Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Residents Concerned About Rec Center Consolidation
Residents are discovering the truth behind years of planning to consolidate Lakewood’s recreation centers. Despite denials from City Council, the documents speak for themselves. Recent discussions on nextdoor.com show that most residents are unhappy with the idea of closing down any rec centers.
Lakewood resident Steve F points out that the plan included automatic steps forward on rec center consolidation but officials now claim those plans are not being carried out. He writes, “They are REQUIRED by what they voted on to move forward.” He goes on to quote from the document: “NEXT STEPS: Upon approval, the goals and recommendations of the plan will be pursued by delegating each plan action to a staff representative along with a timeline for completion.” Assuming there is no one working on the consolidation, as staff and Council Members claim, Steve asks, is there even a functioning city government in Lakewood?”
Council Member Mayott-Guerrero commented, “The original exploration, of course, included many types of strategies, but basically, people hated that idea.”
Unfortunately for Mayott-Guerrero, given the documented proof from 2023 and 2025, residents showed a distinct lack of trust in Lakewood. This lack of trust stemmed from long-term plans held without resident input like the Action Center and the Belmar development before that. As resident Regina H wrote on nextdoor:
As Steve F and Mayott-Guerrero point out, Lakewood may have changed course and decided behind the scenes to abandon a strategy that was formally voted on and approved. That doesn’t give residents like Regina H a lot of cause to trust Lakewood when they say there is nothing to worry about.
Main points and quotes from Nextdoor discussions:
- “Since the City/the recreation centers are NOT For-Profit businesses, closing a neighborhood rec center that provides needed services to the community because it doesn’t make money, is illogical.”
- Concern the rec center land will be used for housing
- Lakewood is STILL DENYING published and approved information
- “If the city is willing to take away rec centers due to cost overruns, they should also be willing to exercise more financial discipline in the other areas” such as “the unhoused and thrown away in the Emory deal.”
- “Killing off more critically low open space for one massive “destination” facility isn’t progress”
- “The bigger question isn’t whether we can afford to keep them, it’s whether our council even cares enough about open space and neighborhood character to try.”
- “There’s nothing walkable about shutting down neighborhood rec centers and forcing people to drive across town to one massive “destination” complex.”
- “Addenbrook Park the land was owned and donated by Tommy Addenbrook when he passed away with the condition that it always remains a park.”
- “I like the idea of having one [rec center] very close to my home”
- “How can we believe the elected leaders in Lakewood when they can’t keep their stories straight?”
- “”Community surveys” [as source of supportive evidence] are weak and insufficient”
- Residents like Addenbrooke as it is, especially considering current high traffic levels on Kipling
- “when this gets discussed more the magic term that will thrown around is “sustainability goals”. Meaning reducing maintenance and operating costs, claiming a centralized single location near a transit way ensures accessibility, and of course older buildings not meeting environmental standards needed to reach carbon neutrality. But on the brightside I’m also guessing the reduced cost won’t mean less taxes for the Lakewood residents.”
- “Having multiple smaller rec centers provides the ability to “schedule out” maintenance costs which provides flexibility. Having a single consolidated center removes such an option.”
- “Their main goal to make their money is just pour concrete and asphalt all over everything.”