LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A grassroots group in Lakewood is one step closer to changing the city code and forcing developers to create open spaces and parks with each new project.
On Friday, the group submitted a petition with nearly 9,000 signatures, bringing the issue before the City Council — or possibly to voters. Petitioners said this year’s momentum was driven by a newly proposed development near Belmar Park, though the petitioners have been advocating for the change since 2018.
At the heart of their campaign is a city code that already requires developers to include 10.5 acres of parkland for every 1,000 people expected in a new development. However, the last time a developer adhered to that requirement was in 2013. Instead, many have chosen to pay a fee to bypass the requirement — it was previously $258,000 per acre, but it's now raised to $450,000 per acre as of two months ago.
“It’s financially in their better interest to buy out of it,” said Cathy Kentner, co-petitioner of the initiative Save the Open Space. “That money they pay is a lot less than the profit they will make by developing those acres that should be open space and parks.”
Kentner explained that the initiative aims to close a loophole that allows developers to opt out of dedicating parkland, forcing them to follow the original intent of the city’s law.
“It increases our parks and open space at no cost to the city because the developers are required, by our law, to dedicate this land to the city of Lakewood,” she said. "Everybody deserves parks and open space that they can walk to and clean air to breathe."
Kentner pointed out that while the law is designed to create a balance between development and open space, its effectiveness has waned over the years.
“When every single development in the last 12 years has been allowed to buy out of the requirement, is it really a requirement?” she asked.
If the petition signatures are verified, the City Council will have two options: either adopt the ordinance or place it on the ballot for a special election in January. Given the widespread support shown by the petition’s signatures, Kentner remains optimistic about their campaign.
“It’s not over. We’ll be at the ballot box soon,” she said, expressing confidence in their chances.
However, not everyone is on board with the proposal. Several developers have voiced concerns, arguing that the open space requirement imposes an additional burden on new projects and makes it difficult to build the kind of high-density housing needed to address the state’s housing crisis.
In a statement, the City of Lakewood said, “The park dedication process is currently undergoing revisions that will include a public participation process. Please remember that the petition signatures have been submitted, but signatures have to be verified as the next step in the process.”
The city clerk has until Oct. 10 to complete the signature verification process.