Tag: real-estate

Jedi Mind Tricks – The New Zoning Code WILL BE Good

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

The widespread zoning changes Lakewood made in 2013 resulted in a resident-initiated movement known as “strategic growth.” Residents were unhappy with the increased, high-density residential units being built that unbalanced the economic growth of the city. Ten years later, city leaders are still not listening to residents. On December 9, 2024, Lakewood City Council passed a resolution stating the city will have a “zoning rewrite that is bold, imaginative, embraces innovation, and the diversity of needs for the full City of Lakewood.“

This resolution is not normal procedure. Normally, there is a proposal presented to the public that will show specific plans on promoting homes for the unhoused, increased density, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions. This is not that.

Rather, it is a declaration that the city already has its mind made up to implement these changes. And because they seek to be “bold”, the Council will approve whatever the contractor recommends, whether or not the public likes it.

It’s like Lakewood is playing a Jedi mind trick. Lakewood leaders want a zoning code to accomplish a bold new agenda and they are saying: you can’t see the code but it will be good for you. You will like it.

Residents are waking up to the fact that the “anti-growth” narrative was just a way to belittle those who disagreed with the establishment. Look at how residents react to the proposed developments at Whippoorwill and Belmar for proof that no one is asking to stop all development. They just want it done reasonably and in line with existing neighborhoods.

Residents are also waking up to the fact that the “affordable housing” narrative is false because Lakewood doesn’t have a housing shortage. These two narratives are how Lakewood justifies the need for this zoning code change. Lakewood needs to pass this resolution and zoning code before more residents wake up. Going through proper public discussion took years for a short-term rental policy and the zoning code is much more significant.

Being “bold” seems to be a new political buzzword meaning leaders are crossing a line. Bold is fast-moving, which could be dangerous in government designed to work slowly through public discussion.

In this case, as you can see below, the new zoning code will potentially destabilize neighborhoods by extensively changing the rules to densify development in every code. The zoning code was established to keep neighborhoods stable, so residents know the type of neighborhood they are moving into. With these proposed changes, the zoning code can even be used to expedite spending for the homeless, which is a budgetary process normally outside the scope of zoning.

The resolution cites the new comprehensive plan as proof that residents approve of this zoning code change. This is disingenuous at best because:

  1. The comprehensive plan doesn’t mention specific action, just “feel-good” goals. Think in terms of everyone agreeing on world peace except that for one person peace means the peace that comes after world war.
  2. Lakewood hired a consultant to rewrite the zoning code BEFORE the results of the comprehensive plan were finalized, substantiating that the game was rigged.

Read the resolution below and see how wonderful it sounds. For each bulleted objective from the resolution, there is an example (in white italics) that shows how it could be twisted into something that residents would not like, most of which have been mentioned by city and state leadership.

The revised Zoning Code will:

  • Be a zoning rewrite that is bold, imaginative, embraces innovation, and the diversity of needs for the full City of Lakewood, including:
    • Strategies that target the full range of housing needs compatible in scale and form with existing neighborhoods;
    • Increase flexibility in all zoning districts where appropriate to provide needed additional density;
      • (A pertinent example of this in the Belmar Park development fiasco where a new mega-apartment complex will be built that does not match the existing neighborhood. And that’s within existing zoning! Imagine an apartment building in place of your next-door neighbor’s house or the gas station on the corner.)
    • Lead to an increased supply of housing that is more affordable and attainable for individuals below 100% AMI, including for seniors, teachers, first responders, frontline workers, artists, and younger families.
      • (Since there is no way to guarantee new housing goes to seniors, new housing will likely go to investors just like it goes to investors now. This point is just emotional blackmail.)
  • Eliminate minimum lot sizes while maintaining reasonable setback and other dimensional standards;
    • (Buildings are now being built within a few feet of the sidewalk, as opposed to having ten feet of grass and a parking lot in front. This change increases wildfire hazard. It could also mean eliminating the original house to put four tiny houses on one lot – as discussed during a planning commission meeting. Or putting 15 units per acre, as per state suggestions.)
  • Improve connected lighting, sidewalks and bike paths;
    • (More bike lanes and less car lanes. Think of the separated lanes on Garrison or narrow lanes in Belmar.)
  • Improve mixed-use development;
    • (the 2013 rezoning already “improved” mixed use, resulting in replacement of promised commercial units with purely residential. This will eliminate even more business space.)
  • Codify a 90-day deadline to approve affordable housing projects;
  • Adopt a meaningful inclusionary zoning policy, either as part of, or as an accompaniment to, a zoning rewrite, which creates below market sale and rental units.
    • (inclusionary zoning is a market manipulation. It is modern day rent control, demanding all other units have high prices to subsidize around 10-20% of units being below market rate.)
  • Promote strategies and policies that will meaningfully and measurably reduce Lakewood greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, and incentivize sustainability, each with timely goals and implementation;
    • (This includes eliminating parking requirements, even less gas stations or bringing back the fee-in-lieu option for parkland.)
  • Lead to Lakewood* meets the requirements of Proposition 123 (as modified by HB 23-1304) regarding Affordable Housing Programs;
    • (assuming this means fully adopting the state agenda and giving up the fight on local zoning rights that other cities are picking up.) *-”Lead to Lakewood” is in the original resolution. No idea what this means
  • Put fewer constraints on homeowners and renters, give Lakewood residents more choice, raise property values over time, and promote naturally occurring affordable and attainable housing;
    • (For example, there have been several suggestions to remove occupancy limits which could lead to overcrowding, health and fire hazards. Group homes in the middle of R1 neighborhoods have already caused problems in Lakewood. There are also suggestions to eliminate emergency staircase standards.)
  • Expedite the site selection and procurement of temporary sleeping units and shelters, and promoting and prioritizing permanent supportive housing;
    • (Give less notice that a homeless shelter is moving into your neighborhood – there are too many things wrong with this to list. And procurement has no place in a zoning code.)
  • Require that the construction, maintenance, and improvements of buildings owned or leased by the city will, where reasonably appropriate, minimize emissions, maximize sustainable design   principles, and be built, maintained, and improved with a view towards also serving as a community asset beyond their utilitarian function.
    • (Some City Councilors are concerned that the city is not getting LEED certified or have net zero emissions, both of which are EXTREMELY expensive.)

The Lakewood resolution was written at the direction of the City Manager, thus by-passing public input. This allowed City Council to “signal” residents that this bold change was coming. That way there is nothing for residents to oppose until it’s too late to make changes.

The reality is Lakewood does not have a shortage of housing. Changing the zoning code in the name of affordable housing is misleading. Read “The Totally 100% Fake Housing Shortage”.

What Did You Expect?

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

From Alex at Somebody Should Do Something

“What did you expect? Welcome Sonny, make yourself at home? Marry my daughter? You gotta remember that these are just simple [progressives and RINOs]. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know? Morons.”

Progressives (and, the RINOs) in Colorado all but ensured that many people can no longer afford to start a family (or to keep their family comfortable), as it is way down the list of the Best & Worst States to Raise a Family.

While ranking 18th overall, unsurprisingly, it ranks 40th in Health & Safety and 36th in Education & Child Care. Furthermore, if one looks at Massachusetts (ranked 1st):

“Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family, in large part because it provides a good blend of economic opportunities and safe conditions for children. The Bay State has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and lots of job opportunities relative to the labor force, which ensures that parents will be able to provide for their children. It’s not the cheapest state, as housing and childcare costs are relatively high compared to most of the nation, but residents make up for this with fairly high incomes.”

And Minnesotta (ranked 3rd):

“Minnesota is the third-best state to raise a family, at least if you’re not averse to its harsh winters. Minnesota is a great place to find a job to support your family, as it has one of the highest median family incomes after adjusting for the cost of living and one of the lowest unemployment rates. In addition to good pay and job stability, residents also receive reliable long-term benefits, as Minnesota ranks at the top for employer-based retirement plan access and participation.”

Even looking at other states in the top 10, the theme is common, “the housing is expensive, BUT, the people living there have much better economic opportunities, being able to secure better pay relative to the cost of housing and, in turn, being ale to pay for the housing, regardless of it being expensive.”

In the meantime, Colorado’s common clay of the new West has spent close to a decade destroying the economic potential of the state. They finally succeeded – “Colorado’s economic growth fell from 5th in the nation to 41st, according to new report.” It is as if only focusing on building “luxury apartments” and metro-district infested suburbs is not the way to create a vibrant, multi-faceted state economy. Colorado now has an imbalance of well-paying jobs vs. some of the most expensive housing in the country. A single person in Colorado needs an income of $106,579 and a family with two children, an income of $272,314, just to ‘live comfortably’ in Denver.

The common clay of the new West has decided that we need gobs of boxes ensuring profit for the corporate entities, under the guise of “if we build more housing, there will be more jobs”. What jobs? While adding thousands of Metro-District-fee-paying and rental units, Lakewood, one of the largest cities in Colorado, has lost jobs.

The common clay in the Jefferson County, Colorado, not only rolled over for the developers, but all but ensured that large swaths of the county are now setup for an economic failure (and a potential wildfire disaster).

When I was a director on the Board of one of the water and sanitation districts in Jefferson County, after inquiring about the insufficient water pressure in some of the fire hydrants in parts of the District, I got the good-ole-don’t-worry-about-it. With some follow-up claims of how “pumps would keep pumping if needed” or something to that effect. One now wonders if such assurances were made to the residents of Pacific Palisades?

In the meantime, Jefferson County’s common clay of the new West ensured that thousands more houses have been built on the other side of the hill from the said district, in a high fire risk area, with “interesting” wind patterns and with questionable water availability. Nor did they seem to study the findings of the report on the Marshall fire, with one of the findings being that the structures were placed too close to each other. Who wants to place bets on who and what will be blamed if another calamity takes place?

To add ever more icing on that shit-cake, Colorado’s common clay of the new West (namely, representatives from Lakewood and Morrison) also turned what should have been a job-generating development with public transit options, in to a sea of houses. Even the developer-provided study showed what a shit deal it was for the county.

Instead of wisely allocating water to the purposes of driving economic development, the common clay handed over the precious drops that remain to the big business interests to bolster their profits, while the rest of us get told to conserve.

Not to be outdone by Morrison in the “we have no clue what economic development means” department, Lakewood’s common clay of the West has been working overtime to ensure that one of the largest cities in Colorado is set up for an economic implosion. The signs are all over the place:

Photo from Alex: Results of Lakewood’s “economic development.” Their only answer is, “well, we need more housing”.” Never mind that there is nothing but housing around the businesses which are closing down in droves.

Continue reading here…

Radiant Painting and Lighting 720-940-3887 karen@paintwithradiant.com https://paintwithradiant.com/

LAKEWOOD SUED by developer of Belmar Park

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

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 said, “Citizens shouldn’t have to protest, gather signatures, hire lawyers, or jump through hoops just to have their voices heard. The question isn’t whether this petition is perfect; it’s about understanding how we got here and how we can prevent this from ever happening again.”

As the lawsuit progresses, it will be interesting to see if the City presents a strong defense of its new law or continues Lakewood’s Big Lie by creating the illusion of support while allowing the developer to be victorious in the end. 

Read other news coverage of lawsuit:

Vivian Elementary Recommended for Developer Sale

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

Information provided by Lakewood resident Anthony Farr. Thank you!

Vivian Elementary is recommended to be sold to Carlson Associates Inc. Carlson plans to develop into 34 homes on 6,000 sq. ft. lots. Carlson will work with the City of Lakewood and Jeffco Public Schools to have 3 acres of land set aside for a city open space. The purchase price is under the appraised value and under the posted cost of recent renovations that residents paid for through bonds. The final sale approval will be made November 14. There will be no other public involvement.

Pros and cons from two proposals for the school
Proposals from the school board presentation

Two developers did not pursue buying this property after hearing that Lakewood would demand parkland dedication. So Jefferson County Schools did not receive top dollar bids. The recommended bid came in under appraised value.

The sale of the property is managed by JLL Investor Center. This same firm who is recommending buyers also recommended which schools to close, along with a school disposition committee.

The City of Lakewood approved negotiations to buy the Vivian Property in what was likely an illegal executive session that did not notify the public of their intent to buy parkland from one school but not the other. Terms for the sale to Lakewood have not been disclosed or finalized.

Vivan Elementary neighbors started a petition to get the city to save the property as a park. As of November, they gathered 1,126 signatures.

This is large number of residents but ironic, given that Lakewood City Council recently derided the 8,000 signatures gathered as part of a recent park land petition. Council, including Councilor Mayott-Guerrero, said the 8,000 signatures wasn’t enough to listen to. In the Vivian case, the city acted on a much lower number.

Contract details from the school board presentation:

Contract highlights. Purchase price of $2,549,250

According to the 2024 Financial Report, the school board paid $1,868,804 for completed renovations in 2020, just four years ago. However, the Jeffco Builds webpage shows a total budget of $2,251,226 – more than the potential sale price of the property.

Vivian Elementary Recommended for Developer Sale

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

Information provided by Lakewood resident Anthony Farr. Thank you!

Vivian Elementary is recommended to be sold to Carlson Associates Inc. Carlson plans to develop into 34 homes on 6,000 sq. ft. lots. Carlson will work with the City of Lakewood and Jeffco Public Schools to have 3 acres of land set aside for a city open space. The purchase price is under the appraised value and under the posted cost of recent renovations that residents paid for through bonds. The final sale approval will be made November 14. There will be no other public involvement.

Pros and cons from two proposals for the school
Proposals from the school board presentation

Two developers did not pursue buying this property after hearing that Lakewood would demand parkland dedication. So Jefferson County Schools did not receive top dollar bids. The recommended bid came in under appraised value.

The sale of the property is managed by JLL Investor Center. This same firm who is recommending buyers also recommended which schools to close, along with a school disposition committee.

The City of Lakewood approved negotiations to buy the Vivian Property in what was likely an illegal executive session that did not notify the public of their intent to buy parkland from one school but not the other. Terms for the sale to Lakewood have not been disclosed or finalized.

Vivan Elementary neighbors started a petition to get the city to save the property as a park. As of November, they gathered 1,126 signatures.

This is large number of residents but ironic, given that Lakewood City Council recently derided the 8,000 signatures gathered as part of a recent park land petition. Council, including Councilor Mayott-Guerrero, said the 8,000 signatures wasn’t enough to listen to. In the Vivian case, the city acted on a much lower number.

Contract details from the school board presentation:

Contract highlights. Purchase price of $2,549,250

According to the 2024 Financial Report, the school board paid $1,868,804 for completed renovations in 2020, just four years ago. However, the Jeffco Builds webpage shows a total budget of $2,251,226 – more than the potential sale price of the property.

Developer Influence on CO Representative from Lakewood

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

From Revolving Door Project, Meet Corporate Landlords’ New Favorite Caucus

The Revolving Door Project reports on a new caucus that favors real estate and landlord lobbying groups. Caucus founders include Representative Brittany Pettersen, a Lakewood resident.

“…the Congressional Real Estate Caucus. Launched in May by two Republicans and two Democrats, the caucus’ stated aim is to “ensure that congressional debates […] include a concern for real estate and serves as a forum for members of Congress and real estate professionals to discuss federal policy and its impact on the nation’s real estate industry.” The real estate industry’s financial success is the priority of the group: the Caucus promised to work to “support policies that allow this industry to prosper.

“Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D, CO-07): Pettersen, a freshman member of Congress and former state legislator, has received a combined $56,500 in PAC contributions from industry supporters of the Real Estate Caucus in just two years. She also co-owns a single-family property in Lakewood, CO that generates rental income.”

Read the full article…

Meet Corporate Landlords’ New Favorite Caucus

Lakewood Will Not Deter Panhandling or Window Washers

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

Lakewood City Council stopped efforts by city staff to put up signs that would discourage panhandling or window washing. In July, Lakewood City Manager Kathy Hodgson proposed draft language that would ask residents not to give money to panhandlers. After getting feedback from Council Members in August, all efforts were put on hold. City Council apparently would not support putting such signs up. An online community discussion, summarized below, shows Lakewood residents are frustrated with Lakewood’s lack of action. Lakewood implies permission by continuing to deny action against it.

The proposed signs would not be a solution by itself. In fact, it would have blamed the givers rather than addressing the panhandlers. Other cities post signs similar to those below. Douglas County has claimed to have “nearly eradicated its own unhoused population with a simple message to its citizens: “Handouts Don’t Help.””

Examples of posted signs
Examples of signs used by other cities. Lakewood did not have public drafts.

A recent discussion on nextdoor.com started with one Lakewood resident wishing that Lakewood would follow Arvada’s example by posting signs discouraging window washers. From the discussion, it is clear that most residents are frustrated with the presence of window washers in Lakewood. The key sentiments include:

  • Safety Concerns: Many residents express concerns about the dangers window washers pose to themselves and drivers by running through traffic, potentially causing accidents, and creating legal liability issues.
  • Aggressiveness and Intimidation: Several participants feel uncomfortable and even intimidated by the aggressive behavior of some window washers, especially when they continue to wash windows despite being told “no.” Women, in particular, report feeling harassed in these situations.
  • Policy and Law Enforcement: There is widespread frustration with Lakewood officials for allowing this activity to continue, contrasting with neighboring Arvada, where police reportedly prevent it. Residents feel that Lakewood is not enforcing existing laws and is not taking action to protect them.
  • Mixed Views on the Washers’ Intentions: While a few participants argue that window washers are trying to earn an honest living, most residents perceive it as an unwanted and intrusive form of begging, with some even equating it to harassment.
  • Desire for a Ban: A large number of residents would prefer that Lakewood implement a similar policy to Arvada, banning window washers from medians and intersections.

Overall, the general consensus leans toward a desire for stricter regulation or a complete ban on window washing at intersections, driven by safety concerns and the negative experiences of many residents. (Note: discussion summary and conclusion by ChatGPT)

Lakewood to Increase and Overcollect Property Tax – Again

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

Including explanation from Bob Adams

Lakewood will vote on a property tax increase on Monday. This will be done through the normal budget appropriation and mill levy certification. It is not called a tax increase anywhere. However, the 2025 Budget Book,  page 62, explains that a temporary reduction in the mill levy rate will lapse in 2025. As a result, Lakewood residents will pay 6% more property taxes and Lakewood will collect an extra $15.5 million in 2025.

Bar graph of property tax revenues 2020-2025
Property tax revenue and % change for 2025 (from page 62 of the 2025 Budget Book)

In 2023, former Councilor Mary Janssen fought to get Lakewood to comply with the Lakewood City Charter and only collect revenues that are legally allowed. That equated to a property mill levy rate of 3.85%. Lakewood Charter has a revenue cap, not a tax rate cap, to protect its residents from windfall taxes, like abrupt property assessment increases. City Council did not agree to Janssen’s original proposal, but they did lower the mill levy to 4.28 mills.

For one year.

Now that year is up.

On Monday, the Council will vote to approve the full mill levy of 4.711 mills, thereby increasing the rate by 0.431 mills from 2024.

Your property taxes will go up again this year.

“Natalie Menten, board director with the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) Foundation, emphasized the importance of TABOR’s protections: ‘According to paragraph 7(c), the maximum annual percentage change in each district’s property tax revenue equals inflation in the prior calendar year plus annual local growth (new construction). That safety cap protects taxpayers and gives very sufficient additional revenue to government agencies. Voters shouldn’t waive any tax revenue cap unless it comes with the 4-year sunset prescribed in TABOR.”

In 2023, then-Councilor Janssen found out Lakewood revenue from property tax was increasing 12.87%. The City Charter only allows for a 7% increase in revenue growth (see City Charter 12.12)

“Growth from projected 2023 to projected 2024 Property Tax Revenue is 12.87%”- Holly Björklund, Chief Financial Officer, Lakewood, 2023

Lakewood will increase property tax revenues over the amount permitted in charter, as they have in previous years, while advocating to keep your TABOR refunds.

Explanation of Overcharging from Bob Adams

Every two years (odd numbered years), Colorado requires all real estate to be reappraised.  This was done in 2023 and resulted in a huge increase in property valuations.  This reappraisal applied to property taxes paid in 2024.  The Assessor uses the newly appraised county real estate inventory to prepare a report of the assessed value which is provided to all county tax authorities.  Based on that report, the tax authorities are supposed to calculate the overall mill levy needed to provide services (pay their budget) for the following year.  The approved mill levy is then used to calculate individual tax bills.

As published by the Colorado Division of Property Taxation:

“Each year county commissioners, city councils, school boards, governing boards of special districts, and other taxing authorities determine the revenue needed and allowed under the law to provide services for the following year.  [In other words, prepare a budget]

Each taxing authority calculates a tax rate based on the revenue needed from property tax and the total assessed value of real and personal property located within their boundaries. The tax rate is often expressed as a mill levy.”

Source:   (https://spl.cde.state.co.us/artemis/locserials/loc811internet/loc8112022internet.pdf)

If the law was followed properly, there would be only a minimal tax increase.

However, Jefferson County and nearly all county tax authorities, including Lakewood, failed to adjust the mill levies downward to equal their budgets.  Even Governor Polis sent a letter to all tax districts urging them to reduce mill levies.  Most refused.  Instead, nearly all kept a higher mill levy which resulted in property owners being overcharged and the districts received a huge windfall in increased tax revenue.  Now, of course, the city and county have introduced ballot measures to allow them to keep and spend the overcollected tax revenue this year, next year and every future year. and eliminate all other revenue caps so they can freely raise taxes without a vote of the people now required by TABOR.

This is the cause of how tax revenues were overcharged and overcollected.

See more from Bob Adams on nextdoor.com

Vivian Elementary, the Graham House, and the Isolation of a Neighborhood in Ward 1

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

Guest Post from Laura Majors

We all rely on our elected officials, both paid and volunteer to do the right thing, work together, and make the best decisions possible for the city, county, and school system.  When they aren’t talking, community amenities are put at risk.  Our neighborhood, in the north end of Ward 1, is in a position to lose many amenities that can isolate a neighborhood.  We are being handed “plans”,  then input is received and largely ignored, with a concession here and there.  Here are the example of what we are experiencing:

Graham Park & Graham House:  

The Graham House and Park were donated to the city for a park with house for meetings and education.  Last Autumn, a small group of neighbors and HOAs (in a largely non-HOA neighborhood) were notified of “improvements” to this park.  The plan included the demolition of the Graham House. The reason for the demolition plan was the cost of fixing up the building as event rentals had decreased, largely for the reason that the building had not been maintained.   According to counts of the responses on at the initial community meeting and on  https://www.lakewoodtogether.org/grahamparkimprovements , community members want to keep the building, yet this request was ignored.  The new plan after community involvement, is to demolish the building.  An open records request response said that there is no record of a legal review by the City Attorney whether or not demolishing the building in respect to our city charter is legal, section 14.3, page 40.   Today, I requested of all our city council members a legal review of the plan to demolish the Graham House within Graham Park.  If there is an objective lawyer out there reading this who would like to give a pro bono opinion to the community, please do.

Graham Park Public Mee�ng Comment Cards Summary 11/08/2023 COMMENTS GRAHAM HOUSE • Keep the main building, kitchen and bedroom so it’s available for use for small public needs/mee�ngs. Certainly more benches, sea�ng. • Leave the property as close as possible to the original. • Preserve and upgrade the building for community use. • Exis�ng home should be updated for use as a community mee�ng loca�on. • I would hate to see the house torn down. If it was fixed up maybe it would be rented more. • Leave it alone! Gave land to Lakewood for people to enjoy and appreciate nature. • Try to save the house, it is an architectural gem. • No reason to demo house. Publicize the rental beter and lower the cost. • Make use of the allocated “pot” money to preserve this historical gem. Don’t tear it down – please! • Maintain/Rehab, but do not change the house. • Please restore the house (i.e., wiring, plumbing, air condi�oning, hea�ng, ADA accessible). Preserve open space and leave it natural. • Graham House can be saved. House should be turned over to the Applewood Sustainable Neighborhood.

Vivian Elementary School: 

JJeffCo School District decided to close Vivian Elementary School.  The school exists on a parcel of land donated in 1953 by the Larsen family, who farmed the land.  The family of the Larsens have indicated they would like the property to remain public.  Since the school closed in the Fall of 2023, neighbors say we are not receiving the priority #2 snow plowing around the school, making it more difficult to get out of the neighborhood onto priority #1 streets.

 In April 2024, JeffCo Schools held a community meeting at the local library.  They were overwhelmed by the number of people from our community who were interested, so many that monitors were set up outside of the room for overflow.  Representatives from the school district told the community that the City of Lakewood had turned down the opportunity to purchase the land and building.    This municipal process was posted on the JeffCo Schools Disposition web site for how the process was supposed to go.  The first step of the process is to meet with city officials, yet no record of this meeting exists.  

At the library meeting, the community gave clear feedback that a park was the best use of this land and indicated that the school district should go back to the city and ask again. Instead, Jeffco Schools went ahead with their next steps in the process to sell the land, which could result in up to 70 homes being built on the property.  Community members came forward in force with requests of the city to purchase this land for a park and possibly using the building for a recreation or learning center of some kind.  

On September 13th at 12:00 noon, the City Council of Lakewood and the Jeffco School Board and Superintendent held a meeting.  The only topic discussed was the school disposition process and more specifically, Emory and Vivian Elementary Schools.   While the Jeffco School Disposition process has a community notification system in place for anyone interested in one or all of the schools, a notification did not go out about this meeting.  The meeting was mostly about how the process didn’t work and Jeffco Schools admittedly said that the municipal process needed to be more “formal”, and that the city would be given more time in the future to respond on whether or not a property was desired for purchase.  The additional time would allow the city to discuss plans with the community before giving a formal response on a property.   

So, there are now direct negotiations for the city to purchase 3 acres from Jeffco Schools and Jeffco has asked developers to include that in their final plans.  

A community group met with one of the developers at their request to look at their plan and give feedback.  The development plan was for the ballfields, basketball court, playground, picnic areas, parking lot, and school building to be demolished.    The plan showed 37 houses leaving 3 acres of park space. Unfortunately, this is the 3 acres on the easement under which a very large Denver Water pipe lies.  Likely, homes could not be built on most of this space anyway.  We lose our amenities, we gain an easement. 

We would like to have a discussion with the city before all the amenities are gone.  

10850 20th Street/Quail Street Park:   

City Council approved the purchase of this land from Denver Water in the Autumn of 2023.  The city website says they have purchased it and will ask for community involvement after the purchase is complete. The portion on which Quail Street Park with a playground sits is a lease held by the city through 2028.

The Assessor’s office shows the owner is still Denver Water.  I asked the city for clarification and was told negotiations are ongoing.  City Council members have described this land as “passive park space”, which denotes no ball field or space for organized sports.

Removal of 20th and Oak Pedestrian Light:  

In addition to these properties, a pedestrian traffic light at 20th and Oak was being reviewed for decommissioning.  Kids used it to get to Vivian Elementary School.  Neighbors responded to the request for input, saying this light connects the neighborhood blocks, slows traffic on 20th, and was good for the community.  The light was removed.

A neighborhood at risk of isolation: 

A micro look at each of these decisions and the manner in which they were executed, taken individually,  is certainly not palatable. And when looked at from a macro level, they indicate government entities not working together and in doing so, isolating a community from amenities which have been at the center of this community’s mental and physical health.

The City of Lakewood’s own research identified Ward 1 as the ward with the least amount of city park and green space per population. How is more infill acceptable?

We’ve lost a school, the center of community connection.  We’ve lost a pedestrian light that assured the safety of community members walking our part of the city.  We are losing a second community building through what seems to be intentional neglect with intention to demolish. Now we’re at risk for losing  ball fields, picnic areas, and a playground with no assurances to replace these amenities.  

With all the focus on mental and physical health, why remove those amenities that keep us mentally and physically strong, placing those budgets and efforts instead on fixing those things later at a higher cost? 

Karen Sweat, CPA 720-316-3115

Yes, Lakewood IS Negotiating For School Property

Written by Lakewood News from Karen on .

Correction 9/21/24: There is no single commercial applicant currently under consideration for the Vivian property. This month, following a pre-qualification process, several applicants were invited to submit final proposals which are due in October.  

Correction 9/26/24: Paula Reed represents District 2, not District 1. District 2 includes Green Mountain and Lakewood High Schools . Erin Kenworthy is District 4 which has Alameda High School and the now closed Emory Elementary. Three Board Members are up for election this year: Danielle Varda – District 1, Paula Reed – District 2 and Mary Parker – District 5 

Thank you readers for your corrections and information!

An untested process caused misunderstandings and hiccups resulting in delays to Lakewood purchasing shuttered Jeffco schools. Lakewood is now negotiating to buy 3 acres of Vivian Elementary School. They are also still asking about acquiring Emory Elementary for use by the Action Center. At a meeting on September 13, 2024, City Councilors and Jeffco School Board Members were able to get a lot of their positions stated for the record; however, this remains a closed process with both managers negotiating on a staff level. There has been no presentation to the public of a plan for school properties. School district documents show that the district must approve the use designation. That means that Lakewood must have presented their plans for the Action Center months ago, during the same time Lakewood Mayor and City Manager were calling the stories “misinformation”.

City officials appeared united in their efforts to buy school property at less than market-rate for city use or for general community sustainability. They cited multiple reasons for deserving a price break:

  1. Due to the trauma of the school closures, giving the property to a deserving party for less than market-rate would be healing
  2. The school board has a history of giving property away for community use so they should stand by that precedent (two examples cited including a property sold to Gold Crown for $1)
  3. Non-profits like the Action Center do a great community service and there should be an equivalent value included in the decision-making process

School District officials were divided in their response. Although everyone from both organizations signaled their willingness to work together, officials are making hard decisions.

Danielle Varda acknowledged the many great ideas they have received for using each building but said there is no way the district can give away all those properties because constituents expect proper fiscal management of public dollars.

“What I’ve been concerned about since day one is that we have a fair process that’s very public, that all people follow and there’s no backdoor deals, no handshakes.” – Daniella Varda

Paula Reed encouraged a new metric to be added to the evaluation process so that properties could be utilized for other uses, not necessarily getting market-rate. She said that Board Members have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that all assets are used for student education but there are lots of ways to contribute to that, including community sustainability. Reed represents School Board District 1, which covers Lakewood schools

School Board President Mary Parker pointed out that every time they would make a deal with one city, another city would expect the same. Indeed, City Council Member Mayott-Guerrero already brought up Mulholm Elementary in her ward, which is not up for disposition yet, but would be of interest to residents there.

Purchase proceedings were held up not only by price but by parcel size. Lakewood seems to be asking for 3 of the 9.9 acres of Vivian Elementary School property, which will be used as a park. One of the initial guiding principles of the School Board was that the property not be subdivided, which contributed to Lakewood’s delayed offer. Under the old rules, Lakewood could not buy just three acres.

Now the school board is rethinking its decision and will allow subdivision. Lakewood is in active negotiation for the 3 acres of Vivian. The rest of the land is being considered by Cardel Homes (among others) for development. There was no Council discussion about Vivian’s purchase but the residents there have mounted intense public pressure to preserve the land and it has been discussed in ward meetings, indicating some Council Members knew of the plan. Apparently, a new purchase option was issued to show the 3 acres as separate but Lakewood Informer cannot readily find that information.

Lakewood has already met once in a mysterious executive session that did not include a specific reason, contrary to Colorado Open Meetings Law. However, at the end of Monday’s study session, Council agreed to another executive session on September 19 to confirm negotiations on a school property. That meeting agenda also does not state the specific property or use they are negotiating for.

The case for Emory Elementary is less clear. Council Member Shahrezaei asked the hard question about whether Lakewood could get the property in exchange for community use. There were no easy answers to that question and no apparent change to Lakewood’s plan to purchase the entire property and let the Action Center use it.

Lakewood may have the same dilemma as the school district if they start giving any non-profit preferential deals, especially if there are multiple properties purchased.

The Municipal Option for school property purchases seems to be in flux as Jeffco schools test the process on Lakewood. According to the posted process (below), Lakewood and Jeffco Schools should have a joint public session after negotiations have concluded. At this point on Sept 18, it is all being handled by privately by staff.

Flow chart of purchasing process for a city.
Municipal Process provided by Jefferson County School District

School district officials seem willing to engage in a public discussion about property use but it’s a fast-moving process. Lakewood is finalizing negotiations on Thursday morning. As of Tuesday night the district website does not show an updated status for the school properties.

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