Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Johnson: To Zone or Not to Zone? YOU answer the question
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). These staff-driven revisions quietly re-define who makes the final decisions, yet the changes are not disclosed before the council votes. As a result, over the years the council has unknowingly and incrementally lost much of its governing authority, with unelected staff now making many of the decisions that once belonged to elected representatives.
I know this because I was there.
AND NOW THE REST OF THE STORY
City Council can approach a total re-zone in one of two ways: it can review the zoning ordinance in its entirety and adopt amendments, or it can divide the ordinance into sections and vote on each section individually. Last summer, Lakewood City Council chose the second approach. It divided the zoning ordinance into four sections and voted on each separately, which required residents to file four separate petitions to re-dress the changes. This is why residents needed to sign four petitions.
The timeline for gathering signatures begins the day a petitioner first submits a petition to the City Clerk. Because the City Clerk took three weeks to approve and sign the first petition, petitioners lost three critical weeks of signature-gathering time. Petition 1 alone required three weeks of arduous work as petitioners complied with incremental petition validity changes directed by Jay Robb, City Clerk, before it was approved and signed. All the while, the clock was running.
ALL petition carriers and anyone involved in the petition process were volunteers. NO one received money for their time and effort.
This is the first time the city administration and council have attempted to re-zone the entire city as “multi-use.”
DEFINITION: Multi use zoning – a land use regulation that allows different property types, such as residential, commercial and office spaces to coexist within a single geographic area or even in the same building.
During the October 13th, 2025 City Council meeting, eight councilors from Wards 1, 2, 3, and 5 advocated for and secured “carve-outs” for small portions of their wards. As a result, twelve neighborhoods retained their existing “residential only” zoning designation. In those areas, the red “NO” signs opposing the re-zone came down immediately, because these neighborhoods will not face high-density changes such as multiple ADUs, multi-story apartments, or commercial uses within established residential blocks.
Lakewood’s government has pursued increased residential density for at least nineteen years. The first major step in this direction was allowing auxiliary dwelling units (ADUs) citywide rather than approving them case by case. On the night of the council vote, Travis Parker, Director of Planning, explicitly stated, “ADUs are a way to increase density in residential neighborhoods.”
I know, I was there. I voted no.
Governor Polis has stated that municipalities risk losing state funding if they do not comply with a high-density agenda. In response, six home-rule municipalities – Aurora, Arvada, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Lafayette, and Westminster – are suing the Governor over HB24-1313, HB24-1304, and Executive Order D 2025 005. They argue that these measures threaten their constitutional rights by imposing one-size-fits-all mandates and by potentially withholding state funds for non-compliance.
One of the mandates designates a half-mile on each side of light rail as “Transit Oriented Development,” permitting high-profile, high-density apartment construction. Lakewood chose not to join the lawsuit. HB24-1313 directly affects the Colfax corridor.
END GAME
Governor Polis is seeking to increase population density in the Denver regional area, and his administration has made this intention explicit. He has stated that Colorado needs “more housing now,” emphasizing building near transit, loosening zoning restrictions, and reducing local barriers so people can “live where we want to live.” This initiative is designed to support substantial population growth along the Front Range.
Over time, this population increase could help Colorado gain another seat in Congress. High-density apartment development also alters the political landscape, as renters do not directly pay property taxes to the County Clerk and generally do not have the same long-term investment in the community as homeowners. Once renters have children, they typically move to single-family housing.
By substantially increasing density across the Denver regional area—Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and all surrounding suburbs—any issue requiring a statewide vote would increasingly be shaped by the metro population. This shift would leave outlying counties with diminished voice, influence, and decision-making authority. Ultimately, Denver and its suburbs would determine the direction of the entire state.
TIDBITS
After inquiry, a realtor stated Lakewood’s inventory of “homes for sale” has increased and Lakewood is considered a “saturated” market now. There are many choices for buyers so they are more “picky” and can negotiate a lower buying price. Currently, rentals have an 80% occupancy.
Colorado is currently a net emigration state. WHO is leaving. WHY are they leaving and WHERE are they going?
Questions Remain?
After examining what has happened in Lakewood, I had to ask myself:
Did any council member campaign on eliminating single-family zoning?
Were we told their intentions before we cast our votes?
By definition, betrayal is an act of deliberate disloyalty. The Middle English bitrayen means to mislead or deceive. Betrayal destroys trust. It breaks a presumptive confidence and often arises from power dynamics, lack of accountability, or lack of integrity. The common terms for someone who betrays are traitor or turncoat.
So what is the end game in pushing higher density?
Why?
(Spoiler alert: money.)
Have new residents moved into our neighborhoods unaware that their councilor planned to eliminate their residential zoning?
How will this re-zone affect property values for families who currently live in stable residential areas outside the carve-outs?
And what happens to property values when a long-standing residential zone is suddenly reclassified as “multi-use”?
Is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ interest in shifting Bear Creek Lake from flood remediation to water retention connected to the city administration’s and council’s push for multi-use zoning and massive density increases?
Is something larger happening—something residents were never truly made aware of?
What is the long game?
How long might this have been in motion?
Karen Miller has raised a critical question about electricity consumption. With high-density apartments requiring significantly more power—and with AI technologies demanding ever-increasing energy—how will Xcel accommodate this drastic surge in demand?
EDITORIAL
I applaud the councilors for advocating for some of their constituents. However, they “carved out” only a very few specific neighborhoods within their wards. This act creates clear “winners and losers.” Properties within the carve-out areas that remain zoned residential–single family will maintain their property value and likely increase in value. Areas not included in the carve-outs will likely face undesirable changes: higher density, apartments, and declining property values. Those in the carved-out neighborhoods will not face the same uncertainty of multi-use development as the rest of the city—or even the rest of their own ward. This creates serious animosity between neighborhoods, friends, and long-established communities. Additionally, this all but signs, seals, and delivers perpetual re-election for the councilors who secured the carve-outs. Councilors are elected to advocate for all their constituents.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to re-dress their government through a petition process. Yet Lakewood’s city government, through the City Clerk, has done all it can to slow down that process. The City Clerk answers directly to City Manager Kathy Hodgson.
Additionally, HB25-1313 informs the governmental entity when petitioners reach a 75% signature success rate, thereby enabling that entity to mobilize its opposition. This is political game-playing at its worst. More about this in PART 2.
Shortly after the city became aware of the petitioners’ 75% success rate, Kip Kolkmeier filed a complaint claiming the petitioners did not have an “issues committee,” which would have allowed them to receive donations. Jay Robb then emailed the petitioners stating they were not permitted to have an issues committee.
Unfortunately, you are receiving this message during the Christmas and Hanukkah season. I sincerely pray that each of you has inner peace, safety, hope in our future, and the steadfast love of your family and friends.
I always look forward to hearing “your take.” In the meantime, I truly wish each and every one of you a blessed holiday season.
Respectfully,
Ramey Johnson