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 4^th Avenue and Union Boulevard, and, just a hop and a skip away from the off and the on-ramp from the 6^th 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