LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Lakewood residents will soon vote on whether to keep new zoning laws that allow for denser housing, including duplexes and triplexes, amid affordability concerns.
The special election, prompted by opponents of the zoning changes who forced four referendums in November, is set for April 7.
City leaders say the zoning updates are designed to help ease Lakewood's affordable housing crisis. The median price of a single-family home in the city is now $630,000.
"This is something that cities routinely do every 10 to 15 years. It was time to do it for Lakewood," said Lakewood City Council Member Roger Low. “This is a real opportunity, an exciting opportunity, to make Lakewood more livable, more sustainable, and more affordable. There are some folks out there in the community who are saying that this code doesn't increase affordability. That's just not true."
Sophia Mayott-Guerrero is part of Make Lakewood Liveable, which supports keeping the new zoning changes.
"We have gotten into a mess of housing being really out of reach for people," said Mayott-Guerrero.
Lakewood is one of many communities statewide to update their zoning codes under a new state law requiring higher housing density to expand affordable housing options.
The chief complaint from Lakewood opponents is that the new zoning allows more multi-family housing in areas previously zoned for single-family homes.
Karen Gordey is a part of the Lakewood Citizens Alliance, which opposes the zoning change.
"There are some that are saying, ‘Yes, this will solve the missing middle and the affordability crisis.’ However, there is nothing in the zoning that requires affordability," sad Gordey. "We don't know that we have the infrastructure to support this.”
Low told me that the outcome of the special election could jeopardize the city's compliance with the new state law.
"That does create a real legal tangle. It potentially makes it harder for us to get, you know, state funding that we really need to invest in Lakewood right now for things like more affordable housing, parks, green space, you know, infrastructure upgrades," said Low.
Mayott-Guerrero argued that the effort to repeal the zoning changes is a misuse of public resources.
"Using this much of the public time and tax dollars in order to try to repeal something that's really designed to just be a little bit more compassionate doesn't really make sense," said Mayott-Guerrero.
Ballots are being mailed to all active registered Lakewood voters between March 16 and 20.
All ballots must be deposited in a ballot drop box by 7 p.m. on April 7.
Read the four ballot questions here.
