Latest Amendments

Below is a summary listing all the amendments discussed on September 8, 2025, to accompany the general meeting description. These are in addition to the amendments found on LakewoodSpeaks, which are also additions to the many changes that were made before. Amendments have been constant. Residents were unable to preview these.

1. Councilor Sinks suggests adding a goal for home ownership. Failed on first try
2. Councilor Ken Cruz made an amendment to protect the tree canopy and increase green resilience. Passed unanimously.
3. Councilor Ken Cruz suggested another amendment to say that the zoning code is not retroactive. Passed unanimously.
4. Councilor Roger Low restated the amendment from Sinks so that it passed unanimously.
5. Councilor Nystrom suggested an amendment to mandate staff create a report detailing affordable housing generated from the zoning. Such “lookbacks” are common but don’t often generate results or change. Nevertheless, Councilor Mayott-Guerrero argued vehemently that staff don’t have time to do this level of review.
6. Councilor Isabel Cruz said Nystrom’s amendment suggests there will be problems that need to be reviewed. Reasons to have a lookback needed to be taken out and reframed so that future Councilors remain neutral.
7. Nystrom’s amendment took 3 votes to pass. Mayott-Guerrero argued that looking for a specific list of things of concern suggests there is something to be concerned about. All hints of concern needed to be deleted before finally passing the amendment to have another ineffective and neutral lookback pass unanimously at 11:25 pm.
8. Councilor K. Cruz made an amendment to have written justification for any waivers granted by the Director. This motion was only for waivers, not for other matters that rely on Director’s discretion. Director Travis Parker says this is already standard practice. Passed unanimously at 11:30 PM.
9. Councilor K. Cruz suggested an amendment to clarify the Director’s ability to grant waivers so that park property can be used for non-park purposes, like fencing. Mayott-Guerrero asked staff bluntly, “so does this do anything?” Answer, “no.” Passed 8-3 at 11:41 pm.
10. Councilor Nystrom made a motion to delay the ability to cut down trees until the development is going to start. But as proposed, the language suggested that existing homeowners would need permits to cut down sick trees, which was a problem in previous versions. Motion fails with only Nystrom voting for it.
11. On second try it passes with only Low against.
12. Nystrom moves another amendment regarding the fact that Lakewood waives fees for certain projects in the name of the public good. Nystrom wants written justification for such decisions posted on the website.  Such justification is already made. Passed unanimously.
13. Councilor K. Cruz moves that all public notices be posted on the website and that physically mailed notices be multilingual. Passed unanimously at midnight.
14. Councilor Nystrom made an amendment to include public information on the preplanning application review that after completion. Again, not for any public action, just to make information public. Councilor Shahrezaei had researched this topic and said that similar proposals had been rejected several times before because of the amount of work for Council and staff on answering questions for projects that don’t get completed. Motion failed at 12:17 AM with all of Council voting against it except for Nystrom and K. Cruz.
15. Councilor Nystrom motioned an amendment to grant Council the ability to consider any Major Site Plan within 17 days of the Directors decision for public hearing. This amendment is actionable by the public and Council, not just a transparency item, and it is in place in other cities. The motion failed for lack of a second.
16. On a second try, the motion was seconded and discussed. Councilor Furman said he thinks this may allow Council to make arbitrary decisions. Low says this leads to weaponization of NIMBYism and would chill development. Shahrezaei called the question for the first time that night on this issue. Motion fails again at 12:30 AMwith nays being almost everyone – Strom, LaBure, Rein, K. Cruz, Mayott-Guerrero, Shahrezaei, Sinks, I. Cruz, Low and Furman.
17. Nystrom suggested an amendment to have additional environmental assessments for development that impact parks. Mayott-Guerrero expressed concern for how much work this would be for staff. She says delays could affect government funding and that she is working for government funding. There was no dissenting discussion to show it’s not just a timing issue; this decision prioritized development over the environment. Once the site plan is approved, it is hard, if not impossible, to get a new plan based on environmental considerations. Director Parker says it may not be possible to meet Prop 123 deadlines when having an environmental review. Motion fails at 12:42 AM with only Furman and Nystrom in support.
18. Councilor Sinks made a motion for pickleball courts require a special use permit in residential areas but allowed outright in commercial and light industrial areas. This amendment would keep pickle ball noise away from residential areas. Mayott-Guerrero says that’s not a good idea. Low and Rein needed more information. Motion fails the first time.
19. With modifications to remove express allowances in commercial and light industrial areas, the motion passed 8-3 at 12:58 AM. Nays were LaBure, Mayott-Guerrero, and Low.
20. Councilor Sinks made another motion pickleball and sport court use definition. Low says it is too late in the process and too late at night to consider this. A motion to call the question passes. Motion fails at 1:05 AM 5-6 vote.
21. Amendment 20 negated the first pickleball motion so there was a motion to reconsider. The pickleball court amendment was then repealed at 1:10 AM in a 10-1 vote. Discussion sped up after this point.
22. Councilor Isabel Cruz motioned for plant nurseries to be allowed in R-L-B and R-L-C zones as a special use. There was no discussion. Unanimous approval at 1:12 AM.
23. Councilor K. Cruz made an amendment so that roadside stands can include produce from other properties. The original motion failed.
24. The motion was reworded to have produce from the host property be labeled as such. This made produce from the neighbors NOT labeled, which was the opposite of the intent of the rewording but it was late and confusing. So existing roadside stands that have been operating without labeling for years will specifically be illegal. Chances are that this gets changed outside of the public meeting. Motion passed unanimously at 1:19 AM.
25. Councilor K. Cruz motioned to increase the size for roadside stands. Motion passed unanimously with no discussion.
26. Councilor K. Cruz suggested an amendment to have a written justification for undefined uses. No discussion. Motion passes unanimously at 1:22 AM.
27. Councilor K. Cruz motioned to add the ability to have a donkey or mule on your property. Motion passed 10-1 at 1:27 AM. Councilor Sinks being the lone no vote.
28. Councilor I. Cruz suggested an amendment to add a lot size back in. Instead of allowing zero square feet lot size, this amendment reversed previous decisions and allowed R-L-C to have a minimum of 1500 sq ft. lot size. Councilor Sinks points out that this is a big decision. Sinks didn’t say it directly but an amendment of this size was hypocritical after the pickleball court issue was deemed too big to discuss. Mayott-Guerrero said she has evidence to support the 1500 sq ft suggestion. Sinks had evidence for pickle ball but that wasn’t heard. There was a debate about adjourning, which failed and then there was a recess. After the recess, Sinks changed her objection and approved the measure. There was no further discussion. This whole process resembled a premeditated agreement to pass. Amendment for 1500 sq ft minimum approved 10-1 at 1:47 AM, LaBure dissenting.
29. Rein motions to amend Table 4 to reverse previous decisions on setbacks and set all front setbacks on low form residential to 25 feet.  Passed unanimously with no discussion at 1:49 AM.
30. Councilor Sinks moves to provide at least 7 feet between the sidewalk and front of the building to allow for easements. This amendment was suggested to Sinks by staff. No discussion. Approved 10-1 at 1:52 AM, LaBure disagreeing.
31. Councilor K. Cruz motions to make it clear that gross floor area may differ the square footage listed by realtors. There was brief discussion to establish this makes no effective difference to anything. Passed unanimously at 1:54 AM.  
32. Councilor K. Cruz moves to require a special use permit if there will be more than 3 buildings (triplexes) on a lot through 2026. There were multiple thanks for this amendment. Furman points out single-family doesn’t currently exist anyway. They are calling this a phased approach. Amendment passed 9-2 at 2:02 AM, nays being Mayott-Guerrero and I. Cruz.
33. Councilor K. Cruz moves to require analysis of shading if there is a solar system to prevent shading. Mayott-Guerrero and Low say this could be weaponized to stop development by a neighbor putting a panel on their house and then saying shading is a problem. Nystrom, Furman and LaBure say the opposite, that when people invest in solar panels, their access to sunlight should be protected or it would be viewed as a legal taking. Question called again. Motion passed 7-4 at 2:22 AM, nays being Strom, Mayott-Guerrero, I. Cruz and Low.
34. Councilor Nystrom suggests an amendment to change height limits in transition zones to parks. Motion fails with everyone but Nystrom voting against it at 2:29 AM.