Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

LAKEWOOD INFORMER

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Councilor Admits Zoning is a Developer Handout

"Yes, zoning is a developer handout" on top of City Council Member Sophia Mayott-Guerrero on the podium
Trickle down housing explained: Give developers a handout and hope that some taxpayer-subsidized units unfold

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Resident Voices: Lakewood Zoning Ignores Preservation

June 13, 2025/

From Eve S., Lakewood resident       Lakewood’s Comprehensive Plan and the new zoning ordinances do NOT protect our native and migratory wildlife. Without a specific Zoning Regulation the City will allow all land-use development regardless of the destruction of the few remaining wildlife areas. We need a Wildlife Preservation Zone that allows us to create refuges for wildlife. The Comprehensive Plan mentions protecting wildlife. We need enforceable laws that set up and preserve wildlife areas. We have Arts Districts and Historic Districts and we protect homeless populations. “Open Space” as defined by the city includes rooftops and building patios. Our “Parks” are for people, not wildlife. In Lakewood, Parks and Open Space have nothing to do with natural flora and fauna. Only a new Zoning Regulation that protects them will prevent the destruction of all of our remaining natural habitats.    When the Planning Commission passed all the measures Kairoi wanted, the chairman said he couldn’t help Belmar Lake because in Lakewood there are no regulations that protect wildlife. In Longmont and other Colorado cities natural areas are protected.     But how can we get the Council to listen? 

CHAC Gallery Presents Summer Solstice Celebration 

June 13, 2025/

From Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC)   Date: June 20th from 6pm-9:30pm Location: CHAC Gallery @40 West (7060 W. 16th Ave. Lakewood, CO 80214) Summer Solstice Celebration  Come and celebrate the longest day of the year with the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC Gallery) on June 20th from 6pm-9:30pm at 7060 W. 16th Ave. Lakewood, CO. For ancient Meso-American communities, the Summer Solstice was a time to celebrate abundance and give thanks for all that the sun provides us. In ancient times, the sun’s position was carefully observed to allow people to track time and make agricultural plans.  Summer Solstice Celebration will feature: vendors, live music by Jon Romero, face painting,  free family sundial workshop, Aztec dancer groupo Huitzilopochtli, fry bread, and a Low Brow Art show.  This event is free and open to the public.  Contact: Event Coordinator Asia Fajardo- Diamond eventcoordinator@chacgallery.org For more information, go to www.chacgallery.org Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) CHAC is an inclusive community of all creatives that are dedicated to preserving, showcasing, educating, and reflecting the essence of Chicana/o/x, Latina/o/x, and other multicultural/multiracial communities. 

King Soopers parking lot

June 11, 2025/

From a Lakewood Informer reader At approximately 8 p.m. this evening, the King Soopers on 12043 W Alameda Pkwy, was disrupted by a significant emergency response. Multiple police cruisers, along with a fire truck and an ambulance, filled the parking lot of the Market Square Business Center, prompting concern and speculation from bystanders. While the scene appeared serious at first glance, further observation and a conversation with a witness clarified that the situation was less severe than it initially seemed. The following is a summary of the events as they unfolded: It all started with a loud verbal altercation between two men in the neighboring ARC Thrift Store parking lot. Their argument quickly drew the attention of nearby grocery shoppers, prompting someone to call the Lakewood Police Department. By the time officers arrived, the dispute had escalated into a physical fight. One man immediately stopped and complied with police, while the other took off running, prompting a brief foot chase through the area. Despite their efforts and backup from additional units, officers were unable to apprehend the fleeing individual. Fortunately, the man who stayed behind was unharmed and did not require medical attention. Though it may have looked like a major emergency, the situation was relatively contained, and no serious injuries were reported. So if you saw the flurry of first responders at King Soopers tonight, now you know, while dramatic in appearance, the real story was a short-lived bicker that ended with one suspect getting away and no major harm done....

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

June 3, 2025/

From savebelmarpark.com 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...

National organization to honor Lakewood police officer

June 3, 2025/

From the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) announced that it will present a regional Exceptional Service Award to Officer Scott Gillespie, a school resource officer (SRO) with the Castle Rock Police Department and its 2025 SRO Social Award to Det. Jason Ezell, an SRO with the Lakewood Police Department. NASRO will present these awards and others on Monday, July 7, during a ceremony as part of its annual National School Safety Conference in Grapevine Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. The Exceptional Service Award recognizes one recipient in each of NASRO’s 10 regions who demonstrates continuous and sustained service to the school community above and beyond that normally expected of an SRO. Gillespie will receive the award for a region that includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. The SRO Social Award recognizes an SRO for effectively utilizing social media to promote the SRO position, school, and agency. During the July awards ceremony, NASRO will also present several other awards, including its Floyd Ledbetter National School Resource Officer of the Year Award. About the NASRO National School Safety Conference NASRO’s 35th annual National School Safety Conference takes place July 6 through July 11 at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas. The conference provides opportunities for attendees to learn best practices for SRO and other school safety programs. It also provides networking opportunities to SROs and other law enforcement officers, as well as school security and safety officials, school board members, administrators and anyone interested in school safety.  About NASRO NASRO is a...

2025 City Council voting record as of May 2025

June 3, 2025/

By Karen Gordey As you may or may not have heard, Kairoi—the Texas developer behind the 777 S Yarrow Street project—cut down more than 60 mature trees on May 12th. The community response was swift and emotional. That evening, a large group from the Save Belmar Park movement filled the back of Lakewood City Council chambers and voiced their outrage during public comment. Many echoed the same call: every sitting councilor—save perhaps one—needs to be voted out. The next day, I drove to Belmar Park to see the damage for myself. As I pulled up, I noticed two current council members chatting nearby. I spoke with one of them off the record for about 25 minutes. When I said, “Isn’t this what you voted for?” the councilor quickly replied, “No, I didn’t vote for this.” Skeptical, I went home and reviewed voting records for the past two years. And they were right—technically. The 777 S Yarrow project didn’t come before City Council. It went through the Planning Commission and the City’s Planning Department. But that wasn’t the end of the story. When I tried to dig deeper, it became clear how inaccessible the City’s meeting records really are. Minutes from meetings are supposed to be approved during the Consent Agenda at every regular council meeting. But finding the actual minutes? Nearly impossible. For instance, during the May 12, 2025 meeting, Council approved minutes from March 24, April 14, and May 5—but none were linked or attached. On February 24, they...

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