LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District (GMWSD), which provides water and sewer service to around 48,000 people in Lakewood, said density changes laid out in the City of Lakewood's new comprehensive plan would put a strain on the district's pipes.
GMWSD sent a letter to the City of Lakewood on August 22 objecting to the city's plan and requesting mediation to resolve a range of issues the water district said could lead to unexpected fees for residents. The letter requests the city stop proposed zoning changes that could increase density in certain areas until there is a plan for funding and construction to increase water infrastructure.
- Read the full letter below:
"With the density changes, we don't know if we're able to accept a higher demand of water flow, mainly into our sewer system. The pipes are a certain size. You have to plan for storm events and things like that. So you have to have capacity available in the system to accommodate that," GMWSD Manager Josh Stanley said. "If you exceed that, then you're backing up into people's homes, and nobody likes that."
The water district said it objects to certain goals laid out in the comprehensive plan, which was approved unanimously by the Lakewood City Council on July 28. In the letter, the GMWSD said it has concerns about the plan to eliminate some single-family zoning and mix commercial and residential infrastructure. The letter also said the need for new water and sewer lines to support higher density could lead to higher costs for residents.
"Nobody wants to have water interruptions in the middle of the night, and those are going to continue as the infrastructure ages. Main breaks, we have to shut down the water, dig it up. That costs money," Stanley said.
The City of Lakewood is in the middle of zoning updates to address housing needs and make modifications required under new state laws. The laws passed in 2024 require cities to increase density of residential units near transit service areas, ban occupancy limits, ban minimum parking requirements for certain multifamily complexes and require cities to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) wherever single-family homes are.
City of Lakewood Public Information Manager Stacie Oulton said the city is not able to provide comment on the request for mediation from the GMWSD. However, Oulton provided more details on the ongoing zoning updates via email:
Regarding the proposed zoning updates, the city is working very hard to protect Lakewood neighborhoods from potential impacts from new state laws. Proposed updates to the zoning code that are before City Council will reduce the allowed building size of homes and, therefore, the number of people allowed in residential neighborhoods. They will ensure new development is consistent in scale to the surrounding homes. At the same time, it will provide ways for new kinds of housing to be built that will be affordable for first-time homebuyers.
Oulton said the proposed zoning changes would also allow for more resident feedback on proposed developments near parks and limit the height of buildings near parks.
Stanley said the goal of the letter GMWSD sent to the City of Lakewood is to communicate with officials and provide them with data about the challenges rezoning could present for the water district down the road. The GMWSD said the City of Lakewood did not reach out to the water district for its input when developing the new comprehensive plan.
Colorado Department of Local Affairs spokesperson Shannon Gray said ultimately, the development of a comprehensive plan is up to the planning commission and serves as an advisory document to guide land use decision-making. Gray said state statute does not specifically address how local governments go about consultation.
GMWSD is one of more than a dozen water districts that serve Lakewood. Denver7 reached out to several other water districts for their input on the city's comprehensive plan and how it may affect their water services.
General Manager for Bancroft Clover Water & Sanitation District Tim Lowe said he does not believe the city reached out to their water district about the comprehensive plan update. He said increasing density is a concern when managing a water and sewer utility because the infrastructure is typically built under the assumption the zoning and densities in place at the time will remain that way. Lowe said if the zoning changes, it can often lead to expensive costs to increase capacity to meet the new demand.
Lowe also said the water district's engineer will review new development plans to make sure the system has the capacity to serve the project. He said if the district cannot meet the demand, they will require the project owner to upsize infrastructure.
The GMWSD letter to the City of Lakewood requests a written response to the objections and mediation timeline within 90 days.
