By Russha Knauer, Cross-post with permission from nextdoor.com,
The upcoming Rezoning Ordinance meeting is being held on Wednesday evening at 7pm at 480 S Allison Pkwy. This meeting will cover several rezoning issues. If you live in the area of Kipling and Alameda or Alameda and Garrison, this meeting will be especially important for you to submit public comments or attend and make your voices heard. Find information about the meeting and how to submit public comment here: https://lakewoodspeaks.org/items/4256.
Specifically, the zoning ordinance updates will allow for the land along Alameda and Kipling informally known as the Milestone Property to be rezoned to allow for high-density, mixed use urban development. That means that high-rise, high-density development up to 96′ can be developed. This will go against the current zoning and surrounding development of the area.
There are several things that are important to know about this rezoning proposal. First, the rezoning proposal was included in the non-residential zoning map, so many people are unaware that this could happen and how it could directly affect them. Second, this is one of two properties slated for rezoning in this manner; the second is already developed and the rezoning ensures the current development is allowable within zoning regulations. Third, the city stated that the Milestone property is one of 10 “difficult to develop within current zoning regulations” pieces of property. To be clear, this land is currently zoned to be developed as single family homes with mixed commercial use on the corner of Alameda and Kipling. However, the developers have fought the neighborhood for two decades to rezone the property to allow for high-density development. The only thing difficult about developing this land is the developers, not the zoning. Fourth, the city planning department recently told the Planning Commission in a meeting on 4/9 that the implementation of “Envision 2040” is the “city’s”, meaning there is no duty for the City to engage neighborhoods when development or re-development is proposed. Further, the city’s planning department stated in a presentation on 4/18 that going forward, developers will be the ones who have the option to engage neighborhoods when development is proposed, further abdicating the City of their role in engaging neighborhoods. Finally, the City has made this information difficult to understand and find when it comes to identifying nuanced information and how it will affect specific areas and neighborhoods.
Please come and make your voices heard! Make sure the City knows that developers should not be valued more than tax-paying residents; that the City has a duty to engage neighborhoods when development is proposed; and that rezoning should not be allowable in plans that are difficult to understand and provide no clear forewarning to affected areas.