Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Referendum Petition to Repeal Zoning Approved
Lakewood residents have a city-approved petition for a referendum to repeal the FIRST zoning code change. This news offers hope to the increasing number of residents who have raised their voices against the zoning changes the city has made.
Lakewood residents have officially taken the first step toward repealing recent city-approved zoning code changes. A petition for referendum has cleared the city’s approval process, giving residents the right to gather signatures. People sign the petition to show they agree with repealing the zoning changes. If repealed, current zoning remains active.
To succeed, petitioners must collect at least 3,517 valid signatures by October 30, 2025. Organizers say they are aiming for 5,000 to 6,000 signatures, knowing that the city frequently rejects a portion of those submitted. If successful, Council can either repeal the zoning themselves or refer the measure to a ballot vote.
Why Residents Are Pushing Back
Though referendum organizers have not publicly stated their reasons, opposition to the city’s zoning overhaul has been building for months. Residents have pointed to several issues, including:
- Misinformation from Lakewood
- Lakewood leaders admitting the zoning changes will not produce affordable housing (See the Mayor’s and Councilor Mayott-Guerrero’s own words)
- New development has led to a housing glut but not affordability
- City claims that zoning changes are necessary to qualify for state housing subsidies
- No provisions in the new code to encourage home ownership
- Added building costs that make new housing more expensive, not less
- Residents left unaware of the full scope of changes despite city council claims otherwise
- Infrastructure like roads, electrical and water, cannot handle sudden densification
- Spot zoning changes like those making Emory Elementary possible for the Action Center use
- Many more problems have been documented in Lakewood Informer news
The Referendum Process
Colorado state law allows residents to repeal legislative acts. The referendum process is a right protected under Colorado’s Constitution (Article V, Section 1) and defined in state law (C.R.S. 31-11-101).
However, a resident petition is an extreme measure because the process is unknown and intimidating. Lakewood has a brief “guide” but residents faced new demands compared to previous efforts. For example, previous referendum attempts did not require city clerk approval. Requiring approval now added weeks to the process but will hopefully guarantee the city will not find reason to invalidate all the work later on.
Residents persevered through all the procedural changes Council made. Even the first vote on August 25 could not be fully anticipated because city council had talked of third readings or a final vote to pass all changes at the same time. Then Lakewood did not publish the full ordinance correctly for weeks afterward. Residents needed to pay attention to every detail.
If the petition meets signature requirements, 3,517 valid signatures by October 30, the City Council must either repeal the zoning ordinance themselves or put the matter before voters in a special election.
Growing Public Awareness
Public frustration is spreading. Local conversations on Nextdoor show skepticism that council members are listening to their constituents. This post by Cheryl Ramirez highlights the belief that Council has already made up their mind without listening to constituents.
In reply to this post, one comment was, “Their minds are always made up. They don’t care about us.” Another commenter said, “there’s two kinds of folks. Those opposed and those who are unaware.”
The press has also taken notice. Denver7, 9News, FOX31 have all covered the issue, and The Denver Gazette has published multiple stories. In one story, officials attempted to claim that “Lakewood never really had single-family zoning”—a statement easily disproved by the city’s own code, which references “single-family” dozens of times.
What’s Next
Each section of the zoning changes will require its own petition. That means residents may be asked to sign as many as FOUR separate referendums if future petitions are also approved. The first, now underway, is the test case. Sections 2 and 3 are already facing problems in the City Clerks office.
An issue committee is forming to handle campaign donations and costs, though it awaits final city approval through a new campaign finance tool.
For now, signature gathering is in full swing. Nextdoor users can direct message Mary Janssen to find a way to sign the petition.
As momentum builds, Lakewood residents will soon determine whether the city’s zoning overhaul stands—or is overturned by the will of the people.