Tag: Development

Picture of traffic congestion on Union

2 + 2 = … Or doing math the developer boot-licker’s way

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on . Leave a Comment

Alex at Somebody Should Do Something posted a lengthy set of articles regarding The Bend development with specific attention to traffic and economic development.

Summary:

  • The Bend development has significant traffic impacts but the Lakewood is considering only half the impacts in order to gain project approval
  • Traffic study minimizes impacts in a pattern first noted in the Belmar Park development
  • Economic benefits cited that disagree with overall city economics, suggesting biased reporting
  • Traffic planning for emergency management situations is suffering in a pattern seen at C-470 and Indiana
  • Plans to pave the south side and render the surface impermeable are meant to decrease contamination fears but raise questions of stormwater drainage, which Lakewood inadequately manages throughout the city
  • Traffic for one half of the project is estimated to increase traffic 10%
  • Total estimated residential units are 2356, 18% higher than the rounded-down figure of 2000 units commonly quoted, with no guarantee of final numbers
  • Metro district application material misleadingly states that there are no other service providers for this area when in fact, there are service providers for everything needed. There are not service providers to fund for development, which is not a purpose of any government.

Highlights from Alex at Somebody Should Do Something

Part 1

“Environmental injury is often the very definition of irreparable harm — often permanent or at least of long duration,” Arguello wrote.

In the latest installment of the “how can a self-proclaimed progressive city council enrich a developer to the detriment of the environment and the community’s well-being”, City of Lakewood is allowing a developer to push forward with a development which will significantly increase traffic on a major thoroughfare, further strain our environment, potentially expose the future residents to toxic hazards AND, again, bring no meaningful economic development to the city.

Royal Lakewood Land Partners has made a submission for a development called “The Bend”, situated on the NW corner of the Federal Center, close to the intersection of the 4th Avenue and Union Boulevard, and, just a hop and a skip away from the off and the on-ramp from the 6th Avenue.

To add the insult to the many more injuries to come, as shown in the 2007 Master Plan, the site was originally slated for Office Development – a perfect potential use, considering the proximity of the LightRail tracks and the dire need for this city to stoke actual economic development.

As usually is the case, the math does not add up. The developer is using the tactic of “here is a traffic study… but it’s only for a part of the development, but we won’t even tell you how many poor souls we want to stuff in to these chicken coops. Then they talk about how this will “hardly” affect traffic, etc.

By the time the locals realize just how badly it will have screwed them, the city council and the bureaucrats, who had enabled this environmental and economic disaster, will have moved on to something else, such as being a State Representative, where they continue to shill for the developer profit (ahem, Rebecca Stewart).

So, lets see if 2 + 2 equals 4, or, maybe, 17, or maybe a dumpster fire for decades to come. Who knows. The math is very political-contribution-size-dependent these days.

Lets look at some of the documents in the submission provided by the developer.

01 – The Bend Minor Subdivision Plat – Traffic Study_2024-10-10

There are only details show for the Southern part of the plat – what about the Northern part of the plat? This is where the math gets hazy, quick. A tactic of piece-mealing the development plans is frequently used (just as is the case with the development near Belmar) to, lets say, omit, the actual impact of the additional car-travel-per-day numbers on the area surrounding the development. Not only will this adversely impact the surrounding area, but also add to the already high total of vehicles having to travel out of Lakewood, since Lakewood has failed to attract localized, high-tech, well-paying employment.

Read the rest about environmental and drainage problems at Somebody Should Do Something

Part 2

Lakewood (and Colorado at large) are not exactly known for keeping up with building up infrastructure needed to support the additional thousands of people they keep stuffing here. Nor are they known for making the developers pay their fair share for the traffic created, parks overloaded, or the schools needed. However, Lakewood is well known for enabling Metro Districts and the potential resident abuse that comes with them.

Of course, there will be a Metro District. Following are some of the snippets from the Metro-District-related documents submitted by the developer for The Bend

“The population of the District at build-out is estimated to be approximately 3,350 people, based on a projected number of 2,000 multifamily units and 100,000 square feet of commercial, and a population estimate of 1.5 persons per multifamily unit and 3.5 employees per square foot of commercial property.”

So, HOW MANY UNITS WILL THERE BE? And just as was the case with the Red Rocks Ranch, the development might potentially work out as a net negative to the county and the city?

The Bend @ Lakewood MD Service Plan Application Memorandum 4875-7617-6597 4 .DOCX

“The existing service in the area to be served by the proposed project is inadequate for present and projected needs. There is currently no other jurisdiction or entity, including the City, that considers it feasible or practical to provide the Development with the water, sanitation, street, storm sewer, or other improvements and services described in the Service Plan necessary to serve the anticipated Development. Current services are inadequate, and it is necessary for the District to be organized to provide such Public Improvements and services for the benefit of its future inhabitants.”

In fact, there IS sanitation service and fire service and storm-water service. These are all covered by existing city and special districts in which the property is located. However, there is no taxpayer funding for development, and that is what the metro district will provide.

And of course, any service provided would have to follow the rules in place, rather than creating their own rules, right? For example – lets look at the Rules and Regulations of one of the nearest Water and Sanitation Districts, Green Mountain Water and Sanitation.

Read the rest of Part 2 at Somebody Should Do Something

picture of unfinished development at 1221-1225 Wadsworth

1221 Wadsworth Update

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on . Leave a Comment

Update from Council Member Isabel Cruz to Lenore Herskovitz

The construction at 1221 – 1225 Wadsworth remains an eyesore that residents constantly question. Councilor Isabel Cruz was kind enough to provide a detailed update to resident Lenore Herskovitz, rather than just referring her to the city website, which has not been updated since October 2024.

Update:

The new contractor has submitted their forensic report to the City Building Department for review. Three building inspectors completed an initial inspection of the project this week. Based on the reports provided to the City and the information observed during the inspection the building is in better condition than was expected. However, major parts of the fire sprinkler system must be removed and reinstalled, all of the doors and the windows must be removed and replaced, and the wrapping on the exterior of the building must be removed and replaced. The new contractor has agreed to submit and follow a construction waste and demolition plan (not required at the time of the initial approval) which needs to be submitted and approved. In addition, the new contractor still needs to submit new collateral prior to full start up. The contractor is already active in the building but the general public will not notice a significant change in construction activity for 30 to 60 days. I expect a meeting with the contractorn next week to discuss Wadsworth lane closures needed to begin working on the east side of the building. I believe that site security is still being maintained. The contractor has also indicated to me that they may not be able to use the parking area on the school property directly across 12th Ave, in which case they are trying to secure other options. On a side note I requested that the contractor install a sign or banner visible on Wadsworth to signal work has resumed. They have indicated that they are willing to do that as full scale work resumes.

Sincerely,

Isabel Cruz

screenshot of city website on 1221 Wadsworth status

No Workforce Housing for Lakewood

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on . 1 Comment

Another Lakewood misinformation campaign bites the dust.

For years Lakewood has been pushing high-density growth in the name of “affordable housing”. They market this narrative to schoolteachers and civil servants. See Lakewood’s recent resolution using these exact words. However, a development presentation to the Lakewood Planning Commission introduced a new term that exposes the lie: Workforce housing

Workforce Housing

The consultant Lakewood hired to evaluate blight and Lakewood’s Comprehensive Plan pointed out that there was NO PLAN for increasing workforce housing in Lakewood.

The emphasis on “affordable housing”, despite what Lakewood says, is different from workforce housing. No matter how poorly teachers and civil servants get paid, they get paid more than anyone living on the streets.

Affordable housing in Lakewood will mean a government-run program, similar to what used to be called Section 8. That is not the same as an answer to inflated housing prices for low- to median-income levels.

Think about government-run affordable housing like a scholarship system for school. A person may need the financial assistance, and may not be able to go to college without it, but there are others who need it more and not enough to go around.

For decades, the people most in need are those with extremely low income. Not low. Not middle-low. Not teachers and civil servants. Extremely low income.

6.8 million more affordable housing units needed for extremely low income housing families
From the National Low Income Housing Coalition

Ann Ricker, of Ricker Cunningham, is Lakewood’s blight consultant. She pointed out there was a gap in the Comprehensive Plan. She said the plan talked about affordable housing, and it talked about single-family housing, but she said there was the missing middle. She suggested removing “single-family” and just using the term “housing”.

Using the general term “housing” would allow more high-density, market rate apartments to be built in an effort to flood the market and lower prices. Lakewood is already proceeding with this plan. There is no guarantee the low-priced condos or townhomes will be built anywhere.

The term “workforce housing” is a more accurate description of how the public perceives the promises from Lakewood. This was an important acknowledgment that “workforce housing” is different than “affordable housing”. The public should be aware of the word games going on, similar to “illegal alien” versus “migrant”.

Watch Ann Ricker discuss the Comprehensive Plan here:

From Frank Lehnerz, Free State Colorado

“If the government tries to wage war against the laws of the market by price control, it undermines the working of the market mechanism and leads to conditions which, from the point of view of the government itself, are less desirable than the previous state of affairs it intended to alter.”

— Ludwig Von Mises, Human Action (1949)

History has repeatedly shown that price controls—whether on food, housing, or other essentials—create virtually no consumer benefits and only price distortions. By capping what producers or retailers can charge, these controls reduce supply, reduce product or service quality, discourage investment for new, improved, or cheaper products and services, and create market signal distortions.

Whippoorwill Withdrawn

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

From Jonna Helm, as of November (apologies for the delayed posting)

After 18-months of the community sharing concerns surrounding the site suitability and safety issues with the entrance and exit through Youngfield St for the proposed development on Whippoorwill Dr (Williams Pointe apartments), the developer has officially withdrawn their major site plan application and canceled their building permit application with the City of Lakewood.  

Over the course of the last year, the development underwent six separate major site plan reviews with the City of Lakewood’s Planning Department. At the time that the developer withdrew the major site plan application, the site plans still had challenges that had not been rectified, and the plans were not approved. 

During the last snowstorm, we shared with the developer’s board members and city staff, yet again, multiple incidences of vehicles unable to make it up W. 15th Place, which is the location that the developer chose for the sole entrance and exit for the apartments.     

As one resident wrote to the developer’s board members in response to our email: “

Thank you so much for sharing these events which highlight the issues we’re facing in what’s only the beginning of our winter season. It’s blatant negligence at this point for the city to ignore our concerns and move forward with W 15th Pl as the ingress/egress for the Williams Point project and I truly hope they make an impact, before it’s too late”.

The following day, we received multiple emails from the developer. The first email in response to sharing the videos: “Thanks you for sending this information. I believe you should continue to work with the city on the lack of safe streets in your neighborhood”. Followed by another email: “I’m writing to inform you that we will not be completing our financing of Williams Pointe this year. We will continue to work on temporary and permanent uses of the property”.

At this time, we are unsure what the developer is planning for the site but we can only hope that between the cost and complexity of developing this small, steep hillside and the headwinds and challenges that had not been able to be rectified through six separate review processes, that the land will be kept as open space or used to expand the adjacent Blue Star Memorial Park, which is currently a small road-side park along W. Colfax Ave, that is dedicated to our armed forces. 

Blue Star Memorial Park – City of Lakewood

At any rate, we thank the community and everyone who has taken the time to share and bring these concerns to the attention of our city and developer.  

Will Lakewood approve illegal subdivision at 777 S Yarrow St

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

From SaveBelmarPark.com

The developer of the ‘Properties’ (as we now know they are referred to by their attorneys) at 777 S Yarrow and 777 S Wadsworth has proposed a subdivision re-plat of the 777 S Yarrow location described as a lot line adjustment.

However, it does not qualify under Article 16-5-2 of the subdivision code as only a lot line adjustment because several additional changes are included to vacate, add, and modify various easements, an additional tract A is created and it conflicts with the laws requiring subdivision plats to have utility easements delineated and approved.

The link above brings up the drawings of the re-plat and if you care to scroll down to page 4, you will notice there is a prominent 30-foot wide easement provided for the Bancroft Water District.  

However, there is no provision for electrical service or natural gas!  Yet Colorado statute requires that:

(3) Subdivision regulations adopted under provisions of this section shall require that a subdivider, as defined in section 30-28-101 (9), C.R.S., submit to the commission evidence that provision has been made for facility sites, easements, and rights of access for electrical and natural gas utility service sufficient to ensure reliable and adequate electric or, if applicable, natural gas service for any proposed subdivision. Submission of a letter of agreement between the subdivider and utility serving the site shall be deemed sufficient to establish that adequate provision for electric or, if applicable, natural gas service to a proposed subdivision has been made.

Lakewood’s own subdivision code states: “Utility easements shall be delineated as required.” 16-3-6

“All subdivisions must comply with the serving utility entities’ requirements, and receive service availability confirmation from the serving utility entities.” 16-3-7

Providing for these easements is required by state and local law.

It is surprising that these critical easements are missing since Xcel Energy previously reviewed the documents over two years ago and informed Lakewood Planning that a typical 10-foot wide dry electrical easement for electrical service ‘does not seem feasible’.

Read more here…

Further details include how Lakewood City Council claim to be mere “administrative officers” rather than legislators.

Public Support Requested for Whippoorwill Development

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

From Jonna Helm

We will be at the City Council Meeting tomorrow (10/14/24) at 7pm and need your support and strength in numbers! There will be an opportunity to provide public comment for anyone interested. Address: 480 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood 

Public Comment and to attend online: Lakewood Speaks – Item 1 – Call to Order

The City of Lakewood’s Housing Authority, dba Metro West Housing Solutions (“developer”), has submitted their 5th revision to the major site plans for the development at 1515 Whippoorwill (Williams Pointe Apartments) and the City has provided their redlines back on the revised site plans. Despite multiple City of Lakewood Planning Commissioners concerns on the lack of connectivity for this development and the Vice Chair of the Planning Commission’s plea to the developer and the City of Lakewood’s Planning and Engineering Departments to revise the major site plans for the safety of the intersection and the driveway redesign during the subdivision appeal, the developer did NOT submit any changes in their 5th revision of the Major Site Plans that would improve the safety or connectivity for this development and the surrounding community.  

City of Lakewood Planning Commission Commentary regarding Williams Pointe 8-21-24

The City Planning Department has provided their redlines on this 5th version of the major site plans and is NOT requiring the developer to address any of these safety or connectivity issues. Major Site Plans do not have to go before the Planning Commission and are approved by the Director of Planning. Please ask City Council to recommend that the plans be turned over to the Planning Commission for review given the amount of public concern surrounding safety and connectivity. A formal request will be submitted to the City Attorney by Monday. 

Major concerns still exist surrounding the development at 1515 Whippoorwill that Metro West Housing Solutions and the City are not addressing: 

  • The safety/grade of the intersection of W. 15th Place & Youngfield St, which has had numerous serious accidents and vehicles already have challenges getting up W. 15th Pl in the winter. Access for the development through this intersection will compound an already existing issue by adding 300 more car trips per day through this intersection and the proposed “city improvements” is to “narrow W. 15th Place” to make it a more perpendicular designed intersection. This will route all vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles through the steepest section of W. 15th Pl, with no sidewalks and does not address the steep grade of W. 15th Place. This video is one car- what happens with 300 cars? City’s solution: when cars are stuck, call the police. 

Car unable to get up W. 15th Place in Winter

  • No Connectivity/no sidewalks for residents to be able to safely get to/from public transportation, school bus stops, and/or employment. The development will have 7 ADA accessible apartments and the target demographic for the apartments are families. The lack of connectivity poses a significant safety risk for everyone, but especially those with ADA accessibility needs and/or families with young children. City of Lakewood did not require an ADA referral and this makes Williams Pointe 100% car dependent for those with ADA needs. Not acceptable.      
  • The safety of accessing our driveway as the developer with the help of the City is proposing to redesign the steep, north facing driveway and put a turn in the middle of it to accommodate the expansion of the dirt road next to our house as the only access point to the development

Please join us tomorrow and voice your concerns and /or show up to show support! 

We will also be attending the Planning Commission Meeting on Wednesday in which Metro West Housing is requesting to rezone a Single-Family Residential lot to Multi-Family Residential. This is along Alameda and adjacent to 2 additional apartment complexes. Unlike 1515 Whippoorwill, this seems to be a much more logical location for apartments given that it is adjacent to public transportation routes, employment opportunities and would be between two apartment complexes. 

Hope to see you tomorrow and/or on Wednesday! 

Thanks, 

Jonna

Concerns and Comments for Whippoorwill Dr

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

Guest Submission from Toni Riggio, sent to City of Lakewood Planning, Engineering, Traffic  and Ward 1 members 

This letter is in response to the Subdivision Notification Letter received by mail by the City of Lakewood on 5/3/24. There is a multi-family development that is proposed at 1515 Whippoorwill Dr (Ward 1) with the Ingress/Egress  at Youngfield St, 15h Pl and Youngfield Dr and I am writing in opposition to that access point based on the following reasons:

Concerns and Comments for Case# FI23-0016 and S23-0025/1515 Whippoorwill Dr

Proposed Ingress/Egress  is where 3 streets come together

1-      Youngfield Street:  is an increasingly busy corridor. Traveling South requires a full stop at the blind curve to see oncoming traffic before turning onto 15th Pl. Traveling North has low visibility as you turn right onto 15th Pl.

2-      15th Place: Per Aldridge Transportation Consultants recent memo in etrakit,   is “a steep 10%  grade” uphill as you turn in. This street is a no outlet/ not a thru street that serves 13 homes.

3-      Youngfield Drive:  is currently a narrow dirt road, not a through street with limited width to expand to the required 36’ for Mixed Use zoning. Lakewood has made an exception for 28’ which makes the entirety of the Road a fire lane per Metro West Fire Dept.

The neighbors have proposed the Ingress/Egress to be at Colfax Ave for a myriad of safety issues and concerns which are highlighted in this document. The ongoing meetings the neighbors and Applewood Valley Assoc have had with both the developer and the City of Lakewood to have access at Colfax Ave have yielded little results to date. This plot of land was originally zoned Residential (R-1A) and in 2012 rezoned to Mixed Use Suburban, because it backs Colfax Ave. We were given a few reasons why the entrance and exit can’t be on W. Colfax; however, the 2014 plans from the City of Lakewood mandated the access to the site to be at W. Colfax Ave, for the same developer and site.  In 2023 the City of Lakewood allowed a Multi-family Residential unit to have access from W. Colfax. This site is across the street from this proposed Williams Point site. Further, based on the CDOT referral, it appears that CDOT is not opposed to the development to be accessed through W. Colfax Avenue as they note in their referral “No access is being proposed on Colfax. If access to Colfax is proposed in the future, the City of Lakewood is the Issuing Authority, so the discussion for access will need to begin with Lakewood.”

This 1.6-acre plot has challenging topography, is crammed with utilities; electric, gas, water, sewer and communications. It has been owned by the current Developer for over 20 yrs. It wasn’t until they received a 9% tax credit from CHFA that they were able to get green lit for max density housing. The CHFA funding was approved based on half-truths of being adjacent to a bus stop and community outreach and acceptance, both which were requirements. None of the immediate 13 homeowners to the proposed project were ever notified prior to this grant. Also, the bus stop, while adjacent to the property, has no direct access from the development without walking/biking .8 miles  down a 10% grade on W. 15th Pl, without sidewalks or street lights, out to Youngfield St up to W Colfax Ave which has high traffic, steep grades and no sidewalk, creating safety, ADA concerns and other complexities. Further, employment opportunities, schools and parks are between 1 to 1.5 miles away There is a proposed retaining wall and infrastructure to hold up Colfax Ave which will prevent direct access to and from the public transportation from the proposed development site. (Note: Per CHFA requirements the access to public transportation needs to be within a half mile.)

A traffic study  by Aldridge Transportation Consultants, estimates a daily 300+ car trips entering and exiting. The proposed project will have (44) 1- 3-bedroom units with 70 parking spaces. This will result in overflow parking on the fire lane and existing neighborhood, where little enforcement will be available or take even place. The Aldridge traffic study does not take into account the addition of Lutheran Hospital employing 2200 people and many other high-density housing going in nearby. Also, traffic is re-routed to Youngfield St whenever there is an accident on the parallel I-70 highway. This creates bumper to bumper traffic on Youngfield St. each time. The most recent memo from Aldridge fails to address traffic approaching 15th Pl travelling South on Youngfield St and turning left onto 15th Pl.

We are extremely concerned about emergency access back to our neighborhood, as we have had two fires within 10yrs. We are in a special high wind district, which was recently cited by Metro West Fire Dept to be the leading cause of dry brush fires, that is no longer seasonal, but year round.

The existing neighborhood was built in the 50’s. The 2 roads 15th Pl a cul-de-sac and Whippoorwill Dr. a dead end. In most sections, the widths are 21-22’ no curb and gutter and drainage ditches on both sides and each with roadside mail delivery and trash pickup.  This is where overflow parking will occur but is not adequate to receive the additional cars and would make it very difficult for emergency or fire crews to reach the existing neighborhood.

The neighbors in this area have witnessed pedestrians falling in the street while walking out of Youndfield Dr onto 15th Pl steep grade next to Youngfield St  in winter conditions. There have been a multitude of cars  getting stuck and/or sliding down 15th Pl to Youngfield St with snow and ice conditions. This has also included delivery/mail trucks, City of Lakewood snow plows getting stuck in the ditches at the intersection of 15th Pl and Youngfield St When approaching entrance to 15th Pl in the snow, you need momentum and speed to get up the 10% grade requiring 4-wheel drive vehicles to be successful. While having this grade may not be uncommon in our mountainous State, this is a contentious intersection with the convergence of these three streets. 2 with steep grades, 1 an increasingly busy street with questionable visibility in both directions.

We have documented the above stated events with videos and photos over the recent 2 years, some but not all are attached here, which have been shared and or provided to City Planning/ Engineers/Commission, City Council members, Developer, AVA, and many residents. I would add that as a resident of this neighborhood for 30 years, I have witnessed these occurrences many times over each and every year, including a head-on-collision at the Youngfield St curve a decade ago.  These incidents and accidents will only rise with the addition of this Subdivision development.

Reference Lakewood Title  16.3.1, 16.3.2 Subdivision Standards, 16.3.8 1-4  Street and transportation patterns and connectivity and 16.3.9, this Subdivision does not meet the City’s own Ordinances unless many exceptions, variances or different interpretations are made.

While this only represents a partial detail of concerns, my hope is you will strongly consider these life, safety and ADA issues and concerns brought forth in regards to the Access point for this Subdivision Plat going forward and require the Ingress/Egress to be at Colfax Ave.

Safety First!

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Toni Riggio

Applewood Heights Resident

Photos and Videos below to account for the issues brought to your attention regarding the Subdivision Plat Case # FI23-0016/ D23-0025

15th place demonstrating our narrow roads are not equipped to handle overflow parking and  hampering the ability of emergency and other vehicles to access our neighborhood. 
West Metro Fire Dept responding to a Fire on Whippoorwill Dr. 2yrs ago. Thankfully no cars parked on either side of the street.
raffic jam on Youngfield St. and 15th Pl intersection, when traffic is rerouted due to accidents on I-70. A common occurrence. 
City of Lakewood Snow plow stuck at intersection of Youngfield Dr. and 15th Pl.

Links to vehicles without 4WD trying and failing to get up the 15th Pl steep grade in the snow.  (Copy and paste link to view)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4ZWqmWaFHNKVU4vd6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HZnAeWUTkq8UXv4z7

Link to Prime driver unable to come up the 15th Pl grade, parked at the blind curve to deliver packages, forcing cars to go around into oncoming traffic.https://photos.app.goo.gl/o2TRfw9B8UYMkMWm6

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