Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
The recent purchase of the Mountain View Inn by RecoveryWorks caused some readers to question where the money came from. The Director of RecoveryWorks, James Ginsberg, responded that the “funds came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through the State Division of Housing’s Transformational Affordable Housing Grant. RecoveryWorks applied for the funds through a statewide competitive process.” These funds are completely separate from the recent Navigation Center purchase.
Cross Post from SaveBelmarPark.com Comments from Lakewood Attorney Kenley Brunsdale regarding the Belmar Park West major site plan review process: I spent my life as a lawyer working in administrative law arena. And so some thoughts come to mind. These negotiations took place in secret and quiet. Who knows what the city gave away for nothing. But this has been a really classic case of of that game that developers play and that should be eliminated. Click/Tap to read the rest of his comments
Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom supported new migrants becoming “proud workers and residents of Colorado” by approving a letter from the Metro Mayors Caucus. A copy of the letter itself was provided by the Caucus, not by Lakewood, and is shown below. Unlike other legislative positions, this letter was not discussed in public and was not subject to Council committee vote. However, the letter does specifically state that it represents community members, not just the Mayor’s personal opinion. The letter requests three things: fast-tracked work permits, legal services, and federal funding. Border enforcement is not mentioned, nor is removing Colorado’s sanctuary status. Read the letter below. Work authorizations and federal funding are parts of what people know as “immigration reform” rather than what people know as “border security”. Recent community meetings show that Lakewood residents are very interested in the migrant issue and would like a say in these decisions. However, instead of publicly discussing the issue, Mayor Strom approved the letter while residents were conducting their own community meetings in preparation to hear what actions Lakewood planned on taking on February 12. Resident voices are being signed in support of this federal issue, whether they approve or not, with no public explanation from their local representative. The letter itself is not available on the Metro Mayors Caucus nor Lakewood’s website. When asked for the letter, Lakewood responded that the letter and associated emails would cost $134 to provide. Fortunately, the Metro Mayors Caucus released the letter to Kim Monson, host...
Cross post from Karen Morfitt, CBS Colorado From the article… “They purchased the former motel- as they work to build a continuum of services in the area and is just a piece of the strategic plan the county has been shaping for years. “When people are left languishing on the street, they are kind of in survival mode. It’s hard to pull yourself out of that homelessness,” Ginsburg said. The location, which is close to RTD, and other services is why many already struggling to find affordable housing were paying weekly to live in the motel. Amos Apencer has a month or so before it will no longer be an option.” Read more from CBS Colorado… Read more from the original posting: Recovery Works Secures Former Motel in Lakewood
After the February 12 City Council meeting, Lakewood City Council Member Rebekah Stewart sent out a campaign email, saying “Despite extremist attempts to bully and intimidate us out of investing in this critical resource, I stood up with my colleagues for our community and our shared values.” Who are these extremists who would bully and intimidate Lakewood City Council? Does she mean the hundreds of residents who came to the meeting and the many who spoke? Is everyone who disagrees with Council decisions extreme? Which ones are not? Are all these Lakewood residents bullies? Can we assume these people are not extremists since they are included in her email: Is your voice being heard in Lakewood? Read Stewarts campaign email here for full context.
City Council Member Rich Olver was the only nay vote for the Strategic Housing Plan, which passed on February 12, 2024. He claimed it was a poisoned pill because it contained provisions that did not have public support, such as using abandoned school buildings for homeless services. Neighborhood associations came to voice their concern that stakeholders were not included. The associations were more concerned about the development strategies than the unhoused strategies. The associations’ comments show that although the plan was billed as affordable housing, there were two distinct pieces: more high-density development and plans for the homeless. Councilor Sophia Mayott-Guerrero said the Housing Plan will work “hand-in-hand” with the Navigation Center. These items are all interconnected to give Lakewood the same framework that cities like Denver use to deal with the unhoused. The message from February 12 was that a majority of Council want the plan passed; however, there was no clear consensus as to what the plan means. Councilor Sinks said it would be good to have a roadmap to follow. Others spoke of discussions still to come. Councilor Low promoted strategies for eviction protection, Additional Dwelling Unit expansion and directly funding housing. Mayor Pro Tem Shahrezaei said, “The action at this point is to adopt this framework. Nobody is agreeing tonight to all these strategies. We are agreeing that there is a need for affordable housing.” Agreeing to a need for affordable housing does not require even one page. The Strategic Housing Plan is 156 pages of...
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