbor, welcoming, inclusive, supporting, sheltering…” The audience laughed as they recognized that all these words meant the same thing. One resident commented after the meeting, “thank you for making that point, I was going to say the same thing.” An interesting note is that in the city’s flyer above, “sanctuary city” and “being a good neighbor” are in quotes, as though even Lakewood recognizes these are just words with fluid meaning. At the same time, they imply one is right and the other is wrong. Other resident comments: One resident said they understood Lakewood was just taking the first step, but this was opening the door and the time to stop it was now. Yet another resident said he will be at the February 12 Council meeting to show support. He said that the Citizens’ Meeting was a great way to reconnect with some old friends. Another asked for the address to City Hall. He has never participated before but he will be there. Several people commented that the problem was the lack of accountability of the City Manager, Kathy Hodgson who has the ability to work behind the scenes. At least a dozen residents told this author personally that the meeting was needed, they wished the city had done something like this. Other residents were interested in information and the Citizens’ Meeting was an opportunity to find answers. Was there misinformation? In today’s world, one persons misinformation is another persons’ fact. No matter what, an important discussion is taking place and residents are participating in their government. Council Member Isabel Cruz stated in the January 8 meeting that “This is important to step up to our responsibility as good neighbors…This [approved motion] is only the first step.” And now, more Lakewood residents are engaged in discussions about what, if any, steps will follow. One meeting organizer said, “This was about the citizens. They all pulled together, it wasn’t about the organizers. This was about everyone.” It seems hundreds of attendees agreed with that.
Note: this page has updated media coverage links at the bottom An accurate estimate of attendance was impossible. No more people could fit into the room. There were people lining the landings, the lobby and the parking lot. The number 500 was tossed around but who knows. People really wanted to talk about the possibility of Lakewood supporting migrants. Most participants did not seem to want to provide any support, but most everyone was respectful and everyone wanted more information on what Lakewood was doing. For the many people asking what to do next, former Council Member Mary Janssen recommends coming to the Feb 12 City Council meeting and letting your voice be heard. On the 12th, Council will vote on appropriating $9.3 million dollars for the Navigation Center, those funds will be used for buying and remodeling the building for a shelter. They will also hear from the City Manager about options with Denver and they decide whether there are any actions they can take immediately or what may be worth pursuing at a slower pace. There were two flyers being circulated for what residents can do next. Media Coverage: Hundreds gather over migrant housing concerns in Lakewood, FOX31 by Nicole Fierro Lakewood accuses citizen group of misinformation, CBS News, Karen Morfitt reporting Jefferson County Republican Party holds anti-migrant town hall in Lakewood, 9news.com Comunidad de Lakewood aborda crisis migratoria en la región, Telemundo Why Colorado isn’t a ‘sanctuary’ state despite its strong immigrant protection laws, CPR News, Paolo Zialcita LAKEWOOD RESIDENTS DEMAND TRANSPARENCY FROM CITY COUNCIL OVER MIGRANT HOUSING CONCERNS, The Lobby Rest easy, the Progressives running this state know what’s best for you. The media drive polarization, they don’t just amplify it. Media obtuseness on “sanctuary” cities. Colorado Accountability Project City of Lakewood debunks myths over its migrant response, Denver 7 Some Colorado communities scramble to help migrants, others “do not want to be Denver” as crisis spreads, Denver Post, John Aguilar NATIONAL on FoxNews On Martha MacCallum: Colorado residents in uproar over rumors Lakewood could become sanctuary city for migrants (see first part at minute 13, and more at minute 19. Continued February 8) Shown again on America’s Newsroom, February 8 Prior coverage: Lakewood City Council votes to help Denver with influx of migrants, CBS news, Karen Morfitt Lakewood taxpayers roped into paying for Denver’s sanctuary problems, Colorado Peak Politics Colorado’s illegal immigrant crisis hits the suburbs, The Gazette, William Perry Pendley Lakewood’s Migrant Information City of Lakewood addresses Colorado migrant crisis and “incorrect community information” being shared, CBS News, Ashley Portillo GOP chair behind secretive anti-migrant group spreading misinformation, 9News
UPDATE: Venue changed to 1626 Cole Blvd., Bldg 7, 4th Floor, Lakewood, CO 80401, 6:30-8:30 pm Guest post from The Concerned Citizens in Lakewood Date: Fri, Feb 2, 2024 at 3:57 PMSubject: Citizen Town HallTo: <CityCouncilMembers@lakewood.org>Cc: <wstrom@lakewood.org>, <jshahrezaei@lakewood.org>, <gsinks@lakewood.org>, <sguerrero@lakewood.org>, <icruz@lakewood.org>, <rstewart@lakewood.org>, <rlow@lakewood.org>, <rolver@lakewood.org>, <drein@lakewood.org>, <jlabure@lakewood.org> Mayor Strom, Chief Smith, and Lakewood City Councilors, We understand that the City of Lakewood is in discussion with the City of Denver and considering a vote to make Lakewood a Sanctuary City to allow migrants to be bused into our beautiful city. We also understand that the intent is for them to occupy the now vacant Jeffco Schools buildings at the expense of Lakewood taxpayers. Lakewood has hundreds of citizens that are very concerned with this. We invite you to come and listen to concerns, share what you know about these plans, and how you see this playing out in our city. In addition to the serious concern of Denver making their problems ours, there are significant concerns about the ramifications and impacts this will create in our neighborhoods and greater community – crime and safety, infrastructure, local business, and much more. We realize it is short notice, but please let us know if you can attend on Tuesday evening, so we can both acknowledge you and plan for you on the agenda. Informational flyer is attached with details on the event. Sincerely, The Concerned Citizens in Lakewood concernedcitizensinlakewood@gmail.com