Mayor Wendi Strom suspended normal City Council procedures to have an emergency discussion on January 13, 2025 regarding issues resulting from the new parkland dedication ordinance. Strom says this was time sensitive so it couldn’t wait until the next meeting and most of Council agreed with her. However, even with the suspension of city policies, Lakewood is still bound by the Colorado Open Meetings laws that require public notice for agenda items. Without that notice, there was no public comment regarding the discussion because no one knew it was happening. One issue Strom initially raised was concern that single-family homeowners are being required to dedicate part of their land to parks. However, other Councilors showed that the real issue was overall development. Strom says the city has not issued any permits since December 7, 2024, when the ordinance was approved. Council Member Nystrom, the only Councilor to sound positive about the new ordinance, pointed out that there may be inaccuracies on how the ordinance is being applied. Nystrom’s point of view was echoed by the author of the ordinance, Cathy Kentner. Mayor Strom did not say how many people were adversely affected by the new ordinance, but this move is extraordinary. Even in other time-sensitive circumstances, such as when hundreds of Belmar Park residents were begging for emergency intervention, Strom did not suspend the rules. In fact, with her inauguration, she has moved public comment to the end of the meeting in a move that guarantees most people do...
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Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
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Solid Ground Apartments opened in Lakewood in 2024. It is a Jefferson Center facility that is located in the Two Creeks neighborhood. Lakewood was a community supporter. City Council members voted to tour the facility in order to learn more about any future facilities that Lakewood would own, operate or support, which is a Council initiative. Solid Ground appears to be the first permanent supportive project for the unhoused from the Jefferson Center and they found a home in Lakewood. The funds came from a federal grant. According to HUD, permanent supportive housing is “permanent housing in which housing assistance (e.g., long-term leasing or rental assistance) and supportive services are provided to assist households with at least one member (adult or child) with a disability in achieving housing stability.” During the time that the Jefferson Center was working on this supportive housing, the Center was forced to close the mental health program for kids. There is no evidence that the Center could have used federal grants to sustain the mental health program with or without housing. Federal grants for affordable housing are paid for by printing money which leads to inflation of consumer prices, including higher housing prices. From jcmh.org: “Jefferson Center proudly manages over 420 housing vouchers that range from Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly Section 8) through Permanent Supportive Housing Vouchers.” By jcmh.org statistics, there are about 453 people counted living on the streets. Lakewood Council may also tour other facilities as part of researching future opportunities. The Jefferson Center is a non-profit who...
The widespread zoning changes Lakewood made in 2013 resulted in a resident-initiated movement known as “strategic growth.” Residents were unhappy with the increased, high-density residential units being built that unbalanced the economic growth of the city. Ten years later, city leaders are still not listening to residents. On December 9, 2024, Lakewood City Council passed a resolution stating the city will have a “zoning rewrite that is bold, imaginative, embraces innovation, and the diversity of needs for the full City of Lakewood.“ This resolution is not normal procedure. Normally, there is a proposal presented to the public that will show specific plans on promoting homes for the unhoused, increased density, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions. This is not that. Rather, it is a declaration that the city already has its mind made up to implement these changes. And because they seek to be “bold”, the Council will approve whatever the contractor recommends, whether or not the public likes it. It’s like Lakewood is playing a Jedi mind trick. Lakewood leaders want a zoning code to accomplish a bold new agenda and they are saying: you can’t see the code but it will be good for you. You will like it. Residents are waking up to the fact that the “anti-growth” narrative was just a way to belittle those who disagreed with the establishment. Look at how residents react to the proposed developments at Whippoorwill and Belmar for proof that no one is asking to stop all development. They just want...
From Alex at Somebody Should Do Something “What did you expect? Welcome Sonny, make yourself at home? Marry my daughter? You gotta remember that these are just simple [progressives and RINOs]. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know? Morons.” Progressives (and, the RINOs) in Colorado all but ensured that many people can no longer afford to start a family (or to keep their family comfortable), as it is way down the list of the Best & Worst States to Raise a Family. While ranking 18th overall, unsurprisingly, it ranks 40th in Health & Safety and 36th in Education & Child Care. Furthermore, if one looks at Massachusetts (ranked 1st): “Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family, in large part because it provides a good blend of economic opportunities and safe conditions for children. The Bay State has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and lots of job opportunities relative to the labor force, which ensures that parents will be able to provide for their children. It’s not the cheapest state, as housing and childcare costs are relatively high compared to most of the nation, but residents make up for this with fairly high incomes.” And Minnesotta (ranked 3rd): “Minnesota is the third-best state to raise a family, at least if you’re not averse to its harsh winters. Minnesota is a great place to find a job to support your family, as it has one of the highest median family incomes after...
The latest episode from a relatively new local podcast with a philosophical viewpoint: White Blood Cells – Protectors and Leaders. Take a look and see what you might have in common. Quotes from this episode: “This dam analogy — it’s holding stuff back and the media was part of their [Democrat] dam, a big big part of their dam, the the Legacy Media is a big part of their dam, the legal system, the capital market system, the corporate America system was all part of that dam that was holding this truth back. You can call the water a lot of different things, I think it’s working class Americans, they’re behind the dam, the truth is behind it, there’s a natural gravitational pull that’s got to be dammed up” “that’s plunder if you have an illegal money system and I don’t want to go too far into that because it’s complicated, that our money system — the Federal Reserve notes that we use to exchange — it’s fiat currency and that is theft.” “back in 2008, it’s like when all these Banks got bailed out and everybody got slapped on the wrist but there was really no consequences and no one was able to fail it’s like that just perpetuates the problem because no one got indicted during that whole Global financial crisis” “this [healthcare] CEO thing is just a tiny representation of cracks showing up in this dam and the and the thing that helps you understand the pressure...
Lakewood passed a new ordinance to reduce new gas stations in order to increase public health, January 13, 2025. Not only will this decrease the number of future gas stations, the ordinance demands the new gas stations provide electric charging stations, one of which must be the latest, fastest technology. This is will substantially increase the cost to construct a new gas station while benefitting a diminishing number of customers who are purchasing electric vehicles. Lakewood also eliminated two zoning codes from permitting gas stations. If Lakewood’s plans to bring in thousands more residents through affordable housing efforts pay off, everyone in Lakewood can anticipate waiting longer in lines. Gas stations are one of the few businesses that are still thriving in Lakewood. Rather than re-inventing the wheel, please read the article below for more of the adverse effects of similar legislation in Denver. In another parallel move, Denver passed the same legislation as Lakewood, a week before Lakewood voted (correction 1/15/25 – Denver’s ordinance only passed to committee) Lakewood’s ordinance is more extreme than Denver’s because of Lakewood’s market manipulation in demanding charging stations, even dictating the type of stations, but otherwise the legislation is similar. The adverse effects were not discussed by Council. Sharf: Denver gas station ban a swipe at car mobility January 13, 2025 By Joshua Sharf, Complete Colorado Denver city councilors last summer proposed to limit the construction of gasoline stations in in the city, ostensibly in response to a citizen outcry a deluge of new gas stations being...
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