LAKEWOOD INFORMER

Guest Post As told by my friend Kwok ‘Ben’ Louie who now lives in New Mexico and spends time doing Habitat for Humanity builds.  As Ben notes, their backyard in Hong Kong was a botanic garden.  FYI – Back then, they still had biodiversity of wildlife and birds in parks.  Sounds like a tough life growing up by many Americans’ standards.  But obviously a good life.  Now read on – To your question of have I ever been poor. I grew up until the age of 11 or 12 in a one room apartment, my parents, 3 sisters and me.  My parents’ quarters consisted of a bed, two dressers at the corner of the room with a partition wall and a curtain that can be drawn to close off that area.  A square table sat in the middle of the floor which acted as a table for homework for the four of us and a dining table comes meal time. There was no flushing toilet, no heat, let alone air cond.  We had a radio but no TV, washer/dryer was unheard of. Cooking was done on 2 kerosene stoves in a shared kitchen away from the room.   We walked to and from school, often in those incredible tropical downpours.  We so looked forward to our birthdays because on that day, the birthday boy or girl get to have corn flakes (such a novelty then) with real milk.  Because we didn’t have a refrigerator till later on, evaporated milk was the staple. My parents had to...

Cross post from Colorado Accountability Project The Sun article below profiles people who are living in an RV because they can’t afford a home.**  As anyone who has read enough of the Sun could probably guess, the profile plays up the struggles of people who live in RV’s and, of course, details the horrible trials they go through.  If the topic is of interest, give it a read. What I want to touch on with this post is the question of whether or not you’re owed a particular way of life in a particular place.  I would say you’re not, but the tone (and even words sometimes) of articles and people in this state make me wonder if perhaps others think you are.   Think about all the articles like the ones below that deal in how this or that could solve the housing crisis while allowing people here to live their best lives.  Often, these solutions would also require some form of government intervention or help–either with money, relaxing rules, or suchlike.  As I sometimes do, I take the questions I have, the things I wonder about, and flip them inside out or turn them around in my head to look from a new angle.   Read more… Reader Recommended Business: URILUXE Aesthetics

Guest Post from Steve Farthing Belmar Park West is the 412-unit multifamily project at 777 S Yarrow Street in Lakewood, Colorado on the east property line of Belmar Park at the Irongate office complex.  This post explains the significant loss of the tree canopy habitat at the Irongate multifamily property site next to Belmar Park. As per page 7 of the developer’s site plan, 69 large trees requiring replacement will be removed. It is not possible to replace such large trees with equally large trees.  So thousands of small trees should be planted instead. Key points: The vast majority of the existing tree canopy habitat zone at the Irongate west office complex will be lost using Lakewood’s current zoning regulations. What can Lakewood do? Lakewood City Council can fix the inadequate tree replacement formula by changing one word at 17.6.5.9(A) of the zoning ordinance to replace the caliper equivalent method with the basal area method and defining the basal area calculation.  The basal area calculation is a simple calculation based on the area of a circle (r2 x π) that would be done for each tree that is removed.  The developer has already provided the tree Diameters at Breast Height (DBH) measurements needed. Here is the Proposed Zoning Ordinance Change to 17.6.5.9(A): replaced at a rate of 100 percent of the total caliper  basal area of trees removed from the site.  Basal area is defined as follows: Basal Area is the tree radius squared times pi  or r2 x π Tree radius is tree diameter at breast...

Guest Post from Steve Farthing Belmar Park West is the 412-unit multifamily project at 777 S Yarrow Street in Lakewood, Colorado on the east property line of Belmar Park at the Irongate office complex.  This post explains the significant loss of the tree canopy habitat at the Irongate multifamily property site next to Belmar Park. As per page 7 of the developer’s site plan, 69 large trees requiring replacement will be removed. It is not possible to replace such large trees with equally large trees.  So thousands of small trees should be planted instead. Key points: The vast majority of the existing tree canopy habitat zone at the Irongate west office complex will be lost using Lakewood’s current zoning regulations. What can Lakewood do? Lakewood City Council can fix the inadequate tree replacement formula by changing one word at 17.6.5.9(A) of the zoning ordinance to replace the caliper equivalent method with the basal area method and defining the basal area calculation.  The basal area calculation is a simple calculation based on the area of a circle (r2 x π) that would be done for each tree that is removed.  The developer has already provided the tree Diameters at Breast Height (DBH) measurements needed. Here is the Proposed Zoning Ordinance Change to 17.6.5.9(A): replaced at a rate of 100 percent of the total caliper  basal area of trees removed from the site.  Basal area is defined as follows: Basal Area is the tree radius squared times pi  or r2 x π Tree radius is tree diameter at breast...

Cross post from RooneyValleyNews The Lakewood City Council voted 6 – 3 in favor of the new Developer Reimbursement Agreement. Yet, the discussion between council members and staff told a story that would give reasonable residents pause to wonder “why”. [Video inserts from meeting provided] But the Adam Paul group insisted this was just between developers and there would be no cost whatsoever to the residents of the homes built in these developer “reimbursement areas”. Read more…

Guest Post from a Resident to Save Belmar Park There are two upcoming meetings that you are invited and encouraged to please attend.  Meeting #1 – Community Organizing Meeting Hosted by Regina Hopkins and City Council Member Anita Springsteen – Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 6:30 PM at Phillips United Methodist Church, 1450 S. Pierce St, Lakewood, CO 80232 Oct 17 Meeting Description:  We are planning an in-person community planning meeting next Tues. Oct. 17 at 6:30pm at Phillips United Methodist Church at 1450 S Pierce St, Lakewood, CO 80232.   Please join us and help us plan to introduce a motion to adopt the resolution at next City Council meeting on Oct. 23. Bonus Action Item: We also need to lobby at least 3 more council members to vote yes on this motion for resolution, sponsored by Ward 3 City Council Member Anita Springsteen.  Let your city council rep know your support. Please come and we’re excited to brainstorm and keep this momentum going, trying to stop or properly mitigate this development at 777 S Yarrow St from happening! We CAN do amazing things when we come together for a common cause. Meeting #2 – Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting Monday, October 23, 2023 at 7:00 pm Council Chambers & Zoom, 480 S Allison Parkway, 80226 View Map City Council Meeting goal: As many Save Belmar Park members as possible should attend in support of a resolution to be presented by Ward 3 City Council Representative Anita Springsteen for a vote of city council.  Councilor Springsteen has submitted...