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Will Lakewood remember problems when finally issuing permit

woman speaking at public comment — Get the background before Lakewood makes a decion on a Navigation Center permit

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Toxic Legacy: Uncovering the Chemical Contamination at the Denver Federal Center – Part 2: Blight or Oversight? The Bend, the…

April 20, 2025/

By Karen Gordey “Transparency isn’t optional when taxpayer dollars and contaminated land are involved.” A New Name, A Familiar Pattern Most Lakewood residents haven’t heard of “The Bend.” That’s because it was previously known in city discussions as the 6th & Union, 4th & Union, or simply part of the Denver Federal Center redevelopment. To longtime residents of Lakewood, it is known as the Horseshoe Property. It quietly rebranded, and with it came an expedited process that skirted public scrutiny. I attended a West Metro Fire Protection District Board meeting on January 21, 2025, out of concern for wildfire readiness. What I stumbled into instead was a vote on tax increment financing (TIFs) for a development I’d never heard of—The Bend—on land I knew all too well. As a result of hearing this, I went out to the Lakewood website to refresh my memory on the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority (LRA). From the Lakewood website: “The fundamental mission of the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority (LRA) is to encourage private reinvestment within targeted areas of Lakewood. The LRA has been created by citizens to enhance the City’s ability to preserve and restore the vitality and quality of life in the community.” So let’s first look at how the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority (LRA) process is supposed to work. (Below is a bullet point version. However if you are interested in seeing the full presentation it is on Lakewood Speaks and you can search for the LRA meeting from March 4, 2024.) Lakewood’s Reinvestment Authority...

2 + 2 = … Or doing math the developer boot-licker’s way

April 18, 2025/

Alex at Somebody Should Do Something posted a lengthy set of articles regarding The Bend development with specific attention to traffic and economic development. Summary: Highlights from Alex at Somebody Should Do Something Part 1 “Environmental injury is often the very definition of irreparable harm — often permanent or at least of long duration,” Arguello wrote. In the latest installment of the “how can a self-proclaimed progressive city council enrich a developer to the detriment of the environment and the community’s well-being”, City of Lakewood is allowing a developer to push forward with a development which will significantly increase traffic on a major thoroughfare, further strain our environment, potentially expose the future residents to toxic hazards AND, again, bring no meaningful economic development to the city. Royal Lakewood Land Partners has made a submission for a development called “The Bend”, situated on the NW corner of the Federal Center, close to the intersection of the 4th Avenue and Union Boulevard, and, just a hop and a skip away from the off and the on-ramp from the 6th Avenue. To add the insult to the many more injuries to come, as shown in the 2007 Master Plan, the site was originally slated for Office Development – a perfect potential use, considering the proximity of the LightRail tracks and the dire need for this city to stoke actual economic development. As usually is the case, the math does not add up. The developer is using the tactic of “here is a traffic study… but it’s only for a...

Toxic Legacy: Uncovering the Chemical Contamination at the Denver Federal Center – Part 1: Beneath the Surface of War, Waste,…

April 18, 2025/

By Karen Gordey Tucked between Lakewood’s bustling shopping centers and its picturesque parks lies the Denver Federal Center (DFC), a 670-acre campus home to over 25 federal agencies. To most passersby, it’s a secure and efficient government hub. But beneath its streets, buildings, and manicured lawns lies a chemical past that many residents have never been told. What Is a Superfund Site? A Superfund site is a polluted location in the United States that requires a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. These sites are designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a federal law enacted in 1980. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for identifying these sites and overseeing cleanup efforts to protect public health and the environment. The designation of a Superfund site is reserved for the most severely contaminated properties The DFC earned its Superfund designation in the 1980s due to decades of industrial and military use that left behind a toxic stew of solvents, petroleum products, heavy metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These contaminants infiltrated the soil and groundwater, some migrating offsite and threatening surrounding communities. What is a Brownfield Site? Brownfield sites are often used for urban renewal projects around the country. The Denver Federal Center is NOT a brownfield site. A brownfield site are often industrial or commercial properties (for example, gas stations, dry cleaners, warehouses) where low to moderate contamination from a hazardous substance pollutant or contaminant may exist. A Wartime Footprint with Lasting Impact Originally established as the Denver Ordnance Plant during World...

‘Long time coming’: Lakewood homeless encampment cleared

April 18, 2025/

From https://kdvr.com/, by Alliyah Sims, LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — After nearly two weeks of pushing for answers and two years of neighbors dealing with a growing homeless encampment at the 6th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard interchange in Lakewood, crews cleared the site Wednesday. Mounting trash, fires being started, needles found in neighbors’ backyards, and contamination in a waterway that feeds into the Platte River were all big concerns. Cleanup started around 9 a.m. on Wednesday and lasted about 8 hours. Read the full article from KDVR

1221 Wadsworth Update

April 11, 2025/

Update from Council Member Isabel Cruz to Lenore Herskovitz The construction at 1221 – 1225 Wadsworth remains an eyesore that residents constantly question. Councilor Isabel Cruz was kind enough to provide a detailed update to resident Lenore Herskovitz, rather than just referring her to the city website, which has not been updated since October 2024. Update: The new contractor has submitted their forensic report to the City Building Department for review. Three building inspectors completed an initial inspection of the project this week. Based on the reports provided to the City and the information observed during the inspection the building is in better condition than was expected. However, major parts of the fire sprinkler system must be removed and reinstalled, all of the doors and the windows must be removed and replaced, and the wrapping on the exterior of the building must be removed and replaced. The new contractor has agreed to submit and follow a construction waste and demolition plan (not required at the time of the initial approval) which needs to be submitted and approved. In addition, the new contractor still needs to submit new collateral prior to full start up. The contractor is already active in the building but the general public will not notice a significant change in construction activity for 30 to 60 days. I expect a meeting with the contractorn next week to discuss Wadsworth lane closures needed to begin working on the east side of the building. I believe that site security is...

Lakewood greenlights Kairoi to introduce invasive plants to BelmarPark

March 31, 2025/

Photo by Regina Hopkins From Savebelmarpark.com In case you are wondering, the Irongate Complex at 777 S Yarrow Street has been converted to rubble by the demolition crew. Large piles of concrete rubble await removal. Moving on to the topic of the day, a portion of Belmar Park is designated for grading on the developer’s grading plan. We estimate the area of the park to be graded amounts to thousands of square feet assuming the grading plan mentioned does not change. However, Lakewood’s Planning Department states the opposite: “The proposed development of this property does not involve or include any parkland…” Obviously, any area of the park destroyed by heavy equipment activities related to the Kairoi market-priced housing project will have to be fully restored to original or better condition, right? Wrong again. According to the Erosion Control Report submitted to Lakewood by Kairoi’s civil engineers, only 70% of a restored area needs to be restored with ‘vegetation visible’ according to p.22. There is no requirement that the park be fully restored to original or better condition! Let’s say someone crashed into your parked car and does significant damage. After body shop repairs, only 70% of the damage is repaired. Are you OK with that? If you are, apply for a job at the City of Lakewood where that level of completion is apparently acceptable when it comes to requiring developers to do the right thing. Once an area has been graded, the developer will usually attempt to restore the...

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