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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Zoning Change Links to Information

Fact Sheet: Proposed new zoning code will: * Convert existing single-family zoning to multi-family and retail *Eliminate occupancy limits CITYWIDE so every home can be used as multi-family * Change height restrictions * Reduce mininmum lot size * Eliminate parking minimums * Sacrifice home rule

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Screenshot of the Dec 19, 2022 City Council meeting video

City Manager’s Annual Review

March 20, 2025/

By Lenore Herskovitz On Monday, March 24 the City Council will hold the first of 2 Special Meetings regarding the Annual Review of the City Manager, Kathy Hodgson. Residents are not privy to the standards or metrics that are used to evaluate the job performance of our most powerful and most highly compensated city officials. At one time, the City of Lakewood Community Survey was issued every 2 to 3 years which included approval ratings for the city’s performance. In 2010, when Kathy Hodgson took office this approval rating was 67%. By 2022, this had dropped to 38%. Since then, this survey has not circulated. Until 2022 these survey results were included in the evaluation process (See Lakewood Informer news report from 2022). On Dec. 19, 2022, the City Council met to amend the City Manager’s 2014 Employment Agreement and establish the 2022 Employment Agreement. This was supposed to be discussed on Dec. 5 in an Executive session but 4 Councillors (Able, Springsteen, Olver, and Janssen) opposed the session because they felt they had not been provided enough information in advance of the meeting. At the Dec. 19 meeting there was confusion about whether the representatives were voting solely on the amendments or on the new contract because the packet that was presented only included a staff memo and the resolution containing the proposed amendments. There was no redlined version showing what had been removed from the 2014 contract or any copy of what the new contract would be in...

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No Permits For Kairoi Demolition?

No Permits For Kairoi Demolition?

March 19, 2025/

From savebelmarpark.com Update 3/19/25: Permits were straightened out (very quickly) and demolition on track Greetings Supporters of Save Belmar Park, This is an update on the attempted demolition of the Irongate Campus we told you about yesterday. The top image is 777 S Yarrow Street in Lakewood, CO after 24 hours of illegal demolition. We now know that Kairoi Residential had moved forward with the attempted illegal demolition without obtaining proper permits. Kairoi Residential attempted to illegally demolish the Irongate Office Campus at 777 S Yarrow Street. Local activists intervened and the city ultimately had to shut down the illegal project. So please consider this. If you happen to be in the construction business, obtaining permits is standard operating procedure.  At least for any business that intends to obey the law. Even if you want an electrician to install a circuit in a residence, you need a permit. The idea a company that has been involved in the construction industry in Colorado and other states for many years does not know how to properly permit the demolition phase of a project raises some questions. Especially considering that their own civil engineers at Kimley-Horn prepared a large document titled: “EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL REPORT” that included great detail on the topic: “SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES” The first listed responsibility in the Kimly-Horn document is: “The city does not authorize any work to be performed until the City Grading, Erosion, and Sediment Control Permit has been issued.” Did Kairoi bother to obtain...

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HB25-1211: Deception to Legislate Litigation

HB25-1211: Deception to Legislate Litigation

March 17, 2025/

HB25-1211 is a deceptive bill concerning local government’s ability to set fees and it is passing the Colorado House on a party line vote. The most likely outcome of HB25-1211 is a profusion of concrete jungle developments with increased water usage and decreased ability for water districts to pay for costly infrastructure. But what IS NOT written in this bill is even worse because the bill contradicts existing law that is currently in litigation. HB25-1211 is using legislation to go beyond 100 years of case law to side AGAINST local governments in pending and future litigation. At first read, the bill’s title and language read as if the main point is to conserve water by tying lower infrastructure fees to conservation measures. This is deceptive and misleading. Infrastructure has certain fixed costs no matter how much you use it. To make this relatable, think about the appliances in your homes as your water infrastructure. It doesn’t matter if you promise to only use the dishwasher once a week or flush the toilet once a day. You still have to buy the whole appliance to make it work. You can’t buy half the appliance because you promise not to use it often. But that’s exactly the argument HB25-1211 makes. It asks water districts to let people pay less for their infrastructure because they promise to use it less. No matter how you count it, 100 high-density apartments will use A LOT more water than a couple houses, even with yards. No...

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Terumo Not Liable

Terumo Not Liable

March 16, 2025/

The Colorado Sun reports that Terumo will not be held liable for cancer since the company always met federal regulations. From the Sun: “Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies of Lakewood was found not negligent Friday by a Jefferson County jury for alleged releases of toxic ethylene oxide into surrounding neighborhoods from its sterilization process, after four women sued the company for liability in their cancer cases.  The plaintiffs, part of a large group of negligence and liability cases against Terumo and other companies who use ethylene oxide, claimed the Lakewood plant should have done more to stop chemical emissions into neighborhoods. They sought damages in state district court over their extensive medical costs, as well as physical impairment and disfigurement. “ Read the full article..

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People catching onto the “affordable housing” scam

March 16, 2025/

A pair of articles in the Denver Post show that Colorado residents are catching onto the fact that “affordable housing” isn’t the universal panacea that is being promised. New housing is not affordable, unless it’s government-backed, while higher densities are killing the very reason that people enjoyed their city in the first place. Pro-development progressives in Boulder won’t solve the housing crisis “Building a lot more housing won’t reduce prices because there’s an unlimited supply of people nationwide who’ll pay whatever it takes to live here. Boulder is a unique blend of access to culture and nature in a small city. There are plenty of people who want to move here and have the means to do so.” This sentiment also applies to Lakewood, revealing the lie to all the promises that more housing will solve problems. Denser housing vs. the ’burbs “While Colorado lawmakers require upzoning and offer incentives in their push for denser housing concentrated at Regional Transportation District bus and train hubs, thousands of metro Denver residents like the Wellners are migrating to suburbs. They give multiple reasons for their moves: affordability, elbow room, quietness, safety and parks — things that transit-oriented development (TOD) often lacks.” Many people moved to Lakewood for exactly this reason – wanting elbow room and safety. But Lakewood aspires to become more like urban Denver, in the name of affordability. Meanwhile, there are plenty of people who will pay “whatever it takes to live here.” Lakewood is planning on changing the zoning...

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Lakewood Informer Joins Mandy Connell Show

Lakewood Informer Joins Mandy Connell Show

March 15, 2025/

Mandy Connell, Host of The Mandy Connell Show on KOA and iHeart Media, challenged her listeners to rat out shenanigans at the local level. Thanks to you, wonderful readers who are also her wonderful listeners, Mandy invited Karen Morgan on for a discussion of crime and housing. We also talked about Lakewood’s new propensity of going over the heads of Lakewood residents to change state law rather than listening to residents. Thank you Mandy for being so much fun, very well researched and getting the word out to everyone! Just a heads up that Mandy may have another Lakewood guest next week so keep listening. Listen to the whole segment from The Mandy Connell Podcast on KOA iHeartRadio.

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