Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
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.
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.
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.
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.
Defending the referendum requires legal counsel. Regular residents cannot navigate full legal proceedings alone. Although there can be no issue committee at this time, and therefore no campaign donations, an attorney is stepping forward to assist. If you wish to support the effort, donations can be sent directly to:
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).
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