Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

election

West Metro Fire Election

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in ElectionsTagged , , , , , , 1 Comment on West Metro Fire Election

May is election time for West Metro Fire Rescue but most of the 300,000 people it serves will never know that because it is off season and doesn’t involve big money campaigns. West Metro also does not provide mail-in ballots to increase voter turnout, a decision made by the Board of Directors. Instead, residents must walk in to vote for two things on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. On May 6 voters across West Metro are being asked to increase Directors’ term limits from 8 to 12 years. Term limits are the only ballot question and are self-explanatory. Electors also have the opportunity to vote for ONE candidate in Director District Five. The rest of the board positions do not have enough candidates to have a competitive election. The election is “at large” so anyone can vote for a District 5 candidate. They are: Willmott can be described as a fire suppression enthusiast with an easy ability to “nerd out” over the topic. He has a long history in the industry and he hopes to bring that experience to the West Metro Board. Current West Metro Board Members do not possess field experience and Wilmott would like to see that change with this election. Willmott can be seen directly answering fire questions in the podcast “Fire Break”. Wolfrum is an incumbent who has experience serving on the West Metro Board. She has also served on the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority (LRA). Wolfrum has not responded to requests for comment at the time of this post, but she has supported all leadership decisions during her tenure, which gives an idea of her position. (sidenote: residents may be familiar with the LRA through an April 28 vote to recommend The Bend development for city funding through blight.) There are a few differences of opinion between the candidates. For example, the current West Metro leadership is very concerned about EV batteries and renewable energy, more from a climate change perspective than from a fighting fire perspective. There has been talk of getting an EV firetruck when they become more feasible. Wolfrum has been generally supportive of those initiatives. In contrast, when Jay Willmott was asked about EV and renewables, he immediately discussed the difficulties in putting out the fires started by the technology. He also believes firefighters need to update their techniques and methods. This includes the ability to make an initial assessment of whether, for example, the fire might have started by traditional means (cooking, paper, etc.) or through chemical means, such as failing computer batteries. This determination is necessary to successfully extinguish each type of fire. Sustainability to Willmott meant increasing the budget to use more efficient fire suppression methods, rather than just dumping tons of water where it may not be most effective. The current West Metro leadership has been advocating for allowing homeless encampments to have unsanctioned fires because it’s their only source of warmth in the winter. Jay Willmott was reluctant to take on enforcement activities but argued strenuously that the homeless deserved the same fire protection as everyone else, which meant safe fire protocols and prevention. The question of increasing term limits had Wolfrum’s support to put on the ballot. Jay Willmott supports term limits for all positions of government and supports the current 8-year term vs the proposed more lenient 12-year term. View the official election notice here. Available polling places are:

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LAKEWOOD SUED by developer of Belmar Park

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , ,

From Save Open Space – Lakewood List of related news articles continuously updated Kairoi Properties L.L.C., developer of a planned 412-unit luxury apartment building at Belmar Park, sues Lakewood for enacting an environmentally friendly green initiative  The citywide citizen sponsored initiative requires all developments to dedicate green space in lieu of its 13-year tradition of adding to the City’s coffers If Kairoi loses the lawsuit, monstrous buildings planned at Belmar Park and at Quail and Colfax will need to be drastically reduced in size  Lakewood, December 26, 2024—This week we present the latest episode of the 13 year-long soap opera, “Lakewood’s Big Lie,” which depicts the dramatic twists and turns of a city that prioritizes large scale developments over nature and its own residents. During those years, Lakewood has given developments carte blanche to ignore as many of its codes as they desire, including tree canopy, climate change goals, seamless architecture in a neighborhood, and affordable housing. On Monday, December 23, it became public that Kairoi Properties LLC had sued the city over the Green Initiative that its city council had passed but doesn’t really want. An explanation of the bizarre turn of events including the political motives behind this unnecessary legal action, is best summed up in the following excerpts from resident Steve Farthing’s email to the savebelmarpark.com group: “Most city council reps took the position [at the November 4 City Council meeting] that the ordinance, as written, would be ruled illegal if a legal challenge were raised in front of a judge. “They actually discussed that adopting the ordinance and then inviting the city to be sued would be a prudent course of action!  This was after one of their members even advised they could simply adopt and repeal the problematic ordinance.  That comment fell on deaf ears. “Is it any wonder our valuable parks and habitats are managed by ignoring science such as the science regarding wildlife buffer zones?  By gosh and by golly, if our council members don’t grasp that they are legislators, we are in trouble.  And so are our parks and natural areas. “Litigation should be the last resort after best efforts are made at an effective and legal legislative solution or at least a reasoned decision to repeal. “And don’t forget how much some councilors talked about not allowing the Lakewood voters to weigh in on this ordinance due to the cost of a mail ballot election but they are perfectly OK with the cost of litigation which could be more than an election. “In reality, the concern about letting voters vote could be that the open space issue in Lakewood would get much more attention once you mail a ballot out to every single voter in the city.   “If you are trying to get re-elected, you might not want too much attention paid by voters to the open space issue.  When you combine that with the Belmar Park fiasco, it could be political Kryptonite on election day.  Or maybe Mentos and cola.  You pick. But a mail ballot open space-related election could be a ‘no-no’ to some councilors seeking re-election later in the year.” Farthing’s comments are supported by the facts that (1) the City rushed the signature counting process and (2) scheduled the special meeting on November 4, the day before elections, and (3) filed a lawsuit after hours on Friday, December 20.  Both dates were likely chosen to avoid media scrutiny.   The lawsuit was submitted so it wouldn’t become public until Monday, December 23, two days before Christmas. Lakewood’s Big Lie became apparent to many in the spring of 2023 when residents learned that for more than two years the City had secretly planned to approve Kairoi Residential’s massive luxury apartment building that would tower over much beloved Belmar Park. The five and six story building would have more than 80 units per floor, a two football field footprint, and require the removal of 65 mature trees.  It would extend its boundaries right up to the existing park sidewalk. No environmental study was performed in a park known to be uniquely rich with 240 bird species and treasured for its tranquility. Hundreds of residents pleaded with the City Council for months to do something about how devastating the monstrous building would be for them, wildlife and birds. Council responded by feigning support, falsely claiming they were powerless to act, and later saying but never demonstrating that they had been working on the issue for months. Kairoi Residential, a billion dollar developer based in San Antonio, Texas, and with an office in Denver, has another project in the works in Lakewood consisting of 850 luxury units that would replace a King Soopers grocery store and create a food desert at Quail Street and West Colfax Avenue.   Cathy Kentner, a Jeffco school teacher and community activist, who spear-headed Save Open Space – Lakewood (SOS – Lakewood) and the petition, opined, “When elected officials fail to respond to the public’s wishes, the people have no other avenue than to exercise our constitutional right to direct democracy and the ballot box.” SOS – Lakewood was formed to petition the city council to eliminate the practice of accepting a fee instead of following Lakewood’s land dedication requirements. The initiative petition, through an historic all-volunteer effort, garnered 6,492 valid signatures — far more than the required 5,862 — to force City Council to either enact the legislation or send it to the voters. It should be noted that the volunteer signature gatherers began their work months before the State Legislature added wording to HB24-1313 requiring a “fee-in-lieu” option. Lakewood’s city officials were well aware early on of the specifics of the people’s initiative.  At no time did they attempt to collaborate with community advocates to develop a compromise for an ordinance that would address the concerns of all parties. Instead, they waited until the November 4 special meeting to air their harsh criticisms.   Councilor Paula Nystrom sought to provide constructive advice to her fellow councilors at the November 4 meeting. She

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Lakewood Lobbies for Your TABOR Refund

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , ,

Lakewood has hired Magellan Strategies to conduct a ballot measure survey intended to help pass a ballot measure allowing the city to keep your TABOR refunds. Residents are already receiving the first part of that survey by cell phone message. The intent is to use the survey to find out what question residents respond positively to, and use that language on the ballot. The survey will also allow weighing responses by demographic group and information targeted to specific demographics. The city will spend up to $74,000 figuring out how to convince residents to give up their refund. Opposing groups will not have this advantage. This survey is a one-sided informational campaign aimed at allowing the city to keep TABOR refunds because the Budget and Audit Board has already identified the need to keep the funds. According to Magellan, a cold ballot measure, one without prior information, does not have a good chance of passing. Through the survey, the city can spread the information that the city needs money. In other words, the survey is a way to get around the prohibition against government ballot campaigns. “A ballot measure survey is more than just measuring voter support and opposition for a sales or property tax increase. The ballot measure survey is the single best way a government organization can educate and inform their resident and voters about the reasons why new revenue is needed for core services, capital projects, an other needs.  From years of experience, we believe a ballot measure asking voters to approve a tax increase for any purpose is more likely to pass if a survey is conducted. One primary reason being, informed voters, who trust their local government’s leadership, appreciate the information and can better rationalize the financial contribution they are making.”   From: https://magellanstrategies.com/surveys-for-governments (emphasis added) What does the city need money for? Well…. everything. The city does not know and cannot say specifically. Spending levels for all city departments have gone up over the years and that level is now expected to be maintained. The survey attempts to find out what residents would be willing to spend money on so that the city can justify keeping refunds. The Budget Board had not identified possible specific cuts prior to the survey. If the ballot measure fails, City Manager Hodgson told the Board the city will default to across the board spending cuts. In other words, reverting to previous levels. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is composed of general interest and demographic questions. This will help gauge the mood of the residents. The demographic questions will help the surveyors weigh your response. For example, respondents who are homeowners over 65 will have their answers downplayed, while Hispanic renters will have their answers amplified. This artificial weighing allows the consultant to mimic the demographics of Lakewood, rather than the demographics of actual respondents or voters. Take the survey here https://www.research.net/r/What_do_you_want_for_Lakewood There will be a second survey in June to refine the actual ballot language. This first survey is just gauging community interest. Residents question the use of city funds in an effort to gain resident money, as demonstrated in the Nextdoor post below. According this post, the average income in Lakewood is $45,000, almost $30,000 less than what Lakewood may spend on this survey.

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Lakewood City Council approves housing plan and Navigation Center, but residents still have questions and concerns

By Lakewood News from KarenPosted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , ,

Guest Post by Bill Foshag Lakewood City Council held a regular business meeting on February 12, 2024 to discuss a number of items including a resolution on the Lakewood Strategic Housing Plan and adopting an ordinance to accept a DOLA (Department of Local Affairs) grant to purchase and renovate a property on West Colfax that will house a Navigation Center.  The meeting was well attended by a number of residents who were interested and concerned about these two issues.  Migrant Concerns One of the main concerns that many expressed during the public comments, as well as an earlier town hall meeting on February 6th, was that recently closed public schools, the Navigation Center, and possibly city facilities would be used to house migrants being relocated to Denver, which would make Lakewood a de-facto sanctuary city.  The basis for these concerns stemmed partly from the City Council meeting in January in which the City Manager, Kathy Hodgson, was instructed to meet with leaders of the City and County of Denver to “discuss all feasible options for Lakewood to do more to support our region’s response to the growing migrant crisis and influx of our new neighbors, and to report back to us (City Council) with options”.  Language used by council members during the meeting, words such as “our new migrant neighbors” and “welcoming”, seemed to indicate sanctuary status for Lakewood was the direction in which council was headed.  At the February 12th meeting, Ms. Hodgson reported that she and her staff had met with Denver officials, and no request was made of Lakewood for hotel, motel, or congregate facility support for the migrants. She also noted that “Denver is actually winding down the program related specifically to housing migrant newcomers”.    Some suggestions for assistance from her meeting with Denver officials include hosting migrant families in willing resident’s homes, donating food, clothing, and cash to the organizations in Denver that are providing assistance, and volunteering with organizations in Denver that are providing aid. Strategic Housing Plan The resolution on the Strategic Housing Plan and the ordinance on the Navigation Center were both approved, with Ward 4 Councilman Rich Olver casting the lone “no” votes on both.  Although both measures passed, there are still questions and concerns that remain. The resolution to adopt the Lakewood Strategic Housing Plan calls for the plan “to (be) use(d) as a framework for future housing policy and for the development of strategies and action steps for increasing affordable housing options in Lakewood into the future”.  The plan was prepared with input from City Council, City Planning staff, the 2023 Housing Advisory Policy Commission, a number of housing professionals, and Gruen Gruen + Associates, a consulting firm compensated with funds from a DOLA grant.  Under “housing professionals”, the plan’s acknowledgements list a number of other individuals not affiliated with City government, two of whom are identified as “active citizens”. No homeowner associations are noted in the acknowledgements of the plan. The plan includes selected comments from members of the community.   The plan, as described by several council members, is a framework or pathway for future planning to provide more affordable housing to Lakewood residents to help alleviate the problems of increasing housing costs and homelessness. According to the final report, “The foundation of this Plan is to strengthen policies that assist Lakewood’s most vulnerable residents, including low-income households, working families and individuals, older adults, and Lakewood’s unhoused population; and improve the functioning of the housing market to meet a diverse range of housing needs”.  A common remark from the neighborhood associations was a feeling they were not included in the preparation of the Strategic Housing Plan.  At the Lakewood City Council meeting, several people spoke up during the public comments, representing themselves or neighborhood associations.  A common remark from the neighborhood associations was a feeling they were not included in the preparation of the Strategic Housing Plan.  They believe that community associations need to be included and recognized as stakeholders in the planning process.  One of the representatives also listed off a number of non-governmental organizations in their community that are already providing services to the needy and homeless.  The implication being that perhaps we already have the resources in the community to address the housing issues.   Of particular note along these lines is that aside from the two “active citizens:” noted in the acknowledgements of the plan, are nine others who are associated with non-governmental (i.e. for-profit) real-estate development or brokerage firms. This raises serious questions about whose interests this report represents, the residents of Lakewood or the real estate businesses that possibly stand to profit from the plan.  While the importance of input from real estate professionals is not being entirely dismissed, more representation from residents and neighborhood associations whose communities will be impacted by actions taken from this report must be considered and should receive at least equal representation. Implications taxpayer money would be paid to developers The plan includes four strategies and action items: invest in affordable housing, expand overall affordable housing supply, expand housing choices and services for residents, and keep residents stably housed. Under “invest in affordable housing”, wording is included “would provide financial support for housing programs and incentives to encourage the production of more affordable housing units”, and “voluntary program that encourages private developments to build affordable units by offering a range of incentives”.  This wording implies taxpayer money would, in some way, be paid to developers as an incentive to build affordable housing.  What other options did the preparers of this plan consider to encourage development of affordable housing without the use of taxpayer funds?  The plan also includes discussion of small lot zoning, smaller housing units and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).  Does this mean the city will consider allowing developers to purchase existing homes, remove the existing structure, subdivide the property, and build small homes on the subdivided lots? What is the impact on the community of increasing population density resulting from small lot zoning? Do our

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