Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Gabrielle Van Allen won an award from ARTEFFECT in 2018, while attending Green Mountain High School. Now her artwork has once again been chosen for a new display at Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington D.C. - a Best New Museum by USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
On September 8, 2025, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled against Lakewood in an important court case against Metro PCS. As a result, Lakewood now owes around $42 million in tax refunds to Metro PCS and other cell phone carriers. That was big news, but what happened after the court decision is just as important. Lakewood withheld the financial ramifications of the Metro PCS court decision during crucial budget planning. Although Lakewood didn’t know the total amount involved, the staff was aware that they would have to refund millions of dollars to the cell phone companies. Yet there was no public presentation of possible impacts during the crucial September and October budgeting months. Instead, Lakewood spent millions on controversial projects as soon as they could. Millions that could have gone toward the mandated refund.
Lakewood City Council unanimously decided to put the zoning code up for a vote on a special election on April 7, 2026. Both pro-zoning and anti-zoning advocates requested the special election. Both sides believe they have the support of the people. The decision to put the zoning code on the ballot was not about the zoning code. The issue was whether City Council would listen to the people. City Council rushed to approve a new zoning code without a public discussion of the underlying densification decision. The actual changes were a different discussion than the broader Comprehensive Plan or “affordable housing” discussion. Once people started to understand zoning densification impacts, there was a rising number of complaints. City Council Members discounted these voices as a “small minority.”
A close look at data from Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) shows the top causes of crashes on Lakewood roads: Careless driving Failed to yield Followed to closely Failed to stop at signal Lane violation
Lakewood officials often describe the negative impacts of their policies as unintended consequences. But recent examples show something far more troubling: the deliberate use of government processes to build support for residents and businesses to accept favored policy outcomes.
From Save Belmar Park, Inc and People Before Profits On Monday January 26, Lakewood City Council will again vote on a controversial new zoning scheme enacted by a council majority that was led by dark-money, developer-funded Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. This vote—triggered by four historic citizen referendum petitions—will determine whether the Council repeals its radical zoning rewrite or sends it to Lakewood voters for a citywide vote.
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